OSCAR 2018 - Pre-Show Thoughts & Predictions & Rants

 OSCARS 2018 Thoughts and Predictions:

2017 was a bad year ... but it was one of the best years for movies in recent memory - arguably the best overall since 2007. So I'll preface my Oscar predictions for this year by saying ... don't get mad. We all have our favorites, but there really are no unworthy movies this year. I feel like, every year, a lot of narratives form about certain Oscar-nominated movies that are supposedly trash, and certain movies that, well, if they *don't* win, we should all be out on the street rioting. And yeah, there have been past years where I've felt that way about the nominees. But I assure you ... this is not one of those years. In fact, the Oscar slate is jam-packed with highly-deserving people and movies - including numerous nominees whose time is long overdue. So again, please, don't succumb to the hype and the melodrama. And let's also not forget that, ultimately, the Oscars only minimally matter. Most of our favorite, stand-the-test-of-time films never won or were never nominated - and years later, no one cares. Horror movies have almost *never* been nominated for Oscars. Or comedies, outside the occasional Woody Allen film and a couple of other exceptions. Great films with non-flashy direction rarely get the Best Director nom, and Best Screenplay is often the consolation prize for some of the year's best but more low-key films. A lot of times it doesn't make sense, but it is what it is. It's great to see progress made. It's great to see more women and people of color nominated. It's great to see a film like Get Out recognized - which is almost unfathomable for a horror/comedy (it would have been downright shocking were similar fare - something like a Shawn of the Dead - to have been nominated in years' past). I would love to see even more diversity going forward - both in terms of the people nominated and in terms of the kinds of films that get the spotlight. And the fact is - even in 2018 - many very deserving movies were snubbed in the Best Picture race, from The Big Sick to The Florida Project to Logan. But let's also acknowledge that all of this year's Best Picture nominees are GREAT films. So let's check our rage, and just use this time to be appreciative of amazing movies.

But hey ... speaking of movies that got ignored ... here are my Top 10 OSCAR SNUBS for this year:

1.) The Florida Project - Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Supporting Actor (Brooklynn Prince)

-This was my pick for the best movie of 2017, and it 100% should have been a Best Picture nominee. And Sean Baker - its visionary director - should 100% have been nominated for the amazing feat he pulled off with this film. If you haven't seen it, go watch it.

2.) The Big Sick - Best Picture

- Why wasn't The Big Sick nominated for Best Picture? Was it because it's ostensibly a comedy? Was it because its director and star (Michael Showalter and Kumail Nanjiani) are still too "indie" for the Oscars? Was it because that one "indie" slot went to Ladybird and Greta Gerwig this year? Who knows. But The Big Sick was easily one of the cinematic treasures of 2017.

3.) War For the Planet of the Apes - Best Picture, Best Actor (Andy Serkis)

- Talk about underrated. The modern Apes trilogy should rank among the all-time great epic movie franchises - with its third and final entry arguably its best yet. But still, no love for the film, its remarkable star Andy Serkis, or its director Matt Reeves. It had damn well better win for FX!

4.) Best Leading Actress - Vicky Krieps for Phantom Thread

- Phantom Thread got a lot of nominations, but somehow its co-MVP was overlooked, in the form of the remarkable Vicky Krieps. Krieps wasn't even on most people's radars prior to this film, but man, she is phenomenal in it - going toe to sadistic toe with Daniel Day Lewis and nearly stealing the film. 

5.) Best Supporting Actor - Patrick Stewart for Logan

- Patrick Stewart, is, probably, too good for the Oscars. A global treasure who we all collectively take for granted, Stewart was never quite given the award-worthy material in previous X-Men films - but man oh man was he thanks to Logan's Oscar-nominated screenplay. 

6.) Best Supporting Actor - Michael Shannon for The Shape of Water

- Sally Hawkins is the undeniable star of The Shape of Water, but what about Michael Shannon? Yeah, he's basically just doing Michael Shannon turned up to eleven, but still - he goes all-in here and creates one of the greatest, most vile movie villains in years. Rarely have I been as on the edge of my seat waiting for a bad-guy to get his just desserts. 

7.) The Beguiled - Best Director (Sophia Coppola), Best Lead Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst)

- Didn't this movie win Best Director at Cannes? So why was it totally off the radar come Oscar season? Coppola crafted one of the year's most darkly funny and entertaining films - and it's also a movie filled with fantastic, wildly funny performances.

8.) Best Director - Edgar Wright (Baby Driver)

- Are we yet living in an era when a guy like Edgar Wright - a master purveyor of pop-art action - can get his Oscar due? Probably not quite yet - but hey, this year fellow eccentric genre maestro Guillermo Del Toro is a favorite, so perhaps Wright's time is nigh. But man, watch Baby Driver - with its kick-ass action, incredible cinematic "rhythm", and unforgettable moments - and tell me it's not at least in the conversation about Best-Directed movie of 2017.

9.) Best Screenplay - I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore

- Okay, perhaps this small-budget Netflix original has little chance of Oscar love. But also ... it was one of the most clever, interesting, and well-written movies I saw in 2017. The always-fantastic Melanie Lynskey was great, but I feel like Macon Blair's twisty, hilarious, shocking screenplay was award-worthy.

10.) Best Actor - Harry Dean Stanton (Lucky)

- And now I save the best for last. The legendary Harry Dean by-god Stanton. His final movie role. One of his best-ever movie roles. AND NO NOMINATION?! Come on, Oscar people. Lucky will go down in cinematic legend as one of the best swan-song movies ever - a funny, elegiac slice-of-life film about a 90-something year old's final days. Harry Dean was truly one of a kind - and between Lucky and his role in last year's Twin Peaks revival he went out with one hell of a bang. The consummate character actor should have gotten his due at this year's Oscars.


2018 OSCAR PICKS AND PREDICTIONS:

BEST PICTURE:

Should Win: Dunkirk

- Christopher Nolan is one of our best filmmakers, and Dunkirk is one of his most impressive achievements to date. This one floored me when I saw it in 70MM at the theater. It took a while to fully understand how the film's intersecting timelines would come together - but Nolan weaves his stories together beautifully - telling a harrowing, edge-of-your-seat story about how victory or defeat, life or death itself, can be a matter of seconds. I absolutely loved several of this year's Best Picture nominees - Shape of Water, Ladybird, Phantom Thread, Three Billboards - but Dunkirk is best-in-class in my view. Pure cinema at its finest.

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

- This one is VERY tough to call. There's no 100% clear favorite this year, and like I said, several more-than-worthy nominees. But I think Three Billboards might edge out the competition. And personally, I'm a big fan of the film so I won't necessarily begrudge it if it does. I'll state here that I think the controversy around its message is overblown. I think I'm typically pretty sensitive towards this kind of thing, and I also get the underlying concern about this film's handling of race. But I also think that some of that (not all, but at least some) is due to misinterpreting the film's ending as somehow being redemptive for Sam Rockwell's racist character. Martin McDonagh has said that that was not his intention, and it was not at all how I read the film. I saw it as a false sense of redemption - as a misguided, profoundly disturbed character flailing to find some sense of righteousness to justify his clearly wrongheaded actions. In any case, I honestly hope that, if Three Billboards does win Oscars, the backlash will not be too rage-filled. It's a movie with a lot of interesting ideas, some incredible performances, and layers that demand it be discussed on a deeper level than a simple tweet can manage.

BEST ACTOR:

Should Win: Tie: Daniel Day Lewis (Phantom Thread) / Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

-After seeing Darkest Hour, I was convinced that Oldman had this one locked up. But then I saw Phantom Thread, and was like yeah ... Daniel Day Lewis tho. Oldman is one of the greatest actors of the last four decades (questionable politics aside), and he delivers an all-time great performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. He's unrecognizable under heavy makeup, but gives a totally transformative, stirring portrayal. Day Lewis, meanwhile, just destroys in Phantom Thread, saying more with an eyebrow raise or brow furrow than most actors do with an entire monologue. I mean, the guy is the G.O.A.T. - and this is one of his best-ever performances (and it supposedly might be his last!). So yeah, I'm torn.

Will Win:Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

-This is another tough one, in that I could see things swinging towards Daniel Day Lewis per above. But Darkest Hour is also the much more accessible film of the two, with Phantom Thread a lot weirder and likely more divisive. So despite some of his questionable public behavior/comments, Oldman is likely still the favorite.

BEST ACTRESS:

Should Win: Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

- I am pretty torn on this one between Hawkins, McDormand for Three Billboards, and Ronan for Ladybird. BUT ... Hawkins gets the slight edge from me just because, man, she is so so good in Shape of Water and gets to play such a unique, one-of-a-kind part - the kind of part that only a Guillermo Del Toro would bring to this sort of movie. Hawkins has been a favorite of mine for a while now, but the humanity, warmth, humor, and nuance she brings to Shape of Water is career-defining. McDormand and Ronan kill it in their films, but in both cases it's a flavor of acting/character that we've seen from them before. 

Will Win: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards)

- I predict McDormand if only because she's a legend, and this is her most thunderous, memorable role since Fargo. And I cannot begrudge her for getting her well-earned due - she is a force of friggin' nature in Three Billboards.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Should and Will Win: Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

- I feel like the entire main cast of The Florida Project should have been nominated, but if nothing else, Dafoe deserves to win here. I mean, if you've seen the film, then you know that there might have been no more memorable movie scene in 2017 than Dafoe's good-natured motel manager forcefully chasing away a probable child-molester from his property. It's crazy that in a career made on playing crazy people, Dafoe might win an Oscar for playing an exceedingly normal and level-headed person. But man, does he nail this one. Sam Rockwell might win, and is maybe the favorite. But I want to believe that Dafoe will take this one - of the nominees, his turn in The Florida Project is just on another level

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Should and Will Win: Laurie Metcalf (Ladybird)

-I recognize that Alison Janney might win. And she was amazing and hilarious in I, Tonya. But ... I still give a slight edge to Laurie Metcalf in Ladybird. She played the mom role with such heart and with and humor and subtlety - what could have been a very one-dimensional part was instead completely memorable and heartbreaking. She and Tracy Letts were such a fantastic one-two punch. I think Metcalf should take it, and think that, just maybe, she will.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Should Win: TIE: Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) / Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

- I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about both of these guys - they're two of my cinematic heroes and two of the best directors working today. Nolan delivered a stunner with Dunkirk - it's a towering directorial achievement that no one else could have made. It's sense of you-are-there intensity and scale is unmatched. Nolan has somehow remained mostly off the Oscar's radar, despite delivering some of the greatest films of the last two decades - from Memento to The Dark Knight to Inception to The Prestige. I mean, holy lord, it's about damn time Oscar. By the same token, Del Toro - a guy who's made numerous gorgeous, atmosphere-soaked films, made perhaps his most visually-stunning film yet in Shape of Water - and it's also likely his most heart-filled film to date. I am of the opinion that many of Del Toro's films have been Oscar-worthy - from Pan's Labyrinth to Crimson Peak - but I'll also state that The Shape of Water is his best film yet. It also doesn't hurt that Del Toro is pretty much the nicest, funniest guy ever and him winning will feel like a win for every nerdy film fan who's ever dreamed of monsters and magic. So yeah, I will be one happy film geek if he wins.

Will Win: Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

- It feels like this is Guillermo Del Toro's year. I'm not sure why the stars have aligned that way - it feels totally improbable when you think about how long Del Toro's been essentially ignored by not only the Oscars - but by most mainstream film fans in general. But hey, like I said above, I'm all for this recognition. Del Toro is a legit cinematic hero and inspiration. I might get just slightly misty-eyed if he wins.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Should and Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

- This one is divisive, I get it. And there were at least a dozen screenplays from 2017 that I legit loved - from Ladybird to Get Out to The Shape of Water to The Big Sick. But in my opinion, Martin McDonagh set the bar with Three Billboards. No, this isn't how people actually talk. But it is music. The words in this film have a rhythm and a music to them that I loved. In the same tradition of some of my favorite film writers - i.e. the Coen Bros. - this is writing for the sake of writing, the love of how words flow together and interlock and dance. It's poetic and elevated. It's an amazing piece of writing - a kind that is not in vogue with many people right now but a kind I'd love to see more of. I can only say that I loved listening to McDonagh's words in this film.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Should Win: Logan

- I would have had a much different selection of nominees here than what we got. But of the nominees, Logan was the one that most knocked my socks off. I mean, yeah, it's a Wolverine movie - and some people are not going to give it its props for that reason alone. But Logan is one of the best superhero movies ever - and one of the most well-written and well-constructed. So many of these movies feel somehow incomplete or cobbled together. Not Logan - it was a one-and-done story that delivered true dramatic heft, and arguably improved heavily on its source material.

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name

- I think this one will take it - it's the most Oscar-y of this year's nominees, and will be a token win for a very good film that likely won't get a lot of other wins this year.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Should and Will Win: Coco

- Coco was a classic - one of Pixar's best-ever films and a movie that genuinely packed an emotional punch. The other animated big-studio films are not in its league this year, and I don't know if the more indie nominees from 2017 have much momentum. But I don't think many will find fault with a Coco win - it's a case in point example as to why Pixar is still one of the most revered makers of movies we have.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Should and Will Win: War For the Planet of the Apes

- Okay, here's my one category in 2018 where I have an "if Apes doesn't win, we riot" mentality. I mean, this film almost entirely starred CGI apes, and yet I cared about Caesar and his brood more intensely than I did about most human characters this past year. Sure, Blade Runner looked cool, Star Wars was Star Wars, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gave us awesome Kirby-esque cosmic craziness. But the Apes franchise - and in particular War - gave us true visual f/x movie magic on a scale that to date is unmatched. Hail Caesar!

BEST FILM EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: Dunkirk

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

- Should and Will Win: Dunkirk

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: The Shape of Water

BEST ANIMATED FILM SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Garden Party

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

- Should Win: unfortunately, have not seen enough in this category this year to have a fully-formed opinion
- Will Win: Icarus

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: The Silent Child

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

- Should Win: The Square
- Will Win: Fantastic Woman

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: The Shape of Water

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

- Should and Will Win: Darkest Hour

BEST SOUND MIXING:

- Should and Will Win: Dunkirk

BEST SOUND EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: Dunkirk

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

- Should and Will Win: The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Should and Will Win: “This Is Me,” The Greatest Showman

Alright, there it is. This is a very tough Oscars to predict, and like I said, there are a ridiculous number of very deserving nominees this year. In my younger days, I would get pretty upset about the nominees - and yeah, the various snubs still annoy me. But hey, let's just celebrate great films - and the differences of opinions we have about them. And if your favorite movie wasn't nominated or doesn't win - you can still be an evangelist for it. Tell your friends to watch it. Invite people over for a viewing. That, ultimately - and not the Oscars - is how films become legendary.

THE BOOK OF LIFE Is a Fantastic Day of the Dead Celebration

THE BOOK OF LIFE Review:

- This is shaping up to be a great year for animated films. Earlier in 2014, The Lego Movie was an awesome surprise. And now, there's another fantastic non-Pixar, non-Disney, non-Dreamworks animated film that is truly something unique and different, all the while telling a classic, timeless story. THE BOOK OF LIFE is a visual feast and a great story - a fairy tale about family that reminded me a lot of the first How to Train Your Dragon, in terms of mixing imaginative fantasy with genuine emotion.

Inspired by the holiday and unique aesthetic of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration THE BOOK OF LIFE is a film that clearly places a lot of importance on conveying the joy and traditions of the festival to a wide audience. With its simultaneously colorful and macabre imagery, the holiday combines the ghouls and ghosts of Halloween with a more personal touch - because it is a time when families honor dead relatives and celebrate the lives they lived. And so the movie is framed in such a way where the entire story is, in fact, a story-within-a-story - a narrative choice that I questioned at first, but that ultimately shows the Day of the Dead as part of a tradition meant to be shared and passed on. To that end, the film begins with a group of rambunctious kids on a field trip to a museum, where a tour guide captures their attention with a story about the Day of the Dead.

And what a story it is. In old Mexico, two deities - La Muerte, ruler of the colorful Land of the Dead, and Xibalba, ruler of the bleak in-between domain of forgotten souls, make a wager. The bet revolves around a group of three young friends - Manolo, Joaquin, and Maria. Both boys have eyes on Maria, but for the time being, Maria is content to just be part of a trio of friends. But La Muerte and Xibalba decide to place bets as to which of the two boys Maria will eventually marry - Manolo (who dreams of being a musician despite his father's wishes for him to go into the family business of bull-fighting), or Joaquin (who wishes to honor his deceased father by becoming a great soldier, just like his dad). When the story begins, the three friends are just kids. But later, we rejoin them as young adults, and we see how La Muerte and Xibalba have attempted to influence events in their favor. What's more, in the second part of the story, which picks up as Maria returns from schooling abroad, and Joaquin returns from military adventures, the friends' village faces an outside threat from invading bandits, led by the sinister Chakal. The danger posed by Chakal seems to be a situation tailor-made for headstrong Joaquin to shine. But Manolo - even though he shies away from being the matador his family wants him to be - may yet be the hero his village needs. Especially once he has to visit the Land of the Dead, and help recruit long-departed souls to aid in his village's fight.

The way the story plays out is unexpectedly heartfelt. Sure, we've seen these kinds of stories before, but what's new here is the fantastical wrinkle of Manolo being connected to his lineage not just through his father, but through an entire chain of relatives that still exist in the Land of the Dead. It's a pretty amazing way to talk about the weight of our family and history and how it affects us. Manolo comes from a long line of proud bullfighters, and there's a crushing weight of disappointment that is felt when he cannot bring himself to embrace that tradition. And yet, ultimately, Manolo is strengthened by his family's traditions - once he realizes that it's okay to also go his own way. I've got to admit: as the movie rushed towards a thrilling conclusion, in which the dead come to the aid of the living, and Manolo is literally hoisted up by multiple generations of his family ... it sort of gave me chills. The movie deals with complex themes of family and identity in a way that's both a lot of fun and seriously affecting.

Aesthetically, the movie looks absolutely amazing. I sort of fell in love with the whole Day of the Dead art style back in the day thanks to Grim Fandango, and THE BOOK OF LIFE does that work of art one better. Just as The Lego Movie brilliantly used CG animation to capture a very distinctive look and feel, so too does this film mimic the look of the traditional Day of the Dead figures in a way that hasn't really been seen before on the big screen. It's funny, because in those opening framing scenes, when the modern-day school kids visit the museum, I was feeling underwhelmed by the movie's visuals. But once the story proper starts, the film really comes alive. And once Manolo ventures to the Land of the Dead, things (ironically) *really* come alive. The way that the mythical city is visualized - full of vibrant color and teeming with (undead) life - is truly stunning. Director Jorge R. Gutierrez does a fantastic job here - I'm not familiar with previous work of his, but here, he nails it. Who I am familiar with, of course, is producer Guillermo Del Toro, and THE BOOK OF LIFE does display some signature traits of Del Toro's work - a humanistic look at the fantastic and horrific, eye-popping visual artistry, and a tangible love for cinema that seeps through every pore of the film. Indeed, THE BOOK OF LIFE is filled with all manner of fun little moments that will make movie and pop-culture geeks smile.

Similarly, the voice talent in the film is spot-on. Diego Luna is wonderful as Manolo - and impresses not just with his speaking, but with his soulful singing as well. Channing Tatum is also excellent as Joaquin - doing his best Will Arnett full-of-himself voice, while also bringing a likability and humanity to the character. Zoe Saldana, meanwhile, makes Maria much more than just a girl torn between two suitors. With Saldana's strength propelling her, Maria is quite a strong character. Of course, I also enjoyed the great Ron Pearlman as the scheming god Xibalba, as well as Kate del Castillo as La Muerta. Additionally, a ton of fun actors pop in for smaller roles, including favorites like Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo.

THE BOOK OF LIFE may not have the blockbuster name-recognition of some of the year's other big animated movies, but it's a fantastic film, on par with the best from Disney and Pixar. Not only that, but it's a crafted-with-love celebration of a culture that we don't often see in film or TV beyond cliches and stereotypes, and it brings a unique sensibility and art-style to the table. That said, there is a 100% universal story here about family and legacy, told in a fun, action-packed, visually-dazzling manner. Go see it.

My Grade: A-

PACIFIC RIM Is a Pop-Art Passion Project

PACIFIC RIM Review:

- Us movie geeks love Guillermo Del Toro. The man is a hardcore nerd, a scholar of film, and comes off as both the nicest and the most hilariously vulgar man in Hollywood. He's also a hell of a director. He's one of the few genre directors who is as much about the *artistry* behind the images he puts onscreen as he is about pyrotechnics. His work overflows with love and passion for the material, whether it's adapted (Hellboy, Blade) or original (Pan's Labyrinth). There's an appreciation for the history of the material as well that most big-budget genre movies rarely display. In the Hellboy films, you could see Del Toro striving to honor the unique art style and atmosphere pioneered by franchise creator Mike Mignola. In Pan's Labyrinth, you could feel Del Toro both paying homage to the history of the horror and fantasy genres, but also imbuing the film with a sense of wonder and imagination that rarely, if ever, is seen in so many off-the-assembly-line genre flicks. So let me again sing the praises of Guillermo Del Toro, and stop any detractors in their tracks. This is the kind of director that we need more of - people who love movies, who fight tooth and nail to make movies that represent a specific vision and that come from a place of passion.

I could write a whole separate column about the relative box office disappointment of Pacific Rim in the US, and how it brings out the legions of haters who like to rag on talented filmmakers for the (out-of-their-hands) fact that their movie underperformed. Would I have liked Pacific Rim to be a giant mega-hit? Sure. But ultimately, I am happy that a movie like this was made to begin with.

"A movie like what?" you may ask. After all, part of the reason that Pacific Rim may not have struck box office gold is that, admittedly, to many it probably came off, from the ads, as simply some sort of Transformers rip-off. Sad. Aside from everything else, Pacific Rim owes less to Transformers and more to the classic Japanese "kaiju" movies of the famed Toho studios - Godzilla, Mothra, et al. Its influences include giant monster movies, giant robot movies, Japanese anime, and classic 50's sci-fi. But more so than that, those in-the-know, well, they knew that Guillermo brings something different to the table - that passion and vision that I talked about above, that level of artistry, that the likes of a Michael Bay could only dream of.

So what you need to know about PACIFIC RIM is that it's just plain chock-full of awesome. The inherent conceptual premise is that it takes the sense of wonder, fun, horror, and humor of those old kaiju movies and takes it all to the next level, thanks to the wonders of modern f/x technology. In some ways, I would almost compare Pacific Rim to other modern pop-art genre films like Speed Racer and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Because Pacific Rim essentially distills the aesthetics of old man-in-suit monster movies, anime, videogames, and other non-traditional movie trappings into a modern-day action blockbuster. To put it simply: Pacific Rim is the ultimate live-action Saturday morning cartoon. This is a movie best enjoyed high-on-sugar and best viewed by your inner kid. If you *are* a kid, hopped up on Fruit Loops, and watching Pacific Rim ... chances are it'll be your favorite movie ever.

Yes, Pacific Rim is pop-art bliss. A movie not afraid to - without any sense of irony - end a massive mech robot vs. monster fight in outer space, the two hulking behemoths punching it out, evenly matched ... until the mech activates a last resort super-attack, unleashing a giant sword worthy of Voltron, and carving the monster decisively for ultimate victory. If that image makes you even slightly giddy, well, you'd better go see the movie, asap.

Here's the thing though: Pacific Rim - despite what the marketing told you - is more than just giant robots vs. giant monsters. Yes, that's the premise. But this is a movie filled with great, larger-than-life characters and great character moments. Everyone and *everything* in the movie has personality to spare. The giant robots - the Jaegers, as they're called here - each is an extension of their pilots' persona. Furthermore, each Jaeger is controlled by a mental mindlink called "the drift." Because of the mental stamina needed to neurally control a Jaeger, each has at least two pilots. And those pilots are bound by a psychic bond, in which each is fully exposed to the other's thoughts and memories. This sets up some wonderful character dynamics, and it's a clever device that pays dividends in numerous ways.

But let's back up for a second and talk plot. The background here (set up wonderfully in a mind-melting prologue montage) is that, years ago, a dimensional rift opened up deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. From it, one by one, emerged giant monsters - "kaiju" - hellbent on destruction. To combat the monsters, nations and armies banded together to construct the towering Jaegers. For a while, it appeared that humanity had turned the tide. Kaiju were dispatched of relatively easily, and there was talk of disbanding the Jaeger program. But now, suddenly, the frequency of kaiju attacks has increased. The remnants of the Jaeger program aren't enough to fight back. And so, a last ditch plan is formulated to attack the dimensional rift itself, and end the kaiju threat once and for all.

To carry out the plan, program leader Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) - a retired pilot himself - recruits the man who was once one half of the Jaeger battalion's most celebrated team: Raleigh Becket. For years, Raleigh and his brother co-piloted the Jaeger known as Gipsy Danger - until a fateful day when Raleigh's brother was killed in action. Now a drifter, Raleigh is convinced by a desperate Stacker to come back to the squad. There, he is joined by all manner of colorful characters: the unpredictable team of Australian pilots comprised of Hercules Hansen and his temperamental son Chuck, the Japanese trio the Wei Tang Triplets, and the imposing Russian husband-and-wife team, the Kaidanofskys. There's also Mako Mori - Stacker's right-hand-woman, who herself dreams of piloting a Jaeger. As the movie progresses, we find out the reasons why, and see how her unique relationship with Stacker came to be. We also see how, in Raleigh, she finds an ally and friend - and possibly a love interest.

Outside of the main team of Jaeger pilots, we've also got a pair of slightly mad scientists tasked with studying the kaiju. There's also Ron Pearlman as Hannibal Chou, a big deal man-with-a-plan who's cornered the black market on all things kaiju-related and kaiju-derived.

I love the characters in this film. They're all big, bold, painted in broad strokes, and immensely larger-than-life. I came away from Pacific Rim wanting a Gipsy Danger T-shirt, a Hannibal Chou action figure, and a Wei Tang Triplets spin-off movie.

In terms of performances, the standouts here are many. Idris Elba as Stacker is one of those roles that again shows why Idris Elba is the man. Effortlessly badass and charismatic, this is the character who gives the big speeches and rallying cries that give you goosebumps. Rinko Kickuchi is fantastic as Mako - a great female character. She's a tempestuous mix of fear and rage. She's a do-gooder scarred by childhood trauma. And she kicks ass. One of the best scenes in the movie - one that should have been in the trailers to help sell the great character moments - involves Mako being pitted against Raleigh in hand-to-hand combat, as a means of testing their potential as warriors and possibly as partners. In Kickuchi's face we see Mako's story - a woman who's been underestimated and sheltered by her overprotective caretakers, but who is ready to show the world that she can hold her own. Meanwhile, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman are a great comedic duo as Geizler and Gottlieb - the group's two off-kilter scientists whose professional rivalry sometimes gets the best of them. Day in particular brings a manic energy to the movie - gelling perfectly with the movie's anything-goes tone. Clifton Collins Jr. brings Elvis-esque swagger to the role of Ops Tendo Choi. And of course, Ron Pearlman is fantastic as Hannibal Chou. He's one of those actors who (literally, this happened in our theater) elicits applause just by appearing on-screen. You can always count on Pearlman to entertain, and here, he doesn't disappoint - decked in crazy-ass outfits like a character imagined from some anime-induced fever-dream.

From reading the character names alone, you can probably get a sense for the sheer sense of fun in this movie. There's no pretense here of being gritty, realistic, or dark. This is pure pop, and Gulliermo and co. unabashedly go big in all areas of the film.

As for Charlie Hunnam's lead role as Raleigh -- I liked him. He's got the screen presence to make for an excellent central hero. Ultimately, does he come off as slightly bland when paired with the more colorful characters who surround him? Perhaps a bit. Does Hunnam have what it takes to make Raleigh into the an iconic sci-fi hero on par with Luke Sywalker or Ellen Ripley? Perhaps not. Hunnam is good, but some combination of his acting and the script perhaps leads to a lead character just a bit less memorable than he might have been.

On a related note, the characters are so brimming with potential that I left wanting more. In some ways, that's a sign of great characters. But I would have liked just a bit more exploration of their backstories, and at least a couple more moments where the cool side characters get a chance to shine. If there's one flaw with Pacific Rim, it's probably just that the script, at times, feels a little flimsy. I suspect that some of the meatier character stuff was left on the cutting room floor (or reserved for the prequel comic book), in favor of more action. But ultimately, it's forgivable, because it fits with the hyperactive Saturday morning aesthetic of the film.

Visually, PACIFIC RIM is a marvel. Elaborate CGI creatures and f/x are so commonplace these days, that the creatures in and of themselves aren't as impressive as they might have been a decade or two ago. But what separates this film from others is the sheer artistry of it all. There's a sense of imagination and design here that most films lack. Like I said, the mechs are filled with personality and character. The creatures, similarly, are gloriously realized monstrosities that combine the cheesy splendor of the old Toho beasts with modern touches and details. Guillermo Del Toro is perhaps the best in the business at creating a mind-blowing setting and filling it with so much imaginative detail that you just want to freeze frame in order to take it all in. One of Del Toro's trademarks is crafting such scenes as if they were elaborate illustrations, drawing you in and immersing you in this exquisitely crafted world. Some of the movie's best scenes, for example, involve kaiju-ravaged Hong Kong. It's like Blade Runner meets Land of the Lost, with the neon-lit city re-built around the ruins and skeletons of vanquished kaiju. Later, inside the hidden HQ of Hannibal Chou, we see eye-melting scenes of Chou's collection of kaiju spare parts, like some weird monster museum. Scenes like these are realized so vividly that it feels like we're watching not just a movie, but a direct line into Guillermo Del Toro's dreams.

The action scenes are similarly vivid. We don't just get robots clanging up against monsters. We get gorgeously-rendered scenes of giant mechs towering over neon-lit cities. Ominous depictions of monsters rising out of the sea, waves crashing as they roar with evil intent. Epic clashes of science vs. nature - with claws and tendrils challenged by rocket-powered missiles and pro-wrestling style power-slams. This isn't just sound and fury, it's the stuff that childhood (and adult) dreams are made of.

My only complaint about the action is that the plot dictates that so much of it take place in stormy seas, sometimes in the ocean's deepest and darkest depths. This means that the action occasionally feels slightly obscured, and, once in a while, a bit hard to follow.

Overall though, there is so much visual punch in Pacific Rim that the effect is that of the best kind of sensory overload. The characters, the battles, the primal conflict of man vs. beast are depicted with so much epicness that you may find yourself sitting and doodling scenes from the film when it's over. There's just a palpable and contagious sense of creativity on display here, making it easy to overlook the occasional cheesy line of dialogue or what have you.

Guillermo Del Toro dedicates Pacific Rim to Ray Harryhausen (recently passed away, a man whose legacy looms large over this and all other blockbuster genre films) and Ishirō Honda (the legendary director of Godzilla and its spin-off films). And more than anything, Pacific Rim is a tribute to and an extension of those great movies of old - and to the f/x wizards who made the impossible seem real. The movie's overarching theme is that mankind can do the impossible if we set our minds to it. And in their own way, Harryhausen and his peers did just that. That's why I'll always root for and support the Guillermo Del Toros of the world. Their movies may not be perfect, but there is that sense of wonder in their DNA that makes us remember why we love these movies in the first place. If you need to be inspired, awed, or reminded of that creative spark that tends to dull over time - go see Pacific Rim. It's proof that even in an age where we take the impossible for granted, old-school movie magic yet lives.

My Grade: A-

MAMA Is Grim Fairy-Tale Fun

MAMA Review:

- Mama is easily a cut above your average horror film. While it does have some of the standard-issue jump scares and common-sense deprived characters of your typical run-of-the-mill horror flick, it's got a lot that separates it from the pack, and that elevates it above so many of the other generic horror movies to have come out recently. For one thing, under the guidance of producer and creative genius Guillermo Del Toro, Mama has a rich, compelling mythology and an even richer visual palette. The movie looks amazing - blending gothic horror with creepy-fairy-tale fantasy to weave some truly spellbinding sequences. Director Andres Muschietti really knocks it out of the park. The movie also has heart - I can't remember the last time I saw a horror movie where I actually felt fully invested in the characters, and felt not just fright, but sadness and joy. Finally, MAMA has got one of the best actresses in the biz today - Jessica Chastain. Proving that there isn't anything she can't do, Chastain plays against type as a gothed-out riot girl who is an interesting and complex character. MAMA is good stuff - creepy, cool, and a lot of fun.

The movie starts out on a harrowing note, as we're immediately thrust into an intense scene of domestic hell. A mentally unstable father - played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister on Game of Thrones) - drives his two young daughters through a snow-covered mountain road. We find out that the father has just murdered his wife, and might now have similar intentions for his daughters. But the car crashes, and the trio end up deep in the snow-covered woods. They stumble through the trees and twigs until they come across an old, abandoned cabin. They take shelter, as the father contemplates doing harm to his innocent children. But suddenly, the father is thwarted and disposed of by a vengeful spirit - "Mama." This spirit watches over the children, and for five years, raises them as her own - as feral, animalistic creatures - deep within the woods. Eventually, the children are found by a search party - their uncle Jeffrey (also played by Coster-Waldau) has kept looking for them all this time. He and his girlfriend Annabel (Chastain) take in the girls, who are now very much damaged by their experiences in the woods. The older daughter, Victoria, can still speak - and adjusts a little easier to being in civilization again. But the younger daughter, Lilly, is far gone - she doesn't talk, she walks on all fours, and she still has an unholy connection to the spirit she calls Mama. And Mama still has a connection to the girls. Jealous and rage-filled, Mama haunts Jeffrey and Annabel's home in hopes of reclaiming the girls she believes are hers and hers alone to love.

The two young girls in the film are fantastic. Megan Charpientier, who plays the older Victoria, is the more conflicted of the two - struggling to become a normal girl again and escape the influence of Mama. Lilly, the younger daughter, played by Isabelle Nelisse - is just delightfully deranged - weird and eerie and wholly convincing as a person who has known virtually nothing except for life in the wild. Together, they really help make the movie as good as it is. Even as you're semi-terrified of the girls, you also can't help but come to feel invested in their well-being.

And that same evolution is what makes Jessica Chastain's Annabel such a compelling character. She's a punk rocker who doesn't want kids. She's not a bad person, just a little rough around the edges - and definitely not enthused about taking in two feral kids who talk to a possibly vengeful spirit. But Annabel does slowly come to care for these kids, and it's a character arc that happens slowly, but in a way that really makes Annabel feel fully-fleshed-out. And man, it's sort of amazing watching Chastain in this so soon after Zero Dark Thirty - it's a completely different character, but Chastain just sort of disappears into the role. If you didn't know it was her, you might think it was a completely different actress. She, also, really elevates this film with her performance.

Visually, the movie has a dark fairy-tale vibe and also shows a lot of J-horror influence. Some may complain that some of the movie's visual motifs - like the smoky black holes that appear in the walls, signalling the presence of Mama - are too derivative of other Japan-influenced horror flicks. But I thought there was a real visual inventiveness to the movie that helped it to feel like more than just a pastiche of genre influences. And in the third act, when things get really crazy and sort of epic, there are some gorgeous scenes of ethereal mayhem. There's even a really cool, ultra-stylized dream-sequence that tells Mama's backstory, shot in a disorienting first-person perspective, that I thought worked well.

And again, I found myself surprised at how the movie turned out to be much more than just scares. There's heart in MAMA - as in, there were some moments that I had chills, and some moments where I felt sad and/or moved for these characters. And there is some strong narrative complexity here as well, in that there are some nicely-drawn parallels between Mama and Annabel, and some poetic symmetry in how their relationships with Victoria and Lilly evolve.

Before I get too caught up in praising the film though, I will point out that its high points are nearly matched by some moments of lameness and cheese. Two key side characters, for example - a psychiatrist working with the girls, and a steely aunt in a custody battle with Jeffrey and Annabel - are often eye-rollingly one-note. As such, they often act according to horror movie cliche, and make the sort of lame-brained decisions that will have you screaming at the movie screen. The movie can also feel a little jumpy. While I appreciate that it doesn't spend too much time having everyone doubt Mama's existence, or dwell too much on the "mystery" of her backstory, some sequences do feel slightly rushed. Namely, characters have to make a lot of big, Mulder-esque leaps towards the end of the film. Something that happens in a lot of movies, sure - but in Mama, there are enough instances of characters acting with nuance and intelligence that the moments when they don't are particularly jarring. Finally, given that most of the movie has a great, creeptastic atmosphere, I also felt like there were way too many jump-scare attempts. It felt unnecessary - especially in the instances where the scares were just fake-outs.

Overall though, MAMA really impressed me - and I'd count it as one of the most interesting and rewarding horror movies I've seen in a while. I really enjoyed the twisted fairy-tale-esque vibe of the film - the Del Toro touch really gave the movie that extra visual pop. It also felt like there was more thematic depth, more epicness, and more genuine emotion on display than in most horror flicks. And if that's not enough, there's also Jessica Chastain in fine form, rocking goth gear and a bad attitude and making even more of a case for her status as one of the best actresses in Hollywood. Whoah mama indeed.

My Grade: B+