"They almost had something here. Good thing no one can be offended, though."
Tag: Michael Peña
Ant-Man and the Wasp (*****) builds on success
The one who benefits most from this arrangement is Lilly's Hope, who continually marches through each predicament with the smarts of Hermione and the physical prowess of Wonder Woman. She is the best part of Ant-Man and The Wasp. Nothing she does is done for the sake of being a woman or in spite of it. She's out to accomplish objectives.
A Wrinkle in Time (***) is best when it avoids fawning
#wrinkleintime "This is not an indictment of the talent of Ava as a director. It's not that she faded this time round. There was probably enough pressure on her shoulders covering this well liked children's book. To make her have to maneuver around the albatross is obviously a bridge too far, even if she'll never publicly admit it."
The Martian (****1/2) – The good of the one…
The Martian - 2015 Director Ridley Scott Screenplay Drew Goddard based on the book by Andy Weir Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong In a time in which one person taking the lives of many others gets so much attention, it is nice to see a work of art … Continue reading The Martian (****1/2) – The good of the one…
Fury (***1/2) Rolls over familiar ground
Fury - 2014 Written and Directed by David Ayer Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, Scott Eastwood How to get a coward to fight late in the last days before VE Day? This is the question that Fury spends its time trying to answer. Pvt. Norman "Machine" Ellison (Lerman) is a young man with a "conscience" who … Continue reading Fury (***1/2) Rolls over familiar ground
Turbo is kind of slow on the uptake
Turbo - 2013 Director David Soren Starring (Voice) Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña, Snoop Dogg, Maya Rudolph, Michelle Rodriguez, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Hader, Snoop Dogg, Luis Guzmán, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michael Bell Screenplay David Soren, Robert Siegel, Darren Lemke Taking elements from one of the least artistically successful Pixar films (Cars) and one of the Pixar films most people forgot (Ratatouille) we have a … Continue reading Turbo is kind of slow on the uptake
Forgotten Gem: My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done? - 2009 Director Werner Herzog Starring Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, Chloë Sevigny, Udo Kier, Michael Peña, Grace Zabriskie, Brad Dourif Screenplay by Herzog and Herbert Golder Herzog and Golder were thinking of making a movie about the real life murderer Mark Yavorsky, who committed a matricide, mirroring the play of Orestes. He … Continue reading Forgotten Gem: My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
Gangster Squad: Which way is Zombieland?
Gangster Squad - 2013 Director Ruben Fleischer Starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña , Merielle Enos Screenplay Will Beall from Tales from Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman Gangster Squad is not nearly as bad as has been reported. It's nowhere near as good as it could have been. It's … Continue reading Gangster Squad: Which way is Zombieland?
End of Watch: I’ve got your back
End of Watch - 2012 Written and Directed by David Ayer Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick, David Harbour, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, Cody Horn End of Watch is one of the most gripping police dramas made in many years. Its power is in an immediate filming style which uses primarily smaller digital cameras … Continue reading End of Watch: I’ve got your back