Ant-Man and The Wasp

     "If only Cap could see you now"

     Our first post-Infinity War MCU film (though not chronologically) and its the palate cleanser you expect it to be, and the one we need. The first Ant-Man stands out as my favorite Marvel movie, with its frantic action and charming lead Paul Rudd. If you liked the first movie because of these things, you'll enjoy its sequel, which is an adequate but enjoyable return to the shape-shifter. It's more of the same, doubling down on the humor that made the first film feel so light handed, albeit a bit more grounded due to where it takes place within the timeline. While its held back by a somewhat shallow gaggle of villains, its still all the Marvel fun you want, with some really cool special effects, while still building upon the world from previous installments.

     A brief recap brings us up to speed on the plot of this follow-up: Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) during their time as the original Ant-Man and The Wasp, are tasked with stopping a soviet missile. Janet, in order to get through the casing into the missiles systems, shrinks herself beyond a subatomic level, becoming lost in the space known as the Quantum
Realm, a place less bound by physics, geometry, time and space the deeper you go in. Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank have been working on a new machine to help them access the Quantum Realm in order to find her, believing her to still be alive in there...somewhere.

Source: ComicBook.com

     Meanwhile, after having participated in the big showdown on Cap's behalf in Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been living under house arrest, earning his Best Stay At Home Dad in the World nomination spending time with his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and back in the good graces of ex-wife Maggie (Judy Geer) and bear hugger Paxton (Bobby Cannavale). It's a
sweet dynamic to see, one that feels well deserved for our hero. Three more days and he's a free man, able to officially jump into that family chemistry. Meanwhile, ex-cons Luis (Michael Pena), Kurt (David Dastmalchian), and Dave (T.I.) have started their own security business, Xcon. They remain the unsung heroes of this particular franchise, with their offbeat humor reinforcing the new earned sense of normalcy:

     "What's up with the over expensive pastries? We gotta keep the food budget down."

     "Well, what are we supposed to eat for breakfast?"

     "The oatmeal packets."

     "Oatmeal packets."

     "It's insult."

     "Why is it insult?"

     "Because it tastes like sand."

     "You know why, because its organic."

Source: www.nme.com

     Back to the main plot, and to me the most interesting aspect: after having a dream in which Scott is Hopes mother, playing hide-and-seek with a young Hope, it's the thing needed to give Hank Pym that long overdue phone call to reunite our friends. Turns out, Scotts brief time in the Quantum Realm at the end of the first film has connected his and Janet van Dynes consciousness via quantum entanglement. This convinces them that Janet is alive, and begrudgingly accept Scotts offer to help. They're not alone in

the quest for this quantum power, as a mysterious individual with the ability to shift through reality (Hannah John-Kamen) is looking for the same access to the realm to cure what ails her. Before we know it, things are going micro and macro.

     What I liked the most about the first film were its action sequences. The constant shifting of size, with environmental context to add to the moments, created a truly unpredictable playground. There's some cool additions this time around, such as the shrinking building that turns into luggage, and the collection of real life match-box cars. It's implemented into the humor as well, with Scott struggling with a "work in progress" new suit. Ghost, the shape shifting villain, has the coolest special effects, with after images constantly merging and dissipating, a trippy omni-feature that showcases her struggle with maintaining her physical form.

Source: BGR.com

     As mentioned, Ghost isn't the only villain in the film, with Walton Goggins playing some sort of shady business type, and one other which goes into spoiler territory. It's not that their bad, they all bring their respected performances, if limited to their characters. It's just that due to their limited roles, they mainly serve as plot devices for the events unfolding in the film. Therefore the screen time spent on them could've been spent on something more important.

     Squabbles aside, its another solid entry into the MCU. More humor from Rudd and crew, the same ever changing action, and some neat scientific nummies, and we've got our usual helping of Marvel entertainment. And as usual, sets us up for the future.

(note: there are two after scenes, one set during the middle of the credits and one after, with the former being more important. If you have yet to see Infinity War, I highly recommend you do not see this.)

8 subatomic particles out of 10

But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be a part of the conversation!

     

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

     "You're the one that made me come here"

     Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom looks and sounds like an unnecessary sequel. Jurassic World was a fun reboot, with everyones favorite wise-cracking cool guy Chris Pratt, but with thoughts floating around about this being the start of a whole new trilogy, to quote an episode of Conan O'briens Clueless Gamer, "It's just Hollywood telling the same old story." But Fallen Kingdom has an engaging trick up its sleeve, and adds a new dynamic to its "kitchen sink" formula. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom contains all the bombastic visuals and predictable set pieces and moments you'd expect, but then it dials it down and turns into a condensed fun house of horror.

Source: Gay Times

     The movie begins with a solid cold open, setting the scene with a crew of researchers returning to the island that was Jurassic World, caught in the midst of a massive storm. An underwater vessel scours the depths in the search of something of rather importance. Passing a couple piles of bones, they find what they've been looking for: the remains of the Indominus Rex, the big bad that orchestrated the parks destruction in the previous installment. The beginning foreshadows the biggest moment of the film with its shared sense of environmental distress, while also bringing out the encompassing theme of the whole franchise: "Life cannot be contained."

     It's now been three years since the end of the first Jurassic World. The island isn't in good shape, with a long-dormant volcano now violently active, the island now belonging to the dinos. Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) is now a dinosaur activist, fighting to save the remaining species from becoming extinct from the impending eruption. Joined by some fresh young faces, Zia (Daniella Pineda) and Franklin (Justice Smith), their efforts to bring attention to the situation (such as how dinosaurs are animals and thus deserve rights like every other animal, something I never considered in this "what if?"world) are crippled by the testimony of Dr. Ian Malcolm (a returning Jeff Goldblum), bookending the film with his ideas of man creating its own undoing for the sake of exploring our own power. Claire, however, gets a very important call from a representative of a very important figure: Benjamin Lockwood, the partner of John Hammond, the creator of the very first Jurassic Park! She takes a ride to his estate, where she's introduced to sleazy mcsleaze Mills (Rafe Spall), who proposes to her a very enticing idea that could save the remaining species. But, she'll need some help, and wrangles up our Jurassic Han Solo Owen (Chris Pratt) to not just help her save the dinos, but to find the most valuable one of them all: Blue, his (former) trusty velociraptor companion.

Source: The Verge

     Visually the movie is appetizing, the volcano eruption being the grand set piece of the movie. It throws a lot at you, from stampeding herds to spewing volcanic smoke and ash, to lava meteors and lava flow, this is a smorgasbord of cgi. I was more entranced with the sound track, a sweeping score that first captures the intensity of the event, then a melancholic finish once it settles down. It's not over yet once the disaster passes, as we return back to the Lockwood estate, where we go from the wide vistas of the island to the tight and narrow halls of the house. I don't want to give too much away, but the change of pace and tone was something I hadn't expected. The ads gave the impression that this was going to go the way Lost World did, with these creatures escaping into the public world and causing havoc. Instead it stays fixed on this lavish manor, with sweeping roof shots and a good use of lighting to capture the sense of confinement and urgency. I was a bit disappointed though that with the reporting that the movie was going to make use of more practical effects, I failed to notice anything other than the usual cgifest (edit: I guess I was mistaken. Spoilers!)

     The chemistry between the cast is great, with Claires character dropping the micro-manager archetype and swapping it for the capable fighter that emerged at the end of the first. Chris Pratts Owen is the same, but being the charming hook of the movie that's not a bad thing. He has some more to work with too, as the movie explores his relationship with his velociraptor companion. The two new characters Zia and Franklin round it out with the sassy girl and the comic relief tech guy, but they all bounce off each other well. It's Lockwoods granddaughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon) who was my favorite, helping move the plot along with her typical rebellious sneaking around to discover the nefarious behind the scenes plans.

     Again, this movie can't help but give off the vibe that it feels tacked on, but still offers a lot of fun for those that enjoy this franchise or that are looking for a good summer movie to see. It's predictable sure, but nothing in the previews or the franchise history tells you it wont be, and that's not a bad thing. Take your kids or go with a friend. I think you'll have a good time.

7 dinosaurs out of 10

But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be a part of the conversation!

       

Avengers: Infinity War

"I hope they remember you"

     Here we are everyone: after 18 films over the course of 10 years, we've finally come to the climax of what is arguably the biggest cinematic event ever. I was never one for these types of movies, which are diluting the industry with computer graphics and mindless popcorn entertainment. But goddamn what fun they are to watch, and with characters that are so well developed it's more or less an obligation to keep up with them to see where they're going and where they'll end up. Avengers: Infinity War continues this tradition of well orchestrated action sequences, fun, naturally driven characters, and most important of all, introduces some serious world changing consequences to the MCU after the movies elaborate, but smooth 2 and half hour run time.

Source: BookMyShow

     I'll do my best to keep this spoiler-free, as I am slightly behind in the MCU lore. I have yet to see Thor: Ragnarok, where Infinity War picks up at its end. However I didn't feel as if I missed out on anything, since it all feels like its own present story here. If you're hesitant on seeing this because you feel you're behind on the MCU, I wouldn't worry about it. And this is my favorite part about Infinity War: there is no rehashing on who's who, who's been up to what, and what anyone's motivations are. The movie kicks off right out of the gate. These are characters we've come to know for some time, so to review on who everyone is at this point would be extremely redundant and tiring since there are so many characters. Thankfully none of that is to be found. Instead we get what we were promised: the culmination and combined efforts of Earths (and the Galaxies) Mightiest Heroes, all in an effort to stop the Mad Titan known as Thanos.

Source: lrmonline

     If you haven't been keeping up with the MCU (or have had no interest in it until now) I'll give a brief overview: Thanos and his army were introduced in the first Avengers, invading New York City in an effort to suss what he was up against in his quest for power. Throughout the MCU we've been given glimpses of what are known as Infinity Stones, particular cosmic gems that control certain aspects of the universe: time and space, power, reality, and so on. With Infinity War, Thanos has had enough with sitting around and waiting. As the saying goes, the only way to get anything done right is to do it yourself, and so embarks on a personal quest to gather all 6 stones to achieve universe crippling power.

Source: Youtube.com

     This is the first real amount of screen time Thanos (Josh Brolin) has gotten other than quick brief shots to reinforce his presence, the boogeyman hiding in the shadows. And the mo-cap tech, combined with Josh Brolins performance, allows for a truly believable, almost tragic character. He is someone who oozes self confidence and reassurance to the point of insanity, but not without realizing the levity of what he seeks, and carries with him a power that has yet to be truly witnessed by our heroes. Along with him he brings his henchmen The Children of Thanos, who predictably serve their purposes as henchmen, never being fully fleshed out, but a specific mention to Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), who could be the creepier twin brother of Voldemort.

     Speaking of heroes, boy oh boy are there a lot of them: Tony Stark (Robert Downy jr.), Nomad (aka Captain America aka Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth ), Black Widow (Scarlet Johanson),

Source: Moviecliks

Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesal), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Shuri (Letitia Wright). Despite some obvious absences (Ant-Man? Hawkeye?) everyones front and center here, major or minor, spanning across the entire MCU.

     The movie handles the pressure well of juggling everyone by splitting the movie into two separate fronts: on Team Earth, we have Nomad, Bucky, Black Widow, Hulk, War Machine, Falcon, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Black Panther along with his people of Wakanda in their preparations for Thanos arrival. On Team Space we have Iron-Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Star-Lord, Drax and Mantis, who devise a plan to take on Thanos head on. Rocket, Thor and Groot set off on their own adventure to help Thor forge a new weapon, but are just as much part of the conflict as everyone else.

     What makes this great is that we have characters being paired with others whom they've never met. And with each one being so well developed, their interactions feel genuine. This leads to a lot of the humorous moments that are gingerly sprinkled throughout (something else the MCU is known for) which feel so authentic to each personality that its almost like their real people. There isn't a line wasted or too much or too little screen time wasted on any particular group. Everyone gets in on the spotlight.

     On the action side of things, as I stated above, this movie goes right into it from the very beginning, the pacing reflecting the plots sense of urgency. Each sequence smoothly leads to the other without feeling like they were crafted for that purpose. Whether its Iron-Man and Dr. Strange taking on Thanos' goons, or the climatic Battle of Wakanda, the stakes have never been higher, and each sequence reinforces the dire situation that our heroes find themselves in. Thankfully the trailers as much as they showed didn't give too much away, and there's a twist during the Battle of Wakanda that I'm glad they didn't disclose.

Source: CNET

     Overall this was everything I was expecting it to be, the schlobber-knocker of everything we've been shown so far, and there's still more to come. We get our usual post-credit scene to wet our whistles in anticipation for Avengers 4, and I believe we still have one more Marvel film this year with Ant-Man and the Wasp. And with Captain Marvel due next year before Avengers 4, as usual we still have more world building before the ultimate climax.

9 infinity stones out of 10

But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be part of the conversation!

Isle of Dogs

"I've got to find my dog"

     I've been a long time fan of stop-motion animation. Since the first episode of Adult Swims Robot Chicken, the concept of bringing toys and figurines to life has always blown my mind. With the right story, the medium can tell truly captivating and emotionally profound stories, some which that resonate far better than films utilizing the emergence of 3D technology, motion capture and enhanced computer graphics. That being said, with the development of the industry I feel as though stop-motion animation is seldom seen in these modern times, a dying art form. It has been slowly creeping back into the spotlight however. In 2015 we had Anomalisa, a beautiful story about love and identity. 2016 brought us Kubo and the Two Strings, a mesmerizing tale of Kubo the young street performer going on a quest of self-discovery. This year brings us Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson's newest stop-motion piece, a whimsical tale of loyalty, friendship, and a heckload of good dogs.

     Wes Anderson's work has grown on me with each film of his that I've seen. In 2009 he released Fantastic Mr. Fox, his first stop-motion adventure, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's story of a scheming fox taking on three nasty farmhands. I was young at the time, and only appreciated the animation production aspect, not picking up on the directing or writing subtleties. Then there's 2012's Moonrise Kingdom, a coming of age love story of two runaway kids finding themselves through each other in the woods, and the first movie of his I truly appreciated. And with 2014's emmy nominated Grand Budapest Motel, a quirky mystery tale during World War 1, I finally started to understand his craft. Throughout these movies his style is easily recognizable and easy to digest, heavily detailed set pieces and symmetrical cinematography, all supported by strong casts and witty dialogue. He has a knack for telling charming, eccentric, even refreshing tales, and Isle of Dogs is no different.

Source: Thedailybeast

     It begins with a prologue, recounting the history and legend of the dog race and its conflict with the cat loving Kobayashi clan, briefly foreshadowing the main conflict of the rest of the film. Fast forward 20 years into the future, and Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) declares the Japanese archipelago of Megasaki overrun with an epidemic of dog flu due to a canine overpopulation. With the decree that all dogs be sent to garbage island, a self-explanatory isle off the coast, Mayor Kobayashi banishes his young wards security dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) as the first dog banished to garbage island. Fast forward another six months (yea, I know, we’ll get to that) and we arrive at the plot of the film.

Source: Engadget

   We’re introduced to the indestructible alpha dog pack: Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Boss (Bill Murray) and Chief (Bryan Cranston). While scavenging for food they witness a bi-plane crash land on the island, and discover the pilot, Mayor Kobayashi’s young ward Atari (Koyu Rankin) in search of his beloved dog Spots. They oblige to help him, or at least, mutually vote to help. While back in Megasaki, a pro-dog movement spearheaded by a spunky American exchange student (Lady Birds Greta Gerwig) begins to unravel a rather totalitarian type of conspiracy led by the cat loving administration.

          Like the films of his I’ve seen, it’s packed with a whole lot, and all at one time: huge elaborate set pieces, nonlinear storytelling (similar with Grand Budapest Motel, which is slightly Meta in its plot setup) and highly expressive dialogue a la Quentin Tarantino, minus the slow burn. Yet his movies are crafted in such a way where none of it feels overwhelming, and before you know it you’re sucked into the world by the rhythm of what’s being thrown at you, making it all the more believable. A voice over narration provides a lot of context during the quick expositional segments, while not bogging down on the forward momentum. Flashbacks are included as well (again, nonlinear), but are included neatly into the overall package.

Source: Metroweekly

          The dogs of course are the stars of the film, and that’s reflected cheekily (one of the dog flu symptoms being an adorable sneeze; and a cute disclaimer at the beginning states that while none of the human language is supported unless through in-movie aid via translators and tech, all dog barks have been “translated into English"). And while every dog doesn’t get as much screen time as the main pack, they’re all written as truly developed living things. They all had lives before being exiled, even careers and aspirations. Rex is the sarcastic voice of reason in the bunch. Duke is the group gossip (“You heard the rumor?”) while Chief is the "lone wolf" of the pack, being a stray and all. It's Chief and Atari who end up bonding more than the others, being that, similar to Andersons work in Moonrise Kingdom, both are lost creatures, looking for something more, and are tested about the meaning of loyalty versus friendship. To say anymore would ruin the surprises of the rather mature story and subject matter.

          Oh, and the production value. Of course, this movie is simply beautiful. Stretches of scenery, each varying in color palette and construction, showcase the many different landmarks of the island. Megasaki, in its synergistic construction through its many corresponding scenes, is an intricate capital, with colorful bars, lavish theatres, and busy command centers and schools. His approach with symmetry, where every frame is filled with activity, is playfully portrayed in a couple scenes I won’t dive into detail about. The soundtrack too gives everything a nice oomph, with a traditional sounding Japanese score to more contemporary style songs highlighting the packs journey.

          If you genuinely love animation, see this movie. If you love dogs, see this movie. If you’re looking for something new to see, go see this movie. It’s going to have something that you’ll love about it, and hopefully will inspire you to explore Andersons work in the way that seeing Moonrise Kingdom inspired me.

10 good dogs out of 10

But that’s just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be part of the conversation!

Black Panther

"You get to decide what kind of King you're going to be"

     Here we are again: another year, another installation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This year brings us to the African nation of Wakanda. The last entry before Avengers: Infinity Wars (if you've been living under a rock, it's the alluded culmination of the entire MCU thus far) tackles a new, more culturally impactful story in the standalone tale of T'Challa, son of T'Chaka, and his heroes dilemma of deciding who he is going to be to his people as a king, and what kind of king to the rest of the world. The movie is built by a deep personal story in relation to a nations collective identity, and with a very strong supporting cast, a great musical score and refreshing cultural aesthetic, reinforces the notion that you're no longer in Kansas, and this isn't your average Marvel movie.

Source: Deadline

     The film opens with a brief prologue explaining the origins of the MCU's precious vibranium (the strongest metal on earth, which comprised Captain Americas now discarded shield), which was sought after by Africas 5 tribes. Through the appearance of the first Black Panther based on the Panther God Baast, the tribes unite under the banner of Wakanda, where through the development of their abundance of vibranium disguise and isolate themselves from the rest of the world, developing new tech for their own personal protection. The visuals in this are sublime, with the perfect blend of tribal art and historical architecture fused with cutting edge future technology. If there was a new era of what would be considered "steampunk", I would call it this.

Source: The Cheat Sheet

     A flashback introduces an important detail I won't specify, but with the emergence of a man named Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) Wakandas history and the rest of the world are threatened, and it's up to T'Challa to right those wrongs. Chadwick Boseman holds it down as T'Challa/Black Panther, embodying all of the confidence, cool, intensity, and insecurity that a hero is expected to have. Michael B. Jordans Kilmonger shines as bright as Boseman, but in a much different context. On the female front we have T'Challas former flame Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who serves well as T'Challas conscious and as a formidable ally altogether. The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira (Michonne) kicks the most butt as Okoye, the head of Wakandas special forces. It's T'Challas little sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) who steals the spotlight however. Smart, witty, funny, grounded, charming, she's the complete package. Andy Serkis returns as one-armed arms dealer Klaw from Age of Ultron lore, and Martin Sheen as Agent Ross, for continuity reasons of course.
     For me personally the films greatest strength is its sense of history and tradition that the film establishes right from the beginning. This is a place that's been around for a long time, with traditions and positions passed on over time. But is a cultures identity defined by its history, or by what it seeks to do presently through that history? This and other ethical questions are addressed in the films quick 2 hour and fifteen minute length. And while T'Challas heroic dilemma is somewhat conventionally told, it's told well through the history of his people, and even his family, rather than focusing on a particular aspect that might not hold as much levity.

Source: The Mary Sue

     This is it people. This is the last one before the ultimate climax of the ultimate movie franchise (and yes, it does set up Infinity Wars, briefly). And this is definitely a palate cleanser for this wrung out cinematic universe.

9 black panthers out of 10

But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be part of the conversation!

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

"I, like, can't even with this place"

     I haven't seen the original 1995 Robin Williams adventure movie, at least not to my memory. A friend of mine gave it a description of being somewhat "scary", and given the era of its release, it wouldn't surprise me if it's imagery was somewhat hard to swallow. Twenty plus years later we're given the part spin-off, part direct sequel Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the next big Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson cinematic adventure. With a new generation to capture, whatever elements within the original that gave it that more dramatic pace are part of its past. The star-studded comedy is all about laughs, action, and some surprising depth.

     We get a faint glimpse of the nature of the game with a prologue of sorts, taking us back to 1996, focusing on a man finding the cursed game on a jog at the beach. Bringing it back home, he shows it to his son Alex, who's too focused on playing his videogames and jamming to his metal music. Soon strong tribal drums and a green glow take over his room, and in a zooming out shot, watch it fill the room and dissipate quickly through the bedroom window.

Source: Daily Express

     Jump forward to today, and we're introduced to neat-freak Spencer (Alex Wolff) athlete Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain) self-obsessed Bethany (Madison Iseman) and outsider Martha (Morgan Turner), who over the course of the school day, find themselves in detention Breakfast Club style, tasked with cleaning out the backroom for renovations. The principal while giving his punishment, is not without declaring the overall theme of the movie: who are you really, and who do you want to be? The movie plays off of its physicality premise quite well even early on in the movie, with the young cast of unfamiliars presenting their characters in honest light as to who they are and why they're in detention, with exception to Bethany's case (is it really that easy to just facetime right in the middle of class and kinda get away with it?) and later on when the movie shifts to its full sized counterparts. Whilst cleaning they discover an old Atari-style gaming system, with a cartridge for a game called Jumanji. Soon after some tinkering, our young heroes find themselves literally thrown into the videogame itself, becoming the heroic avatars they've chosen for themselves.

Source: Zee News

     Spencer finds himself as the incredibly strong and brave Dr. Smolder Bravestone (The Rock, in his eye-brow raising glory). Fridge becomes the small statured Frank "Moose" Finland (Kevin Hart), Bethany becomes the portly Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black), and Martha turns into the badass Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). As they slowly unravel who they are and why they're there, they discover through some clever tongue-in-cheek videogame humor that the only way out of the game is to complete it, with returning a stolen jewel back to its original place before the sinister Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale) can retrieve it and condemn the land of Jumanji forever. The physicality returns in a more humorous context here, though a little disjointed in the transition to the heroic avatars, with our main cast now adopting their younger personas tendencies, which of course are the opposite. Spencer, while extremely muscular and strong, is still afraid of everything, having The Rock perform as a hesitant wimp. And Bethany, in her self-obsession, can't get over the lose of her phone despite knowing she's no longer residing in reality, since she's inhabiting the body of a man. Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan nail it just right in their depictions, showing a natural humorous confusion a la Freaky Friday that didn't come off so forced. Once everyone adjusts, the movies charm and humor start to shine.

Source: Bleeding Cool

     The cast delivers on all fronts on the laughs and on the nature of their predicament, even Bobby Cannavales Van Pelt, as limited as his antagonistic role was. Jack Black falls into his role naturally, using that classic energy of his to come off as a drama queen living her worst nightmare, but also depicting the growth of her coming out of her shell. Karen Gillan as well, with her demeanor and facial expressions, capture her younger selfs awkwardness, but someone who's not afraid to step up. As stated above, most of the movies humor comes from the body-swapping, with some dialogue focusing on innuendo for quick easy laughs, which I personally felt took away from the movies main hook. But the movie also delivers a fine amount of action, which helps keep the pacing at a enjoyable clip. A majority of that credit goes to Karen Gillans Ruby Roundhouse, using her martial-arts specialty to prove how strong she really is. 

     The movie goes its usual route about self-discovery and living in the moment, but what works is that each characters relationship compliments their opposities. Martha and Bethany bond over their insecurities, while Fridge and Spencer, who were old childhood friends, remind each other of their old bond. While making a discovery that rocks all of them to their core, it furthers the emphasis on living in the moment and that life is too short to be afraid, so spend discovering who you really are on the inside.

      This was a fun movie to spend an afternoon watching. It has everything an entertaining movie should have: a strong cast, humor, and engaging action. If you're looking for an enjoyable movie that's worth the admission, this is the lighthearted funfest you're looking for.

7 jaguar jewels out of 10

But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Comment below and be part of the conversation!