Tomb Raider review

Lara Croft is back on the big screen. Is her latest adventure a trip worth taking?

The Good: There’s a lot to like here. First and foremost, Alicia Vikander is the highlight of the film. That may seem like it should be a given, but the energy and fierceness she brings to the film carries it.

The more gritty approach is definitely in line with the rebooted video game series, and is certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the two previous Tomb Raider films with Angelina Jolie.

Some of the early set pieces are fun and thrilling and director Roar Uthaug did a good job visualizing some of the puzzle elements that the series is known for. The film knows what it wants to do and does it in a concise, thrilling way without ever feeling like it was overstaying its welcome.

The Bad: While this film is enjoyable, it never quite elevates itself past being good enough. While Vikander showed why she should be a star, Walton Goggins seemed wasted. He wasn’t physically intimidating, evil or ingenious enough to seem like a real threat to Croft or sympathetic enough to feel like anything more than a missed opportunity. There was room to explore how Croft’s father and Goggin’s villain viewed the importance of family vs. the rest of the world, but sadly that was never fully fleshed out.

And while the early set pieces were fun and exciting, the climax was a let down, filled with glaring CGI and no real tension.

Similarly, Daniel Wu seems to just be there. There are hints at a deeper storyline, but it never paid off in a meaningful way. This isn’t a new issue, but it’s still frustrating.

If you prefer the older versions of Lara Croft, be prepared. There’s a little sass, but not nearly as much as the older games.

The Final Word: Tomb Raider is far away the best true video game adaptation to be released in recent years. There are thrills and laughs to be had, but don’t expect this one to be the game changer we’re all waiting for.

I liked the Justice League, but let’s not get crazy

Even if you didn’t have enough time to whet your appetite for another heaping helping of comic book films two weeks after Thor: Ragnarok, the Justice League is here to take our money every weekend until The Last Jedi hits theaters.

In case people want to read the byline and bow out because of possible spoilers, I think Justice League was good.  It was a B- or a C+.  Considering the production was messy because of director Zack Snyder’s daughter’s suicide, the finished product could have been the real disaster movie.  I am not clear exactly how much of Snyder’s vision made it to the screen, but Joss Whedon did one hell of a job with the hellish task of handling the combination of caretaking another director’s work, lightening the tone, and infusing some of his own style into the film through extensive reshoots under the circumstances.

The good outweighed the bad.  I don’t want to get into spoilers, so it only appears that it’s more bad than good.

Good

Gal Gadot – She continues to make anyone who said she’s the wrong type, physical or acting-wise, to look like idiots.  She is arresting in every scene she’s in.  I love how she bounces from coy as her alter-ego Diana to thoughtful leader and warrior as Wonder Woman.  I will say this: Wonder Woman will plummet as an interesting and marketable character if Gadot leaves.  If keeping her means Warner Brothers must throw Brett Ratner from a tall building, they’d better check with her three times to make sure the height of the fall is adequate.  She is that important right now to the DCEU.

Team Dynamics – This is where hiring Whedon is crucial.  Ignoring what he does badly temporarily, the one thing he’s done the most right in Avengers and Justice League is the team dynamics.  He nails taking these superhero loners and take them through the stages of forming, storming, norming, and performing.  The team has very good chemistry, and I bet we’ll see more team goodness when the extended cut arrives.

Aquaman – I think they gave us just enough to get us ultra-sweaty for James Wan’s film in December 2018.

Bad

The Opening – They should’ve started with Wonder Woman and cut the Batman stuff out.

The Score – With all the noise that was made about infusing Danny Elfman’s Batman ‘89 and John Williams’ Superman: the Movie scores into Justice League, I was sorely disappointed.  I wanted more.  It felt like pretty ordinary comic book music because of the dearth of the classics’ presence.

The Flash – I think I am in the minority because I liked Cyborg more than the Flash.  Naturally, the Flash will improve as a hero over a few films, but he was little more than the comic relief of Justice League.  If cuts were necessary, they could have removed at least three of his lamest jokes.  It grew tiresome.

Steppenwolf – He’s an awful one-note character.  It didn’t help that they couldn’t work in that he’s Darkseid’s stooge, and that he was trying to turn Earth into a re-creating of Darkseid’s planet, Apokolips.  I guess the Justice League had to beat somebody’s ass, but the best fights were their in-fighting.

Overall, I enjoyed the film.  I know I will like the extended cut more.  With all the turmoil that went into the production, the movie was a lot better than it should’ve been.  Like John Wick, the movie felt fast and action-packed.  Justice League did a lot less to improve the DCEU than Wonder Woman, but it did it’s job to keep me wanting more.

What is my plan for repeat viewing?  I have seen Justice League twice.  I saw the late opening Thursday night showing and the first Friday matinee.  I planned to see it Friday, but having a MoviePass made it irresistible to see it the night before because I left work early and it was the beginning of my long weekend.  I committed to taking my older daughter to see it as well in the first two weekends because of her love of superhero movies.  Wonder Woman is her favorite.  I will certainly buy a digital license for my Apple products on day one if there is an ultimate edition.  I hope that gives me the Zack Snyder version as well.  I will not buy that separately like the Richard Donner Superman II cut.

Thanks for reading!  Tell us what you thought about Justice League – @agentwinchestr and @lukaseggen

Also, keep an eye out.  Roy may show up on RezdTV with Steve and Steve to discuss the Justice League.  Check your local listings!

“Justice League” review

It’s finally here. Does “Justice League” live up to the hype or this a DC disappointment?

The Good

For those who thought “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” was too dark and stuffy, “Justice League” alleviates a lot of those problems. This is focused film. It sets up what it needs to, gets to the action and rarely pauses.

The Flash, played by Ezra Miller, was a pleasant surprise. He provided some much-needed comedic moments and was engaging and entertaining. As always, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is great and I’m a fan of Ben Affleck as Batman.

Cyborg (Ray Fisher) was also solid and the hints of a deeper friendship between Cyborg and the Flash could be fun in future movies.

Aquaman has his charm too I suppose, though I found him the least likeable of the group.

The team had great chemistry on screen. Unlike the MCU, which seems to have become quip machines, the diversity of personalities played well together.

Kudos to the production team. Directors Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon’s styles formed a cohesive film and given the circumstances, that’s no small feat.

The film also addresses some big things from “Batman v. Superman” quite well, including the death of Superman.

The action was fun to watch and up to par with most super hero films these days with some cool visuals.

If you’re looking for a lean, fun super hero film, you got it, just don’t forget to stay and watch the credits. The teasers at the end are both fun and serve a purpose.

The Bad

There is a downside to trying to trim the fat. We are introduced to Aquaman, the Flash, Cyborg and Steppenwolf, but their introductions lacked any real impact and subplots that were hinted at mainly fell flat. Character moments are few and far between and the ones that existed didn’t really hit home. They felt more like forced inclusions without a payoff.

Steppenwolf is a serviceable, if forgettable villain. This is not an issue that is unique to DC, but without prior comic knowledge, Steppenwolf provided some cool action scenes, but not much else.

The danger in introducing so many characters is some supporting characters are brushed to the side. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is barely in the film and JK Simmons is criminally underused.

While the action was fun, it didn’t really feel like each character had their “hero” moment, or if they did it wasn’t memorable.

Oh, and one scene from the trailer didn’t make it into the film and I’m actually annoyed about that.

The Final Word

Let’s be clear. This is an entertaining film. It had some big flaws, but it was a fun, occasionally thrilling romp. If you’re looking for your next blockbuster classic, keep looking. If you want one of the stronger entries in the DCU, “Justice League” fits the bill.

Big things are coming

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up on some things coming down the pipeline. The first will be a change to an actual website rather than a blog. Expect more content, including podcasts, videos and more. Follow me on Twitter @LukasEggen to stay updated on information. I have some big interview announcements soon!

Thank you!

Conjuring franchise hits milestone

Thanks to “Annabelle: Creation,” the Conjuring franchise has passed $1 billion.

James Wan directed “The Conjuring” and “The Conjuring 2,” which starred Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

Wan also directed the first “Saw” film. That series will see a new installment, “Jigsaw” later this year.

Craig not coming back for Bond?

The latest we had heard was that Daniel Craig would return to the James Bond franchise for two more films.

That may have been premature. Craig, while doing press for “Logan Lucky” had this to say:

No decision has been made at the moment, there’s a lot of noise out there and nothing official has been confirmed. And I’m not, like, holding out for more money or doing anything like that. It’s just all very personal decisions to be made at the moment. I know they’re desperate to get going and I would in theory love to do it, but it’s just there is no decision just yet.

Do you want Craig to come back?

Joss Whedon changing “Justice League” ending?

Joss Whedon has stepped in for Zack Snyder as the director of “Justice League.” Not only is he reportedly making the movie lighter in tone, but he may be changing the ending.

Potential spoilers are ahead.

According to /Film, the movie has been altered to focus on Steppenwolf as the main threat. Reportedly, before Steppenwolf was more like the Silver Surfer, heralding the coming of Darkseid.

Justice League stars Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ben Affleck (Batman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (the Flash), Ray Fisher (Cyborg) and a host of others.

Expect to see more of Captain Phasma

Captain Phasma was one of the characters people were looking forward to most in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” only to be disappointed by the amount of screen time she had on screen.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” will rectify that. Director Rian Johnson said in an interview:

“Gwendoline Christie is one of my favorite people, and you get to see her in action which I think is going to be really fun. That character is just so damn cool looking. Like, okay, let’s see what we can do with her. Let’s put her in action and see what happens.”

The anticipated sequel starring Daisey Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Mark Hamill and Carrie Fischer hits theaters Dec. 15.

Box office battle: “Annabelle” sequel off to strong start

“The Conjuring” universe continues to flex its muscle at the box office. “Annabelle: Creation” earned $4 million from its Thursday previews.

That’s almost double the $2.1 million “Annabelle” earned and is also higher than “The Conjuring” (James Wan, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) and “The Conjuring 2”.

Horror movies can be very front loaded, so it still may not reach the level of those first three films, but at this point, an opening above $30 million seems likely.

“Star Wars” actor joins “Venom”

Riz Ahmed “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has joined the “Venom” film in an undisclosed role.

The film will take place in the same world as Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” but will not be connected to the MCU.

Tom Hardy (“Dunkirk”) has already signed on to the film. Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”) will direct.