THE GREAT WALL – AFJ MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau, Pedro Pascal
Written by: Carlo Bernard (screenplay), Doug Miro (screenplay)
Directed by: Yimou Zhang
Run Time: 1h 43 minutes
Rated: PG-13

There was a moment when you first saw the trailer for The Great Wall that you were intrigued. Then you probably rolled your eyes back in your head the second you saw that Matt Damon was leading this fantasy film. If not, that is what happened in my case. The realm of possibilities that it could still be good hung around for me. Why not Matt Damon? The Great Wall has the possibility to change cinema. Not in the way James Cameron said Avatar was going to (did it, btw?). For The Great Wall has an American movie star, a Chinese director, and features a story wrapped in a foreign mythology. Obviously, Legendary Entertainment is trying to capitalize on an American movie star starring in a foreign film, for the largest audience in the world. So now we have to ask, did it work? 
Box office numbers and dollars aside, yes. Well, almost. 
Find out how Matt Damon and Yimou Zhang faired against The Movie Lord here on Action Figure Junkies.com. 

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE – AFJ MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Will Arnett, Jenny Slate, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Rosario Dawson, Channing Tatum, Billy Dee Williams
Directed by: Chris McKayWritten by: Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKennaStudio: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Run Time: 1h 44min

SPOILER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been 3 years since the Lego Movie changed the way we see “Lego movies”. Hopefully, some of us have seen the way we view toys differently as well since that film came out. It has been a long drought, but thankfully the powers that be did not rush a Lego Movie sequel to capitalize on the hype. Instead, they launched a spin-off movie, featuring their version of Batman (again played by Will Arnett), from the Lego Movie, into his own feature film. Is it worth the wait? Yes, and everything is still awesome.

It is hinted at, in the Lego Movie, that this incarnation of the Dark Knight is every bit of a loner as his other multi-media counterparts. What this Batman wasn’t afraid to hide was the love he had for himself and how awesome he felt he was. That really isn’t your typical Batman story that any medium would tackle. Being a Lego Movie, the reins are off and we are allowed to see just how full of himself this Batman is.

Full review on Action Figure Junkies.com

RETRO REVIEW: The LEGO MOVIE (2014)

Starring: Chris Pratt,  Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Berry, Nick Offerman, Channing Tatum, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Anthony Daniels, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Jonah Hill, Cobie SmuldersWritten By: Phil Lord, Christopher MillerDirected By: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Rated: PGDistributor: Warner BrothersOriginal Year of release: 2014Run Time: 100 Minutes

My history with LEGO has never been too extensive. The reason for that is how expensive they are. Trust me, if I had the money I would fill the house with them. There is a poetry and ease to create something out of these tiny bricks. I know a few people who would consider themselves to be Master Builders, a term used, loosely, for those that love to build LEGO sets. With all those pieces at their disposal, I have asked many LEGO fans the following question: Once you get them together, do you pull it apart and build something original? The answer every time has been “no”. So, imagine my surprise when that very question laid at the heart of The LEGO Movie.

Check out the retro review on the Sci-Fi Movie Page.com. 

Movie Review: Inferno

Starring: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones. Ben Foster, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Sidse Babett Knudsen
Directed by: Ron HowardWritten by: Dan Brown (Novel), David Koepp (Screenplay)Original Year of Release: 2016Run Time: 121 Minutes
Rated: PG-13

Just to get things straight, this is the third Ron Howard and Dan Brown story featuring the character of Robert Langdon. However, this is actually the fourth book in the Robert Langdon saga.

The first two Robert Langdon films had incredible premises wrapped into the very fabric of history. Now with a third film, reuniting director and star, can there be any surprises left? That was my largest dilemma about seeing Inferno. I wildly enjoyed both films and thought Hanks, despite the mullet, in the first film, was a great thinking man’s action hero. Yet, as the cast of characters and their motives are revealed, I felt as if there was no one I could trust. What I didn’t expect was that Robert Langdon himself would be one of the thieves in Inferno.

Relax, I spoiled nothing. Check out the spoil free review on the Sci-Fi Movie Page.com.

AFJ REVIEW: PETE’S DRAGON

Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, Oona Laurence, and John KassirWritten By: David Lowery (screenplay), Toby Halbrooks (screenplay)Directed By: David LoweryStudio: Walt DisneyRun Time: 102 minutesRated: PG

Lately, Disney has been going back into their vast library of titles and either rebooting them, or re-imaging them.The results of those endeavors vary, depending on your level of fandom and whether or not you have children in your home. One thing is for sure, Disney always delivers the family film, which I am thrilled to say is exactly what the reboot of Pete’s Dragon is.

The 1977 Pete’s Dragon was a blending of live actors and one animated dragon. The animation was hand drawn or what many refer to now as 2D. The film is still marvelous to watch for its over the top villains, musical numbers, and of course the Disney magic that brings Pete’s dragon, Elliot, to life. However, the film is not held in such high regard as Snow White or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It does have flaws that I won’t dive into, which makes rebooting it decades later a safer bet. So how much of the 1977 film survived this 2016 reboot? Just enough to tie it loosely to the original, yet still be its own thing.

The full Pete's Dragon review on Action Figure Junkies.com.