All posts by Alex Brannan

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Leave it

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Movie Review

In anticipation of the April release of The Fate of the Furious, CineFiles is taking a retrospective look back on the franchise as a whole. In this installment, we look at the second film in the series, 2 Fast 2 Furious.

 

2 Fast 2 Furious begins by essentially recreating the opening race of its predecessor. The only difference is that the intrigue of two dual protagonists facing off is replaced by the correct assumption that Brian (Paul Walker), the now ex-LAPD street racer, is going to win. The scene is also shot with more intensity, even if some shots are directly lifted from the first film.

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Following this race, Brian is brought in by Miami police and roped into an undercover operation against Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), an importer-exporter cartel connection. Brian enlists the aide of childhood friend Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson) to infiltrate Verone’s inner circle.

There is a noticeable Continue reading 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Aliens (1986) Movie Review

In anticipation of the release of Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, CineFiles is looking back on the Alien franchise as a whole. Today, we look at James Cameron’s sequel film Aliens, a film that takes the formula of the 1979 original film and spins it in a new direction.

 

57 years after the events of Ridley Scott’s Alien, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) wakes up from stasis. The only survivor of the Nostromo incident, Ripley accompanies a crew of military to LV-426, the planet where the Nostromo first encountered the eponymous creature.

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Like the 1979 original, Aliens begins with characterization by way of politics. The heads of the mission, both military and civilian, sit at a different table at the mess hall while the army grunts act amateurish nearby. The characters adhere more to Continue reading Aliens (1986) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Kong: Skull Island (2017) Movie Review

Big Ape. Island. 1970s Vietnam backdrop. Movie. Synopsis over.

Kong: Skull Island is a Vietnam era period piece, something that acts as an important backdrop in the film. The stereotypes of U.S. in 1970s wartime dictate exposition and characterization.

The setup of Kong is messy in its expediency. A constant underscore of period relevant soundtrack keep conversations short and lacking in anything more than political platitudes.

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Characters, as a result of this expediency and poor scripting, are Continue reading Kong: Skull Island (2017) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

The Fast and the Furious (2001) Movie Review

As a precursor to the April 14 release of The Fate of the Furious, the eighth film in the Fast & Furious franchise, CineFiles is taking a look back at the 16 years of Fast films, starting here with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious.

 

What can be said about a film centering around underground drag racing, in which characters risk their lives for the respect of the win? Hopefully a lot given that film spawned a billion dollar franchise.

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The Fast and the Furious, as a franchise, has developed into an enigmatic phenomenon of action schlock. But in 2001, The Fast and the Furious the film was merely a Continue reading The Fast and the Furious (2001) Movie Review →

Film Philosophy / Editorials

Film Criticism: On Grading Movies

Criticism of art, as reviled and looked-down upon as it is, is a necessary and inextirpable facet of art itself. It is the checks and balances of the creative industry. As it relates to film, it is a mediated industry within what is perhaps arts most mediated field.

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In many ways, the work of a critic is easy

Let us not, however, get caught up in the semantic confusion that is the claim that Continue reading Film Criticism: On Grading Movies →

A Movies, All Movie Reviews, Horror, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

Alien (1979) Movie Review

In preparation for the May 19 release of Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, CineFiles is taking a retrospective look at all of the Alien films. To begin, we look at the 1979 original, Alien. The film is largely heralded as a classic, and for good reason. Let’s get into it.

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Ridley Scott’s Alien is, perhaps, the perfect horror movie. The best? Now that is up for debate. But it is inarguably Continue reading Alien (1979) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

Logan (2017) Movie Review

The first thing one will notice about Logan, after a prologue/advert that you will not see coming, is that this is not Bryan Singer’s X-Men. Logan is the ninth film in the X-Men franchise and the third standalone Wolverine film. And it is a grizzled, grisly action tragedy. Not what one would expect from this comic book franchise.

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An opening action sequence promises brutality not seen in comic book cinema to date, and it Continue reading Logan (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Like It

Toni Erdmann (2016) Movie Review

A father’s (Peter Simonischek) desperate, juvenile attempts at reaching his over-worked white collar daughter (Sandra Huller) is the subject of Toni Erdmann. Dressing up in fake teeth and a wig, the father becomes the titular character, a fictional businessman who is occasionally a life coach and occasionally a German ambassador. He follows his daughter around, sending her work life in flux during a time where securing a client is pivotal.

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Toni Erdmann is a film that boasts its Continue reading Toni Erdmann (2016) Movie Review →

2017 Academy Awards, All Movie Reviews, Documentary, Like It, Short Films

4.1 Miles (2016) Short Film Review

Over recent years, a massive influx of refugees trying to cross the water boundary between Turkey and Greece has caused chaos for the Coast Guard. They pull in hundreds of people per day. But they cannot possibly take everyone.

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Life on these waters are depicted as harrowing. People are separated from their families. People slip into the water and drown. And all the while the Coast Guard Continue reading 4.1 Miles (2016) Short Film Review →