Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Overall: 12
This is another retread of the same old Star Wars story, but I enjoyed myself. It is worth watching, but does not have the magic that made me love the originals.

Entertainment: 4 (Like)
This is not the original trilogy, but it is not as bad as the 56% rotten tomato user rating either. I think the initial inflated critics reviews of 93% got people's hopes too high. I enjoyed this one as much as The Force Awakens, but I went in expecting a 56%.

Writing: 3 (Neutral)
The writing had problems, and is almost in my dislike category. It only avoids that because the overall story hung together well enough. Like The Force Awakens, the writing felt derivative. You will not see anything new. Some characters had character development, but others had a fair amount of screen time with character development that seemed stilted. A lot of the comedy fell completely flat.

Presentation: 5 (Strongly Like)

The visuals in the film were really beautiful, EXCEPT some digital effects that looked like a video game. If it weren't for the digital effects and some weird space physics items I found distracting, I may have leaned toward a 6 (Love) on this. As for the acting, it was decent and in line with The Force Awakens.

Godzilla (2014)

Overall: 6

Entertainment: 2
I know. How could I enjoy Pacific Rim (it got an 11 on my review rubric) and dislike Godzilla? In a nutshell, Godzilla had an inferior plot, less engaging main character, less attractive visuals, and it made the mistake of taking itself too seriously.

That last point is important. Like a comic movie, a monster movie needs to balance how it presents itself versus how seriously it takes itself. Godzilla's failure to be truly scary (really...there was not a seriously scary/suspenseful moment in two hours) made taking itself seriously kind of silly. As a result, I couldn't suspend my disbelief, and was fairly bored during most of the movie.

Writing: 1
Since I assume you are not going to watch this monstrosity of a movie (see what I did there  :) after reading this highly credible review, I'm going to pitch a few spoilers out there for this section only. Just FYI.

One of the primary flaws in the writing is the use of impersonal villains (giant monsters "MUTOs" that don't really care whether or not they harm civilization). Godzilla was no different. He lumbered around hunting the MUTOs and was kind of the hero...sorta...but also the villain. The truth is that monsters only work as villains when people are the real prey--think of the velociraptors and people in Jurassic Park. It turns out when the monsters don't care about eating the characters in the monster movie, they aren't that interesting and the show isn't fun.

There is plenty more I could tear into, like a limited plot, a main character who was dull, logical flaws designed only to forward the plot, etc., but I think you have the idea.

Presentation: 3
Many will say the visuals were very good, and they were to some extent. However, I did not enjoy the overly-cluttered, almost 70s flair of the movie. The destruction looked pretty good, but destruction is only good in a movie where you care if characters get hurt; and, as I mentioned previously, you don't care about anyone in this movie despite usable acting.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Overall: 17

Entertainment: 6
Stronger than the first installment of Captain America, with better writing, better visuals, and more heart. The real aspect that sets this movie apart, however, is it's story. It stays true to Steve Rogers (Capt. America) personality, and does a great job of giving him a moral dilemma without changing him into a flawed hero (yes I am tired of that cliche at this moment). It is also nice that this movie stays as pro-America as it's hero--it gets tiring to only be reminded of our defects as a country--despite recognition of some individual and governmental failings. You don't have to be a comic movie fan to enjoy watching this upbeat action-thriller; it is definitely worth your time!

Writing: 6
The Winter Soldier easily handles being a stand-alone movie for those who have not seen the first installment (or any of the other Marvel movies for that matter), while having tons of tie-ins to the overall Marvel world in a way that doesn't feel forced or contrived. The other aspect that I really enjoy is that this film is as much thriller as action (read: it actually has a captivating story between punches, or maybe it has some great punches within the story  :).

Presentation: 5
Overall good visually, but movie does not get too creative or out there with what it displays. It fits right with the rest of the Marvel films, and the action is acrobatic and attractive. The strong writing is well delivered, especially by Chris Evans (Capt. America) who does a great job of making an honorable character more than a caricature.

Divergent (2014)

Overall: 13

Entertainment: 5
Divergent is one of those movies critics love to hate--I am often a rough critic myself--but this film surprised me by being a really enjoyable watch. There is some items that involved real suspension of disbelief, but I think those were holdovers from the book that did not translate well onto the big screen (read jumping off moving trains as standard practice, etc.). Still, I had a good time watching this one.

Writing: 4
I can see where the critics complain that this story is like all other teen movies right now. The movie is set in a dystopian future, the teen protagonist (Tris) is angsting about who she is and who she should be, and there is an obligatory love story element. However, I agree with the argument that there are really no new stories anymore. Most are about the same age-old problems involved in the human condition. The differences are largely setting, timing, and stylistic in nature.

Again, don't listen to the critics. Divergent is both a decent love story and an interesting coming of age story as well.

Presentation: 4
Mixed bag here. The visuals look fairly decent, but don't always add up (e.g. future Chicago with turbines all over the buildings?).

The acting and look of Shailene Woodley (Tris) and Theo James (Four), however, come across very well on screen. They sold their characters well, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the movie.

Robocop (2014)

Overall: 12
Robocop has quite a bit going for it--good acting from big names, decent writing, enough budget for some usable visual effects--but this movie was only at the like level for me. It never quite fully drew me into its world entirely. I do appreciate, however, that the movie stepped away from the campiness of the 1987 version, and also avoided the excessive violence of its predecessor as well.

Entertainment: 4
The movie is entertaining, but is more a story of a man's personal journey through a bad experience than it is a fast-pace, action flick. So don't watch it expecting only fight scenes with awesome visuals and close calls. In a way the movie held to reality much more than I expected, but that is also part of the problem. When watching a movie about a man who loses everything and clings to life as a robot, I don't know if I want to see reality. I'd probably rather see the just (as in justice) revenge. Don't get me wrong. This is an enjoyable movie that has some hard hitting emotion at times, and some good action in between.

Writing: 4
The story is mostly clean and more focused on the realities of the main characters experience than I would have expected for a Robocop reboot. It has strong emotional connection at times as well. However, there are a couple of things that kept me from liking it better. First, this character and writing are largely joyless. Second, the anti-war sentiment reaches preachy levels at times. I think everyone already knows that war is not glamorous or the option of first choice. Finally, some things that happen just don't make sense (e.g. Robocop's wall jump).

Presentation: 4
The visuals were hit and miss for me. I'm not an expert on this front, but some of the visuals felt wrong. The wall jump mentioned earlier is a perfect example. It is one of many visuals that almost looked really good, but did not quite make it to amazing. The acting is good, but nobody made a name for themselves with this one.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Overall: 15
Kids and adults will enjoy this over-the-top comedy filled with action, comedy, love, loads of one-liners, superheros, and one very ordinary Lego man. At least, my twin boys (7 years old) loved it, and I had a great time too.

Entertainment: 5
The Lego Movie is ludicrously silly, fast-paced, fun. I could not help laughing out loud on multiple occasions for excellent one-liners that were funny on their own, while poking fun at all things Lego universe. I really liked this film, and almost loved it save for a few aspects.

Writing: 5
The story is clever and engaging. The silliness of the the dialog and story are well matched with the Lego universe. If I had felt more connected to the protagonist, I would have loved the writing; unfortunately, there was no moment in the film where I had more than sympathy for the main character. Don't get me wrong though. This is a great story that also has some heart.

Presentation: 5
For the sake of brevity, the acting is over-the-top and wonderful. Now for a bit of long-winded discussion on the visuals.

Please note, I did NOT see this movie in 3D, and I think it would have benefitted the visuals in this case--though I am on the fence as to my love of 3D films.

Overall, scenes were expansive (in Lego terms) and wild, but never slowed down for me to enjoy what was being displayed. Undoubtedly many people will disagree with me here, but the movie felt like a half stop motion, half digital animation mutant played at 1.5 speed (I honestly don't know how the film was actually made; this is just how it looked to me). The result was a very frantic set of images constantly rushing by. It was wonderful in many ways, but I did not quite love it.

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The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010)

Overall: 13
This prequel to the Ip Man films is not on the same level as the Donnie Yen variety (see my review of Ip Man here), but it is worth watching for you martial arts fans out there.

The martial arts is good--though not on the same level as in Donnie Yen's portrayal--and the story is campy but decent. I enjoyed watching, though I wish it were a little more tightly written, realistic on the martial arts, and focused on Ip. By the way, you may want to watch this in Mandarin. The acting is good, but the English dubbing is sub-par.

Entertainment: 5
Not perfect, but I really enjoyed the action and story of this film.

Writing: 4
The story is not significantly deep, but does enough right. However, be warned that the B plot is a love story where the love interest is less convincing.

Presentation: 4
The acting is good, and the visuals are decent too. The presentation is a bit campy overall, but nothing in it is a deal-breaker.