Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

"Yeah..well your sweat smells like cinnamon." -Beca

oufffff....ufffff....yeeeshh.  That adequately sums up what I thought of the sequel to the lovable Pitch Perfect. No one really need see it. Ever. There are some nice things about Pitch Perfect 2. The more Katy Sagal in anything the better. I hate the Packers, HATE; but I did enjoy watching Clay Matthews belt out a few lines.

Beyond that, Pitch Perfect 2 is without question the worst film I saw in 2015.

It fails on characters, comedy, heart, plot, sound, and so much more. Even its offensive lines were actually more crass and distasteful than funny.

On a scale of AC#E to CGBE I give Pitch Perfect 2, 1.34 stars out of 5 stars.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

"I can neither confirm or deny details of any operations without the Secretary's approval." -William Brandt

In the most formulaic of movies, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a pale shadow of the show's rich history and the franchise's former glory.  There is nothing technically wrong with Rogue Nation, it's just that nothing was artistically right. From an economic perspective, I fully expect that at least 1 more MI mission will be released. I just won't look forward to it in the way I had.

But, I don't want to dwell on the shortcomings of a Blockbuster: Fish;Barrel. I took the opportunity while watching Mission Impossible: Bland to test the story writing, editing, and director. MI is famous for adding tension to a plot by putting the audience and the characters on a clock. Time limits are classic form of literary and cinematic pressure. [example: " from this point on you will only have 5 minutes to diffuse the volcano."  "5 minutes!? That's impossible." ] I am big fan of adding temporal pressure to create drama.  Yet, many directors, movies, producers often break their time continuums, stretching 5 minutes of story time into 30 minutes of running time. Only the last 8 minutes of an NFL game, in my book, is allowed such liberties with countdowns. To its credit, Rogue Nation is a roaring success in this context.  Ethan Hunt is charged with swimming and holding his breath for 3 minutes. In total, he is underwater for 3 minutes conscious and 25 seconds unconscious. Total film time was 3 minutes 25 seconds. I know. I counted.

On a scale of minute rice to 7 hr smoked brisket, I give Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 2.6 out of 5 stars.

Ving Rames, You should be in everything! I am glade they brought you back for this installment.   

Spectre (2015)

"Did you just move in?" -Moneypenny (looking around the spartan apartment full of boxes.)

"No." -James Bond

Yet another Jame Bond. It is not the best James Bond. It may not be even in my Top Ten James Bonds. It is certainly better than the Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry Bond-YUKC!!!

Spectre takes it self seriously. This James Bond is out to make its case as coherent cinema and not schlock. Its most memorable characteristic was the stunning amount of silence within the film. Spectre has almost Kurosawa levels of dramatic pauses, significant glances, and meaningful silences. At 148 minutes it is also the longest running Bond. These two factors make Spectre a cinematically compelling if occasionally boring James Bond. I personally liked these aspects, but I tend towards slow somber films. If you do not...prepare to be disappointed by Spectre. Spectre contains a large of number of references to the previous Daniel Craig iterations of 007. If you haven't seen these, Spectre is possibly impenetrable as to character motivation and plot. Let's be honest, the plot of Spectre is actually rather meager and not particularly compelling. Additionally, while it can be helpful to have a A and B plot line for dramatic intertwined story telling, if neither story can stand alone, all one does is make the entire narrative muddled and confusing. There are positives to Spectre. Daniel Craig is a great James Bond. The opening sequence in Mexico City is an amazing bit of single shot magic. Bond once again drives a car, a plane, and a boat. Dave Bautista is muscly and scary. And the opening title/credit sequence is as sexy oil hallucinogenic as ever. I will look forward to more Bonds in the future.

On to the more interesting topic: franchise continuity. The idea of the "franchise" is a reasonably new concept in the history of cinema. In a simple case, one makes a film with a start and a finish. It is self contained. There are classic exceptions to this, notably 6 part sagas and planned trilogies. But, the idea of maintaining continuity outside the confines of a planned film structure is new and from my perspective a product of business thinking, not art. There are positives and negatives to the development of the franchise. On the positives, the franchise offers a broader and more expansive pallet for those willing to add to a related community. It also brings with it a captured audience and sometimes a great deal of myth from which to be creative from. On the negatives, franchises adversely affect the exploration of uniquely inspired and incepted ideas. Franchises also have their own distinct agendas that are not related to single films. This reigns in the potential for coloring outside the lines. Where in the old days, all projects were betting on the unknown, now betting on the unknown is a real gamble. Artists, addicts, and zealots like to gamble. Banks, and financiers do not.

On a scale of 006 to Agent 99, I give Spetcre 3.125 out of 5 stars.

Oh Spectre is kinda of waste of the incredible talents of Christoph Waltz, although I do love that he ended the film with a a scar over one eye and a white cat. (Nice touch!)