Inside Out: A Movie Reveiw

Last night I saw an imaginative, honest film about the world of emotions, Inside Out. 

It will be difficult to review this title without using spoilers, but I will try. 

Riley is an eleven year old girl: bright, goofy and caring. She has five emotions who take care of her: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust. Each emotion cares for Riley in their own way by activating the consul in her mind, but Joy has been there from the beginning. Joy is in charge, and most of Riley's memories involve Joy, including the very first memory Riley had when she was born. Then there's Sadness. Sadness is not very happy, and Joy likes happy. Whenever Sadness creeps in, Joy tries to push her out. But Sadness is an emotion, and she has a purpose, just like Fear, Disgust, Anger and Joy. In Riley's head, her emotions tie to specific memories, which create thoughts, ideas and actions. But Joy barely allows Sadness to affect Riley, and the problem begins when Sadness tries to run the show. 

Since Riley turned eleven, Joy has been in control of her core memories, the memories that make Riley who she is. Each core memory creates an island of Riley's complex personality and helps Riley live from day to day, solving problems and creating actions. 

Sadness tries to touch a core memory, and Joy panics. 

That emotion surrounds the core memory, and Riley begins to cry. As Joy and Sadness try to control the core memories, Riley embarrasses herself on her first day of school. 

Joy and Sadness get sucked in the memory tube, and they are thrown into a pile of memories, all organized in the long term part of Riley's brain. 

Without Joy or Sadness, Riley's emotions go out of balance and chaos ensues. As Joy and Sadness try to return to the headquarters, where the emotions live, they must learn to work together and find a way to keep Riley healthy and happy. 

But the longer Joy and Sadness are away from the consul, the weirder Riley begins to act, and the more strange her actions become. After all, the only emotions at the consul are Disgust, Fear and Anger. 

This movie was amazing. From the way emotions are portrayed to work, and the fact that Riley's head is not the only head we enter. We see glimpses of the way her mother and father organize their emotions, and we learn that each consul is different, with a different emotion in charge. These emotions are a team who work together, and each functions in a way that keeps Riley happy. As the movie takes us through Riley's head, from imagination land to the subconscious, we see Riley learn to cope with moving to a new school, and trying to stay happy for her parents. But sometimes you need to express emotions that are neglected in order to move on. 

I give this movie five out of five imaginary friends. It's a story within a story about learning, growing and adapting to change. 

 

Jurassic World: A Movie Review (Slight Spoilers)

I'll be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen Jurassic Park, but I do have the book, and I'm currently reading it. 

Jurassic World had some elements of the original film for everyone to appreciate: the iconic door opening scene, the great music score and the dinosaur chasing scenes. There was even a character played by Jake Johnson who wore Jurassic Park merchandise and one area reminiscent of the first film. 

The story was interesting, considering the themes of family, work and humility. 

The special effects were amazing and there were definitely some hair-raising moments. 

Chris Pratt's character Owen was awesome, and he really knew how to be the leader of a raptor pack. I was also impressed with Bryce Dallas Howard's character Claire. She comes up with an awesome solution to the problem and she does it all in high heels! I was especially charmed by the two boys Zach and Gray played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins. Their teamwork and talent got them through the scarest walk in the woods 65 million years ago. 

There were a few plot holes that involved major points in the story. The kids say they want to stay with Owen, but they say this after witnessing Claire saving him, and they haven't seen Owen do anything yet. Maybe a scene was deleted? 

We don't really know the bad guy's plan, and there appear to be two bad guys. We only see one bad guy about 3 times in the film, and it is never really revealed what he created or why. The other bad guy appears pretty crazy from the begining, but his motive is never revealed either. 

Spoiler alert: Everything was pretty cool, except the way they handled the big bad monster. My argument is it was too smart to be made just from animals. We don't really find out all the animals that it was created from, and the moment that opportunity arrives is cut short by a gruesome scene. My theory is that it was definitely made with some human or ape  DNA, because the actions it performed involved dexterity and planning. 

There were some really cool quotes:

"The key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control." - Masrani

"It's not about control. It's a relationship based on respect."- Owen 

"Monster is a relative term. To a canary a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat."- Dr. Wu

"Don't worry. It's gonna be just like taking a walk in the woods . . . 65 million years ago." - Owen

"Are they safe?"- Gray

"No. They're not." - Owen

All in all, I give the movie four out of five dinosaur figurines. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron

As most of you know, I'm a huge Marvel fan, and Captain America is my favorite avenger. 

Because this movie came out in Korea before the USA, I will keep the review spoiler free, but there are a few spoilers I will talk about, that will make no sense until you've seen the movie. 

In the first Avengers, these characters were just getting to know each other, and although they were already individual leaders, they had to find a way to work as a team. 

This movie sets up that dynamic really well, and we see each hero playing their part in the action. 

With six major characters, the movie had a decent plot, and we see each character face an inner conflict, and learn a little more about who they are. 

Captain America's inner conflict was heart breaking, while everyone else's focused on fear. 

In terms of the characters and conflict, I thought it was well balanced at the begining, but some conflicts were never addressed later in the film, though it may have been a setup for story in the sequel. 

This movie was more serious than the first Avengers. I didn't mind that too much, because the plot was philosophical and intriguing. We also see a lot of places around the world, and team work is a big theme in the film's story. 

The big bad of this film is someone unexpected, and the way Iron Man handles that bad guy seemed a little too convenient. A lot of the conflict in this film involves Iron Man's ideals for the world, and Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawk Eye and The Hulk have to deal with much of his actions. 

This is natural for his character, but at times, I felt it shifted the balance of the plot. 

Iron Man carried most of the comedy in the film, but his dark moments were so dark that it didn't quite make sense. I felt he had almost lost the character development we saw in the first one, as he makes so many selfish decisions that the others don't agree with. 

Hawk Eye had a wonderful part to play in this film, and some of the best lines of dialogue. He even has a mentor role in one scene that showed how mentally strong and heroic he is. I enjoyed his storyline in the film, and I felt like it was a heart of the story. 

Black Widow was amazing as usual, but we see a softer side of her character in this movie. Her story revolves around moving forward instead of looking back. She has a very confident prescence in the film, and she seems to be more comfortable in her own skin. 

The Hulk was very hestitant in this film. His inner conflict was a constant theme in the story, and it seems he has much more to learn. 

Thor was Thor, and his plot didn't really make a lot of sense, but I believe his story was really a set up for the next film. 

Captain America had the most heroic role, until close to the end, but much of his leadership, wisdom and morality was overshadowed by Iron Man's plot. In terms of the inner conflict, I think he handled his very well, and he ends the movie as a stronger and more confident character. 

Now for the spoilers. 

Many people have said that the romance subplot of the film was unecessary. I didn't mind it, but I will say that it was a little bit of a shock in terms of the back story for three major characters. I do disagree with the fact that people beleived there was no build up. I think there was a little potential for that in the first film, and there are a few moments between the characters that were endearing. 

For one character in particular, people say that this subplot weakens their character.  I disagree. In fact, I think this character is more balanced in terms of heart and mind. They are able to hold their own, and still admit what matters to them. 

Another spoiler, I loved the introduction of the newest Avenger, and how the character weighed in to the main plot. They may even be up there with Captain America as my favorite hero. 

Overall this movie was intense, entertaining and the story telling was very deep. Having so many characters can be difficult in terms of a solid plot, but I thought the themes, conflict and the philosophical elements of the story were well done. 

In my personal opinion, I would have liked to see more of Captain America, but that's just because he's amazing. 

I would give this movie four out of five space gems. 

Cinderella 2015

This film was just as lovely as I anticipated. It's the original classic revamped with more personality for Cinderella, the prince and even the step mother. 

As a Disney dreamer, I felt that this movie had the spirit of Disney, and it was presented in a classy and nostalgic way. The changes in the story gave it more depth, and the world was enchanting. From the costumes to the landscapes, Cinderella had a renaissance feel with a little modern flair. 

Yes, this is a story told time and again, but it is a story that everyone can relate to. There are times in our lives where we feel like the underdog, underappreciated and treated poorly, but the fairytale of Cinderella shows us that we can rise above the ashes, and be accepted for who we truly are. 

The spirit of the story is a constant theme in novels, video games, TV shows and movies. 

The fairy tale Cinderella is very simple, and it leaves a lot of room for creative writers to answer questions that other generations didn't ask. 

What was the real reason behind the royal ball? Why was the stepmother cruel? What kept Cinderella strong through the years of her cruel stepmother's treatment? 

Disney's revamped version answered these questions, and they added their own element of verisimilitude to the film. 

Five out of five butterflies. 

Bonus: The Frozen Fever short was adorable, and any Frozen lover should see it ^_^

 

 

Jupiter Ascending: A movie review

SciFi is a fun and exciting genre. It can be imaginative, educational and exciting. But good SciFi can be rare and difficult to find. 

Jupiter Ascending was a fun adventure, where you weren't quite sure what was going on, but you were along for the ride. There were a lot of interesting plot points, some crazy chase and action scenes, and some awkward but funny bits of dialogue. 

I enjoyed this movie, because it had a lot of imagination. Parts of the film reminded me of Final Fantasy and the main idea of the story is very relatable, especially to teenage girls who don't like their life. 

It's the fun and crazy YA novel that we would come across in the bookstore, but after reading, we are left with so many questions:

Why were there people after Jupiter's father?

What is the Abraxis family's story?

Why did Cain bite a royal?

How many other planets have humans in danger of harvesting?

Can Jupiter save the other humans, and not just Earth?

Are we getting a sequel?

The world of this story was interesting, and it left much for the audience to wonder. I hope there's a sequel that will clear up the plot's confusion. 

Other than that, it was visually stunning with scenes in space, gorgeous fashion and fancy designs. There were a few intense scenes that terrified me (The hospital scene and the lady on the royal carriage, clearly alive and attached to it by wires and plugs) Some scenes didn't make any sense. (One word: Titus)  And some completely pointless changes in costume (Jupiter's overdressed line was great). But this film showed promise for an interesting world, and an intriguing history. 

I'd say it was about three out of five pairs of space hoover boots.

About Time: A movie review

I wanted to see this film since I saw the trailer. It didn't look like your typical chick flick, and it seemed to be a deep story about life. I wasn't disappointed.

We follow Tim, who narrates the story and watch him make mistakes over and over again. Some of these mistakes he can fix, but others are permanently etched in time, and they are best left forgotten. Once Tim's father tells him about the family secret, the ability to go back in time, he advises Tim to use this gift for something important. Tim decides that the most important thing is to find love. But along his journey, Tim comes across other reasons to use this gift, and learns valuable lessons with each decision he makes. He grows up, and faces more complex problems, some with no solution but to walk away. With each rewind, he steps through life and sees ordinary events in a different way. 

About Time is a beautiful film about life, and those little moments we take for granted. Those worries that eat away our time and energy can get in the way of the unforgettable details . It's about moments that we wish would last forever. It's about days we don't want to live again. It's the amazing, complex and unpredictable pattern of life, and how happiness is something we make through the little things in our day. 

I recommend this profound, wonderful film to people in their twenties and on. Especially my generation, where we worry about what we haven't yet achieved. Life may not be perfect, but we can make life worth living by appreciating what we have, spending time with those we love and doing all we can. 

This film delivers a heartfelt message without being cheesy and cliche. It takes moments we all recognize in our lives and puts them in perspective. 

My favorite quote from the movie:

"We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride." - Tim

                                                 About Time