- Director Paul Feig
- Writers Katie Dippold, Paul Feig
- Stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth
REVIEW:
Seeing any reboot these days especially one that had such a negative reaction way before it was released, is a risk considering Ghostbusters is such a beloved movie, but I ain’t afraid of no ghosts! That said, if you take four of the funniest ladies on the planet mix them with cameo’s by the original cast sans the deceased Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis, add at times belly laughs, clever visual gags and witty dialogue you have a winner, that pays homage to the original.
First off Kate McKinnon is the star of this film with the hilarious character of the nerdy, obsessed with building gadgetry, techno babbling scientist, Jillian Holtzman. Her timing her facial expressions her commitment to the role from the moment she steps on screen to her battling with ghosts is just hilarious. She is obviously SNL’s break out star and this role just proves the point. Kristin Wiig plays scientist Erin Gilbert and she being left in the dust, by having to play straight woman to the rest of the cast, does not have enough funny moments, although her getting slimed every ten minutes is funny I wish they gave her more to do. Melissa McCarthy plays paranormal specialist Abby Yates former roommate and friend to Gilbert. McCarthy’s comic timing is impeccable and when she worked with McKinnon many belly laughs ensue. Leslie Jones plays Patty Tolan and is very funny as an extension of her SNL persona, the loudmouth woman who knows she’s right even when she’s not. The chemistry between the four of them really works well with McKinnon the stand-out. Bill Murray plays Martin Heiss, a professional debunker of the paranormal and has the best cameo, Dan Ackroyd, Annie Potts, a bust of Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver also appear in the film. Each one having a small but funny cameo. Chris Hemsworth plays Kevin the ditzy hunk receptionist for the Ghostbusters, you can tell he had a blast playing the role and enjoyed making fun of his own screen image. Stay for the end credits because it is a follow up of events that occur after the last scene, this also where you will see Weaver’s cameo. I give the film three and a half stars for director Paul Feig’s vision although not up to the original the film is fun and worth a look-see.
Captain America the Winter Soldier
7 AprSynopsis: Captain America, Steve Rodgers, returns to fight a new world order, in a modern world. When a S.H.E.I.L.D. colleague is attacked, Rodgers joins forces with Natasha, The Black Widow and Sam Wilson, The Falcon, as H.Y.D.R.A., once again tries to dominate the planet.
CAST:
Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as The Black Widow, Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce
Review: In the much anticipated return of Captain America, MARVEL has made one of the best movies so far, in their superhero war chest. The movie is non-stop action from beginning to end, the story is a tightly scripted action thriller, and there are enough laughs and back-story references to please any fan. In this sense the movie succeeds at bringing the old Captain America into relevance in today’s world.
The fun begins with a murder mystery, when Nick Fury is presumably assassinated; Captain America follows a trail with fellow agent The Black Widow. Along the way are many surprises and twists. His old friend Bucky Barnes returns as a ruthless assassin working for H.Y.D.R.A, with a mission to kill the good Captain. Steve Rodgers befriends a young soldier Sam Wilson, whom he trusts, and who admires him and his American values.
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce represents S.H.E.I.L.D and is the money man who funds the operation through influencing a tight knit consortium of world leaders. Can he be trusted….? Is Nick Fury, really dead, will Bucky remember his friendship with Rodgers, will Stan Lee have a cameo?
In the bigger picture, Fury has built a secret arsenal underneath S.H.E.I.L.D headquarters. H.Y.D.R.A has been secretly funding the project through Pierce. When Fury figures this out, he confides in Rodgers and hands him a UBS storage disk that contains all of S.H.E.I.L.D’s secrets and in his presumably dying breath tells Rodgers not to trust anyone. The story continues along this line, as Rogers forms a team with Natasha and Sam.
There are cameo appearances by Gary Shandling, (comedian, The Gary Shandling Show) as a corrupt senator working for H.Y.D.R.A as well as the obligatory Stan Lee moment.
MARVEL stories always have a human touch and the relationships between the characters ring true. When The Black Widow flirts with the Captain, you can see what she is thinking inside. Rodgers is all about Truth, Justice and the American way and obviously thrives on trust and loyalty, Fury is all about distrust, protecting freedom and always ready to fight. The newbie to this scenario is Sam Wilson, The Falcon, whose loyalty to the Captain’s cause makes him a trusted and valuable friend.
This is a story loaded with intrigue; in fact some of the gadgets and technology are slightly reminiscent of James Bond films. The film has left enough loose ends to make a sequel, as with all good movie franchises, it also ties up the some unanswered questions from the first movie.
I must say, watching Robert Redford play the heavy, with his charm and understatement, makes him more insidious as opposed to over the top as most Bond villains are. He was perfectly cast and just how insidious he is, surprises you at various tense moments throughout the story.
I saw the 3D version of this movie and felt the effect never distracted, that said, the movie would be just as enjoyable with or without the 3D.
I hope MARVEL can keep up the good works and future movies in the franchise, such as the AVENGERS sequel, will live up to the bar as raised by this one.
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