Avengers: Endgame (2019) review

(I solemnly swear that there will be no major spoilers in this review. As with every review I do, there will be a general plot synopsis, but this one will be as light on the details as possible.)

After 11 years of phenomenal world-building and an endless array of excellent cinematic outings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally reached the pinnacle of its ambitious narrative. Sometimes it’s crazy to think that it’s been that long since Tony Stark first announced to the world that he was Iron Man… and yet, here we are. Since the release of Iron Man back in 2008, audiences have been treated to one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of all time as the MCU has very much set the new gold standard for shared universes. Sure, the idea of a shared universe is a media concept that has been around for decades, but the MCU easily outshines almost every other film franchise of this nature when it comes to its overall narrative and the ever-expansive scope of the world that it’s created. And while not every installment of the MCU has been a masterpiece, it can also be argued that none of them have been on the level of quality as some of the superhero genre’s most infamous outings (e.g. Batman and Robin, Catwoman, Fan4stic, etc.). With all that in mind, all eyes are now on the fourth Avengers film and the final installment of what Marvel Studios has now labeled as ‘The Infinity Saga’, Avengers: Endgame. This 22^nd installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the second half of a storyline that has been built up for a decade and officially got underway in last year’s Avengers: Infinity War. And after that film’s jaw-dropping finale, directors Joe and Anthony Russo (AKA the Russo brothers) are now tasked with bringing this epic story to its conclusion as our heroes do “whatever it takes” to avenge their fallen comrades. What follows is, as one can only expect from an MCU film at this point, an emotionally-charged superhero epic.  

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the Avengers found themselves dealt with the toughest loss that they’ve ever experienced. Despite their best efforts to prevent him from acquiring all six of the cosmic power sources known as Infinity Stones, Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) managed to collect them all and use them to accomplish his plan to wipe out half the universe with just a single snap of his fingers using the Infinity Gauntlet. Thus, in the blink of an eye, the Avengers were forced to witness several of their friends and family erased from existence. After learning where Thanos ended up going afterward, Steve Rogers AKA Captain America (Chris Evans) leads a faction of Avengers that includes Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor the Asgardian God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), and new ally Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to confront him. In the process, however, they discover that Thanos has destroyed the stones so that they couldn’t be used again to reverse his actions. All seems lost until Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) manages to return from the Quantum Realm, which he had become trapped in at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp when his allies fell victim to the snap. Having learned that time operates differently in the Quantum Realm, Scott proposes that they travel back in time and find the Infinity Stones before Thanos does so that they can hopefully use them to bring back those who were lost. Thus, Cap, Tony Stark AKA Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and the other Avengers embark on their most important mission yet, which only becomes more complicated once Thanos discovers their plan.

Avengers: Endgame is a three-hour superhero epic, and it more than warrants its hefty runtime. As a follow-up to the events of Infinity War, it perfectly illustrates the devastating effects of what’s now known as ‘The Decimation’ on the MCU and, most importantly, its main protagonists. Just like its immediate predecessor, this film is easily one of the most emotional installments of a franchise that’s been very consistent over the years with its emotional depth. Sure, it still has all the usual aspects of an MCU film, from the snappy dialogue to the vibrant visuals, but just like every other entry in the franchise, the light-hearted elements of this film rarely have any sort of noticeable impact on its dramatic moments. In this instance, the urgency of the Avengers’ mission to ensure that ‘The Decimation’ will be reversed is strongly maintained throughout, along with the fact that because this is something that can’t easily be undone, it’s clear that they will have to make some sacrifices along the way. And because this mission sees them going back in time to key moments in the franchise’s history, this film is loaded with call-backs to previous films and a wide array of cameos. Sure, some may argue that this is blatant fan-service (which, to be fair, it technically is) whose success rate will depend on how familiar one is with the franchise, but at the same time, Marvel Studios has quite frankly earned the right to show off at this point given the continuing success of their franchise. And without spoiling anything, it all leads to one of the most satisfying bits of payoff ever witnessed on film.

Almost every MCU film to date (save for Incredible Hulk) has had the same casting director, Sarah Finn, and thanks to the woman who’s quite arguably the unsung hero of the franchise, we’ve experienced one of the best ensemble casts in cinematic history who continue to shine in every film that they appear in. I mean, there’s not much more that I can add to the discussion about how great this cast is that I haven’t already mentioned in previous reviews. Given the events of the previous film, this one focuses heavily on the original six Avengers from the first film, allowing for a perfect bookend to everything that they’ve helped create while also giving each member their own standout moment as has always been the case with these films. It also helps this film manage to be a bit more consistent with its character development when compared to Infinity War which, in that film’s defense, had a lot more characters to juggle and was more focused on Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones. And as one era of the franchise ends, those who will be headlining it for the next few years to come are equally outstanding. Brie Larson, for example, makes the most out of her surprisingly minor role in this film (which she notably filmed BEFORE Captain Marvel), once again exemplifying Carol Danvers’ strong charisma and powerful commanding presence. And, of course, we can’t forget about the MCU’s greatest villain, Thanos. Sure, he doesn’t play as prominent of a role in this film as he did in Infinity War, but he’s still given plenty of great emotional pathos and the film continues to epitomize why he’s truly the most dangerous adversary that the Avengers have ever faced.

Let’s be frank, folks, you know exactly what rating I’m going to be giving this film. It is, after all, the exact same rating that I’ve given to nearly half of the other films in this franchise. But as always, that’s ultimately more of a testament to what Marvel Studios has managed to pull off this past decade with their ambitious franchise. If Infinity War was a masterpiece of the superhero genre, then Endgame is MCU fandom nirvana. It more than does its job at being both a follow-up to Infinity War and the climactic outing of the ‘Infinity Saga’, as it provides great conclusions to some of the franchise’s longest-running storylines and character arcs. In other words, this is very much a love letter to the MCU’s devoted fanbase as it rewards those who’ve supported it over the years, especially those who’ve been there since the very beginning, with some of the most amazing imagery that the genre has ever seen. But amidst all the epic action, great humor, and massive amounts of grand fanservice, it still does everything that we’ve come to expect from this franchise’s extensive filmography. It fully endears us to its main protagonists, provides them with a well-layered and incredibly intimidating villain to face off against, and truly hits hard when it comes to its biggest emotional moments. Simply put, everything that happens in Avengers: Endgame is exactly what it needed to be, and because of this, it properly cements the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one of the most legendary franchises in the history of film.  

Rating: 5/5!

Captain Marvel (2019) review

Since 2008, Marvel Studios has been the most dominant force behind the current state of the superhero genre as their bold plan to unite their various superheroes within one single franchise has more than proven to be a huge success with both critics and audiences. And yet, it legitimately could be argued that they’ve been a bit behind the times when it comes to having a diverse representation of characters in their film output. To be clear, the MCU has managed to give us a wide collection of excellent characters, especially when it comes to their female protagonists like Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Daisy Johnson, and Peggy Carter, just to name a few. However, in the case of their latest outing, Captain Marvel, it is the first female-led entry of a franchise that is currently 21 films in. And for those who are wondering why it took so long for this to happen, it’s been noted that this was mainly due to the studio’s former CEO, Ike Perlmutter, who played a huge role in some of the franchise’s most controversial bits of ‘executive meddling’. This included everything from the lack of Black Widow merchandise for Avengers: Age of Ultron to all the creative conflicts that led to Edgar Wright backing out of Ant-Man. And if that wasn’t enough, he also reportedly wasn’t keen on doing a film adaptation of Black Panther. But, of course, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige managed to break away from Perlmutter and the Creative Committee in 2015. And because of this, one of Marvel’s most popular superheroines has finally been given the chance to grace her own solo film, with Oscar-winner Brie Larson taking on the role of Carol Danvers, arguably the most famous incarnation of the one that they call Captain Marvel (disclaimer: not to be confused with DC’s Captain Marvel, who will be making his own live-action debut next month in Shazam). For this installment, directorial duties go to the husband and wife duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whose previous works include critically-acclaimed outings like 2006’s Half Nelson and 2015’s Mississippi Grind. And despite what certain parts of the internet may tell you, Captain Marvel is, what a surprise, yet another phenomenal installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that more than establishes its title character as the franchise’s newest badass heroine.

The year is 1995. On a seemingly average night, a mysterious woman crash-lands into a Blockbuster store in Los Angeles. The woman, who goes by the name of Vers (Brie Larson), claims to be a member of an elite intergalactic unit known as Starforce made up of members of an alien race known as the Kree. During their most recent mission, Starforce found themselves dealing with their longest-standing adversaries, Skrulls, who can shapeshift into any being that they come across. Vers ends up getting captured by a faction of Skrulls led by their commander, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who she learns is searching for a woman on Earth named Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Benning), who supposedly developed plans for a light-speed engine. After arriving on Earth, she ends up meeting Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division AKA SHIELD, and the two end up going on a journey together to try and prevent the Skrulls from acquiring Dr. Lawson’s plans. Along the way, Vers also starts to uncover more about her past life that she has long struggled to remember. Most specifically, she discovers that she was a former U.S. Air Force pilot named Carol Danvers who had supposedly died during a test run of Dr. Lawson’s engine in 1989. And as she soon finds out, the ramifications of what happened during this event end up providing her with a radically different outlook on the war between the Kree and the Skrulls.  

As alluded to in the plot synopsis, Captain Marvel goes the route of Captain America: The First Avenger by being a prequel that takes place before most of the other MCU films. In this instance, it’s set in the ’90s, and the film doesn’t disappoint when it comes to having a historically accurate representation of the era thanks to its rocking soundtrack and plenty of references to 90’s culture (e.g. the limitations of the technology of the time). As for the story, though, it’s admittedly one of the simpler affairs of the MCU. The best way to describe it is that it parallels the execution of the first Thor film by spending more time on Earth than in space. And while many have felt that the Thor films worked better when they weren’t on Earth, it’s ironically the opposite case with this film as it doesn’t really get going until after Carol arrives on Earth. Despite this, however, the film does manage to craft a solid mystery around Carol slowly but surely discovering her identity and how it ultimately factors into the long-standing conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls. This, along with the various lore-related references that the film makes (e.g. appearances of familiar objects, characters, etc.), creates an outcome that manages to keep in line with what we’ve seen in the other MCU films. And just like those other MCU films, Captain Marvel continues to feature everything that audiences have come to expect from this franchise, from its solid comedic dialogue to its excellent action sequences.    

Most importantly, though, Captain Marvel continues to maintain the MCU’s strong sense of emotional depth, which is well-exemplified by Brie Larson’s excellent performance in the title role. Larson perfectly conveys Carol’s tenacity and her rebellious attitude, which helps to make her transition into a full-blown superhero one of the most satisfying arcs to come from the MCU. The film also benefits greatly from her phenomenal camaraderie with Samuel L. Jackson, who gets what is easily his largest role in an MCU film to date as Nick Fury. And because of this film’s 90’s setting, it gives us a radically different take on the man who will end up becoming the leader of SHIELD, which Jackson (along with the aid of Marvel Studios’ continually impressive de-aging visual effects technology) handles brilliantly. Aside from them, you also have your reliable MCU supporting players, which notably include a few returnees from other installments of the franchise. Clark Gregg makes his first appearance as Agent Coulson in an MCU film since transitioning over to Agents of SHIELD while both Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou reprise their roles of Ronan the Accuser and Korath, respectively, from Guardians of the Galaxy. However, it should be noted that their roles in the film are incredibly minor. Thankfully, there are also some great supporting players in here that have much larger roles in the plot, like newcomer Lashana Lynch as Carol’s best friend Maria Rambeau, Annette Benning as Dr. Lawson, and Jude Law as Starforce’s leader (and Carol’s mentor) Yon-Rogg. And as for the main antagonist, Skrull commander Talos, admittedly I can’t say much about his role in the film just yet as that would be delving into spoiler territory. It’s a well-layered role, though, and Ben Mendelsohn gets to be one of the rare instances of a more comedic Marvel Cinematic Universe villain.  

What’s this, another great MCU film to add to the collection? Yes, folks, the MCU continues to be one of the top film franchises in the industry as their 21^st installment is another well-rounded solo flick with all the usual fixings. I mean, at this point, it’s crazy to doubt the fact that Marvel Studios knows what they’re doing, but admittedly, this one did attract some skepticism prior to its release. If that wasn't enough, it also attracted some unwarranted backlash following a comment made by Brie Larson where she wished for better diversity in the media during this film’s press tour. And while it’s a reasonable desire backed by undisputable fact, this got misinterpreted as ‘sexist SJW BS’ by the same morons who considered Star Wars: The Last Jedi an utter offense to humanity. Modern era trolling in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen. Thankfully, though, those ‘fans’ (and yes, the term ‘fans’ is used loosely in this case) were proven very much wrong. Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that this is ‘the best’ MCU film ever made. It does have an admittedly slow start and its plot is simpler in execution when compared to other installments of the franchise. But even with that in mind, this ‘back to basics’ approach isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it is still just as entertaining as any other MCU film. As a prequel to most of the other MCU films, the ways in which it sets up future events are generally handled quite well. And thanks in large part to Brie Larson’s excellent performance in the title role, Carol Danvers’ transformation into the franchise’s newest badass heroine, Captain Marvel, gives this film the same great emotional poignancy that the MCU is known for. Thus, while it might get a bit overshadowed by the upcoming epic that is Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel continues Marvel Studios’ stellar cinematic hot streak that has now been going on for a full decade.

Rating: 4.5/5

Kong: Skull Island (2017) review

For nearly nine decades, King Kong has stood (figuratively and, in some cases, literally!) as one of the most iconic creatures in film history. The original King Kong from 1933 still stands as one of the most famous films of all time, particularly thanks to its groundbreaking special effects done by Willis O’Brien. Since then, this classic story of ‘Beauty killed the Beast’ has seen numerous updates over the years. There was the 1976 remake starring Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange that was fairly hyped back in the day but ultimately received a mixed response from both critics and audiences upon release. And then there was the 2005 remake directed by Peter Jackson, which was far more successful with critics and audiences despite its butt-numbingly long 3-hour runtime. And this year, the Eighth Wonder of the World is back in a new film, Kong: Skull Island. The film serves as the second installment in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ newly-developing ‘cinematic universe’ of monster films, dubbed the MonsterVerse, that first started with the 2014 reboot of Godzilla. These two classic monsters will soon share the screen in Godzilla vs. Kong, a ‘re-imagining’ of the duo’s previous crossover from 1962 that is set to come out in 2020. But first, it’s time to revive cinema’s definitive ape. Unlike Godzilla, which was set in the present day, Kong: Skull Island is set in the 70’s and is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who previously directed the 2013 indie film The Kings of Summer. Here, he takes us on a wild ride that may not have much to it in terms of story and character development but delivers on good old fashioned monster action.

The year is 1973. As America begins to back out of the Vietnam War, Bill Randa (John Goodman), senior official for a government program known as Monarch, and Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), a geologist working for Monarch, acquire permission from the U.S. government for a mapping expedition to an uncharted island in the South Pacific known as ‘Skull Island’. To help them during the operation, they enlist the aid of an elite helicopter squadron known as the Sky Devils, led by Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), for escort and former British Special Air Service captain/tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) to guide them once on the island. Along the way, they’re also joined by anti-war photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), who’s along for the ride for her own reasons. But, once they arrive on Skull Island, they immediately come across its most notable resident, King Kong (portrayed via motion capture by Terry Notary), who ends up attacking them and subsequently strands them on the island. Separated into two groups, the survivors are now forced to try and get to the other side of the island in time to meet up with a resupply team. But, along the way, they find themselves having to deal with the other creatures on the island aside from Kong, specifically a race of creatures known as Skullcrawlers who were unleashed because of their efforts in mapping out the island.

While 2014’s Godzilla was a solid critical and commercial success, at least when compared to the infamous 1998 remake directed by Roland Emmerich, not everybody was a fan of it. One of the main reasons why was due to the limited screen-time of the title character; about eleven minutes to be precise. Here, though, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts wastes no time when it comes to getting into the monster action and he does deliver on that front. The action in this film is epic and a lot of it is thanks to the excellent visual design. As many have pointed out, it’s arguably the film’s greatest strength. From the bright and flashy color palette to the various homages to the 70’s, particularly Apocalypse Now, this film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Like the 2005 film, Kong is portrayed via motion-capture and, fittingly enough, following in the footsteps of Andy Serkis’ take on the character in the 2005 film, here he’s played by Serkis’ Planet of the Apes co-star Terry Notary (AKA ‘Rocket’). And, boy, is Kong a ‘beast’ in this film. Standing at 100 feet tall, he absolutely towers over the human characters, resulting in some epic ‘scale shots’ that I’m sure look amazing on an IMAX screen (admittedly, I only saw this on a regular screen so I wouldn’t know). The other great thing about the film is that it isn’t just another redo of the original Kong story. In other words, we don’t go back to New York at the end of it to see Kong climb the Empire State Building; heck, this Kong doesn’t even need to climb it given his height. Instead, almost the entire film takes place on Skull Island and, as such, wastes no opportunities in terms of showcasing its unique wildlife.

But while the visuals, visual style, and action sequences are great, admittedly the story is the film’s biggest weakness. Despite what I just said about it not being a rehash of previous Kong films, it’s basically just a simple ‘get off the island’ story, nothing more, nothing less. And the same thing can be said for the characters as well, which may have something to do with the fact that this film has one of the largest ensemble casts I’ve ever seen. Seriously, there are quite a lot of characters in this film and, as you might have guessed, some of them don’t get much to do in this. Still, at the very least, the film does have a good cast to play these parts, as limited as some of them may be. All the leads do good jobs; Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, etc. However, the biggest standouts of the film come from the supporting cast. This includes Shea Whigham as Earl Cole, an eccentric member of the Sky Devils, and, most of all, John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow, a former pilot who had been stranded on Skull Island for nearly three decades after crash-landing there during World War II. Now, I’ll admit that in regards to Reilly, when he first appeared in the film’s second trailer, I wasn’t sure at first how he’d factor into the film. Clearly meant to be the main source of comic relief, initially, I was unsure if it would fit with the overall tone of the film, which seemed to be generally serious based on the first few trailers. However, having now seen the film, it’s clear that Reilly’s performance is in line with the film’s overall light-hearted nature; as such, he’s one of the best parts of the film and, technically speaking, he’s arguably got the most to work with in terms of character development out of anyone in the entire cast.

It seems to me that Kong: Skull Island is proving to be just as polarizing as 2014’s Godzilla. But while Godzilla divided audiences primarily due to the limited screen-time of the titular monster, it looks like the polarizing nature of Skull Island is due to just what kind of beast of a film it is. It has much more to it in terms of monster action than Godzilla but, like that film, it also doesn’t have much to it in terms of plot and character development. Still, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts does succeed in what he clearly must have set out to do; make a good old-fashioned monster film. And thanks to some excellent monster action, as well as fantastic visuals based on a gorgeous 70’s-inspired visual style, Kong: Skull Island is a highly entertaining new take on the lore of King Kong. Admittedly, I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite of the Kong films (that honor is between the 1933 original and Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake) but it’s a worthy addition to the Kong franchise nevertheless. Not only that, but I am looking forward to the future installments of Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, especially the upcoming crossover between Kong and Godzilla which, without giving anything major away, is teased in this film.

Rating: 4/5

(Also, be sure to check out my buddy Alex Corey’s review of the film over on his blog, Alex Corey Reviews!!)

http://alexcoreyfilm.blogspot.com/2017/03/kong-skull-island-movie-review.html

88th Academy Awards: Winners + Recap Post

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: EX MACHINA

BEST EDITING, COSTUME DESIGN, MAKEUP/HAIRSTYLING, PRODUCTION DESIGN, SOUND EDITING, AND SOUND MIXING: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: THE REVENANT

BEST SONG: WRITING’S ON THE WALL- SPECTRE

BEST SCORE: THE HATEFUL EIGHT

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: BEAR STORY

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT: STUTTERER

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: A GIRL IN THE RIVER: THE PRICE OF FORGIVENESS

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: AMY

BEST FOREIGN FILM: SON OF SAUL

BEST ANIMATED FILM: INSIDE OUT

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: THE BIG SHORT

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: SPOTLIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ALICIA VIKANDER- THE DANISH GIRL

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: MARK RYLANCE- BRIDGE OF SPIES

BEST ACTRESS: BRIE LARSON- ROOM

BEST ACTOR: LEONARDO DICAPRIO- THE REVENANT

BEST DIRECTOR: ALEJANDRO G. INARRITU- THE REVENANT

BEST PICTURE: SPOTLIGHT

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW

I’m just going to cut right to the chase: This has been the best Academy Awards ceremony that I’ve seen since I’ve started this blog back in 2012. That’s saying a lot considering the obvious elephant in the room that was the non-diverse list of acting nominees for the second straight year in a row. It was already a controversy last year but this year it became a full-blown scandal with numerous celebrities from Jada Pinkett Smith to Spike Lee boycotting the event. And like I said last week in my ‘Predictions’ post, while I do completely recognize the issue at hand, I do think the boycotting was rather ridiculous and, to quote Whoopi Goldberg, ‘a pain in the butt’. At the end of the day, while the Academy definitely could’ve done a better job at recognizing minority performances, and they have made it clear that they’re going to work to do better next time, it is not all their fault. At the end of the day, they’re just the ones who are picking nominees. This whole diversity issue is not just an Academy thing; it’s also an industry and society thing as well. And that really is a perfect analogy to what this year’s show was about. It was a call for all of us, not just the Academy and the film industry, to do better and not just in regards to combating racial issues. Whether it was Leo’s speech about combating climate change or the Vice President encouraging a call to action against sexual assault, this whole Oscars was a complete takedown of the growing cynicism of our society and if you ask me, that was very much appreciated.

Right from the get go and throughout the entire show, Chris Rock did not hold back when it came to addressing the whole diversity issue and he did it with class. He wasn’t overly harsh or anything; he just pointed out the truth in regards to how minority actors are just looking to get better roles in film and the same opportunities as white actors. At the same time, he also poked fun at some of the more ridiculous elements of the controversy, like the plain old fact that there are quite frankly bigger issues at hand than the nominations that come from a simple awards show. And of course, his entire gig was full of hilarious moments, like when he said “Ah We’re Black” after a commercial break or when he joked that Rocky is like a sci-fi film given how it, and its most recent entry Creed (aka the ‘Black Rocky’ as he puts it), take place “in a world where white athletes are as good as black athletes… There are things in Star Wars that are more believable than things that happen in Rocky”. Obviously Rock’s unfiltered nature of humor is not going to fly well with everyone and I completely understand. I did see some people online say they thought he was “annoying” and there were some articles online that posed the question of whether or not Rock could potentially drive some audiences away with his commentary on the whole diversity issue. But at the end of the day, he did a fantastic job and it helped make an Oscars ceremony that was completely mired in controversy one of the best in recent memory. Because at the end of the day, the Oscars isn’t meant to be all about who wins and who doesn’t. All it is meant to be is a celebration of film and this past year gave us some really excellent films… and let’s just say I was very satisfied to see my #1 favorite film of the Best Picture nominees, Spotlight, take home the top prize this year. So instead of complaining about snubs and upsets, I was just enjoying the excitement and pageantry of it all.

And now, here are my best/worst moments from this year’s event. And to be perfectly frank, this year’s event saw a lot more ‘best’ moments than ‘worse’ ones.

BEST- CHRIS ROCK’S MONOLOGUE

In regards to the opening ‘2015 in film’ montage: “Hey I counted at least 15 black people in that montage.”

WORST- THE ‘THANKS’ TICKERS, TRIVIA POP-UPS, AND PLAY-OFF MUSIC

This year, as a way of ‘streamlining’ acceptance speeches, the Academy had its winners list all of the people they intended on thanking in their speeches and had them displayed on a ticker at the bottom of the screen. I do understand why they did this but ultimately I don’t think it turned out as well as they hoped. From what I hear, those attending the event didn’t see them and quite frankly it was hard for me to see them at times either because I didn’t watch the event on an HDTV. Plus, there were still numerous instances where the winners were being played off by music, in this case by “Ride of the Valkyries” (remember that time the Jaws theme was the play-off music?), right in the middle of their speeches. It wasn’t all bad, though. When ‘Inside Out’ won Best Animated Feature, the ticker let director Pete Docter’s kids know that they could get a dog. And when cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki won his third straight (!) Oscar for The Revenant, he thanked the Beatles and MEXICO! Another new thing this year was the inclusion of anecdotes about the presenters that popped up on-screen from time to time. While I do appreciate things like this, they just ended up being distracting and, as already noted, hard to see due to the limitations of my TV. In short, I don’t really have anything against these two new aspects of the ceremony but I do feel that they need improvement.

BEST- THE ‘BLACK ACTORS IN WHITE ROLES’ FILM MONTAGE

I always love the segments where a montage of scenes from films are played but they add in other celebs to make them humorous and this year’s parodies in particular were really hilarious in which black actors were put into films that have a predominantly white cast. Whoopi Goldberg video-bombed Joy Mangano’s QVC presentation in Joy, SNL’s Leslie Jones took over the role of ‘the bear’ in The Revenant, and Tracy Morgan took over Eddie Redmayne’s role in The Danish Girl while enjoying a good Danish, girl! Though ultimately the funniest of these clips was the parody of The Martian, in which Chris Rock became the stranded astronaut on Mars and yet Jeff Daniels and Kristen Wiig’s characters kept acting like they were ignoring him.     

WORST: THE JACK BLACK/ANGELA BASSETT BIT

One montage that didn’t work, though, was the one involving Angela Bassett and Jack Black. At first it seems like the segment is going to honor Will Smith, who of course didn’t attend due to boycotting after he was snubbed for his performance in Concussion, highlighting his work in films like Enemy of the State and Shark Tale and for being part of ‘an iconic musical duo’. Ultimately, though, Bassett wasn’t referring to Will Smith but his co-star in both of those films, Jack Black. Quite simply, this one just fell flat for me even though I do get the joke.

BEST: THE BEAR FROM THE REVENANT MAKES AN APPEARANCE

I’ve seen some people say this bit was stale but I loved this part of the show, during which a guy in a bear costume, clearly meant to be the bear that attacked Leo in The Revenant, made an appearance in the crowd. This moment was truly memorable once the camera cut to Leo’s reaction. It made me wonder if that bear was going to charge onstage if Leo won… thankfully it didn’t.  

WORST: STACEY DASH’S APPEARANCE

Clueless star Stacey Dash made one of the more controversial statements regarding the Oscar diversity issue back in January by criticizing the ‘Oscars So White’ hashtag, the BET channel, and the idea of a ‘Black History Month’. In other words, this whole diversity issue wasn’t made any better by her quite racist remarks. So it was rather confusing to see her come out on stage introduced by Chris Rock as “the new director of our minority outreach program” and exclaim “Happy Black History Month!” In other words, this was the most awkward moment of the night.

BEST: THE GIRL SCOUTS

A moment that arguably topped the moment during the 86^th Academy Awards when Ellen literally ordered pizza for the audience was when Chris Rock had a bunch of Girl Scouts come out and sell cookies, noting that all of this preparation for the show has basically kept him from helping his two daughters during Girl Scout Cookie season (Oh No!). I know some will argue moments like this are staged but come on, how can anyone not smile at something sweet like this? Plus, that troop of Girl Scouts ended up grossing over $63,000 in sales. Though I must say my favorite part during this bit was when Chris Rock urged Leo to contribute; “Leo you’ve made 30 million this year, come on!”

BEST: TOY STORY CELEBRATES ITS 20^TH ANNIVERARY

There was quite a big smile on my face when Woody and Buzz made a special appearance to honor the 20^th anniversary of ‘Toy Story’, complete with Buzz reminding Woody that “he tried to terminate him” and Woody remarking that if it wasn’t for him he’d still be left thinking he’s an actual Space Ranger. Also, “BUZZ LOOK AN ALIEN!” “WHERE?”

Also, Pixar characters presenting Best Animated Film to a Pixar film? Coincidence? I Think Not!

BEST: DAVE GROHL AND THE ‘IN MEMORIAM’ SEGMENT

No matter what, the ‘In Memoriam’ segment is guaranteed to make you feel sad and this year was no exception, especially considering some of the greats we lost this past year like Alan Rickman, David Bowie, and Leonard Nimoy. And let me tell you, major feels were abound when the video ended with Nimoy as Spock saying “I have been and always shall be your friend.” This tribute was made even more poignant by Dave Grohl’s excellent performance of the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’.

BEST: LADY GAGA’S PERFORMANCE

Last year’s best musical performance came from John Legend and Common with their powerful song ‘Glory’ from Selma, and this year that honor went to Lady Gaga for her equally powerful melody ‘Til it Happens to You’ from the documentary The Hunting Ground. Not only was her bit introduced perfectly by Vice President Joe Biden, who encouraged us all to take the pledge to combat sexual assault on campus, but the performance was made even more emotional by the appearance of numerous survivors of sexual assault onstage with Gaga. Even though it didn’t win Best Song, there’s no denying that this was one of the best moments of Oscar night. Now on the note of it not winning…

 

WORST: THE INEVITABLE BACKLASH TOWARDS UPSETS

Yes, I’m not talking about anything that actually happened during the show. Instead, I’m referring more to the annoying backlash that came from the internet whenever a big upset happened. The first big upset was when Mark Rylance won over Sylvester Stallone for Best Supporting Actor. Clearly a lot of people wanted Stallone to win and yes, he was my #1 pick as well. But that shouldn’t take away from the fact that Mark Rylance was outstanding in ‘Bridge of Spies’ and very much earned that award. But I have the feeling that the most controversial upset of this year’s Oscars was with Best Song. Even after the aforementioned emotional powerhouse performance that was Lady Gaga’s ‘Til it Happens to You’, the award for Best Song ended up going to Sam Smith’s Bond theme for Spectre, ‘Writing’s on the Wall’. As I’ve made it clear many times already, I am an unapologetic fan of that song despite all of the criticism that it has gotten mostly due to unfair comparisons to Adele’s ‘Skyfall’. And yes, my vote for that category was for ‘Til it Happens to You’. But just because it didn’t win shouldn’t take away from either Lady Gaga’s great performance that night or its powerful message. And even though he didn’t win Best Supporting Actor, clearly Sylvester Stallone is still ‘the people’s champion’. At the end of the day, this is just a simple awards show and just because one song or one performance doesn’t win the big award doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve to get nominated. That trophy is just that… a trophy. So no, ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ winning Best Song is not ‘a travesty’. Calm down, internet!

Geez if this was how bad the internet got in regards to these upsets, imagine how furious the internet would be if Leo didn’t win Best Actor? Thank God he did!

BEST: BASICALLY ANYTHING INVOLVING JACOB TREMBLAY

The young star of ‘Room’ has quite frankly become one of the coolest kids in the industry. First off, he wore ‘Star Wars’ socks to the event… like a boss! And of course when C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 came out on stage at one point, the ‘Star Wars’ fan eagerly got out of his seat to get a better look at them, plus he posted this awesome photo on Instagram of him with the droid trio. Admit it, you’d do the same thing if you were in his situation. And finally, when he and Beasts of No Nation star Abraham Attah came out to present the award for Best Live Action Short, and after Chris Rock came out again to provide them with boxes for them to stand on so that they’d be tall enough to reach the mic, Tremblay thanked him and added “I loved you in Madagascar!” Seriously can Hollywood just put this kid in everything now?

WORST: NO LOVE FOR STAR WARS?

Like I’ve been saying before, I don’t get too worked up over snubs and how certain categories are decided anymore because I feel that it’s pointless to argue over who/what wins and who/what doesn’t. Still, I wish the Academy would’ve given SOMETHING to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Like I said in my Predictions Post, I’m disappointed it didn’t get a Best Picture nomination. I know it wasn’t going to win anyway but this film was a genuine critical and commercial hit so I was hoping that it’d least win one technical award. But ultimately almost all of the main technical awards from Editing to Sound Mixing/Editing went to Mad Max: Fury Road while Ex Machina beat out Fury Road to win Best Visual Effects. For the record… I have nothing against either of those films. In fact, those two films very much deserved those awards. In the end, though, I do wish The Force Awakens could’ve been given at least one award.

BEST: GREAT SPEECHES

As always, the Oscars have been full of great acceptance speeches no matter how many times the play-off music butts in to spoil the moment. A lot of the best speeches this year were, unsurprisingly, the ones that encouraged us all to be better; Leo’s Best Actor speech, Joe Biden’s introduction of Lady Gaga, and the Spotlight crew highlighting the necessity of investigative journalism and the call to action against the sexual abuse that formed the basis of its story just to name a few.

And those are my thoughts on this year’s Academy Awards. In conclusion, it was a terrific outing this year that took the high road when it came to addressing the controversy of the need for a more diverse group of nominees. Until next year’s Oscars, Thanks for following along!

And of course be sure to sound off in the comments below with your thoughts on last night’s show