Straight Outta Compton (2015)

When I see a two and a half hour biopic released in mid-August about a group I didn't follow when they were active, I worry if there's any way I can enjoy it. I think that's the challenge of any biopic, can you still enjoy it when not familiar with the subject? When N.W.A. came out I wasn't really into rap. I was still in my hair metal phase and only just starting to accept bands like Pearl Jam. I think the only rap albums I owned at the time was Run-D.M.C.'s Tougher Than Leather and a Fresh Prince album. I can remember being annoyed with my friends that would listen to Straight Outta Compton, and saying they were trying too hard to be cool. I've since gotten into rap, but I was definitely behind the times when it first hit the scene.

Fortunately, Straight Outta Compton can not only be enjoyed by those not familiar, it's simply a good movie. Biopics can be a little melodramatic, so the lack of it in Straight Outta Compton is something I really enjoyed about it. When these guys had had beef with anyone or anything, they channeled it in their music, and if that didn't settle it, then they'd get in a fight. I prefer that to passive-aggressive, whiny shit. I was also worried that this film might pander a little too much based on what I saw in the trailers, but fortunately it's limited to just those few scenes and is not a theme of the film. It's one thing to acknowledge their influence (which is undeniable at this point), but its' another to just have a movie actively kissing these guys asses. With the exception of Suge Knight, most everyone comes away looking pretty good.

The cast is really great and it's impressive that they were able to get people that looked so much like their counterparts without sacrificing acting skill. They even nailed some of the cameos and smaller roles. With the exception of Paul Giamatti, they are all relative unknowns, but you wouldn't know it. There isn't a weak performance from anyone, and it's saying a lot when the best performance in the film doesn't come from Giamatti. For me, the biggest surprise was that Ice Cube was played by O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube's actual son. Jackson Jr. can come away from this knowing he's clearly the better actor in the family.

I mentioned the length of the film, and it is a little long, but this is a time where it didn't feel like it was needlessly stretched out. They cover a lot of stuff and don't rush through it, so it doesn't feel overwhelming. I was also pretty invested in what was going on, so I wasn't bored at all. I think it helps that guys like Dre and Ice Cube are still in the public eye. Most biopics come out well after the subject has passed on, or their work isn't current. I can't seem to go a day without seeing another commercial for Beats by Dre or a trailer for another bad Ice Cube comedy. Hell, before Straight Outta Compton played, they showed a trailer for Ride Along 2. Ride Along 2? I don't know anyone that saw the first. Anyway, I found it more interesting watching where these guys came from when you know where they are currently in their careers.

Straight Outta Compton lives up to the hype. Even thought this would have done well if released in a better month, it was a smart move to release this in mid-August. It's pretty much the only thing worth seeing right now, so it's easy to recommend, even to people aren't fans or aren't overly familiar with N.W.A. or it's members.

Oh, I just thought I add that I can't drive without hearing "Boyz-n-the-Hood" in my head now.

4 (out of 5) Death Stars

San Andreas (2015)

This has been said before, but can you really slam a dumb movie for delivering on exactly what was advertised? I have a hard time doing it. San Andreas is exactly what you'd expect. A two-hour roller coaster ride of destruction porn. This isn't rocket science here. It's not even seismology (don't even get me started on the science).

Fortunately, it doesn't waste much time with setup or character backstory. Sure, it's there, but San Andreas isn't about that, and I'm glad it didn't focus on that too much. It helped that it does have a great cast that seemed committed, despite the ridiculousness of it all. I saw an unexpected emotional range from The Rock. He's really trying, at least, and he's an easy guy to root for. My only complaint about his performance is that he didn't try to punch the ground in an attempt to stop the quake. That's what the Hulk would've done anyway.

As with most of these disaster movies, there are a few too many moments of amazing coincidence. How are the main characters always so fortunate to avoid getting crushed or killed? How do they always luck out and find each other just at the right moment? There's also the typical asshole character that the quake manages to provide comeuppance.

There were a few times the effects looked a little sloppy and unfinished, but for the most part it all looked pretty great. For as much destruction as there was, I'm surprised it looked as good as it did. Whatever the budget was, it clearly went all to the effects.

The pacing is great and I never once felt bored or checked my phone to see how much time was left. That alone is a good thing. I have to admit that I found it thrilling. You're not really given much time to think about it, as you're assaulted by the visuals.

If disaster porn is your kind of thing, then San Andreas is right up your alley. It's entertaining and delivers on exactly what was promised. Definitely worth a matinee.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars

Romeo and Juliet (2013)

I debated even writing something up for Carlo Carlei's version of Romeo and Juliet.  It's not that this is completely awful, but overall it's really unremarkable and forgettable.  There's not much of a point to a Romeo and Juliet remake unless you're either going to do an amazing version or take a risk and do something a little different.  Even that's been done before though, and not even just with Romeo and Juliet.  You only have to look a few months back to Joss Whedon's version of Much Ado About Nothing to see a good example of an interesting take on Shakespeare.

I'm not going to bother with a plot synopsis, so instead I thought I'd just point out some random thoughts and musings I had about the film.  I apologize if this reads a little rough, but I felt like getting something out there.

• It begins with what I hoped was a joust, but turned out to be some stupid game where two contestants tried to force a lance through a suspended ring.  This was followed by a bunch of spitting in disgust.  If the Montague and Capulet families hate each other so much, why have a contest where the stakes aren't higher?  Why do these families hate either other so much anyway?  It's not explained in the movie, but is it even explained in the original source material?
• When Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld) is introduced, there's a lingering slow-motion closeup of her face.  I couldn't understand why this was done as it's not like we needed any kind of hand holding over who Juliet was.
• Romeo's (Douglas Booth) introduction was also a little silly in that he's working on a sculpture wearing the deepest v-shirt I've ever seen.  This shirt exposes a sweaty, hairless, and atrophied chest.  At this point I'm afraid I might be watching Shakespeare for Twilight fans.  It's never said, but I guess Romeo's some kind of artist.  In several scenes he's either working on a sculpture, drawing, or painting.  Did he make a living off this or was this just a hobby where he had large rooms dedicated to it?
• Generally speaking I thought most everyone was miscast.  As much as I liked Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit I thought her delivery, as well as Douglas Booth's, was a little labored.  Contrast that with Damian Lewis' delivery as Lord Capulet which was way over the top.  Ed Westwick's Tybalt made me think he was confused and thought he was on Game of Thrones.
• Paul Giamatti, however, was one of the few bright spots as Friar Laurence.  He's always good though.  I thought Natascha McElhone was fine, but she's not asked to do much.  Lastly, Stellan Skarsgard as Prince Escalus also escapes unscathed, but he's only in a handful of scenes.
• The first half of the film felt rushed, as if they took shortcuts getting us to Romeo killing Tybalt and his banishment at the one hour mark. There's really only one more major thing that needs to happen from this point, but it's stretched out for another hour.  I thought the pacing was terrible.
• Romeo and Juliet meet, instantly fall in love, and get married the next day.  I've often said that old stories about love at first sight don't translate well to modern times.  Nobody meets and gets married within a day unless a large amount of alcohol is involved.  I've always thought that love at first sight and quick courtship hinged on times where the parties involved didn't have much in the way of personalities or interests.  Imagine if these two had vastly different hobbies or religious beliefs?  Sure, I wish love was as simple as just being attracted to one another, but that's not my experience.
• Another thing that I didn't feel translated very well was to see people monologue in public not worried about people overhearing them or being discovered while sneaking around (sneaking around in plain sight to boot).  People would look at you like a crazy person if you did that today.
• The film ventures into unintentional comedy territory when we get to Mercutio and Tybalt's showdown.  Just before Tybalt's gang arrives there's a gust of wind.  I was expecting a Wild West shootout theme to play.  Then, you see Tybalt and his gang approaching in slow motion, hair blowing because they forgot to turn the wind machine off.  I wasn't sure if a fight was about to break out or a guitar solo where it would cut back to Juliet writhing around on her bed.  Where's Whitesnake when you need them?
• Speaking of fighting, I thought the fight choreography was horrible.  You'll see swords swinging a good foot over the head of the target, combined with unnecessary spins and flourishes.  It reminds me of a video about over-choreographed lightsaber fighting.  There's no emotion to it.  Plus, they also make a point to tell us that Tybalt has amazing technique and is tough to beat in battle, but you don't see any of that in the film.
• I've heard complaints that the film doesn't use the traditional Shakespearean dialog, but I still felt like I needed an American to to Shakespeare translation at time.  Again, look to Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing for an better example of how to do this.
• I actually found the dialog to be redundant.  Lady Capulet says that her nephew was her brother's son.  No shit, eh?  Is that how nephews work, or was their a roaming definition of the term back then?  There were more examples of this, but it's not like I took notes.
• I gave myself a chuckle when Friar Laurence told Romeo that he's married to calamity.  I said, "Yeah, but is she hot?"  I crack myself up sometimes.
• Generally speaking, it seemed to favor style over substance.  There was some very nice set and costume design, but at times it felt too complex for the time.  At a costume party, Juliet wore this really fancy, Medusa-like mask where I could only wonder who had the skill back then to make such an elaborate mask.  It also appeared they were going for a color scheme at the beginning of the film, but then quickly abandoned it.
• This isn't a criticism, but there were lots of scenes where you could see their breath indoors.  It must have been freezing where they filmed this.  Good thing they had those heavy costumes on.
• Finally, just as we get to the final scene, they have to throw in yet another sissy sword fight.  I don't ever remember Romeo having a final fight.  Anyway, he kills the guy and leaves his body.  Several people follow Romeo in after, and not one showed any concerned or made a comment about the dead body that's still laying outside.

Carlo Carlei's Romeo and Juliet is bland and passionless retelling of a well known story that nobody was asking for.  It's simply unnecessary, especially when you consider there are much better versions of this available to watch.  I'll credit the film for it's look and design, but otherwise this is paint-by-the-numbers as far as Shakespeare goes.  I can't recommend watching this unless you're a die-hard fan of Romeo and Juliet or want to compare it to other versions.

2 (out of 5) Death Stars