Here is my ninth segment of short reviews, where this time I thankfully have a bit of a better balance between movies and music. I'm finally getting caught up on films I've wanted to see, though there's plenty more I've missed. Be ready for a full review of "The Incredibles 2" soon!
Movies
Solo
Rating: 3/5 Stars
I have had a very complicated relationship with the Star Wars franchise lately. I was a huge fan of "The Force Awakens", but every other new SW movie that has been released hasn't really impressed me that much. Sure, "Rogue One" is better than most of the prequel films, but not by much. And, while there are some really good things about "The Last Jedi", there are also just way too many things about it that make me angry, so I can't be anything but indifferent about it. I was very hesitant going into "Solo". Its directorial disaster story is the worst I've heard for any movie in this franchise. I would've loved to see what original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were doing with the movie that was so against Disney's agenda. Replacing them with Ron Howard, who reshot most of the movie, was a very safe move. While I like Howard, he hasn't been a super innovative director as of late. That remains somewhat true with "Solo", which could be described as a "safe" Star Wars movie. But that isn't an entirely bad thing. I think general audiences will be satisfied coming out of the theater. There is a lot to like about this film, one of the most primary being, thankfully, Alden Ehrenrich's performance as Han. He shoulders this role pretty well and does the best he possibly could with it. I actually found him quite likeable, particularly how he brought a certain sense of optimism to Han that we hadn't seen much previously. I thought I was going to dislike his portrayal because of how inextricably tied Harrison Ford is to Solo, but Ehrenrich honors Ford's performance comfortably. Donald Glover is about as fun as everyone was expecting him to be as Lando; he's easily the best part of the movie. I only wish he was in it a little longer. Paul Bettany is also clearly having a ball playing the antagonist Dryden. While he's not very menacing, he fits well in the world this movie establishes. Where this movie tends to do best is in the central relationship between Han and Chewbacca. There are some great moments between them. Han and Lando's relationship was also very well-done. There are some great action sequences, and visually this movie is pretty solid, with one scene in particular actually blowing me away. There are plenty of issues with this movie, though. A lot of the side characters aren't interesting... at all. Woody Harrelson is highly disappointing as Beckett. I don't think it's his fault; it's just that the character is pretty generic, and you know exactly what this person is going to do. Emilia Clarke is disappointingly underused in the role of Qi'ra, Han's predictable love interest. There's not much to her beyond that. There's also some characters that die at the beginning of the film. The film acts like we're supposed to care, when there's no logical reason to do so. Where this film's biggest weaknesses are, though, is in its inconsequential story telling. A lot of this movie just feels like characters casually moving from plot point to plot point, with not much really keeping Han himself interested in what's going on. There's nothing that surprises in this film; for the most part I could see what was happening. There is one surprise in the form of a cameo, but the surprise is not a good thing. The cameo is one of the dumbest parts of the movie, and the only part where I got angry. It ruined what was a pretty good scene happening previous to it. "Solo" is safe and, admittedly, fun. If you're looking for a Star Wars movie that you can just casually watch with popcorn in hand, then this one will do the trick. However, if you like the deeper parts of other SW films, this might not be for you. I enjoyed it enough, and would not complain if someone put it on.
Isle Of Dogs
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Director/writer Wes Anderson continues to be on a hot streak of making truly great movies, impressing in multiple ways. "Isle of Dogs" is Anderson's second turn at doing stop motion, his first being the critically acclaimed "Fantastic Mr. Fox". That was a film I thoroughly enjoyed. While I didn't enjoy this movie as much as the aforementioned one, "Isle..." is still an excellent film, and holds up to the quality one would expect from Wes. This movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where dogs are hated by the government and banned to Trash Island, due to them having a seemingly incurable disease. We follow a group of dogs headed by stray Chief, who meet a human named Atari in search of his dogs "Spots", the first dog to ever be put onto Trash Island. What follows is an incredible adventure with Atari and the dogs in search of Spots, while Chief insists that dogs should not have masters. There is so, so much to love about this movie. It is, first and foremost, a visual marvel. I can't begin to imagine how painstakingly hard it must be to do this much animation work, as most all the animation is done through building models. There's so much detail in every shot of this movie, so much so that I'll need to watch it again in order to appreciate all of it. It's really cool that the animators even got the dogs' hairs to move in the wind. It's such a tiny thing, but it makes the film feel all the more real. The themes in this movie are simultaneously simplistic and very adult in nature, which I appreciated. Animation meant for an older audience is a rarity these days, so it's nice to see Wes making a movie that works for that audience immensely. The voice talent in this cast is star-studded, so of course all the voice work is good. Bryan Cranston, unsurprisingly, is excellent as the lead stray dog Chief, really doing a good job of drawing out that heart of gold that is hid under this animal's seeming bitterness. Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Murray all have fun in their respective roles of Rex, Boss, and Duke. It's fun that these dogs seem to reflect the actors' individual personalities, which makes them stand out in a natural way. Probably the most significant weakness in this movie is a subplot surrounding foreign exchange student Tracy Walker, who attempts to expose government corruption. Her plot feels a little unnecessary and like it was meant just to pad time out. I also felt that there were a few too many interspersed flashbacks. They ended up taking momentum away from the present story. Still, I loved this film. Anderson's apparent respect for Japanese culture comes through many times, whether it be the incredible music score, the subtle tributes to anime, or the fact that Anderson shows all the Japanese humans as complex individuals. Even the ones who seem evil on first glance. I definitely recommend this movie; it's one of my favorites of the year!
Music
"Pray for the Wicked" by Panic! At The Disco
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Anyone who is a fan of Panic knows that the band has had a complex history. Brendon Urie is now the sole remaining member of the "band", perhaps due to the relationships between previous members being tense, or maybe something out of everyone's control. None of that matters for this review, though, as we have a new album out. I am a mild fan of Panic's previous work, really loving "Pretty. Odd." and "Vices and Virtues", but being lukewarm to somewhat disliking of everything else. I would definitely be on the latter end of the spectrum for the band's previous work "Death of a Bachelor", an album I felt was way too all over the place with only a few highlights (with "LA Devotee" being a song that I absolutely love, but unfortunately was the only track that really impressed me). Thankfully, "Pray for the Wicked", which is clearly inspired by Broadway musicals, is a significant improvement over the last album. It is not, lyrically or musically, the most deep thing in the world. If I were to compare this album to other musicals, it might be along the lines of something more mindlessly enjoyable, like "Wicked" or "Legally Blonde". This isn't a bad thing; just don't go into this album expecting profound moments, and you'll enjoy yourself. I certainly did... for the most part. The lead single "Say Amen (Saturday Night)" certainly sticks out, having a big hip-hop flare, and Brendon is clearly enjoying himself. My favorite track comes in "The Overpass", which has delightfully executed usage of brass instrumentation that makes this song feel big in all the right ways. This song is a JAM, pure and simple, and may actually be one of my favorite songs of the year. Other highlights include the unashamed fun in "Dancing's Not a Crime", the most Broadway-esque track "Roaring 20's", and the emotive closing ballad "Dying in LA". There are definitely some issues with this album, though. "Silver Lining" annoys me to no end with its super repetitive chorus, as well as the cheesy line "Everything is cherries on top". "Old Fashioned" and "One of the Drunks" are both nearly insufferable to listen to. Brendon's vocals and the instrumentation sound obnoxiously bloated. Overall, though, the negatives don't hinder this album too much. If you want a release that goes down easily, then this album is for you.
Favorite Tracks: "The Overpass", "Roaring 20s", "Dying In LA", "Dancing's Not a Crime"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Old Fashioned", "One of the Drunks", "(F**k A) Silver Lining"
"Gravity" by Bullet For My Valentine
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
I have no shame in admitting that there was a time when I had a pretty big obsession with Bullet For My Valentine. In fact, I'd still argue that their first three albums are among the most enjoyable out there in the heavy metal genre. They got surprisingly weak with their fourth release "Temper Temper", which even with this new album, I'd still say is undeniably their worst. It's a pretty painful attempt at trying to be radio friendly. It seemed the band were coming back to form with "Venom" which, while it didn't match up to their first three releases, still had a good amount of content to enjoy. The same mostly can't be said for the band's newest release "Gravity", which is the very definition of mediocre radio rock/metal. The good tracks on here are actually really good, which is what makes the bad moments of this album all the more puzzling to me. "Don't Need You" is one of the most fun BFMV songs in recent memory, reminding me heavily of their first album. The guitar work in it is superb, the chorus is criminally catchy, and Matt Tuck's vocals are on point (to be fair, he is consistently good on this album, even on the weaker tracks he's at least serviceable). The ending track "Breathe Underwater" really surprised me as this song with a lot of emotional heft. It's a powerful ballad, and definitely the best track on this release. I also found the title track to be rather good, and opening track "Leap of Faith" is a headbanger. Unfortunately, not much else stands out. There's not any track that I'd call cringe inducing, but songs like "Over It" and especially "Not Dead Yet" feel tailor made for radio success. They easily blend into all the other boring radio rock out there. I find songs like "The Very Last Time" and "Piece of Me" to be forgettable as well. There's a lot of filler "whoa"s on this release, too, which doesn't help it any. The first half of this album in particular feels like filler in almost every track, while the second half is a little bit better. Overall, this album doesn't get me angry or anything, but I don't think I'll find myself coming back to it anytime soon.
Favorite Songs: "Breathe Underwater", "Don't Need You", "Gravity"
Least Favorite Songs: "Not Dead Yet", "The Very Last Time", "Over It", "Piece of Me"
"The Now Now" by Gorillaz
Rating: 3/5 Stars
I'm going to keep this one somewhat brief, as I don't lean passionately one way or another for this album. After listening to it, though, I would like to listen to some other material by Gorillaz, as I haven't heard much from them. The good stuff from this album does stand out in an interesting way. The vibe of lead single "Humility" is incredibly intriguing to me, with the vocal performance from 2-D just sounding so interesting. He's so chill and relaxed, but talent still exudes from him. I actually adore the track "Hollywood", which has one of the coolest beats I've heard in recent memory. The feature from Snoop Dogg is actually a highlight for me, something I never thought I'd say. I find the song's comparison of Hollywood to a deceitful seductress a fitting metaphor, making this track the best on the album. "Tranz" has creative usage of synths, and "Fire Flies" has a somewhat chilling mood to it. There aren't any tracks that I'd call bad, but there are some moments here that feel like just "guy with an acoustic guitar", which is somewhat disappointing when you compare it to the standout moments. I guess that "Sorcererz" and maybe "Idaho" are my two main negatives, but nothing much else stands out either way. The good tracks are ones that I could see myself coming back to repeatedly throughout the year, but the album as a whole is just decent. Not great, but not bad either.
Favorite Tracks: "Hollywood", "Humility", "Fire Flies"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Idaho", "Sorcererz"
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