Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Dir. Zack Snyder
Watch Trailer

It's the superhero match-up I've been waiting for since I was a kid: The Son of Krypton vs The Dark Knight! Two of the most iconic superheroes finally together on the big screen. Zack Snyder's Man of Steel got the ball rolling on DC's movie universe-building to keep up with the monster that Marvel Studios has created in recent years. It was met with mixed reactions, especially regarding the final battle between Superman and General Zod, where Supes took Zod on in a massive, city-destroying fist fight without much regard for the actual people in the buildings he was demolishing in the process. The film was crazily heavy-handed with 9/11 imagery, and longtime Superman fans took issue with his conflicted "kill for the greater good" morals. Although I was one of the few who really enjoyed Man of Steel and defended its alterations to Superman (after all, he was still "new" at being mankind's savior), Batman v. Superman had a lot riding against it already, as not only being a sequel to Man of Steel, but also an introduction to a new version of Batman only a few years after Chris Nolan's trilogy and a set-up for the upcoming Justice League film. While I was hoping Snyder would pull through, make the haters chew their words and rectify the problems in Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman just exacerbated them and basically turns into a complete mess by the end.

Zootopia, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Where to Invade Next, Son of Saul Reviews

Zootopia
Dir. Byron Howard, Rich Moore & Jared Bush
Watch Trailer

As far as I'm concerned, Disney Animation Studios are crushing Pixar in terms of their quality of movies as of late. Even though Inside Out was fantastic, with Frozen, Big Hero 6, Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph, Pixar's output of farming dinosaurs and sequels no one asked for hasn't been up to snuff lately. Zootopia continues Disney's winning streak, and this is my favorite of their current re-renaissance (which is really saying something).

The story follows Judy Hopps, a small-town bunny who moves to the big city of Zootopia to realize her dreams of becoming a police officer - despite the fact that "prey" are never usually given that privilege. Her parents are terrified for her and provide her with stun guns and fox repellent before leaving for the city. Once in Zootopia, she's relegated to the lowest position of parking duty, and while unfulfilled with her new life, strikes up an uneasy relationship with a fox hustler, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). The two eventually work together past their misunderstandings to uncover a political conspiracy to keep the public afraid of "predators." There are surprisingly deep themes with this story - there's a feminist angle with Hopps trying to be a police officer, there's a racial angle with her and the city's false assumptions about predators, and there's an interracial buddy cop movie in there, all wrapped up in a fun, hilarious package about furry CGI animals for kids.

Deadpool, Hail Caesar, Anomalisa, The Witch Reviews

Deadpool
Dir. Tim Miller
Watch Trailer

If Jim Carrey's character from The Mask was a sword-wielding, X-Rated superhero with parkour skills, you'd have something like Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds, who's seemed to belly-flop every chance he's been given with a comic book-based movie franchise (Blade: Trinity, X-Men Origins, Green Lantern), has finally found his muse with the 'Merc with a Mouth,' Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool. A fan favorite among comic book fans, Deadpool is a self-referential character that is aware he's in a movie, frequently breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience, making references to real-life figures like Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds himself. The film is unlike anything that Marvel has made thus far, combining a Ted-like raunchy humor with an ultra-violent aesthetic that would probably make 12-year-old me as giddy as a schoolgirl. Deadpool is a fantastic satire of its own genre that's fun from beginning to end.

Predicting the 88th Academy Awards (EVERY CATEGORY) [UPDATED]

This is one of the most controversial Oscar seasons I've ever remembered seeing. The lack of diversity in the nominees (not a single non-white actor in the 20 acting category slots) has a bunch of people riled up, not the least of whom are Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, who, let's face it, are probably bitter Will's work in Concussion didn't get any love. I totally see where this backlash is coming from, but for me personally, if you look at who was nominated as opposed to who wasn't, I think save for maybe 1 or 2 exceptions, all the nominees were completely deserving of the Academy's votes. In other words, I blame more the film industry as a whole for its lack of diversity than I do the Oscars - let's not arbitrarily vote for movies just because black people are in it. Far less people are talking about the bigger picture and are quick to point a finger at the Oscar voters for being a bunch of whitewashed racists, when this whole argument is stemming around the exclusion of the same 3-4 movies. If you want to fix this problem, lobby the film studios, go and actually see IN THE THEATER movies like Dope and Compton and Creed, and then we'll see more of a change.

The only major issue I have with the Oscars is the fact that there are only 8 movies nominated for Best Picture, when up to 10 are allowed - what's up with that? Those extra 2 films could have made way for a movie like Creed or Straight Outta Compton (or Beasts of No Nation which was entirely snubbed). So this weird cloud of exclusion has been cast over the Awards season this year, but that only makes me that much more excited to see how Chris Rock handles his hosting duties! And on that note, here are my predictions for which whiteys will take home the Oscar this year:

The Revenant, Carol, 13 Hours Reviews

The Revenant
Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu
Watch Trailer

If you want to watch a film where the main characters end up holding hands and singing Kumbaya under a rainbow, you may want to avoid the movies of Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Even his most light-hearted film, Birdman, featured enough violence, quasi-rape, and mental breakdowns to truly earn the "dark" in its "dark comedy" moniker. The Revenant fits right alongside his other works: it's a brutal, showy, technical masterpiece that will make you want to take a shower afterwards, but it may not have as much going on under the hood as you might think from such an Oscar-hopeful production.

10 Biggest Oscar Snubs of 2016

While the voting board for the Oscars, consisting of thousands of industry professionals, is much more "legit" than that of the 90-some-odd journalists that make up the Oscar's weird step-child, the Golden Globes, the Academy still gets things wrong every year. Sometimes really deserving movies and performances get left by the curb and have to walk home with that sad Incredible Hulk hitchhiking music playing in the background. The following are, in my opinion, the top ten snubbiest Oscar snubs of 2016!

10. The Good Dinosaur for Best Animated Feature

Although Pixar got onto the list with Inside Out, their holiday release, The Good Dinosaur, was left for extinction. Whether or not you dug the movie (I liked it despite its very simple story), the environmental animation was stunning and it does sting a little when the typically Oscar-friendly animation studio doesn't automatically earn a spot on the nomination list.

Pwaters' Top Ten of 2015!

It's just about time to rip that old calendar off the wall, because 2015 is packing its bags and closing up shop! That means we'll be up to our eyeballs in "Top Ten [insert whatever] of the Year" lists. And here, in my little corner of the Internet, to contribute to the fervor of year-end lists, are my Top Ten movies of 2015! Enjoy!

10. Creed
Dir. Ryan Coogler

Creed might be my favorite Rocky movie. In a strange year where we saw 3 uber-successful seventh films in a franchise (Furious 7, The Force Awakens, and this), Ryan Coogler rose to the challenge of his rivals and gave new life to the Rocky series. The immersive fight scenes, shot in one continuous take, feel like you're in the ring with the boxers. And Stallone, who I've never really liked as an actor, was at his best here; the way Rocky's "fight" with old age and losing relevance intersects with Adonis Creed's journey of literal fighting in the ring and overcoming the shadow of his father was a graceful and logical way to extend the series. While the story still follows the basic Rocky template, it felt authentic in a way none of the previous films have for me. I knew Coogler was a good director after Fruitvale Station, especially in terms of getting honest performances out of actors, but Creed solidified him as one of the top-notch guys I'll be watching out for. I hope to see this same team back for Creed II!