Joker

Right off the bat, didn't care for this one and I don't recommend it.

Now, to clarify, the movie is fairly well-made. Todd Phillips is a competent director, I liked how the film was shot, Joaquin Phoenix turns in a sold performance, the music is good etc. However, if the primary goal of a film is to entertain, then this one just missed the mark for me. I was bored for a good chunk of the runtime, and I thought the film was a mess.

I obviously wasn't expecting this to be a big, action-packed spectacle like a typical comic book movie. Honestly, that's why I was interested in this to begin with. With that being said, if you're not offering me a story about wacky criminal being foiled by Batman then you should at least make it a compelling film. As a portrait of a man with mental illness who the system has failed, I suppose it was fine but nothing special. 

Maybe if the movie was paced a bit better, was 30 minutes shorter, had a better script, had less scenes stop dead for Joaquin Phoenix to dance, or made Gotham City feel like unique place, I would've enjoyed it a little more. 

As is, even though I really wanted to like this movie, I give it a 1.5 out of 5.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Breaking Bad is easily my favorite television show of all-time, and I have also really enjoyed the spin-off show Better Call Saul. With that being said, I had mixed feelings when El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was announced. I felt that the ending to the series was incredibly satisfying, and I didn't feel like I needed follow-up. Well, now it's out on Netflix so what did I think? I won't spoil the movie, but I will say that if you were a fan of the series then El Camino is a movie you'll definitely want to it check out. Aaron Paul slides effortlessly back into his iconic character Jesse Pinkman, the film is well written, has a few nice twists and suspenseful moments, and it feels like a worthy companion-piece to the show.

Overall, I found it to be very entertaining and enjoyed it a bit more than I was expecting to. However, while it is a 2hr bonus for fans, I wouldn't recommend it everyone as it does rely on knowledge of the events in Breaking Bad.

I give El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie a 3.5 out of 5

The Barbarian and the Geisha

It's been awhile since I've written about a John Wayne movie on here, with the last one being The Cowboy's back in February. I figured it's time to show 'The Duke' some love, and with that, today's movie is 1958's The Barbarian and the Geisha. This is often regarded as one of the lesser John Wayne films. Sure, it isn't True Grit, or The Searchers, or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, or Rio Bravo, but I think it's a perfectly fine movie. 

Set in the 1850's, the films plot is about an American named Townsend Harris (played by Wayne) who has been sent to be the first American Consul General to Japan. As typical in films like this, the Japanese don't initially accept Harris' credentials and largely refuse to help him. However, after he builds a relationship with a Geisha, learns more about Japanese culture, and helps rid the village of a cholera outbreak, they have a change of heart and escort him to Edo to meet with the Shogun. 

Obviously, this is one of those films that was a bit outside of John Wayne's comfort zone, and it shows. Ironically, even though I think he was miscast, I only own this one because it is a John Wayne movie. The story is somewhat interesting but, this is one of those films that drags a bit in some spots and feels a lot longer than it's 1hr 45min runtime. I don't think it's a 'bad' movie but, if you're looking to watch one of the many films Wayne starred in, this isn't the first one I would recommend. 
2 out of 5

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Released in 2012, The Pirates! Band of Misfits wasn't a massive hit financially but, it did pretty well critically and was nominated for several awards including an Oscar nomination for 'Best Animated Feature'.

It's about a pirate simply named 'Pirate Captain' who has led his loyal, rag-tag crew on all sorts of high-seas adventures over the years. His goal now is to win the coveted 'Pirate of the Year' trophy, which is awarded to the Captain who amasses the most treasure. After several attempted raids on various ships have resulted in no treasure being stolen, the crew finds themselves aboard a ship carrying Charles Darwin. Darwin soon notices that Pirate Captains 'parrot' is actually the last living Dodo bird, and tells him that this discovery will yield great riches. So, they all go to London to enter the Dodo in a scientific discovery competition, but Darwin has plans to steal the bird hoping to win the affection of Queen Victoria. 

Personally, I think that this is a fun, well-made movie. The animation and voice acting are great, and the comedy really hits the mark for me. It might not be a home run to every viewer, but I recommend checking it out. 
4 out of 5

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

2013's G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a bit of an odd movie from a production stand-point as it serves as both a sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra but, it also acts as a sort of reboot for the franchise. About half of the cast are holdovers from the first film but the leader of the 'Joes', Duke (played by Channing Tatum), is killed off early in this movie and replaced with 'Roadblock' (played by Dwayne Johnson). If it sounds a little confusing, don't worry. I watched the film with my wife and 7yr old son, neither of whom saw the first film, and they weren't lost during this one.

The key conflict in this one involves a villian named Zartan (played by Arnold Vosloo) using some nanotechnology to impersonate the President of the United States. The goal of this is to get the other world leaders to give up their nuclear weapons so 'Cobra' can rule the world. Oh, and the Joes of course are the only ones who can stop this. If you look past the exploding firefly robots, ninjas, and Dwayne Johnson's magnetic charisma, you'll find it's the pretty basic 'Good vs. Evil', 'the fate of the world is at stake' plot you'd probably expect from a G.I. Joe movie. 

Overall, while there are a few really cool scenes, this is little more than a big, dumb, action flick. However, if you're just in the mood for that type of movie (and I think most of us feel like that from time to time), then kick back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy all of the gun play, explosions, and ninja fights G.I. Joe: Retaliation has to offer.

2.5 out of 5

Panic in the Streets

Panic in the Streets is a 1950 crime-drama starring Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas. The film also featured the legendary Jack Palance in his big-screen debut.

The film's premise is this: After a fresh off the boat immigrant is killed by a gangster named "Blackie" (Jack Palance) his body is dumped off at the docks. When the police discover the body the next morning the coroner reports a suspicious bacteria present in the body. Lieutenant Commander and doctor for the U.S. Public Health Service, Clint Reed (played by Richard Widmark) is called in to further examine the body. it's soon discovered that the man had pneumonic plague. It then becomes a race against time, as Reed and police Captain Warren (played by Paul Douglas) need to find the killer and anyone who came in contact with the dead man before a full-blown epidemic breaks out. All the while the two are also trying to keep the story from getting out to reporters, as they fear if it ends up in the newspaper it could result in 'panic in the streets'. 

Overall, I think this is a very good movie with a compelling story. With regards to the two leads of the film, I really like Paul Douglas but, I can think of a handful of actors who probably would've been better choices over Richard Widmark. As for some of the supporting cast, I think that both Barbara Bel Geddes and Zero Mostel did a solid job.

I wouldn't nessacerily call Panic in the Streets a 'must-see' movie but, if you're looking for a decent noir film you can't go wrong with this one. 

4 out of 5

The Numbers Station

Released in 2013, The Numbers Station is thriller Starring John Cusack and Milan Akerman.

The film set, almost entirely, in secret American numbers station and the function of this location is to broadcast codes to intelligence operatives. John Cusack's character, Emerson, is a former CIA agent who has been assigned to this station to protect a code broadcaster named Katherine (played by Akerman). Of course, one day the station comes under attack and all security measures have been compromised. This leaves Katherine and Emerson trapped in the station trying to unravel the mystery of what happened and trying escape with their lives.

While I didn't think this was a great movie and it was a bit predictable, I did find it to be decently entertaining. It's not an action-packed thriller but, I do think the story and confined environment were enough to build and maintain a good level of tension. Although the acting in this one is fine for the most part, Cusack (who's character is supposed to be cold and guarded with memories of past events that still haunt him) just comes off as bored or sleepy a few scenes.

Overall, this one isn't anything special but it's alright.
I give it a 2 out of 5