Catch Me If You Can

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams

New Rochelle, the 1960s. High schooler Frank Abagnale Jr. idolizes his father, who's in trouble with the IRS. When his parents separate, Frank runs away to Manhattan with $25 in his checking account, vowing to regain dad's losses and get his parents back together. Just a few years later, the FBI tracks him down in France; he's extradited, tried, and jailed for passing more than $4,000,000 in bad checks. Along the way, he's posed as a Pan Am pilot, a pediatrician, and an attorney. And, from nearly the beginning of this life of crime, he's been pursued by a dour FBI agent, Carl Hanratty. What starts as cat and mouse becomes something akin to father and son.

Based on a true story, Catch Me If You Can is a great tale of cat and mouse. I never heard of the story of Frank Abagnale Jr before, so watching the story play out on film was great to watch (Whether the facts in the film are loosely based on the book or not doesn't matter). Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio are great in this film, especially DiCaprio. I thought he was terrific in this film, playing, essentially a con man. Whether he portrayed a pilot, or a lawyer, he played the part really good. Hanks is funny in this film, and his interactions with DiCaprio are great. I think this was their first and only film together, which is a shame because they work really well together. Also, Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen are great in the film, playing Frank's father and (almost) father-in-law, respectfully. The score by John Williams in the film perfectly set the tone for the 1960s', and I loved the choice of songs throughout. A shame that the film didn't get any Oscar recognition, as I thought it was a great film! If you like crime dramas with a mix of comedy, I recommend this film!

9/10

28 Days Later...

Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: Alex Garland
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, Brendan Gleeson

After director Danny Boyle and producer Andrew Macdonald filmed an adaptation of Alex Garland's novel The Beach, Garland approached Macdonald about his concept for 28 Days Later. In an interview with Creative Screenwriting, Garland explained, "I said to him that I had an idea for a movie about running zombies. I wrote it and sent it to him and the two of us went backwards and forwards with it for a few drafts... At the point I was working on 28 Days Later I had a lot of zombie movies as well as video games like Resident Evil turning round in my head." Early influences on Garland included the George Romero films Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), which he loved as a child, but he said he had largely forgotten about the zombie genre until he played the video game Resident Evil (1996), which reminded him how much he loved zombies after "having not really encountered zombies for quite a while".

A virus originally from chimpanzees has spread throughout the U.K. 28 days later, a man named Jim wakes up in an abandoned hospital. He begins to walk around London looking for a single soul, only to find the place deserted. He ends up at a church, only to discover the humans that have contracted the virus, and have turned into rage-induced zombie-like monsters. Jim runs from the zombies and comes across other survivors, fighting for their life against the undead.

With 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle definitely re-invented the zombie genre. Gone are the days of "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), where there were slow moving zombies. In 28 Days Later, the zombies here are fast, which helps add to the dread and tension. The humans who are infected also turn rather quickly, like within seconds. Some moments in the film made me jump from how uncomfortable it was.

This is a very tense movie throughout. The cinematography in this film by Anthony Dod Mantle is fantastic. When the survivors are talking, or when the zombies (or infected) are running, the camera angle tilts to the side, which adds a claustrophobic effect to the film. Adding to that, the budget of the film is low, so the look of the film has a grainy-like texture, which makes it look like a documentary at times. Danny Boyle and his crew made a good looking film. The acting in the film is great as well, with a standout performance from Cillian Murphy as Jim. The pacing of the film slows in the second half, but still kept me interested. Overall, a great zombie film!


7.5/10

Cats

Why?

Directed by: Tom Hooper
Written by: Lee Hall & Tom Hooper
Stars: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason DeRulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward

Based on the award winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats follows a tribe of cats called the Jellicles. The Jellicles must decide yearly which one of their tribe will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.

I only have two positives things to say about the film: the songs are fine. Andrew Lloyd Webber made some good music for this show. It's a shame that the songs had to be used in this film. And the actors are clearly doing their best. They have some really talented actors in this film. Why they chose this film I still have no idea.

Throughout almost all of Cats, I kept asking myself, "why did this get made?". This film is truly a marvel in cinema. I've never seen a film this unnerving to watch in my life. The CGI/motion capture is truly nightmare fuel. The human faces on the cats doesn't match, which leads to scarring images. This film was supposed to be aimed at kids, but the kids themselves will be horrified by the images. The film is also quite boring for a musical. Not a lot happens. The cats just dance and sing for almost 2 hours!

I've never thought that a film like Cats could exist. This film is a miracle, and an atrocity at the same time.

2.5/10

Final Destination 5

**SPOILER WARNING**
Directed by: Steven Quale
Written by: Eric Heisserer
Stars: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony Todd

On a business retreat, protagonist Sam has a premonition of a horrific bridge collapse, where he and his co-workers die. He manages to get some of his co-workers and boss off the bus. However, the bridge collapse happens. Soon after, the survivors get picked off one by one and Sam must find a way to stop his friends from dying. The film also features a detective who is investigating the mysterious events that occur. And Tony Todd returns in this film (which I loved).

I think this film is on par with the first one. Compared to the other 3 that came before it, this film was a breath of fresh air. It felt original, with each creative way that the characters interact with Death. It had that relatively slow pacing like the first one, slowly building up to the characters' eventual demise. I especially loved the twist ending at the end, and how the writers were able to connect the film with the original. I like that the main characters got on the same flight 180 plane as the original characters. I felt that it was a smart way to tie the films together. If there were any cons, I would say that some acting is over-the-top, but that's to be expected for a film of this genre.

Overall, a great closer to the Final Destination films! Highly recommend if you're a FD fan!

7.5/10

The Final Destination

Directed by: David R. Ellis
Written by: Eric Bress
Stars: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Justin Welborn, Stephanie Honore'

Directed by David Ellis, the man who made the great Final Destination 2, the film is about a premonition (again), but this time it is at a car race at McKinley Speedway. After Nick O'Bannon has a premonition, he gets several people out of the racetrack. Now, he must stop Death from killing off the survivors one by one (The same plot each movie -- sorry if it seems repetitive!).

Going into The Final Destination (Great title--does it mean it's the last one?), I was expecting more of the same fun teen slasher-like kills and a great premonition, especially since it's directed by FD2's Ellis. And while the film had a great premonition to kick things off, the rest of the movie kind of felt too repetitive. Especially given that the main character sees visions of what exactly is going to happen before it does. There's no surprise to the kills unlike the previous films. The acting in the film isn't the best in the series either. The actors are fine, but no standouts in the film, in my opinion. The kills rely too much on CGI, so it doesn't look or feel as real as the other films in the saga. However, the last act of the movie is pretty well executed. The film has a great climax at the mall.

Just for the execution of the last act and the opening premonition, I recommend watching this film (especially if you're a die-hard Final Destination fan!)

Final Grade: 6.5/10

Final Destination 3

Directed by: James Wong
Written by: Glen Morgan, James Wong
Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Kris Lemche, Alexz Johnson, Sam Easton, Jesse Moss, Gina Holden, Texas Battle


Plot: High school senior Wendy attends an amusement park with all her friends. They all decide to go on a roller coaster (with the voice of Tony Todd). Like the others before her, Wendy has a premonition of the roller coaster malfunctioning and everyone on board dying. Quickly, she rushes herself and her friends off the ride before it actually malfunctions and kills those who remain on the coaster. However, Death returns to claim more survivors, and no-one is safe. This film returns with the staff behind FD 1, director James Wong and writer Glen Morgan.

This film is as good as the first one. There are a lot of fun kills throughout the film. One of my personal favorite kills is the death at the gym. (won't go into spoilers) The acting is pretty standard for a teen slasher film, with some Disney stars in this one (Ryan Merriman was in The Luck of the Irish, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead was in Sky High). The movie has a good pace to it, and it never feels slow or boring. I liked the use of CGI in the film, with the roller coaster premonition among the best parts of the film.

A great threequel for Final Destination fans. Check it out!

7/10

Final Destination 2

Directed by: David R. Ellis
Written by: J. Mackye Gruber & Eric Bress
Stars: Ali Larter, AJ Cook, Michael Landes, David Paetkau, James Kirk, Lynda Boyd, Keegan Connor Tracy, Jonathan Cherry, Terrence "T.C" Carson, Tony Todd

The film takes place 1 year after the events of the first one, as it is the 1 year anniversary of Flight 180. Clear Rivers is the sole survivor of the events of the first one. When she witnesses a premonition of a massive pile-up on an interstate highway, Kimberly Corman manages to get several people off the highway before the collision actually happens. But Death doesn't stop as one by one, the survivors of the crash die from the plan. Kimberly must uncover the plan from Death and stop it with the help of Clear and a police officer.

Like the first, the film has a great premonition sequence. The way that David Ellis (who was also a stuntmaker) constructs the scene to include dummies for bodies is very creative. The film does have a shock value to the deaths (one in particular has to do with an apartment ladder and an man's eyeball), and there is more gore in the film compared to the original. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the kills in the film. I also enjoyed seeing Tony Todd and Ali Larter reprise their roles. I do wish Todd had more screentime, as he was one of the best parts of the film.

I enjoyed the film just as much as the first. For Final Destination fans, this is a worthy sequel!

7.5/10

Final Destination

Final Destination
Review by Alexander Hall
4/21/20

***Review may contain spoilers***

Final Destination was released by New Line Cinema in 2000. It was directed by James Wong and produced by Glen Morgan, Warren Zide, and Greg Perry. The script was conceived by Jeffrey Reddick, who originally wrote a spec script for an X-Files episode. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Seann William Scott, Kristen Cloke, Amanda Detmer, Chad Donella, and Tony Todd.

When teenager Alex Browning (Sawa) boards a plane headed to Paris with his classmates, he has a premonition of the plane exploding mid-air. He panics after witnessing the vision, and ends up getting him and a group off the plane. Just in time, though, as the plane actually explodes, as his vision comes true. As each of the survivors begin to get killed off, Alex must find a way to 'cheat' death's plan before it is too late, and death comes for him.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I had a blast with the first film in this franchise. When I was growing up, this film scared me, because I had a fear of planes. Seeing the plane explode made me scared of flying in an airplane, just like Jaws made people have a fear of swimming. Just the intense tension leading up to the disastrous result (the plane explosion) terrified me when I was young. The score by Shirley Walker helped to build said tension. When I was watching the movie, and the first kill occurred, it slightly disturbed me, because it looked like a freak accident. That tone stayed with the rest of the movie. By far, though, the most enjoyable kill was the bus death. It was so unexpected that I was on board with the rest of the film's deaths.

The acting in the film is pretty good all around, with strong performances from all of the actors involved. By far, my favorite character was the ominous Mr. Bludworth, played by Tony Todd. The way he conveyed his part in the film felt like Death himself. Even with his last line, "I'll see you soon". Creepy! Towards the end of the film, the pace falters a bit, as there are no deaths But, the tension still lingers through, with a surprise ending that set up a sequel.

Final Grade: 7.5/10