Blockers (2018)

Back in 1999, Cinema gave us the you’ll-laugh-so hard-you’ll-cry, comedy “American Pie”. Now 19 years later, a film debuts with basically the same plot: lose virginity before graduating high school. The only difference here is that instead of a group of guys on a mission to do this, it’s a trio of girlfriends. “Blockers” gives audiences a film that is undeniably raunchy, sexual and most importantly: laugh out loud craziness.

Writer Kay Cannon directs the laugh fest. Cannon, who has previously written for “Pitch Perfect”, ups the comedic efforts and it goes without saying. The film is bright. It has many colorful scenes, (by colorful, I mean clever) jokes, innuendos and gags. Even though this film is about girls wanting to lose their virginity, their parents, who are also friends with one another, try and sabotage that. Playing the parents are: Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz. The three go all out on humor. They offer one of 2018’s best in a comedic film.

Not only does this film offer humor, but the intertwined action is also a big success. Scenes of cars exploding and limousine parties all offer hilarity within. I do, however, have a minor issue with this film. A secondary character, a lesbian teen, has a crush on one of the three girls. Everytime the girl would show up on screen, I felt like this was just awkward and unnecessary. Drags the film on to be a like tedious. But, I rest my case.  

“Juno” composer Mateo Messina bring ease to the film in regards to the severe laughter. Messina makes a genuinely soft and melodic composition of music that balances the film in between all the shenanigans.

This year has only yet to see more comedic films and this film shows the bigger picture in which they are funny, but also offer parental and child perspectives. A side of being sheltered. The other being, leaving the nest and gaining freedom and independence. This gives the film heart and this is something comedies don’t usually have.

Yes, it might be a little bit of a knock off of “American Pie”, but suffice to say this film may have a little more edgy humor than that of “American Pie”.

Photo: Good Universe Films

Blockers Trailer

Rate:🍿🍿🍿🍿  4 Popcorn buckets out of 5

Malawski says: SEE IT!

Director: Kay Cannon

Starring: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena

MPAA Rating R-(for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying, and some graphic nudity)

Runtime: 1 Hour & 42 Minutes

Synopsis: When three parents stumble upon their daughters' pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, This Is 40), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad) and John Cena (Trainwreck, Sisters) star in Blockers, the directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series). The comedy is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver, under their Point Grey Pictures banner (Neighbors, This Is the End), alongside Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg (Harold & Kumar series) and DMG Entertainment's Chris Fenton (47 Ronin). Good Universe's Nathan Kahane and Joseph Drake (Don't Breathe, Juno) executive produce with Chris Cowles (Collide) of DMG and Josh Fagen, Dave Stassen and Jonathan McCoy. The film is written by brothers Brian & Jim Kehoe, Hurwitz & Schlossberg and Eben Russell.

Ready Player One (2018)

When I first saw the trailers for "RPO", I knew I had to see it, mainly because it was directed by the amazing Steven Spielberg. To make myself even more inclined to see this film I read the book for which the film is based on. This film and the book were everything I had hoped it would be. It is simply a tribute to the entertainment universe and pays homage to pop culture. This is one of my favorite Spielberg films and is one of the most colorful films I have seen to date.

Being based on a prior work, you expect a lot out of a film whose source material is a novel. This film lives up to the book in the most impressive ways. The color. The animation. And the action sequences. Not only does this film have intriguing animation, it also has real world scenes that fit right along with the animation and the computer utopia "OASIS".

As I said before, this is one of Spielberg's most colorful films, he approaches this with so much creativity and passion for the film and that should truly be admired. He also makes this film intricate and unique in the ways that it differs from other science fiction films. Spielberg really puts the joy in joy ride.

The films cast is nothing short of fun. Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Lena Waithe, Ben Mendelsohn, and TJ Miller are fantastic in both their respective avatars and real world identities. Cooke and Sheridan excel in their roles as Wade Watts/Parcival and Samantha Cook/Art3mis. The two have an unstoppable chemistry that all fans of the novel will geek over. I know I did. Playing the brillant and geeky founder of the computer utopia James Halliday is Mark Rylance. Rylance's take on this guy was awesome and nostalgic and  his character was mentioned in the book to have Austism.

Scoring the film for this magical adventure is Alan Silvestri. Silvestri makes the film all the more exciting with his bubbly score with bombastic sounds.

If it's one thing, this film has so much "Easter Eggs"-Hidden massages or tributes to another work of entertainment. One of the other most striking things this film has its humor. The fact that these tributes seen in the film and how [Spielberg] approaches this with the cast.

"Come with and you be in a world of pure imagination." That infamous song lyric from the 1971 song "Pure Imagination" as seen in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. "Ready Player One" accomplishes something that few science fiction films within the past decade have not accomplished: Entertain. Granted that this an undeniably charming film and also a book, viewers who watch this film blindly (Not reading the book) only seeing the movie, you may be completely lost. As far as I'm concerned, this is my favorite film of 2018 thus far.

       

Rate: 🍿 🍿🍿🍿🍿 5 out of 5 Popcorn buckets (Malawski's Movie Mania says: SEE IT!) 

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, TJ Miller, Lena Waithe. Mark Rylance

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi action violence, bloody images, some suggestive material, partial nudity and language)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 20 Minutes

Synopsis: In the year 2045, people can escape their harsh reality in the OASIS, an immersive virtual world where you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-the only limits are your own imagination. OASIS creator James Halliday left his immense fortune and control of the Oasis to the winner of a contest designed to find a worthy heir. When unlikely hero Wade Watts conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends-known as the High Five-are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS and their world.


                                                            Ready Player One Trailer

And The Oscar Goes to... The complete list of winners 2018

*OSCAR 2018 WINNERS*

BEST PICTURE
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Gary Oldman
Darkest Hour


ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Frances McDormand
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri


ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sam Rockwell
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Allison Janney
I, Tonya



ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Coco
Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Blade Runner 2049
Roger A. Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
Phantom Thread
Mark Bridges

DIRECTING
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro


DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Icarus
Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Frank Stiefel


FILM EDITING
Dunkirk
Lee Smith

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Fantastic Woman
Chile; Directed by Sebastián Lelio

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Darkest Hour
Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Shape of Water
Alexandre Desplat

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Remember Me" from Coco
Music and Lyric by Kristen…

PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Shape of Water
Paul Denham Austerberry…

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Dear Basketball
Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
The Silent Child
Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton


SOUND EDITING
Dunkirk
Richard King and Alex Gibson

SOUND MIXING
Dunkirk
Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo


VISUAL EFFECTS
Blade Runner 2049
John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul…


WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Call Me by Your Name
Screenplay by James Ivory

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Get Out
Written by Jordan Peele

Game Night (2018)

This film is essentially a comedic version of the game of "CLUE". This film surrounds a group of friends on their "Game Night" in which turns crazy very quickly. They embark on a murder mystery. They do whatever it takes to solve this mystery. The group of friends compete against one another by teams of two. Whoever would solve this first would get a car. This film is complex by nature and hilarious with a witty script and lots of action. The film is one of the years best comedic films.

On the game leader boards are: Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. They star as the married couple of the friend group. Bateman's character envies his ultra successful brother (In turn really isn't as successful as once claimed.) On the other hand, McAdams plays Bateman's wife. She hasn't really been in anything funny since "Mean Girls", but this film pales in comparison to her comedic efforts in that film.

The film is directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Goldstein and Daley create a film that is complex and unique in its narrative and the approach in humor. They had something exciting at every point in the film.

The video game, I mean movie's score is crafted by Cliff Martinez. Martinez crafts a score that emulates the sounds of classic 1980's video games. It has a Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road) vibe.

This film had action and camera work that was undeniably creative. The action was funny because the story played a role into the action sequences. The camera however, was full throttle immense and the techniques used like: Zooming in and using the images of games in the movie was very interesting to see/

Who's ready to roll? If I had known anything, I'd say this is no ordinary game night. If I was to get caught up in the middle of a murder mystery senario, I would probably freak. This film never ceased to entertain. And if you're looking for a unique and different comedic film, with a hint of action, this film is for you!

Rate: B+

Director(s): Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley

Starring: Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams 

MPAA Rating: R (for language, sexual references and some violence)

Runtime: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes 

Synopsis: 

Max and Annie's weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party -- complete with fake thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it's all supposed to be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start to learn that neither the game nor Brooks are what they seem to be. The friends soon find themselves in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic night.


Malawski’s Movie Rating System

A+ = Exceptional, One of a Kind, Masterpiece. Definite award season contender
A= Pure enjoyment, happy feeling. Satisfaction
A- = One to remember. Unforgettable
B+ = Can get a little over the top. But, it makes out as a good film.
B= This film has the potential to be better. Lacks in   consistency
B- = Watches occasionally
C+ = Guilty pleasure territory
C= Causes viewer frustration due to lack of depth in the story
C-= Meh
D+ = I hated this movie. Some parts were good. Overall, the film was garbage
D= Very few to no good parts about this movie
D- = Minimal qualities of excellence
F= Don’t even bother watching it. It’s that bad.

Black Panther (2018)

Since the debut of recent superhero origin films like "Wonder Woman", that type of film approach has dominated the world and fans of all kinds of superheroes. Not only do these films generate an enormous fan base, (like Marvel), will keep making more and more of these provocative, dazzling and emotional films. The films of extraordinary magnitude also have important messages to be learned and that is something I usually don't see in these kinds of films.

Ryan Coogler is king.. of the directors chair. He now ranks among: Chris Nolan, Patty Jenkins, Taika Waititi and The Russo Brothers as a magnificent superhero storyteller. Coogler tells the "Black Panther" story in a colorful and creative way that is extremely detailed. From the sets, costumes, action, humor and technology, this film is no doubt one of Marvel's best films as of yet.

Even though this is only Chadwick Boseman's second go-around at the "King of Wakanda", it's very entertaining. More entertaining I'll say, than his appearance in "Captain America: Civil War". He plays the King T'Challa, in a determined, take charged manner. It's very enlightening to see.

Not only does Boseman do an awesome playing the title character, the rest of its cast: Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett all do an extraordinary job in this film. It's one of Marvels best ensembles.

Ludwig Goransson scores the film. He does it in a way that viewers like myself can experience african culture, in a true form. It captures that native culture in a very interesting way and the score complements those features.

This film, as I said before, has messages to take away from. Stand up for what you think is right, and fight for those who cannot. Viewers will truly appreciate this film more when realizing it's personal approach and its values.

Wakanda Forever! This film is absolutely astonishing, from start to finish. Even if you had no idea who this superhero is, this film will tell you. For the cultural educational and the overall satisfaction of a film of this kind, you will not be disappointed.

Photo: Marvel and Disney

Rate: A

Director: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis

MPAA Rating: PG-13(for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 16 Minutes 

Synopsis: "Black Panther" follows T'Challa who, after the events of "Captain America: Civil War," returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T'Challa's mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.


Malawski’s Movie Rating System

A+ = Exceptional, One of a Kind, Masterpiece. Definite award season contender
A= Pure enjoyment, happy feeling. Satisfaction
A- = One to remember. Unforgettable
B+ = Can get a little over the top. But, it makes out as a good film.
B= This film has the potential to be better. Lacks in   consistency
B- = Watches occasionally
C+ = Guilty pleasure territory
C= Causes viewer frustration due to lack of depth in the story
C-= Meh
D+ = I hated this movie. Some parts were good. Overall, the film was garbage
D= Very few to no good parts about this movie
D- = Minimal qualities of excellence
F= Don’t even bother watching it. It’s that bad.

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

When three friends go on a European vacation, they wouldn't expect to be in the face of danger while on it. The three friends: Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler, decide to make Paris one of their stops on the trip and terror strikes when they're on their way via a departing train from Amsterdam. This film shows real heroes and makes viewers feel a huge sense of pride and love of country after seeing this film.

It's more authentic than other biographical film, in the sense of the actors. This film uses the real American heroes to reennact that courageous yet terrifying day. Mega talented director and actor Clint Eastwood makes the most of his long lived life while approaching 90. He depicts this films true story as accurate as possible and I think it pays off in the long run.

These amazing heroes may not be cut out for acting, but they do a good job at retelling the story in a true light. The suspense of the film is absolutely astonishing. You know that it's coming.

The film leads up to the events of that day. It starts off in the early days of the trios friendships. And that really gives more context and perspective on what's to come and what the boys were like and how they got to this point.

Christian Jacobs and Thomas Newman make the score of the film. It may have slow and dry qualities but makes the film better.

As I said before, the three playing themselves is a bad choice on Eastwoods part because of the mediocrity of the screenplay. Eastwood would have been better off casting real actors as the heros. If anything that's the only drawback of this patriotic film.

I am proud to be an American. Unapologically. When you see this film compared to other on a biographical scale, this film out does others. Not all, but some. It may be just as good as any other film patriotically themed.

Rate: B-

Director: Clint Eastwood 

Starring: Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos 

Runtime: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes 

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for bloody images, violence, some suggestive material, drug references and language)

Synopsis: In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris, an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. The film follows the course of the friends' lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. 

Malawski’s Movie Rating System

A+ = Exceptional, One of a Kind, Masterpiece. Definite award season contender
A= Pure enjoyment, happy feeling. Satisfaction
A- = One to remember. Unforgettable
B+ = Can get a little over the top. But, it makes out as a good film.
B= This film has the potential to be better. Lacks in   consistency
B- = Watches occasionally
C+ = Guilty pleasure territory
C= Causes viewer frustration due to lack of depth in the story
C-= Meh
D+ = I hated this movie. Some parts were good. Overall, the film was garbage
D= Very few to no good parts about this movie
D- = Minimal qualities of excellence
F= Don’t even bother watching it. It’s that bad.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

I was extremely hesitant about seeing this movie, for a few reasons. One, the franchise has been slow with its entries. And if you have only seen the films you will understand where I am coming from. Then, you have its promising actors yet they make these films worse. At the root of this problem, is each installments screenplay. It's muddled, but it just too mediocre. Overall, this film is a satisfying end to a miserable franchise.

Wes Ball, makes this film perhaps the best of franchise. It has more action than it's prior entries. It does have a weird screenplay, which consists of cliches and repetitive dialogue. The cast isn't much better, but they give their all. The screenplay did also leave me with a few questions after it ended. Surprise Surprise!

Leading members: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario and Thomas Sangster do a number on the franchise with action packed sequences. Also, they give some of the better performances unlike in the other two films.

John Paesano enters the maze, booming with sound. He creates a sci-fi esq score fitting the film and the tone of it. His score hits on par with the film, even if the screenplay is a mess.

The action and the heart of this film is certainly noticeable. I for one, had major doubts about seeing this film. But, I knew once the film picked up, I'd enjoy it. It is indeed the franchises best film.

Though, it's not in anyway achieved the notoriety and praise as "Harry Potter" or "The Hunger Games", this series, both film and the books has created a phenomenon among teens, and sure will entertain anyone who is a fan of Science Fiction films.

Rate: C+ 

Director: Wes Ball

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas-Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosa Salazar 

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, and some thematic elements)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 20 Minutes \

Synopsis: In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze. 

Malawski’s Movie Rating System

A+ = Exceptional, One of a Kind, Masterpiece. Definite award season contender
A= Pure enjoyment, happy feeling. Satisfaction
A- = One to remember. Unforgettable
B+ = Can get a little over the top. But, it makes out as a good film.
B= This film has the potential to be better. Lacks in   consistency
B- = Watches occasionally
C+ = Guilty pleasure territory
C= Causes viewer frustration due to lack of depth in the story
C-= Meh
D+ = I hated this movie. Some parts were good. Overall, the film was garbage
D= Very few to no good parts about this movie
D- = Minimal qualities of excellence
F= Don’t even bother watching it. It’s that bad.