Ah, a fresh new semester has begun! And I, for one, am ready to get started. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy summer but I am covered head to toe in fur, people, and it gets hot out there.
Oh yeah, I should probably go through some introductions for the benefit of my new readers. Hi. I’m Collin. I like scratches behind the ears, nachos at a baseball game, and napping in sunbeams. I’m an Aries. My favorite color is blue. Technically, I am the college’s mascot but I like to think I’m more of an inspirational leader to the students and staff rather than just some silly symbol.
Oh, and I write these movie reviews every month! I should probably get to it, huh?
Skyscraper (2018) [PG-13]
“Collin, are you really going to give us another Dwayne Johnson movie?” Look folks, I can’t help that Hollywood loves this dude right now. The success of Skyscraper relies almost entirely on the broad should of Mr. The Rock. If you like him in other movies, you’re going to like him here.
Johnson plays ex-FBI Hostage Negotiator, Will Sawyer, who losses a leg but gains a new perspective on life when a negotiation goes bad. Married with two kids, Sawyer is in China where he is doing security contracting work on what is billed as the tallest and safest building in the world, The Pearl. The billionaire developer of The Pearl has a few secrets, however, and Sawyer finds himself framed when terrorists take over the building, starting a fire that traps Sawyer’s family.
Look, I won’t lie and tell you that this is some Academy Award winner for Best Screenplay. If I may steal a line from the Variety’s Peter Debruge
“Writer-Director Rawson Marshall-Thurber’s super tall building boasts 240 stories, and for some reason, this is the one he chose to tell.”
The story is weak and the stunts are pretty improbable. The climax of the movie takes place in what I will only describe as the silliest (and perhaps most overused) set piece imaginable. Trust me, you’ll see it coming a mile away.
Make no mistake, friends, this is no Die Hard (thought they did do a great job on making the poster look like the Die Hard poster). But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fun ride. If you can let some of the more ridiculous elements of Skyscraper roll off of your back, I think you’ll find this to be a solid action film. Take a break from hitting the books, ignore that cynical voice in your head and go watch The Rock leap off of a giant construction crane into a burning building. It’ll do you some good. Trust me. I take a class from a doctor.
6.5 paws out of 10
American Animals (2018) [R]
Now here’s one you probably missed but is definitely worth your attention. American Animals is the first feature film from writer / director Bart Layton who has previously only done documentaries. Don’t be mistaken however. Now this too is essentially a true crime documentary that is told through reenactments. This film isn’t based on a true story. It IS a true story.
A what a story it is. Two bored college students in Kentucky decide that they will change the course of their lives by attempting something “extraordinary”. Noticing that the incredibly rare books in their college library are only minimally guarded, they concoct a scheme to steal several of them.
But of course, these are just regular college students, not hardened criminals, so they turn to movies and google searches to teach them how to pull their scheme off. Eventually they recruit two more students to help them. They approach the whole thing in a half-joking, half-serious manner until they realize they have gone too far. Once the actual crime and violence arrive, the reality of the situation comes crashing down on them but it is too late.
The idea that these gentlemen are inexorably being drawn to cross a line is central to the story. The film begins with a feeling of freedom and reckless stupidity. Indeed, I found the movie quite funny in the beginning. But as the story progresses and the guys get closer and closer to the crime, Layton strips away the comedic elements and ratchets up the tension. It is a legitimately exciting and suspenseful experience that probably would not have been as successful in other hands.
Honestly, this is one of the better movies I saw all summer. Give it a shot and I think you’ll come away with more than you expected.
8 paws out of 10
As always, if you have a movie you think I should check out or you want to talk further about one of these reviews, drop me a line on Facebook.