The Rest of 2015, Part 1

I've taken a little more time in prepping my year-end wrap-up this year, mostly because I was making sure I had seen everything I wanted to in theaters before publishing. Like last year, I've written mini-reviews on all the films that I either saw too far into their theatrical run to do a full review on or after their home video release.

Tomorrowland - Watch it, but only if it's free. 

There's something to be said for making an original film in today's industry. Too bad this one didn't quite pan out. Tomorrowland is able to highlight a couple good performances from George Clooney and Britt Robertson, but Hugh Laurie's villain seems a little thin. Brad Bird's direction is great too, but the third act makes the plot and characters of the first two acts seem incredibly thin. There's such a good build-up to the film's climax that when it fizzles out, it feels like a huge letdown. Grade: 59

Cinderella - Watch it. 

Cinderella succeeds solely because of Kenneth Branagh's stellar period direction. The set design and costuming here are both top-notch. Lily James turns in a fantastic performance as the titular Disney princess, while the supporting cast is for the most part good as well. The only one I didn't quite like was Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, as I felt she didn't quite fit the film's tone. However, if you want that classic Disney magic, this is the closest you'll get right now. Grade: 79

Chappie - Skip it. 

Never have I ever seen a film so mismarketed as Chappie. Everything that I wanted to see more of from the trailer wasn't in the film. I would have loved to see Dev Patel's character's interaction with Chappie more than just the minute or two we get or his struggle against Hugh Jackman...or just more of Jackman's character in general. This could have been such a thought-provoking film instead of the snooze fest it actually is. At least the motion capture work from Sharlto Copley is well done. Grade: 37



Avengers: Age of Ultron - Watch it. 

Age of Ultron is good. It's got good acting, writing, direction, and characters. Unfortunately, it suffers from the same bloatedness that The Avengers had but on a much larger scale. Believe it or not, if this film was longer it might have actually helped it flesh out some of its story more. It feels incomplete to a degree, especially in regard to Ultron, and its constant quipping makes the darker tone it tries to capture unable to take hold. That said, this is still a really enjoyable film. Grade: 79



That's it for part 1. Be sure to check back soon for more reviews, and stay tuned for the rest of The Rest of 2015.