Assessing the Nexus' Summer Movie Preview

Now that the summer is behind us; and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is coming off its successful $459 million domestic, $1 billion-plus take and out on digital platforms; the time has come to assess how accurate the summer movie preview of this blog was. All the releases will be tallied in the assessment; regardless of where they fell on the preview. Let's see how each one did. (source for all grosses: Box Office Mojo)

Jurassic World
Budget: $150 million
Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015: $651,128,986

While many expected the film to do well; given its reputation, no one really expected it to be the biggest hit of any movie since the likes of "Avatar" or "The Avengers." With $1.6 billion worldwide under its belt; Universal has wasted no time in greenlighting sequels in the coming years.

Inside Out
Budget: $175 million
Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015:$354,363,926

With critics and audiences alike hailing the film as the best entry from Pixar since the likes of "WALL-E", "Up" and "Toy Story 3;" the film managed to score the biggest non-#1 opening weekend ever and climbed to the top spot later in its run. While what lies ahead for Riley and her family is uncertain; it's clear that Pixar will continue to be making quality films such as this for years to come.

Terminator Genesis

Budget: $170 million

Domestic Gross as of 9/17/2015:$89,760,956

Yes, in hindsight; it may have been a bit foolish to insinuate this film would match or beat the record set by the 1991 smash it was partially emulating. The film even made less than the much-derided "Terminator Salvation" amid competition from the above two films. The planned sequels have even been indefinitely postponed as a result. Unless DVD sales and stronger international numbers can justify another reboot; the franchise will have been officially terminated.

Minions

Budget: $74 million

Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015:$334,215,500

Even without Gru; the film still drew massive crowds as the mascots of Illumination Entertainment have become some of the biggest animated characters in recent years. With a proper "Despicable Me 3" in the wings for the coming years; don't expect "Minion Madness" to die down anytime soon.

Ant-Man

Budget: $130 million

Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015:$178,636,091

Speaking of movie franchises which only seem to be gaining in momentum; Marvel can now celebrate having another successful superhero film under their belt to add to the multi-billion dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has been hailed as Marvel's biggest surprise since the first Iron Man or Guardians of the Galaxy; and the character of Ant-Man is now expected to play a large part in future entries (such as the two-part "Infinity War;" on track for 2018 and 2019 for both respective entries).

Fantastic Four (2015)

Budget: $122 million

Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015:$56,086,051

Very public knowledge of the film's troubled production made it that much harder for the reboot to overcome the Tim Story duology's failures; and led to Josh Trank publicly disowning the film via Twitter. Mulligan, please.

Now, in the spirit of good sportsmanship; the other side shall now be addressed with the films that were expected to fail by this blog.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Budget: $150 million

Domestic Gross as of 9/24/2015:

$153,636,354

Warner Bros. seems to not be having much success with science fiction tentpoles that don't involve Batman or Superman in some way in recent years. Despite massive critical and fan acclaim; the film ultimately underperformed amid competition from the a cappella chick flick "Pitch Perfect 2." In fact, for the planned fifth entry in "Mad Max: The Wasteland", Warner Bros. is now tapping director George Miller for a planned sequel to "Man of Steel" in order to secure funding for it. At least the film can revel in its strong international numbers and should perform better in the DVD and home streaming markets.

Poltergeist (2015)

Budget: $40 million

Domestic Gross as of 8/6/2015:$47,425,125

As expected, this pallid remake was largely shunned on principle by devout fans of the 1982 classic; effectively sealing another potential horror relaunch in the depths of a Native American burial ground.

Pixels

Budget: $110 million

Domestic Gross as of 10/13/2015:

$78,202,755

Against competition from "Ant-Man", this high-concept action-comedy is expected to take a $75 million loss for Sony; resulting in yet another misfire for the once-untouchable box office drawing power of Adam Sandler. With the animated sequel "Hotel Transylvania 2" out now and Nintendo now planning to take direct control over any future films using their games; it's now officially "game over" for this '80s retread.

Overall, it's been a successful summer; so be on the lookout for yet more articles from this blog, including a look at the films coming out in the last quarter of the year.

Movie Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Courtesy: Marvel

Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily, and Corey Stoll

Directed by Peyton Reed

Rated PG-13

My Rating: ****/5

In the wake of the massive success of "Avengers: Age of Ultron", it's clear that Marvel can now sell its lesser-known heroes in a manner that makes them accessible to not only the built-in audience of the comics; but also to the average moviegoer in a manner that appeals to both. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Ant-Man."

The story begins in 1989, when scientist Hank Pym (Douglas) is voted out of his own company by protege Darren Cross (Stoll) for refusing to relinquish the secrets behind the technology of the Ant-Man suit; which can shrink the wearer to the size of an ant and give them the abilities one possesses.

In the present day; Scott Lang (Rudd) is a thief who has been newly-released from prison and given a new chance to do great things when Pym catches him trying to steal the suit. Along with the help of his daughter Hope (Lily); they train him to use the suit to pull of heists as Cross is attempting to weaponize the technology in the form of a suit known as the Yellow Jacket.

If the above premise sounds silly, you'd be right. While the character may not be familiar with the general public the way Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the X-Men are (to the point where the film occupied the spot the former two would have had for Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice, now on track for March 25, 2016); the film is unabashedly self-aware of the ridiculousness of the concept, and bathes in a modern-day origin story for a hero with roots in Silver age comic book ludicrousness. Cross even mentions the "Tales to Astonish" line that the character was first published in.

The result is a film that's in a world all its own. While there are some sprinkled Easter eggs for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of dealing with the climax of "Age of Ultron" (watch for a cameo from Anthony Mackie as Sam "The Falcon" Wilson); the film is largely at its best when it works as fun escapism. Seeing Lang trying to get the gist of how the suit works leads to some of the most creative action scenes and special effects of the movie; recalling 1950s classics such as "Them" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man." Marvel easily got their money's worth of their $130 million budget; with a plethora of innovative camera work and scale, from when Scott first puts on the suit to when he faces Cross in a climactic battle against him as Yellow Jacket- in the presence of his daughter's Thomas the Tank Engine train set, no less.

One admitted flaw is the pacing. While the film does have a very fanciful tone; it also uses editing in a manner that rarely gives the viewer a moment to breathe before the next scene happens. That said, it does at least take every opportunity to poke fun at the fact, since the characters also react in a manner anyone would at a setup like this.

With the film being a surprise hit; dropping less at the box office in six weeks than the infamous "Fantastic Four" reboot did in three, the character is expected to play a large part in Phase 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; which the film helps set up. In the vein of the first "Iron Man" or "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man" is a big surprise as Marvel's biggest little movie ever. With a sense of childlike wonder and thrill in the film's 115-minute runtime; it's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.

Movie Review: Fantastic Four (2015)

Courtesy: Fox/Marvel

Starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbel
Directed by Josh Trank
Rated PG-13
My Rating: ***1/2:5

Much like the "Terminator" franchise, the Fantastic Four have had an interesting film history behind them. The first attempt to make a movie out of Marvel's first family in 1994; produced by B-movie master Roger Corman, ultimately went unreleased officially (the film, in its entirety, can be seen on YouTube for those curious). Despite a modest success of two films in the mid-2000s by Tim Story; they ultimately never reached the "Spider-Man" or "X-Men" level grosses that Fox was expecting, leading to this new film by director Josh Trank (whose low-budget film "Chronicle" was a sleeper hit in early 2012, making back its modest $3 million budget twenty times over).

Yet, despite the hype for this entry and the vitriol critics and fans have lambasted it with (the film currently holds a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it objectively worse than the likes of "Batman and Robin" and "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace"), this version of "Fantastic Four" does mark a slight improvement over Story's duology even if it never truly lives up to its namesake.

The film begins with a young Reed Richards and Ben Grimm (Teller and Bell) trying to find the key to inter-dimensional travel; but their efforts are met with derision from the public (including a skeptical science teacher played by Dan Castellaneta, conveying qualities normally reserved for his role as Homer Simpson). Undeterred, they find a backer in the Baxter foundation; and allies in Johnny Storm (Jordan; who managed to give a calm response to less than sensitive criticism leveled against his casting) and his adoptive sister Susan (Mara). Victor Von Doom (Kebbel) is also enlisted to help perfect the portal to a barren wasteland known as Planet Zero; despite his misanthropic attitude and reputation as a cyberterrorist in his native Latveria (his introductory scene shows him playing Counter-Strike and listening to classical music; blending his comic portrayal with elements of WikiLeaks founder and rogue journalist Julian Assange with Alex de Large of "A Clockwork Orange").

Of course, the origin story proceeds as follows; with the experiment going awry and the Four getting caught in the crossfire. What begins as a sort of character study of what might happen if four college kids gain superpowers suddenly becomes a haunting and horrific thriller that; while never reaching the heights that The Dark Knight Saga or the Marvel Cinematic Universe have with comic book superheroes; manages to distinguish itself from Story's duology and craft a unique version of the Four that explores how their powers affect them as people and not just vehicles for clever dialogue or explosive action.

Even so; it's understandable where most of the criticism is coming from. Despite the script being co-written by Trank along side "X-Men" alum Simon Kinsberg (with Jeremy Slater later being brought on); the way the film treats the Four as outcasts can get a bit ridiculous at times, as can the way the side characters behave towards them (certain scenes before the cosmic storm and afterward caused unintentional laughter in the theater were this film was being shown). While not abysmally bad as its reputation might suggest; it also lacks the bigger thrills and more elaborate action setups of other dark re-imaginings of superheroes that this film is clearly trying to emulate (notable strains of "The Dark Knight," "Man of Steel;" "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and the bulk of the Marvel Cinematic Universe seem to have been cribbed by Fox for this film).

Inevitably, the Four unite despite their initial rough start in time for the climactic final battle against Doom in Planet Zero. What should have been the ideal way to closeout a summer that featured the Avengers clashing with Ultron in Eastern Europe instead cements the film as a glorified after-school special with a budget of $122 million. Each of the Four somehow have their familiar powers rendered in an even more cartoonish manner than Story's duology despite roughly 8-10 years of advances in special effects. With the combined might of Reed's elasticity, Susan's invisibility, the Human Torch's flames and the Thing's stone body whaling on Doom (whose final form appears to be a cybergoth dancer stolen from "The Matrix" trilogy); it's easily the most overstuffed way to spend 100 minutes in a long time. The CGI starts to wear so thin with each passing minute; it's comparable to a game of "Marvel VS Capcom."

While the Four and Fox remain optimistic at the film's end that they will be there to defend the earth from evil; reality is far less so. Although Fox is confident they will be able to make a planned sequel by 2017; the film has infamously made less than either of Story's films in their respective opening weekends, thus opening up talk of the rights being sold back to Marvel (the film is currently on track to lose at least $60 million of its budget). The saddest thing; however, is that the filmmakers definitely tried to make a distinct take on Marvel's original ensemble, yet ultimately failed to entertain fans of the comic or moviegoers in the way that "The Avengers" or "Guardians of the Galaxy" have; with DC looking to follow suit with the likes of "Suicide Squad" and "Justice League" in the coming years.

Even so, this take on "Fantastic Four" can definitely serve as a teaching tool to any future film versions and directors who might be interested in another reboot in the coming years. Much like Story's films have an aura of products of their time; this film may very well be used as an example of what not to do for future incarnations of the characters. Just as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the X-Men have undergone much revision over the past few decades of comics and film (with further re-imaginings of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Power Rangers" also on tap in the coming years); this could very well become an unintentional period piece in another 10 years or so. If that is the fate of a film which many are claiming is as bad as the Halle Berry "Catwoman" film; then so be it. It could very well represent a time where Johnny Storm is an African-American street racer; Susan listens to Portishead; Ben Grimm is an automobile junker, Reed Richards jerry-rigs a matter transporter out of old Nintendo 64 consoles; and Dr. Doom is a cyberterrorist who blacked out half of Latveria with a keyboard. While by no means fantastic, it's at least marginally better than Story's duology or "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (which also led to that character being sold back to Marvel for the highly anticipated "Captain America: Civil War"). It's merely that for all its efforts; this new take on "Fantastic Four" still bears the failures of its prior film versions on its shoulders. It's not as bad as its critics would suggest; but it's still ultimately a superhero film with an identity crisis. With only the basic elements of the Four in play in favor of trying to emulate other superhero films; it's a film that has many ideas borrowed from prior versions of Batman; Superman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men but masters none of them. With no identity of its own (not helped by Trank now distancing himself from the film in the wake of Fox allegedly compromising his vision); it's OK, but still much less than fantastic.

Movie Review: Terminator Genesis

Courtesy: Paramount Pictures/Skydance Productions

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emile Clarke, Jason Clarke, and Byung Hun-Lee

Directed by Alan Taylor

Rated PG13

My Rating: ****/5

More than thirty years have passed since "The Terminator" first graced theater screens. The tale of the machines fighting humanity to near-extinction in a post-apocalyptic world has undergone several films as well as a diverse expanded universe of other media. The series arguably reached its peak with 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"; which sent the benchmark in terms of storytelling and special effects. Despite 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" being a solid follow-up; 2009's "Terminator Salvation" infamously killed the franchise due to the liberties taken with the series' mythology and the controversial decisions director Joseph "McG" Nichol made as a director. Now, in 2015; the franchise is attempting a soft reboot with "Terminator Genesis."

Even though the film is closely modeled after James Cameron's first two films; the film plays on the events in the entire mythos in a manner that has many twists and turns in this 119-minute reimagining of one of the most beloved science fiction series ever.

The main selling point of the film; however, is easily the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-101. The film not only handles his age in an amusing and surprisingly poignant manner; but leads with his character dispatching the much-derided CG double of himself in Salvation with ease. This is one of many thunderous action scenes that Alan Taylor has invested the $170 million budget of the film on. Despite Taylor's only prior film credit being 2013's "Thor: The Dark World" (much of his background was in television directing prior to that film); he makes great use of the bleak future after Judgment Day as well as at least three alternate timelines of past films (the settings of 1984, 1997; and the near future of 2017 are all given distinct visual styles to help update the series for a new generation as well as pay homage to its lineage).

As such, the film delivers plenty of bang for its buck. The special effects are top-notch; and there are many spectacular action scenes at hand. The chase on the Golden Gate bridge has an actual school bus flipped into the water and destroyed; and the climactic final battle at Cyberdyne Systems is worthy of the one in "T2" (which remains the best entry in the franchise).

The most notable flaw is the same one that doomed "Salvation:" the PG13 rating. While the lack of blood in many of the action scenes is not terribly conspicuous; the edits to obscure the nudity are fairly obvious. This "Austin Powers" like method of obscuring body parts generated some unintentional laughs at the theater where I saw this film. While not as damaging to the story as it was in "Salvation;" it neuters a lot of potential in a series well-known for its dark tone and speculative fiction about the future.

That said, "Terminator Genesis;" despite not being as good as the films it emulates; is a significant improvement over "Terminator Salvation" and helps reestablish solid footing for a planned trilogy. As the film is one of many offerings on display for 4th of July weekend; I can easily recommend a straight line to the box office to experience this "new mission and new fate."

Movie Review: Inside Out

Courtesy: Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios

Starring the voices of Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Bill Hader, and Phyllis Smith

Directed by Pete Docter

Rated PG

My Rating: *****/5

The 15th film from Pixar Animation Studios has arrived in the form of "Inside Out". This "major emotion picture" is the ideal film to celebrate 20 years of animation since the original "Toy Story" first graced theater screens in 1995.

The story concerns a young girl named Riley (voice of Kaitlyn Dias) and her parents (voices of Diane Lane and Kyle McLachlan) moving to San Francisco and trying to cope with this change. The emotions that such a change can instill consist of Joy (Poehler); Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black); Fear (Hader), and Disgust (Kaling). With some difficulties (such as changing schools and unsavory pizza toppings); they try to guide Riley through the changes in her life.

Then crisis strikes when Joy and Sadness get lost in Riley's memory banks (literally- the film portrays them as a central hub of the human mind; with a lively environment to match); and the two distinct personalities must find their way back while Fear, Anger, and Disgust try to deal with the chaos of the whole thing.

The situation is instantly relatable to anyone who has gone through the situations portrayed in the film. Not only that; the personified emotions play off each other in a manner worthy of their actors' diverse backgrounds not only in film; but in TV series such as "Saturday Night Live" and "The Office." Pete Docter; who had previously made the wonderful "Monsters, Inc." and "Up," has managed to deliver another film that can easily get you on the same wavelength as the emotions you see onscreen.

The animation is also; as usual, worthy of the studio's pedigree. The way the characters move is slick; and the use of color and lighting is masterful. The environments also make great use of the San Francisco location as well as giving the state of Riley's mind every nuance short of its own zip code in terms of design (a key scene shows how dreams are made in a film studio; even down to scripting situations such as enchanted unicorns).

Of course, the film is also preceded by one of Pixar's traditional shorts; in the form of the film "Lava." A love story of two volcanoes is the ideal curtain-raiser to such a great film.

Even though the revolution Pixar brought along in 1995 has long since become the establishment; "Inside Out" proves to be just as grand in making you feel as any live-action film. Whether it's a group of toys or a midwestern family adjusting to life in the Bay Area; Docter knows how to hit all the right notes for any age group. Whether it's fear of being the new kid in town; joy over bonding with your family, sadness over leaving your old life behind; anger about your belongings being held up by movers, or disgust at garish fashions; it is the ideal family film that will easily be remembered for another 20 years as Pixar continues to build a legacy on par with Disney themselves.

Movie Review: Jurassic World

Courtesy: Universal Pictures

Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent Do'nofrio, and Judy Greer

Directed by Colin Trevorrow

Rated PG-13

My Rating: ****1/2:5

The "Jurassic Park" franchise has been given its ideal successor in "Jurassic World." Director Colin Trevorrow; who previously made the little-seen but much-loved "Safety Not Guaranteed" has not only made what's easily the best film in the franchise in a long time, but also managed to rekindle the wonder and thrill that we all felt when the park first opened its doors in 1993.

The story concerns two young siblings (Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson) being sent on vacation in the eponymous Jurassic World; where John Hammond's vision has finally come to fruition after 22 years (the genetic lab in the park is named in honor of the character; commemorating Richard Attenborough's passing at age 90). In that time; herbivore dinosaurs are now able to be mounted by children in petting zoos, mosasaurus are fed sharks in a manner similar to that dolphins are fed minnows at SeaWorld; and velociraptors are trained by the finger snaps of Owen (Pratt, "Parks and Recreation," "Guardians of the Galaxy").

Seeking to "up the wow factor;" Claire Dearing (Howard) is supervising the creation of a new species known as the Indominus Rex, with the cloning process from the first film now having made way for outright gene splicing of numerous species. As Ian Malcolm warned; however, things can go awry with that power in one's hands.

Sure enough; the I-Rex gets smart enough to wonder why it has to be in captivity, and begins a rampage in the park that puts humans on the main course. The action scenes that ensue "up the wow factor" in their own way; showing off 22 years of advances in paleontology and special effects at hand. To describe how the film captures the chaos and sheer thrill a setup like that promises: imagine a little boy playing with dinosaur models in a homemade diorama. Now imagine if that boy grew to be a man; and you gave him a camera and a budget of $150 million. That is exactly what Trevorrow has done with this film; reinvigorating the franchise with a sense of terror and childlike wonder that the previous sequels (most infamously "Jurassic Park III") notably lacked.

The script he has crafted alongside Derek Connolly, Rick Jaffa; and Amanda Silver also slyly satirizes the state of the film industry in the form of audiences' love for showy effects; as well as corporate backing for many films. What began as simply using the tie-in merchandise as props has expanded to pteranodons making meals out of panicking patrons of the park's local Starbucks and Ben and Jerry's (a park worker in a bit part notably laments the state of the whole thing, all while wearing a vintage t-shirt from the park's early days).

The only real flaw of note is that sometimes; the villains of the film can be a bit too cartoonish, as can the complacency of some of the patrons; most notably Robinson's jaded teenage character. That's OK, however; as you get to watch the dinosaurs devour them, and he does genuinely love his brother (Simpkins) warts and all. 

The heroes' dialogue is worthy of the late Michael Crichton, volleying witty remarks back and forth throughout the 123-minute visit to the park (even despite Joss Whedon's criticism of Pratt and Howard's dynamic). Much like the characters in "Safety Not Guaranteed;" Trevorrow never forgets to imbue his characters with heart and soul; nor the film.

Forget everything you know about the term "thrill ride." Much like the original film; "Jurassic World" manages to take that clichéd term of praise, chew it up; spit it out, and crush it into the mud. It is a film that redefines it in a manner where you actually do feel the experience of everything that goes through the film. In the course of one showing; it can easily channel a feeling of nostalgia for "Jurassic Park" from the moment you hear Michael Giacchino's arrangement of the theme music and leave you with an experience that successfully reimagines it for a new generation. The park is open.

Video Game Review: Pokémon Shuffle

Courtesy: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company

Publisher: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company

Developer: Genius Sonority

Platform: 3DS eShop

ESRB Rating: E

My Rating: ***1/2:5

Puzzle-based spinoff games have always been fun diversions for the Pokémon series.

Notable ones include the Nintendo 64 game “Pokémon Puzzle League” (based on the classic “Tetris

Attack, which in turn was based on the Japanese “Panel de Pon”) and the Nintendo DS “Pokémon

Trozei” (A “Bejeweled” clone of sorts where Pokémon heads are swapped instead of jewels). Now,

they are joined by the 3DS eShop title “Pokémon Shuffle.”

While the “freemium” model has been a divisive one for gaming (essentially; it involves

giving you a set number of time and items for play free, with you paying for more if you desire); this

game has managed to make it work by being generous with free items and playtime via the 3DS'

Streetpass and Spotpass features. When you meet other players via that function; you can easily gain

more ways to play.

The gameplay echoes the likes of “Bejeweled;” and also adds that mechanic to a

surprisingly fun method of battling and capturing Pokémon. The result is a game that's not too tough

for casual players and also not too easy for hardcore ones.

While the graphics and sound are minimalist at best; they are also colorful and bouncy,

as befitting the franchise. It also has quite possibly the most cheerful “Game Over” music ever heard

in a video game.

Yet, the main draw of the game is also arguably its biggest flaw: the freemium model.

Depending on your play style, it might be difficult to spend actual money to get in-game currency and

items needed to excel on later stages. While not everyone minds this; the freemium model in itself

has been highly divisive among gamers for being a sort of double-edged sword for the more well-off.

Be that as it may; “Pokémon Shuffle” is definitely an entertaining game regardless of

what you might think of its business model. It's definitely worth downloading if you own a 3DS.