The Maze Runner

First Hit:  Possibilities existed but were wasted in a poorly written script with a lack of background to give the story context.

I get why the pre-teens and teenagers in the audience clapped at the end of the showing I attended. There was enough there that would appeal to a younger audience.

Young attractive actors, fighting against an unknown master, fear of the unknown, and kids their age being left to fend for themselves. There was a “Lord of the Flies” sense about it, yet where Lord focused on change and how it happens, here we have little substance and even less character development.

However, what I really struggled with was context. Even at the end when you get some context, and there wasn’t enough good information that would make me want to see the sequel (pointedly announced by the storyline). There is little information to make this story intellectually interesting and it doesn’t develop much in the way of curiosity.

There are moments where I could have been attentive but it faded away as lightweight fare with a weak script. From a filming standpoint, it also could have been more interesting by giving more in-depth views of the square area they lived in and I would have enjoyed more maze scenes where the boys were figuring out the maze.

Dylan O’Brien (as Thomas) was a reasonable main character but the script and story wasn’t there for development. Aml Ameen (as Alby) was the leader of this community because he was the first person sent to the area and as such commanded respect. He carried this load fairly well. Ki Hong Lee (as a runner) was OK, but again I think the story line was too weak to support good acting. Blake Cooper (as the youngish Chuck) was one of the better characters in the entire film – there was a realness to him that made it work. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (as Newt) was good, but again more could have been done to create a character. Will Poulter (as Gally) was the most dynamic person in the film but his role was predictable. Lastly, Kaya Scodelario (as Teresa) - the only girl, had a limited role and was OK. She brought some fun to the film at her arrival. Noah Oppenheim and Grant Pierce Myers wrote this poorly conceived and executed script. Wes Ball did a poor job of directing this poorly imagined film.

Overall:  It was bored most of the time although there were moments of interest when the maze was featured.

Frank

First Hit:  Odd concept, done well enough to keep my interest and my guess is that it won’t be popular.

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) wants to be a musician more than anything. He writes songs that are painful to listen to. However he does know how to play a keyboard.

Witnessing a keyboard man for a band with an unpronounceable name try to drown himself, he tells the band's manager that he can play keyboard. He gets a call to fill in for the band and after the set, Frank (Michael Fassbender) the band’s leader, asks him to join them.

Frank wears a big round plastic head (helmet like) over his head and he never takes it off. It is a gimmick for the band but it is also Frank's protection from the world. In the band are two Europeans and an older punk woman Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

No one in the band likes Jon because he’s too mainstream in his musical thoughts and ideas. However, he funds recording the group and pushes the groups’ work on YouTube. In doing so they end up at South by Southwest Music festival. In the end Frank has to come to terms with himself as does Jon.

Gleeson is believable as the nerdy guy who wants to be a part of the music scene but doesn’t have real talent to lead a group or write worthy songs. Fassbender: It was difficult to describe acting when it is behind a large full headed helmet mask. However, he was able to reach out through the mask with his voice and inflections which gave the audience a sense of the wounded person inside. Gyllenhaal played tough and although effective she wasn’t very likable as a character. Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan wrote an interesting but difficult screenplay to put to film. Lenny Abrahamson directed the film. He was about as effective as one could be given the parameters of the characters.

Overall:  Interesting for a few hours and forgotten within a day.

Non-Stop

Hit:  The generally unbelievable premise was kept interesting because of Neeson’s intensity.

Liam Neeson plays Bill Marks, a distraught US Air Marshal who hates flying and is caught up in a hijacking/blackmailing of a flight from New York to London. Sitting next to him is Jen Summers (Julianne Moore) who needs to sit next to the window.

During the flight Marks receives a text message on a secure communications channel. He suspects the other Air Marshal but ends up killing him – in accordance to the information and plan shared on the text messages. Every 20 minutes someone dies. The pilot and the entire Air Marshal team on the ground, think Marks is really the instigator to the hijacking.

The audience knows Marks is the good guy. Eventually we discover the real plot and the world is right. Although early in the film one doesn’t really know who the culprit, there are things one can read during the film which point the way. The best part of the film is Neeson and his ability to keep the audience engaged.

Neeson is strong and intense which is the best part of the film. Moore is good as a woman who is living life fully for the now. Michelle Dockery was OK as the flight attendant who assists Marks the most. Lupita Nyong’o was OK in a very minor role as another flight attendant. John Richardson and Christopher Roach wrote an unfathomable script. Jaume Collet-Serra did a reasonable job of directing this unrealistic film with some interesting shots of fighting in an airplane restroom and scenes where the plane dove and the passengers got tossed about.

Overall:  It was watchable but not because of the plot, script, or direction.

Winter's Tale

First Hit:  A wonderful and heartwarming flight of fantasy film that may hold some truth.

This film moves between three periods of time, current time, the early 1900’s and the mid-late 1800’s.

Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) washed up ashore in New York because his newly deported parents wanted him to live in America. So while they were leaving on a boat back to their home country, they put their son into a model boat in New York harbor (the mid-late 1800’s).

Lake is partially brought up by Humpstone John (Graham Green) and then tutored in theft by Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe) who is also an agent for the devil; in this case it’s The Judge (Will Smith). While in the midst of robbing a large home he runs into Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), a sick with consumption woman who will be dying soon.

The chemistry between them in this first meeting is palpable and comes through the screen and into your lap. This love transforms him to want to stop being a thief and to open his heart to love for the first time. He thinks he’s there to save her from dying and makes a promise to her young sister Willa (Mckalya Twiggs) that he will kiss her sister and bring her back to life if she dies.

Because Lake was supposed to be the heir apparent to Pearly and Lake crosses him, Soames is out to kill Lake. Peter is fighting to keep himself safe and connected to Beverly and at one point meets her father Issac Penn (William Hurt) who accepts the thief Lake.

The film then moves to current time which has Lake not knowing who he is and trying to understand why he keeps drawing pictures of a girl with red hair on the sidewalk in Central Park. He keeps thinking that his existence is about Beverly, but soon learns that she got him to the current time and it is now about a young girl, Abby (Ripley Sobo), who is sick with cancer. Cutting across these time and generational divides with Lake is his beautiful angel white horse.

This film is about light, love and miracles.

Farrell is excellent. He does scruffy and heart-filled so very well. Findlay is very strong as the consumptive woman and love interest. Crowe is superb as the evil agent of the devil. Smith is an interesting choice as the Judge. Twiggs is sublime and incredibly endearing as the young sister. Hurt is great as the father of these two girls. Sobo is fantastic as the young girl in current time. I enjoyed seeing Green and appreciated his part. Jennifer Connelly as Abby's mother was perfect casting. Akiva Goldsman wrote a wonderful screenplay and knew what he wanted in directing this cast to tell this story.

Overall:  I thoroughly enjoyed watching this romantic film.

Escape Plan

First Hit:  This film is mindless because it, and its actors, are not believable.

Sylvester Stallone (playing Breslin) as a very intelligent, observant professional prison breaking consultant is not believable. He doesn’t come across as intelligent or overly observant.

Although the storyline has him looking with intensity around his surroundings, his eyes didn’t reflect intelligent observation as the script called for – I didn’t buy it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Rottomayer, is supposed to be high tech financial wizard that manipulates the market through computer programming, was just as ludicrous. Again, it’s the eyes; nothing in Arnold’s eyes or the script had me believe his character. Although neither one of these gentlemen pulled off their characters; they do pull off the rough and tumble fighting behavior on the stage they are given – prison. 

This part of the film is fun and you can tell these guys like working with each other. The essence of this script is Breslin’s legitimate business partner wants to get Rottomayer’s knowledge so that he can get rich. To do this he sticks Breslin in a prison that he cannot escape from.

Stallone is the same guy he always is; sad eyed, rough around the edges, grunts a lot, and very muscular who will end up punching someone in a film. Schwarzenegger, like Stallone is getting a little old to taking roles where he punches people to get his way. However, he comes off better in his role than Stallone does. Miles Chapman and Jason Keller wrote the script and it might have better to have younger actors in the parts. Mikael Hafstrom directed these two the best he could and my guess it wasn’t easy.

Overall:  This film will probably need an escape plan.