Five Feet Apart

★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

Young love stricken by terminal illness. We've seen this film more times than we count. Love Story, A Walk to Remember, The Fault in Our Stars, & countless other films have all tackled this subject, to varying results: some being good to great, while others vary from mediocre to flat-out awful. Nonetheless, there's been too many of them that there are really no original ways to go from this genre.

Five Feet Apart tries to go somewhere new, but ends up falling into the same old pitfalls as it goes on. The film follows Stella Grant (played by Haley Lu Richardson), a teenage girl with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that causes buildup of mucus in the lungs. As a result, Stella has spent a lot of her life in the hospital. However, she tries to live as normal of a life as possible. She has a YouTube channel dedicated to coping with her illness & helping others with cystic fibrosis cope as well. Also by her side are her best friend Poe (played by Moisés Arias), a fellow cystic fibrosis patient, & Barbara (played by Kimberly Hébert Gregory), the nurse overseeing the cystic fibrosis ward, along with Dr. Hamid (played by Parminder Nagra).

One day, Stella notices someone new at the hospital. He is Will Newman (played by Cole Sprouse), a fellow cystic fibrosis patient. Will has come to the hospital for a medication trial to get rid of his Burkholderia cepacia infection. In order to stop potentially deadly cross-infection from occurring, cystic fibrosis patients are strictly kept at least 6 feet apart at all times. Will, who is more of a risk taker, likes to break this rule, much to Stella's chagrin.

Stella initially dislikes Will due to his penchant for breaking rules. However, they decide to help each other out: Stella will let Will draw her if Will follows through with his medication regimen. They both agree to this, & eventually, Stella & Will take a liking to each other. They eventually decide to take something back from cystic fibrosis: one foot from the six-foot rule. But as Stella could potentially get new lungs, their romance could be in danger.

The cast is solid. Haley Lu Richardson is phenomenal, as she is completely believable in the role & is able to elicit various emotions with a simple change in her voice or her facial expression. Moisés Arias & Kimberly Hébert Gregory do very well in their supporting roles. However, Cole Sprouse cannot act to save his life, as he is unable to show any other expression than being a tedious, pretentious, & moody teenager. His performance ultimately brings the film down.

Justin Baldoni's direction is mediocre. Although Baldoni shows some promise when it comes to eliciting good performances out of his actors, his visual style feels very bland.

And the screenplay by Mikki Daughtry & Tobias Iaconis is poor. While the plot does treat cystic fibrosis very well, it falls into the same third-act potholes that plagues films like these, & the dialogue is frequently saccharine.

This is a disappointment. Although it had the potential to be better than most sick teen romance films, it ultimately becomes just another one of those films that didn't try hard enough.

Five Feet Apart was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Saturday, March 16, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 116 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language & suggestive material.

Apollo 11

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

Saturday, July 20, 2019 will mark 50 years since Neil Armstrong & Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, with the help of Michael Collins, became the first humans to set foot on the moon. In the 50 years since then, 6 more missions have sent men into lunar orbit, but none since 1972, when Eugene Cernan & Harrison Schmitt set foot as part of Apollo 17.

Apollo 11 is a documentary unlike any I've seen before in my entire life. The film follows the lead-up, the mission, & the aftermath of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the Moon. Neil Armstrong, the commander, will be the first man to walk on the Moon. Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the lunar module pilot, will follow as the second. Michael Collins, the command module pilot, will keep the command module, Columbia, in the Moon's orbit while Armstrong & Aldrin step foot on the surface of the Moon.

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. They eventually separated from Saturn V in orbit, & four days later, on July 20, 1969, entered the Moon's orbit. They landed in the Sea of Tranquility not long after. Eventually, Armstrong becomes the first man to step foot on the Moon, "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin follows soon after, & they spend 21.5 hours on the lunar surface before rejoining with Collins, leaving lunar orbit, & returning to Earth on July 24, 1969.

Todd Douglas Miller's direction is phenomenal. Miller focuses the film in a fly-on-the-wall manner, unlike any other documentary I've seen. There are no interviews with any of the people involved, & there is no narration besides the voices of news anchors covering the mission. This allows for the audience to see the film in a very matter-of-fact way, which works to the film's advantage, as it gives the audience a sense of wonder although we already know how the events unfolded before we walk into the theater.

This is an absolutely exemplary documentary. It goes very in-depth into one of the greatest achievements in human history, & makes us feel as awe-inspired as those who witnessed it on that summer day 50 years ago.

Apollo 11 was seen by me at the MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16 in Troy, MI on Friday, March 15, 2019. It is currently in 8 theaters in the Detroit area, including the MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16 in Troy, MI; The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township, MI; the MJR Brighton Towne Square Digital Cinema 20 in Brighton, MI; & the Goodrich Quality 16 in Ann Arbor, MI. Its runtime is 93 minutes, & it is rated G.

Captain Marvel

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

11 years. 20 movies. That's how long before the first female-led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was made. Although I am glad to see a female-led superhero film, I'm a bit saddened that it took this long.

But ultimately, the wait was worth it. Captain Marvel is one of the best films in the MCU. Set in 1995, the film follows Carol Danvers, AKA Vers, AKA Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson), a member of the Kree military group Starforce on the planet Hala. Led by Yon-Rogg (played by Jude Law), Vers, along with Korath (played by Djimon Hounsou), Minn-Erva (played by Gemma Chan), Alt-Lass (played by Algenis Pérez Soto) & Bron-Char (played by Rune Temte), along with the assistance of Ronan the Accuser (played by Lee Pace), Starforce is the elite military group leading the fight against the shape-shifting Skrulls. Although Vers has terrific powers, she is advised by Yon-Rogg & the AI Supreme Intelligence (played by Annette Bening), who appears to someone as someone the person knows from the past, to keep them in check. However, Vers does not know who Supreme Intelligence is supposed to be in her life.

An ambush against the Skrulls fails & Vers is captured by their commander Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn). She eventually escapes & crashes on Earth. The next morning, she is confronted by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) & Phil Coulson (played by Clark Gregg), who are investigating the crash landing. Their investigation is stopped when Skrulls attack. Fury is stunned to see Vers' powers & the Skrulls, & works with her to discover more about herself & them.

With the memories she has, they go to the Project Pegasus area at an Air Force base, where Vers makes a startling discovery: Vers is Carol Danvers, a former Air Force pilot who was presumed dead in a crash in 1989 along with Dr. Wendy Lawson, AKA Mar-Vell (played by Annette Bening). Carol & Fury travel to Louisiana to find Maria Rambeau (played by Lashana Lynch), Carol's best friend who was the last person to see her before she died. Maria helps Carol fill in some of the blanks about her past. Talos arrives & warns her about her past on Hala. This forces Carol to rethink her past, present & future & who she is really fighting for.

The cast is fantastic. Brie Larson shows that she is perfectly capable of holding her own in a major blockbuster, & has the right mix of charm & stubbornness for the role. Ben Mendelsohn is terrific. Samuel L. Jackson is wondrous once again. And the rest of the cast provide great supporting performances.

The direction by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck is excellent. Boden & Fleck perfectly mix the awesome cosmic feel with a calm down-to-earth realistic approach that really fits the film.

The screenplay by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Nicole Perlman & Meg LeFauve is amazing. The plot is thoroughly intriguing, the characters are fully realized, & the dialogue is very well-written.

Ben Davis' cinematography is spectacular. Davis' framing is very well-done, & the shot composition is even better, especially several nighttime shots in the middle of the film.

The editing by Elliot Berman & Debbie Berman is superb. The film is tightly paced & superbly cut, using quick cutting in a good way.

The makeup & hairstyling is impressive. The makeup looks absolutely stunning with the immersive blue makeup of the Kree & the green makeup of the Skrulls.

The sound design is impeccable. The sounds race across at blistering speeds, & are perfectly edited & mixed for an immersive experience.

The visual effects are stunning. The CGI is very well done, especially the de-aging of Jackson & Gregg. There's not a single flaw.

And Pinar Toprak's score is incredible. The score is driven by synthesizers, definitely emphasizing the film's cosmic feel & the film's timeframe.

This is the best origin story in the MCU. It has a terrific cast, a dynamic group behind the camera, & a lot of heart to make it a truly extraordinary experience.

Captain Marvel was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday, March 8, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 124 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence & action, & brief suggestive language.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

I did not watch the first 2 How to Train Your Dragon films until recently. I was never interested in those films when I was younger. However, I changed my mind because of the vastly positive reception of the first 2 films, & I loved both of them.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the best film of the trilogy. The film continues the story of Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), the Viking Chief of Berk. Hiccup, along with his fiancée Astrid (voiced by America Ferrera), his mother Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett), Gobber the Belch (voiced by Craig Ferguson), Snotlout Jorgenson (voiced by Jonah Hill), Fishlegs Ingerman (voiced by Christopher Mintz-Plasse), twins Ruffnut (voiced by Kristen Wiig) & Tuffnut (voiced by Justin Rupple) Thorston, & his Night Fury dragon Toothless, ride & save dragons, while bringing them back to Berk to live in a safe environment. However, Berk is overpopulated. Hiccup finds a solution: his father, Stoick the Vast (voiced by Gerard Butler), told of a place called "The Hidden World," a safe haven for dragons. Although others are skeptical of the existence of The Hidden World, Hiccup is sure of its existence.

Meanwhile, a white female Night Fury, referred to as a Light Fury, has been captured by Night Fury hunter Grinnel the Grisly (voiced by F. Murray Abraham) as bait for Toothless to be captured. Grimmel comes to Berk for Toothless, but they refuse to give him up. Knowing that Grimmel will come back, the people of Berk decide to go find The Hidden World in order to evade him.

On the way there, Toothless encounters the Light Fury & falls in love with her. As they try to get to The Hidden World, Hiccup must face both encroachment from Grinnel & the idea that it might be time for Toothless to find his own way.

The voice cast is fantastic. Jay Baruchel brings so much life to the role. F. Murray Abraham is deliciously villainous. Cate Blanchett is a delight. And the rest of the cast provide great supporting performances.

Dean DeBlois' direction is excellent. DeBlois provides visuals that are absolutely striking, & supports that with a strong emotional undercurrent.

Dean DeBlois' screenplay is amazing. The plot is fresh & free of threequelitis, the characters are well-written, & the dialogue is terrific.

And the animation is astonishing. The attention to detail is so awe-inspiring, & the color palette is so vivid. And it only helps even more with the one & only Roger Deakins as a visual consultant.

This is one of the best animated films of the decade. It's a funny, emotional, & altogether a truly spectacular way to end the trilogy.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Saturday, March 2, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 104 minutes, & it is rated PG for adventure action & some mild rude humor.

Greta

★★★½ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

Films about stalking have been atrocious over the past few years. The Boy Next Door, Unforgettable, Obsessed: all of these films have dealt with stalkers, yet have been so formulaic that they're impossible to admire.

Greta, while uneven, is a solid psychological thriller about stalkers. The film follows Frances McCullen (played by Chloë Grace Moretz), a waitress in New York. Frances lives in an apartment with her friend Erica Penn (played by Maika Monroe). Since the death of her mother, Frances has maintained a very strained relationship with her father Chris (played by Colm Feore), who has become married to his job.

One day, while riding the subway, Frances comes across a handbag. She tries to give it to the lost & found, but is unable to. She looks & sees to whom the handbag belongs, & finds that it belongs to Greta Hideg (played by Isabelle Huppert), a French piano teacher who is widowed with a daughter  studying in France. Frances goes over to Greta's house to return the handbag, & as a reward, is brought inside for coffee. They talk, & eventually strike a strong friendship, much to the chagrin of Erica, who believes that Frances is out of her mind for doing almost everything with someone whom she just met.

One night, while helping with dinner at Greta's house, Frances goes to look for candles in the cabinet. However, instead of candles, Frances discovers more handbags that are exactly like the one she found on the subway, all of them having names of women on them. Disgusted by this, Frances vows to never see or speak to Greta again. But this will prove to be extremely difficult as Greta will incessantly stalk Frances for a long time. And the more that public investigator Brian Cody (played by Stephen Rea) finds about Greta, the more Frances realizes that Greta is definitely not as she appears.

The cast is amazing. Chloë Grace Moretz shows so much fear & terror in her performance. Isabelle Huppert is devilishly terrific. The rest of the cast does a phenomenal job, but this belongs to Moretz & Huppert.

Neil Jordan's direction is great. Although Jordan sometimes struggles with whether or not to play it campy or dark, Jordan has enough visual style to make it work.

And the screenplay by Ray Wright & Neil Jordan is very good. Although the plot is formulaic at times & some characters are two-dimensional, the dialogue is very well-written.

This is a solid psychological horror film. Although it does have several flaws, it has enough in the tank to make it worthwhile.

Greta was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday, March 1, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 98 minutes, & it is rated R for some violence & disturbing images.

Fighting with My Family

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

I'll make this perfectly clear: I have never liked wrestling. It just never fit in with me. I thought it was way too over-the-top & gimmicky.

Fighting with My Family made me like wrestling for once. And that's saying a lot. Based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family by Max Fisher, the film follows Saraya Knight, AKA Paige (played by Florence Pugh), a girl in a family of wrestlers: her mother, Julia, AKA Saraya (played by Lena Headey); her father, Ricky (played by Nick Frost); her half-brother, Roy (played by James Burrows), who is in prison; & her older brother, Zak, AKA Zak Zodiac (played by Jack Lowden), have all been wrestlers in Norwich, England. Paige got into wrestling later than the rest of her siblings, as she got into it at the age of 13 in the World Association of Wrestling, founded by Ricky & Saraya.

Since they have trouble making ends meet, Ricky & Saraya constantly call WWE trainer Hutch Morgan (played by Vince Vaughn) to persuade him to sign Paige & Zak, but to no avail. However, they finally get their chance to tryout at the O2 Arena in London. While there, they meet Dwayne Johnson (played by Dwayne Johnson) & get advice, namely to be themselves & not like their idols. They are both hoping they make it; however, not only does Paige make it & Zak doesn't, but Paige is the only one picked by Hutch. While Paige moves on to Florida, Zak returns to Norwich to take care of his family & train young wrestlers.

Paige is upset that Zak is not coming with her, & struggles to make friends in NXT. Meanwhile, Zak struggles with not making it, eventually becoming an alcoholic. They both try to deal with their struggles, but their struggles might be too much.

The cast is fantastic. Florence Pugh is an absolute wonder. With this & her excellent performance in 2017's Lady Macbeth, Pugh is making a name for herself as a very talented young actress. Jack Lowden is also terrific. Vince Vaughn does some of his best work in years. And the rest of the cast, especially Headey, Frost & Johnson, do superb in their supporting roles.

Stephen Merchant's direction is excellent. Merchant is perfectly able to shift between comedy & drama without issue, & is also able to keep a heartwarming tone throughout.

And Stephen Merchant's screenplay is amazing. The plot manages to push through the sports movie tropes, the characters feel incredibly real, & the dialogue is very well-written & often extremely hilarious.

This is one of the biggest surprises of the year, & one of the best sports films in recent memory. It's a hilarious & heartwarming look at a different type of sports family.

Fighting with My Family was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Saturday, February 23, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 108 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for crude & sexual material, language throughout, some violence & drug content.

Alita: Battle Angel

★★★½ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

I've always found it to be a challenge to get into cyberpunk sci-fi films. I've never been the biggest sci-fi person in general, but these films don't look to have as strong of a story as they do strong visuals.

Alita: Battle Angel, while a bit lacking, is a visually wondrous cyberpunk sci-fi film. Based on the manga series Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro, & set in 2563, the film follows Alita (played by Rosa Salazar), a female cyborg in Iron City. Iron City, along with the rest of Earth, has been ravaged by The Fall several years prior. Alita was discovered & assembled by scientist Dr. Dyson Ido (played by Christoph Waltz) & named Alita for the deceased daughter of him & his ex-wife Dr. Chiren (played by Jennifer Connolly). Although Alita did have a brain when she was discovered, she has no recollection of her past.

One day, Alita meets Hugo (played by Keean Johnson), a junk dealer with whom she is smitten. Hugo introduces Alita to Motorball, a cyborg fight to the death, all the while dreaming of moving to Zalem, the wealthy sky city.

One night, Alita discovers that Ido is a Hunter-Warrior when he encounters 3 cyborg assassins, including Grewishka (played by Jackie Earle Haley). Alita helps kill 2 of the 3 cyborgs, but Grewishka escapes. Much to the chagrin of Ido, Alita decides to become a Hunter-Warrior & asks other Hunter-Warriors to help her fight Grewishka, but they refuse, as he is not on the official wanted list.

In order to get Hugo to Zalem, Alita enlists in Motorball, but realizes that the other cyborgs are Hunter-Warriors hired by entrepreneur Vector (played by Mahershala Ali) to kill her at all costs. Also, Hugo is hunted by Hunter-Warrior Zapan (played by Ed Skrein). Alita must protect herself & the people she cares about while finding out more about herself in the process.

The cast is amazing. Rosa Salazar has the perfect combo of charm & stubbornness for the role. Christoph Waltz is excellent. Mahershala Ali is terrific. And the rest of the cast turn in superb supporting roles.

Robert Rodriguez's direction is great. Although he does have some issues with elevating the story, Rodriguez does bring a lot of ambition to the table, especially in the action sequences.

The screenplay by James Cameron & Laeta Kalogridis is very good. The plot is a bit formulaic & some of the characters aren't well-developed, but the dialogue is well-written.

And the visual effects are stunning. The CGI landscape of the world is incredibly realized, & the CGI for Alita looks terrific.

This is a good sci-fi flick. Although it does have some struggles, it manages to move past them to make this an entertaining ride.

Alita: Battle Angel was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Monday, February 18, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 122 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence & action, & for some language.

Isn't It Romantic

★½ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

I'll say it again: most modern romantic comedies are garbage. They follow the same formula, refusing to try something fresh. There are some that do break this mold, yes, but there's still something missing: a romantic comedy satirizing the tropes of romantic comedies.

Isn't It Romantic, despite a couple solid moments, fails miserably in its attempt to satirize romantic comedies. The film follows Natalie (played by Rebel Wilson), an Australian-born architect in New York. Natalie is an avid hater of anything romantic, has low self-esteem, & is essentially treated a pushover, especially at her job by her co-workers, namely Blake (played by Liam Hemsworth), a new billionaire client. She rudely declines to go to a karaoke bar with her friend Josh (played by Adam Devine) & overtly criticizes her assistant friend Whitney (played by Betty Gilpin) for her love of romantic comedies & their clichéd moments.

On her way home from work, Natalie knocks herself unconscious. When she wakes up, she notices that everything has changed: New York smells nice, her apartment is much more extravagant, her dog is obedient, her co-workers are nice towards her, her neighbor Donny (played by Brandon Scott Jones) is now a stereotypical gay best friend, & men are more interested in her now, especially Blake, who is now suddenly Australian. Natalie eventually realizes that she is now in a PG-13 romantic comedy.

Natalie goes on a walk with Josh, who ends up saving the life of Isabella (played by Priyanka Chopra), a model who was choking. This sparks a romance between the two, & a realization from Natalie that she likes Josh. But she must try to find a way out of the romantic comedy world as well as telling Josh the truth.

The cast is a mixed bag. Rebel Wilson does a solid job with what she is given. That goes for most of the cast, namely Adam Devine & Priyanka Chopra, but especially Brandon Scott Jones. However, Liam Hemsworth is awful, & doesn't have the acting talent that of which his older brother Chris has an exorbitant amount.

Todd Strauss-Schulson's direction is poor. Strauss-Schulson is unable to get good enough performances out of his entire cast, & his style feels very bland.

And the screenplay by Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox & Katie Silberman is terrible. The plot is very derivative, the characters are two-dimensional, & the dialogue is, except for a few instances, very unfunny.

This is a bad romantic comedy satire. It had the potential to make it work, but it has one major flaw that derails the film: it becomes what it wants to satirize.

Isn't It Romantic was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Sunday, February 17, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 89 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material, & a brief drug reference.

Happy Death Day 2U

★★★★★ - A Review by Cameron Kanachki

2017's Happy Death Day was a huge surprise. It became a sleeper hit & was positively received. Even though it wasn't something I considered myself to be intrigued by, I immediately fell in love with it & its darkly humorous style.

Happy Death Day 2U is one of those rare sequels that improves on the first. The film continues the story of Theresa "Tree" Gelbman (played by Jessica Rothe), now in a relationship with Carter Davis (played by Israel Broussard). On Tuesday, September 19, Carter's friend Ryan Phan (played by Phi Vu) goes to work with Samar Ghosh (played by Suraj Sharma) & Dre Morgan (played by Sarah Yarkin) on a quantum reactor; however, Dean Bronson (played by Steve Zissis) shuts down the reactor, as it has caused several power outages. Later that night, Ryan is murdered by an unknown person.

The next morning, Ryan wakes up & realizes that it is the same day. He tells Tree & Carter about this, & Tree, who had gone through this before, decides to help him. They realize that the reactor is responsible for the time loop. Before Ryan is killed again, Tree & Carter stop the person & reveal the person to be Ryan from the future, who has come to end the time loop. Present Ryan does not believe him, so he keeps the reactor & the time loop open.

The next morning, Tree wakes up on Monday, September 18, but everything is different: Lori was not the one that killed her in the old time loop, & Carter is now dating Danielle Bouseman (played by Rachel Matthews), who is now less stuck up. Tree has now shifted into another dimension. At first, she wants to go back, but a surprising developments causes her to have a change of heart. This will prove to be a fateful course of events.

The cast is phenomenal. Jessica Rothe has so much energy & range & I'd love to see her in more roles. The rest of the cast does a terrific job, but this film belongs to Rothe.

Christopher Landon's direction is excellent. Landon is able to perfectly balance the humor & the horror, & also throws in a bit of well-timed emotional moments for good measure.

And Christopher Landon's screenplay is amazing. The plot feels fresh & is able to poke fun at itself, the characters are fleshed out, & the dialogue is super witty.

This is another big surprise. It has everything I wanted in a sequel to Happy Death Day, & I had an immensely fun time. And ultimately, is it a bad thing? Definitely not.

Happy Death Day 2U was seen by me at the MJR Marketplace Digital Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, MI on Saturday, February 16, 2019. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 100 minutes, & it is rated PG-13 for violence, language, sexual material & thematic elements.