Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

7/10

Starring

Johnny Depp

Anne Hathaway

Helena Bonham Carter

Crispin Glover

Matt Lucas

Mia Wasikowska

Directed by Tim Burton

If you give Disney’s 2010 masterpiece a second viewing like I did, you’ll come to admire the powerful depiction, the dark sentiments, and the wonderful twist they brought along to make this movie very tasteful. All this dark gothic theme is what you’d expect from a Tim Burton film, and he outdid himself in this movie, making it so good that even the 1951 Alice in Wonderland animation pales in comparison. It’s little wonder that this movie was a box-office sensation, and it was that success that made Disney invest in a second movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), which ended up being a box-office loss and nowhere near as good as this masterpiece.

The plot is a creative twist on the classic, but it can feel a bit disjointed at times, with some inconsistencies and plot holes that stand out more on a second watch. The visuals are stunning, but the pacing drags in spots, which makes the movie feel longer than it needs to be.

There’s much diversion from the story of Alice you’ll recall from the 1951 Alice in Wonderland animation, also done by Disney. The movie’s plot serves more like a sequel to the animation and is based on Lewis Carroll’s stories of Alice taking on the Jabberwocky. Also, the plot will help you see why the second part of the movie is horrible, as obvious plot holes and lack of continuity exist between the stories—most noticeably with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is trying to avoid following the expected path laid ahead of her, which leads her to run off. She sees and chases a rabbit wearing a blue waistcoat and accidentally tumbles right into a large rabbit hole under a tree. She then lands in a strange room and has to take a potion to shrink herself and go through a door to emerge in a forest. There, she’s greeted by the White Rabbit, the Dormouse, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and others. Seeing her, they start to argue whether Alice is “the right Alice.” They continue the debate and are chased by the Red Queen’s minions. Alice is told she’s here in Underland to save them from the Red Queen, while she believes she’s dreaming and can’t wait to wake up.

Now, we’re left to watch as she battles with the thought herself and moves along with events.

It was the success of this movie that led Disney to further develop more live-action adaptations of their Animated Classics. Disney has gone on to produce box-office successes like Maleficent (2014), Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017), with more of their animated series set to be adapted soon.

The movie’s actors were in a class of their own, with Johnny Depp pulling off a fantastic performance as expected. It’s a pity the second movie didn’t deliver like the first. A standout memorable performance was delivered by Mia Wasikowska, and you’ll always enjoy this movie for the fantastic performances and visual mastery it delivers.

Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One (2018)

7/10

Starring

Tye Sheridan

Olivia Cooke

Ben Mendelsohn

Lena Waithe

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Get ready for CGI at the MAX with a fantastic storyline—this sci-fi adventure film is everything you’d expect from Steven Spielberg. Spielberg didn’t just direct another masterpiece; he painted a picture. His brush was the present geeky thing the world is all about—Virtual Reality—and his paint was the next geeky thing Silicon Valley is trying to master—Artificial Intelligence.

Here’s a movie showing us a future not so far off, as it’s set in 2045, where everyone plugs into virtual reality to have a life. That virtual world was created by and is named OASIS. With a screenplay penned by Zak Penn (The Avengers, 2012) and the writer of the book the movie is based on, Ernest Cline, Spielberg took their screenplay and made a visually exciting film that you can’t watch without being amazed.

The plot of Ready Player One starts with the introduction of the lead character, Wade, who lost his parents and now lives with his aunt. They live in the year 2045, where overpopulation and environmental disasters have wrecked the world. Wade created a dock for himself outside the home so he can connect to the OASIS, a virtual world that’s also connected to the real world, where you can make money and have a life. In the OASIS, Wade made friends, and his best friend is Aech, who runs a garage in the OASIS.

The creator of the OASIS died and left behind a game within the OASIS—a game where the user must find three keys. Upon finding the keys, the person will become the owner of the OASIS and the creator’s fortune.

Wade and Aech have been trying their best to get past the first task to get the first key, and it’s during this that he meets and forms a group called the High Five, consisting of him (Parzival), Aech, Art3mis, Anorak, and Daito. These are their avatar names in the virtual world. The High Five and other users are up against a rich corporation called IOI, which wants to get the keys and own the OASIS.

The movie is based on a 2011 book of the same name, and in the film, the musical score is old-school 70s and 80s style—very soothing and fitting for the happenings on screen. The pat on the back goes to the animators, as this movie would have been hard to craft. I can’t imagine how much work went into fusing together real-life action and a game-like setting. The movie has many themes (Alien, Mortal Kombat, and more), characters, and stuff from various recognizable franchises, and it’s not afraid to throw them in your face.

Ready Player One has a few weaknesses. While I found the CGI and visuals to be stunning, it leans heavily on nostalgia, with plenty pop culture references that might leave some viewers feeling left out. The pacing can be uneven sometimes, and I found a few sections dragging more than they should. The characters are fun, and the actors do a great job bringing them to life, but they lack real depth. Plus, the treasure hunt plot can sometimes feel a bit predictable.

Here’s a movie you’ll see and love. You’ll throw much appreciation Spielberg’s way for what he’s crafted, and in many ways, this movie will throw some enlightenment your way. Happy viewing!

Game Night (2018)

Game Night (2018)

7/10

Starring

Jason Bateman

Rachel McAdams

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein

When Game Night starts, you get this feeling that everything is going to drive down Cliché Avenue, based on what you’ve read about it and the way it begins. The great thing is, it doesn’t (for the most part). The script of this movie is explosive, the comedy is unexpectedly good and funny, and the cast is clearly having way too much fun.

The fun the cast members are having spills over to us, the viewers, as we watch them try to unravel a mystery they got dragged into unwillingly. The subplots in this movie are minimized to the barest minimum, with the focus directed squarely on the main plot.

The unexpected twists and turns in this movie start with a simple game night—which is what the movie is about. A group of friends is having a game night when everything goes off the rails. Our leads, Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), met at a bar during a competition. Their competitive behavior is what brought them together—they got married and continued to host game nights with their friends at their house. Max has an older, richer brother, Brooks, who is everything Max wants to be. Brooks comes to visit and joins the game night, only to make Max feel inferior, as he’s just as competitive.

Brooks makes some arrangements for a better game night and invites Max and his friends to his house to be part of it. His plan for the game night is different—he even puts up a car as the prize for the winner. The game is simple: someone is going to get “kidnapped,” and the others must solve the case. The problem is, someone does get kidnapped—but it’s for real, and the others have to solve it to save the kidnapped person’s life.

At first, this plot seems simple enough to not gather much excitement or laughs, but trust me, the way the movie is put together, only a god could have known how things were going to turn out. I loved Horrible Bosses (2011)—the first part only—and this movie was directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who were the screenwriters for Horrible Bosses (2011).

The plot is engaging, but it occasionally relies on improbable situations that stretch believability, which might turn off some viewers. The humor is great, but the film lacks real depth.

This is a movie you’ll enjoy watching, though sadly, the excitement is a one-time ride, it is not something you can rewatch. This is also why the movie didn’t make much at the box office, but it’s one you’ll love when you get to see it.