The Great Wall (2017)

Phil - This is not the monster hunter movie I wanted but it's the monster hunter movie I got. On paper the recipe of this movie has all the key ingredients I love. Man against monster, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" style armies and generals, seigecraft and a dash of fantasy. Unfortunately they also added copious amounts of Matt Damon, standard dumbness, and poor CG design. The resulting movie is minor, another lump of failed potential.

 In contrast to the crap CG, the costume and set design was pretty amazing. This adds further fuel to my contention that CG departments are often incompetent, rogue entities operating outside the artistic influence of the people making the real movie. Obviously there is some coordination going on but I believe that factors such as the high cost and the inability to see the final result during filming lead to a lack of refinement in design and execution. It is a blight on the land, CG has hit a trash plateau and it's hurting a lot of big movies.

 Anyway, the dialogue was pretty silly, but it wasn't without its charms. I guggled at the surprise appearance of Willem Dafoe literally poking his head around a corner early on in the movie. And I don't dislike Matt Damon but he wasn't really needed here. Jing Tian could have easily carried this movie on her own but I have a feeling it wouldn't have reached my rural theater if that were the case and that sucks.

 Really what bothered me most was the lack of ambition, the lack of largeness. Monster Hunter (the game) is a thing that has been out in the world for a while now, long enough to have left a dent in the collective subconscious. It's a game that takes the classic Knight vs. Dragon trope to the extreme edges of plausibility. The scale and stakes of this game are so, for lack of a better word, epic that they begin to take on a primal theme: a few scrappy humans can overcome astronomical obstacles through sheer grit and determination. While there is a HINT of that in this movie, it never really gets there. It instead opts for battles in a style that seems to say, "I saw the battles in Lord of the Rings and decided to do that, except half as intense and twice as dumb." That's mean but this movie really disappointed me, it's budget was 150 million, all the LotR's budgets were under 100 million, there really was no excuse to be almost cool but actually kinda lame. 6/10

The Garden of Words (2013)

Jaiden - Hands down THE most beautiful animation/film I have ever seen. This short makes Studio Ghibli films look like a Saturday morning cartoon. Every single shot was simply breathtaking. The ONLY thing that distracts me is Japan's standard choppy animation. But hey, I can't expect them to change that. So for what this short film is, It's beautiful, immersive, and touching. Flawless. 100% (out of 100).

Train to Busan (2016)

Alex - A Korean zombie flick that actually does a decent job at trying to put its own unique spin on the tired formula. A workaholic father reluctantly agrees to take his daughter to see her mother living in another city. As they board the train, the outbreak is just starting, and about 75% of the film is on this train where an infected got on board. Though it has some cliches you'd expect, it also throws in a heathy dose of K-drama and a pinch of K-humor to keep things rolling. In the end, I wasn't left with a feeling like I wasted my time. 7.5/10

Hell or High Water (2016)

Alex - My only exposure to Chris Pine have been the Star Trek films, which I think he does a fine job. But when I heard he was in a serious film, and that film was getting rave reviews, I was a bit unsure. Well, Chris Pine can act. He does an excellent job alongside Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges.  The story centers on two brothers who are robbing banks to pay off a debt to save their mother'a farm. Bridges is the cantankerous lawman on their trail.  An overall fine film with good performances. 8/10

Asperger's Are Us (2016)

Nick - The first comedy ensemble to include only people with Aspergers, that's Asperger's Are Us. I first heard about these guys in a podcast, all four were on promoting their comedy shows and this documentary. They had a very funny sense of humor, dry, witty and fun of puns. The documentary touches on the relationship of the troupe members and the preparation for their last live show before they're off to college and what have you's. One thing I liked was that the film maker didn't rely on any cheesy V.O but instead let the subjects tell the story. Honestly I feel like every documentary should be this way if it's subjects are alive to tell their tale. The story offers such a small glimpse into a very interesting dynamic and condition these guys share that it really did leave me wanting to dive deeper into what exactly makes these guys motivated. I guess that means I have to look these guys up.. 7/10

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Nick - I've never been thrown so much on a opinion of a movie as much as this one. A lot of up's and downs.. sadly the downs out weigh the up's. It's a remake of a remake of a remake so it's kind of easy to be unoriginal. But I mean c'mon.. this felt like a rehash of every western i've seen and I haven't seen more than 10 westerns. I haven't even seen the original Magnificent Seven! A forgettable depiction that's no where near being a definitive option. 5.5/10 

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Nick - There's something about watching a professional do their job that makes me feel tingly inside. That's essentially what this entire movie is and because of that it holds a special place in my heart. To top it off it has my favorite actor playing the friendly antagonist. I'm not going to go into too much since this is the probably the 5th time i've rewatched. Love this movie. 10/10