The Best Superhero Films of 2017

Better late than never: CLICK HERE

Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

2017 is already another hit year for Superhero films. In fact, I think it's already bested last year. I've seen four superhero films so far and each one of them could easily shake up the top 5 list I counted down in 2016. To see my video countdown review of the best superhero films of 2016, click HERE

These first three, released in March, May, and June respectively, have all been winners

And we've still got two more coming in November!

Exciting times! So "Spider-Man: Homecoming," is the fourth film I referenced earlier and if my "each one of them could easily shake up the top 5 list" comment didn't make it glaringly obvious, I enjoyed this movie. Like, a lot. I saw it on Friday (July 7th), saw it again yesterday and looking forward to seeing it again a few more times. Why?

I'll tell you why. The film works on so many levels. The casting, for instance, was A+

To start, Tom Holland is being called the best Spider-Man Hollywood has featured on the big screen, and with good reason. We all saw what he brought to the table in last year's "Captain America: Civil War" (my favorite superhero film from last year) and if there were any lingering doubts about whether he could carry this film, they've been put to rest with his performance. 

Let's not forget this kid is British. He pulls off the American accent with ease and his fresh-faced, youthful exuberance perfectly captures the teenage (FYI: Holland is 21), nerdy Peter Parker that is portrayed in this film. His eyes are so expressive and telegraph all the feelings of angst, joy, frustration, and disappointment the typical 14-year-old goes through in the trials and tribulations of High school and life.

Hey look, it's Batman from 1989 and 1992! What is it with Michael Keaton and wings? He was in the excellent "Birdman" in 2015 (which won 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director and saw him nominated for Best Actor) and now here he is playing Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture, one of Spider-Man's enemies from the comic books. 

Michael Keaton is arguably the best thing about this movie. This man is one of the finest, quirkiest actors in Hollywood. He was Johnny Depp before Johnny Depp. Lemme digress for a bit, do you guys remember his 1988 film "Beetlejuice" ? I'm really showing my old age here.....

Ok that's not Michael Keaton, because you can see another Beetlejuice in the background of this picture with my sister and I at Universal Studios (I think) in the early 90s, but it was a trip taking this photo anyway. He was quite popular in the late 80s and early 90s and the recent mainstream resurgence of his career (including "Spotlight," also in 2015) is deserved.

Back to the movie of discussion. Michael Keaton made me care about his predicament. He didn't have any grand plan to destroy the world or New York city, he just wanted to make ends meet to feed his family. He was screwed over by the City of New York (in favor of the elites) and this led to a bitter grudge that pushed him into a life of crime. 

He was truly menacing in this film and pretty much stole every scene with dialogue he was in. The cream of the crop has to be the car scene (the "Don't mess with me" gif above) which was wonderfully dramatic, intense, and executed flawlessly by Keaton. This is one of the all-time best villains ever seen in a comic book movie. 

The rest of the cast is a beautiful portrait of diversity and I applaud casting director Sarah Finn for the choices made. From left (skipping the two white folks in the pic. Haha)

• Ned Leeds, Peter Parker's best friend, is played by Jacob Batalon, a Hawaiian of Filipino descent
• Liz Allen, a classmate of Peter, is played by a bi-racial actress Laura Harrier
• High school bully Flash Thompson is played by a Guatemalan actor Tony Revolori
• Bi-racial Zendaya plays Michelle (clever reveal at the end regarding her name)

This was a very refreshing take, illustrated with a young (the actress playing Liz Allen is the oldest, at age 27. None of the others are older than 21) cast that authentically fleshed out the high school vibes of the movie. 

Ok, I'm showing my age here again. The actress in the above gif is 20-year-old aforementioned Zendaya, whom I've never heard of (or maybe I have and just forgot). Apparently, she is a singer and dancer in addition to being an actress and featured on the Disney Channel as a teenager. I highlight her to mention the quality of the writing in this movie. Her character comes off as aloof, indifferent, and blunt, the quintessential millennial. But, I found her quite funny and in my opinion, she delivered the undisputed funniest line of the film in a scene involving detention. Be on the lookout for it when you see the movie. The writing in this film is fluid, funny (there's a crack about 30-year-olds being old from the perspective of a high schooler and I thought that was clever) and fresh with no scenes that drag or feel tiresome. 

To conclude, this was a very enjoyable 3rd reincarnation of Spider-Man which took a different path from the first two which featured an older Peter Parker in the working world trying to make a living for himself. There is also a narrative about the struggles of the working class and how they always seem to end up on the receiving end of the decisions made by the elites of society aided by their influence on government. The movie also deals with patience, perseverance, and the importance of having a good mentor (hello, Tony Stark), all wrapped up in an interesting High School drama. Is there any point in mentioning the action scenes? Marvel have proved themselves time and again in that department. Spider-Man's suit is a technological thing of beauty and once again, another refreshing take on the character (and a nod to the COMICS <---- click). I highly recommend this film to comic book and non-comic book fans alike.

Oh wait.....one more thing.....intangibles

• Pay attention to the music playing when the Marvel logo introduces the film. Nostalgia! 
• Marvel brought back a familiar face that's been missing for a while and I was sooo happy to see the reveal. Very nice touch
• The plot twist in this movie caused audible gasps from the audience both times I saw the film. The first time I saw it on friday, I had to pull out my phone and tweet. You WILL NOT see it coming!

MTN’s Final Payment: A Demonstration of Commitment to Sustainable Investment in Nigeria

"Commitment is an act, not a word." - Jean-Paul Sartre

Fifteen years ago, in January of 2001, the house of “Y’ello!” paid $285 million for one of four GSM licenses to operate in Nigeria. This was an investment decision predicated on the growth potential of the Nigerian economy. An investment of that magnitude, amounting to over N103 billion in today’s Naira, was a seismic statement of faith in doing business in Nigeria by MTN.

Over the years since that bold decision by Africa’s largest mobile operator to break new ground in Africa’s largest economy, the relationship has broadened in the form of more positive acts of intent to expand growth that the Nigerian populace has benefitted from. Take for instance, the MTN Foundation. Established in 2004 as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility plan, the company set up three portfolios of focus in the areas of Health, Education, and Economic empowerment. This was part of a wider strategy to reduce poverty and contribute towards sustainable development in the Nation

"Without commitment, you cannot have depth in anything, whether it's a relationship, a business or a hobby." - Neil Strauss

The roots of the depth of MTN’s quest for sustainable investment extends beyond the Nigerian public sector into the private sector. In March of this year, Africa Internet Group, a Nigerian e-commerce company, announced it has received funding to the tune of $245 million (N89 billion) from investors that included MTN and U.S Investment Bank Goldman Sachs. MTN recognizes the need to invest in the expansion of e-commerce in Nigeria because of the impact on jobs and the economy at large. 

But even the most noble amongst us has the occasional lapse. Even the most  well intentioned can make a misstep. Eight months ago, in October of 2015, the Nigerian Communications Commission levied a $5.2 billion (N1.04 trillion) fine against MTN for failing to disconnect subscribers with incomplete SIM cards. In an effort to curb Terrorism and Kidnappings, among other crimes, the Federal Govt required all registered lines to have updated SIMS. This exercise was in line with Section 20(1) of Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations (TSR) 2011 which stated: 

"Any licensee who activates or fails to deactivate a subscription medium in violation of any provision of these Regulations is liable to a penalty of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) for each unregistered but activated subscription medium."

As a follow up to this regulation, a compliance audit of all Mobile operators in the country was carried out in August of 2015 by the NCC. The audit discovered that 5.2 million subscribers were not properly registered by MTN. Multiplying by the fine per subscriber gives us the gargantuan N1.04 trillion ($5.2 billion) figure. In line with its high standards of Corporate Governance, MTN owned up to its culpability and commenced negotiations with the NCC to reduce the fine. A N50 billion payment was made by the company in February 2016 in good faith towards a settlement.

Taking a macro view of MTN’s growth impact on the Telecoms sector, jobs, and Nigeria’s GDP, the Federal Govt decided to reduce the fine from N1.04 trillion to N330 billion, payable over the next three years. As a possible condition of the settlement, MTN might even list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, thereby allowing shareholders to partake in profit sharing in the form of dividends. A win-win scenario for the country and the company. Speaking to reporters in Abuja, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, explained that the reduction of the fine was in the best interest of the economy:

"We need private sector to thrive just as they need us to thrive. We, in government, do not want to kill any business. All the decisions that have been taken on the MTN issue are on the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians."

So a prudent decision by the Government ensured that all’s well that ends well. MTN learned from its mistake, made yet another financial contribution to Nigeria (which will go a long way during this tough economic cycle where the nation’s revenues have been greatly reduced by the fall in oil prices), and was met halfway by a government that recognizes its stellar contributions to a better Nigeria over the past 15 years. We as Nigerians are better off for it.

"We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence." - Cornel West

Movie Review: "Creed"

In my last blog post which reviewed the year 2015 in film, I listed 13 movies which I didn’t get to see but hoped to get to later. So far in 2016, I’ve seen four of them, the latest of which is “Creed” which I just saw last night, Saturday the 22^nd of January, 2016. I was so moved by the film that I couldn’t wait to write this review. To be honest, when I first heard about the movie in 2014, I rolled my eyes thinking Sylvester Stallone was yet again trying to squeeze more dollars out of the franchise. The last  film in the series I saw was “Rocky V” in 1990 and I didn’t enjoy it much. I completely skipped the sixth film “Rocky Balboa” which was released sixteen years later in 2006. So I wasn’t expecting much from “Creed.”

Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool in the world of cinema. I later got word that “Creed” was very good and after seeing the strong reviews from critics (it scored 94% on Rotten Tomatoes), I added it to my must-see list. I had seen another Boxing film in 2015 called “Southpaw” which starred one of my favorite actors Jake Gyllenhaal, so I wondered if “Creed” would be better.  

It’s not even close. “Creed” is a superior film to “Southpaw” but maybe it’s not even a fair comparison since the former is inspired by a nostalgic legacy. Legacy is very much what “Creed” is about and much like the protagonist, it seeks to walk down its own path and carve a new arc from the storied history of “Rocky.” The plot is simple. Adonis Creed is the lovechild produced from an affair Apollo Creed had while married. Apollo died in the ring at the hands of Ivan “I must break you” Drago in “Rocky IV” before Adonis was born. So Adonis grows up without a father figure and jumps from one Juvenile home to the next.

Ivan Drago vs Apollo Creed from "Rocky IV"

Apollo Creed’s widow (played by Phylicia Rashad aka Mrs Huxtable), in a touching gesture of empathy, decides to take the child of the woman her husband had an affair with under her wing and raise him as her own. He gets a nice job at a Financial Services firm in Los Angeles where they live, but can’t shake his allure for Boxing (dude travels to Mexico to fight on weekends). But Adonis is a self-taught boxer. He's never been trained. So his talent is raw and needs to be honed. He goes to the elite Delphi Boxing Academy in L.A. to speak to a trainer but is rebuffed. So he decides to move to Philadelphia, against the wishes of his step-mom, (who by the way gives a great speech about the perils of Boxing which she lived through while caring for her late Husband after his grueling matches) to seek out another trainer.

Adonis is in Philly to seek out his father’s rival-turned-friend Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone. Rocky is now a senior citizen that runs a restaurant named after his deceased wife Adrian (who can forget his iconic screaming of “ADRIAAAAAN!!!” in earlier “Rocky” films?). Adonis tries to convince Rocky to train him but he refuses. The film is fleshed out from there. While in Philly, Adonis meets Bianca, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter who lives in his apartment complex and prevents him from getting a proper night’s rest with her loud music.

Where do I begin with how much I enjoyed this film? Perhaps by focusing on the people that made it so great.

Director Ryan Coogler

This young man is just 29 (will be 30 in May) and his work so far gives one optimism for the future of Black cinema (along with Ava DuVernay and other promising talents). He has worked with Michael B Jordan before, on his first feature film "Fruitvale Station," a 2013 cinematic take on the police shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant. The film was a big success. On a reported budget of $900,000, it grossed $17,000,000 worldwide (with over 90% of that total coming from the domestic market) and made a name for Coogler.  

He also co-wrote "Creed" and I love how much time he spent at the beginning of the film fleshing out the character of Adonis, the protagonist. In case you're wondering, "Creed" has been a critical and commercial success. On a budget of $35 million, the movie has so far grossed $119 million worldwide. With the awards buzz it has received, it could top out at $130 million or surpass that. So that's two strong films under the belt of up-and-coming director Ryan Coogler. What's his next project? It's BIG. Marvel announced this month that he will direct the feature film for "Black Panther" which is due in 2018. Interestingly enough, Ava DuVernay was in talks with Marvel to direct the film but the talks broke down. This makes up for the disappointment many felt at the time. Very much looking forward to the film and the trajectory of the career of Mr Coogler

Michael B Jordan

Variety in acting roles relies a lot on authenticity. Heck, acting in of itself is all about authenticity of the performance. The actor has to be able to convince the audience of his embodiment of the role he is playing. The Spike Lee film "Chi-raq" comes to mind. I'm yet to see it but curious because I like the work of Spike Lee. I do however call into question the casting of Nick Cannon as a Gangster rapper in the film. I saw the trailer and cringed at the clips of him in character. I just didn't buy it. Perhaps because of his previous happy-go-lucky roles in film and MTV skits. He also smiles too damn much. But then, "Chi-raq" is supposedly satire so perhaps Cannon's entire performance was an exaggerated wink? I'll find out when I see it.

I use that as an example to emphasize how gloriously authentic MBJ was in his role in "Creed." The first film I ever saw him feature in was 2012's "Chronicle," a movie written by Max Landis (son of John Landis, who famously directed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" short film and music video) about three teenagers who gain superhuman abilities. It's an atypical film about having super powers and I encourage seeing it. I even own it on DVD . The Michael B Jordan in that film reminded me a lot of Nick Cannon. Smiling all the time, the life of the party, cracking jokes, etc. His performance in "Creed" as the protagonist is all business. Gritty business. You feel the pain he carries with him throughout the film and it helps to understand the anger with which he lashes out due to his circumstance. After suffering the blip that was "Fantastic 4," it's great to see him bounce back here.

Tessa Thompson

As you move from one talent to the next in this film, you start to understand the frustration of the movement behind the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that originated last year and is back again this year. Tessa Thompson is another positive highlight in this movie. The first movie I saw her in was 2014's "Dear White People," directed by another promising young black director, Justin Simien (his first feature film). The movie is a fantastic take on race relations on a predominantly white college campus and Thompson played an unapologetically outspoken radio broadcaster who wore her politically incorrect views on her sleeves. It was pretty much an indie film which grossed $4.4 million in the U.S alone (it wasn't released internationally, to my knowledge). Considering it was set entirely on a College campus, I can't imagine the film cost up to $500,000. Simien crowd-funded the flick and I read he raised $40,000 for production costs from there. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get the full cost of the film. Such is the case with certain independent projects. "Dear White People" was a success that I would encourage all to see.

In "Creed," Thompson plays the love interest of Adonis but she has plenty of depth with her own dreams, aspirations, and challenges. The chemistry between the two is fluid. There is one particularly cute scene in the film where she teaches Adonis Philly slang while on a date, which they both agreed wasn't a date but actually was. Part of the warm banter between the two. The word she taught him is used so often by someone from Boston I follow on twitter that I initially thought it was a Boston word. Little tidbits like that I enjoyed.

Sylvester Stallone

Let's revisit the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag again, shall we? The only Oscar nomination "Creed" received was for "Best Supporting Actor" for the Italian Stallion. He also just won his first Golden Globe for the same role. Some of the frustration at not seeing Ryan Coogler nominated for "Best Director" or Michael B Jordan nominated for "Best Actor" spilled over into some criticizing Stallone's wins. I myself wondered about Stallone's performance and how it managed to garner such recognition. This was before I saw the movie. After watching it, I completely understand. While I get the frustration over the black talent behind this movie not getting any recognition, I believe Stallone fully deserved his. 

In "Creed" we see Sylvester Stallone in a completely different role. He is a mentor, father figure, and passer of the torch to the next generation and Zeus help me he executed it soooo well. He also deals with a lot of tragedy and challenges which I won't spoil here but add so much emotional depth to his character and the movie. We get to see Rocky Balboa, the hero of the previous six films in the franchise, adjust to life as an old man moving on with his life. I'll be rooting for him at the Oscars.

Some extra tidbits. Sylvester Stallone is a lifetime Everton Football Club fan and the stadium makes an appearance in the film. Under what circumstances? Watch it to find out. FYI: the picture above with him holding up the Everton scarf is not included in the movie. Here is some trivia you can play with at your next party: Sylvester Stallone played a goal keeper in "Escape to Victory" in 1981 along with Pele and other famous footballers.

Also, there was a powerful moment in the beginning of the movie when Adonis is sparring at the Delphi Academy in Los Angeles. The camera quickly picks up two little boys staring at him in awe and it said so much about being a being a role model in society. The scene also said that role models are human beings with their own hurdles they attempt to scale in their lives. It's a quick scene in the film and it's subtle but keep your eyes peeled for it.

"Creed" is an emotional triumph. It is so much more than boxing. It's about life. It's about the heartbreak of the loss of loved ones. It's about the downside of the celebrated sport of Boxing. This shares a narrative with the new Will Smith film "Concussion" which looks at the dangers of life in the NFL. "Creed" is about the need for father figures. In the beginning of the film when we first see Adonis in the foster home, the camera pans over other faces of young black boys locked away. Each of the faces shares the same helpless look, a sad but required statement about the challenges of young black lives (WHICH MATTER) in so many societies.

There is enough potential here for "Creed" to spin off its own series of films much like "The Hobbit" successfully did thanks to "The Lord of the Rings." Word is that Coogler won't return to direct the planned sequel due to commitments like "Black Panther" and other films. Hopefully another director is found to handle the sequels properly.

Ok, as a gym rat, I had to mention this. The above picture is part of a popular hashtag on instagram (in physical fitness circles)  called #TransformationTuesday. It is posted every tuesday and features a "before" and "after" comparison of physiques changed by rigorous training. This picture in particular was posted by Michael B Jordan's trainer @MrCalliet. They worked together previously on "Fantastic 4," where MBJ played superhero Johnny Storm. The less said about "Fantastic 4," the better, but they decided to work together again and the results speak for themselves. MBJ looked RIPPED in the movie and it was such an inspiring sight. I can't express how motivating it is to read about actors transforming their bodies for film roles. Will Smith for "Ali," Chris Hemsworth for "Thor," Henry Cavil for "Man of Steel," and others. 

The amount of running in this movie (as in the first "Rocky" film) speaks volumes about the amount of cardio required by Boxers to build the stamina they need to last 12 rounds in the ring taking physical punishment. This was yet another part of the movie that I enjoyed. I left the theater last night promising to increase my running for the rest of the year. I might even pay frequent visits to the stadium in Surulere (in Lagos, Nigeria, for my international readers) to box more.

In summary, "Creed" is a wonderful movie. I regard it as a feather in the cap of black cinema but give all the props in the world to the superb performance of Sylvester Stallone who served as an iconic anchor for the flick. The boxing scenes by the way are up close and riveting. It is playing now in Nigerian cinemas everywhere so go see it.

2015: A Hollywood Year in Review

And so comes to an end one of the most anticipated years in film in recent movie history. It was the year of BIG summer blockbusters with tent pole popcorn flicks reverberating from IMAX speakers, and, a year for lesser-known gems that will have the awards circuit buzzing in early 2016.

The Record Breakers

We had not one, not two, not three but FOUR record breakers this year. Two were expected, while the other two surprised many including myself. For me, 2015 was the year of Ultron. For three years since the first “Avengers” film dazzled us all with a then-record-breaking weekend of $207 million back in 2012, I waited with breathless anticipation for the sequel. I watched every single trailer (I now regret this and will whine about this later), memorized the lines, and drowned my twitter feed in one “Age of Ultron” tidbit after another. Based on the number of pre-orders on the movie ticket website Fandango, many expected “Age of Ultron” to match or exceed the weekend box office haul of the first film. It’s didn’t quite make it, thanks to a number of sporting events that took place the weekend it was released, one of which was the highly anticipated Mayweather vs Pacquiao Boxing match which drained a sizeable number of the 18-35 male demographic that normally makes up a large chunk of viewership for comic book film adaptations. “Age of Ultron” had to settle for an opening weekend haul of $191 million, which at the time, was good for the second biggest opening weekend in domestic box office history. Domestically it grossed over $459 million + an overseas cume of $946 million for a total intake of $1.4 billion. Good for 3^rd place on the biggest movies of 2015 list

Next came the surprise that many didn’t see coming; “Jurassic World.” I was excited for the film and penciled it in on my “must see” list, but didn’t expect the reaction it got. It was HUGE. The movie blazed past not only “Age of Ultron,” but also squeaked by the original “Avengers” and set a new opening weekend record of $208 million. Many attributed the success of the film to not only big-screen Dinosaur nostalgia, but also the rising star power of Chris Pratt (of “Guardians of the Galaxy” which was my favorite movie of 2014), and of course good execution of the film itself. The film has grossed $652 million in the U.S + $1 billion overseas for a total haul of $1.6 billion. It is the top grossing movie so far for 2015, but that isn’t going to last for much longer. Why?

Because (I think I broke a rule by starting a new paragraph with “Because” but whatever. Haha) of the last cinematic juggernaut of 2015; “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” There was no surprise here as to the reaction this film would get. The only question was whether or not the actual movie would be good enough to justify all the hype. Thankfully, it delivered. Believe it or not, this was my first ever Stars Wars film which puts my nerd card in danger of being revoked. I do plan to make amends and watch all the prior films in the franchise dating back to 1977. I think the only other movie franchise that can match it for longevity is James Bond, which began in the 1960s.

Star Wars powerbombed its way past “Jurassic World” to the tune of $248 million during its opening weekend to set the new domestic box office debut record. As I write this blog post, the film has grossed $554 million domestically and should be over a $1 billion globally by the time you’re done reading this sentence. The movie is yet to open in China and there is speculation that it could go on to challenge “Avatar” ($2.7 billion) and “Titanic” ($2.1 billion) for biggest box office draw in cinematic history. We’ll find out soon enough. Not done with box office records though, more below.

Saying goodbye (again, and officially) to Paul Walker

Another huge billion-dollar-grossing film which actually kicked off the 2015 summer season was “Furious 7.” Released on April 3^rd, the film set the record for the fastest time to reach $1 billion, doing so in 17 days. This was the other surprise many didn't see coming. “Jurassic World” later broke this record in 13 days, and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" just broke the record again, doing so in 12 days. What's most impressive about the performance of "Star Wars" in grossing $1 billion so quickly is doing so *without* opening in the big market that is China, which is really impressive. For many that saw “Furious 7,” the late actor Paul Walker, who had been part of the franchise since inception (along with Vin Diesel) in 2001, was a huge draw. He passed away in a car accident (tragic case of life imitating art) in 2013 and didn’t finish shooting all his scenes. His brother was brought in to complete them aided by Computer generated imaging. The final scene in the movie that paid tribute to him was so heartbreaking, I almost shed a tear in the theater. “Furious 7” went on to make $1.5 billion. One more member of the $1-billion-box-office club in 2015 is the animated movie "Minions" which took in $1.1 billion during its theatrical run. Altogether, these five films have grossed over $6 billion globally. The total box office haul for 2015 is expected to be north of $10 billion and five movies will account for 60% of that total. What a year! Below are two top 10 lists with the first being the domestic figures from the North American box office and second being the global figures. Both via BoxOfficeMojo.Com

A year to remember for Oscar Isaac

Mr Isaac has been on a roll since 2014’s critically acclaimed “A Most Violent Year” and he stayed in the limelight in 2015. In April he starred in the Artificial Intelligence movie “Ex Machina” which was raved about by critics everywhere. Unfortunately, it wasn’t released here in Nigeria and I didn’t get to see it. On a budget of just $15 million, the film grossed $25 million in the U.S and another $11 million overseas for a total of $36 million. Even assuming an additional 50% of the production budget in marketing costs, the small film still turned a profit. Oscar Isaac followed that up with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and his purple patch continues in 2016 when he will play the role of Apocalypse in the highly anticipated forthcoming X-Men movie.

The Rock bounces back from "Hercules"

I’m a huge fan of the Rock but can readily admit that 2014’s “Hercules” was only worth seeing because he was in it. It got blown out of the water by Scarlett Johansson’s “Lucy” during the same opening weekend and overall, was an average movie. Film careers are like business cycles with peaks and troughs so we knew Dwayne Johnson would return to Box office supremacy soon. 2015 was a great year for him as he reprised his role as DSS (Diplomatic Security Service) agent Hobbs in “Furious 7” which is the most commercially successful film in the franchise. He wasn’t done there. On May 29^th, he returned to the big screen as a Los Angeles Fire Dept Air Rescue Helicopter pilot in the disaster movie “San Andreas.” On a $110 million budget, the movie grossed $473 million globally. Consider “Hercules” forgotten. The Rock will be back in 2016 with Kevin Hart in “Central Intelligence.” Speaking of Kevin Hart, I saw his movie “The Wedding Ringer” in January of this year. Not good enough to make my top 10 list but a decent comedy still. He will also have a busy 2016. In addition to co-starring with the Rock, he will also be seen in “Ride Along 2” with Ice Cube, the sequel to the 2014 film.

The consistent Mr Gyllenhaal

I am such a big fan of this actor. Since 2012, he has delivered one solid performance after another. “End of watch” in 2012, “Prisoners” in 2013, “Nightcrawler” in 2014 (in a performance so good many felt he deserved a “Best actor” Academy Award nomination) and this year in “Southpaw” (July) and “Everest” (September). It’s been rumored that Eminem was supposed to play the lead role in the former but backed out for one reason or another. He still appeared on the soundtrack. 50 Cent co-starred with Jake as his Boxing promoter. "Southpaw" cost $30 million and made all its money back domestically plus extra; $52 million. It took in an additional $39 million overseas for a total of $91 million. "Everest" cost $55 million and grossed $43 million in the U.S and $158 million overseas for a total of $201 million. Cheers to Jake's casting agent. They're still going strong on the script-picking game. There was another film released in 2015 that starred Gyllenhaal called “Accidental Love,” a romantic comedy. It actually isn’t a 2015 movie. It was filmed waaaaay back in 2008 but financing issues delayed its release. Critics destroyed it so we’ll just pretend it never happened. Haha. Gyllenhaal will be back next year in the drama “Demolition.” 

Everybody hates Chris (when he's not Thor)?

Chris Hemsworth suited up again in 2015 as the Norse God of Thunder for “Age of Ultron” but also headlined two more films this year. He played a hacker in “Blackhat” (January) and a shipwrecked sailor in “In the heart of the sea”(December). Last year, when I saw the 2015 film schedule, I thought Hemsworth was going to have a massive year and was looking forward to writing about it on my blog in my year-end review. Sadly, things didn’t turn out that way. The only success he saw at the box office was in “Age of Ultron” which sets him up nicely for his third movie as Thor due in 2017. “Blackhat” was an abysmal flop. The film cost $70 million (not including the cost of marketing) but made only $8 million domestically and $11 million overseas. OUCH! “In the heart of the sea” also bombed. On a reported budget of $100 million, it has made just $22 million so far domestically and a further $53 million overseas. It might make back its production budget but there’s also the cost of marketing to recoup which seems unlikely. Both movies were trashed by critics so I avoided them. I was really looking forward to “In the heart of the sea” and was disappointed it didn’t deliver.

One has to wonder if Chris Hemsworth can still headline a film outside the Marvel franchise. His last non-Marvel outing at the box office that yielded dividends was 2013’s “Rush” (also directed by Ron Howard who helmed “In the heart of the sea”). On a $38 million budget, the film pulled in $90 million globally. A year before that in 2012, he also had success with “Snow White and the Huntsman” which cost $170 million but pulled in $396 million globally.  Chris Hemsworth will return to the big screen in the 2016 remake of “Ghostbusters” which stars an all-female cast and gender flips the franchise. He will be playing the eye-candy receptionist in the movie (which makes sense since the stars of the film are all women). Looking forward to seeing how that turns out.

American film goers let me down with "Tomorrowland"

I was REALLY looking forward to this film! It was fresh. It was ORIGINAL. Think about it; the five biggest movies of 2015 are all parts of franchises. Hollywood has been playing it safe. So along comes Disney (it was distributed by Buena Vista) and director Brad Bird (“The Incredibles,” (2004) “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol” (2011)) with something new and what does the audience do? Turn their backs on it! What a travesty! This film easily made my top 10 list for the year and would have made my top 5 if it wasn’t for the brilliant “Inside Out” (which came from Pixar, the same studio for whom Brad Bird made “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” [2007]). “Tomorrowland” was about the power of inspirational dreams, of innovation, and it closed with a strong message. While these aren’t new topics covered by Hollywood, I appreciate the way the movie approached them. The film cost a whopping $190 million to make (the special effects explain why) but fell short domestically with a $93 million haul. It made a further $119 million overseas for a total of $208 million, but when you include marketing costs (which could have been up to half of the $190 million production budget), the film fell short of expectations. Had it been successful, we could have seen a new franchise. Sadly, the risk didn’t pay off so it’s back to more sequels. *Sigh*

A rant on movie trailers

Earlier, I mentioned how I later came to regret watching so many trailers for “Age of Ultron.” At the time, I was soooo hyped up for the film that I didn’t care. My extreme anticipation for the movie gobbled up every trailer in sight. When I finally did see the film, it felt like the trailers had given most of it away. I’ve seen a lot of complaints on twitter about this tendency to give too much in trailers and the latest culprit is the highly anticipated “Batman vs Superman” film due next year. The early trailers led us all to believe it was a conflict between the two heroes but the latest trailer gave away a plot twist which many felt it didn’t have to. I won’t reveal it here in case you haven’t seen it, but somehow I doubt that’s possible if you’re geeked about the film. Anyway, I’ve resolved not to watch any more trailers for the film. Easier said than done, but I’ll try to be strong.

The Worst films I saw in 2015

Three movies I saw this year made the list:

Seventh Son

Mortdecai

Fifty Shades of Grey

Production on “Seventh Son” began in 2011 and it should have been released in 2013 but there were a number of delays, one of which I’m sure is the studio realized they had a big turd on their hands and were it not for costs already incurred, would have dropped the movie altogether. I saw this film back in January on a date. A first date for that matter. It was so bad, I was convinced the date was ruined. In my defense, my date picked this crap, and I’ve never let her hear the end of it. Haha. On a budget of $95 million, the film grossed a deplorable $17 million in the U.S. The overseas market came to its rescue with a $96 million gross for a total haul of $114 million but once you factor in marketing costs of anywhere from 30% to 50% of the production budget, the movie was a commercial bust. 

“Mortdecai” stars Johnny Depp and is another bomb to add to his resume. He was recently listed as the top overpaid actor in Hollywood by Forbes, taking over from Adam Sandler. A consistent fat paycheck despite a string of stinkers earned him the dubious honor. I still regard him as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood though. Anyway, where is my excuse for seeing this film? Oh, yea, I saw it on cable, not in a movie theater. On a production budget of $60 million, the film grossed a your-studio-exec-could-get-fired-over-this $7 million in the U.S. It took in a further $39 million overseas for a total draw of $47 million. To put that in perspective, "Southpaw" cost half of "Mortdecai" ($30M) but made almost twice as much money at the box office ($91M). Johnny Depp did achieve some success at the box office in 2015 in the form of the Crime drama “Black Mass.” On a budget of $53 million, the movie grossed $94 million globally.

I watched “Fifty Shades of Grey” partly for the hype and out of curiosity to see bondage on screen (Yea, I know, there are other options, but we're talking Hollywood here). The script and dialogue were godawful but the movie was still an astronomical commercial success thanks to material that sold itself without much help (the books did it all). With a price tag of just $40 million, the movie grossed $166 million in the United States and a further $404 million overseas for an orgasmic total of $570 million. Even if the film didn't make an additional dime overseas, it already made more than 4x its production budget in the U.S alone. Heck, let's assume an additional $40 million was spent on marketing the movie bringing its total cost to $80 million. It was STILL a success in America alone. But HALF A BILLION DOLLARS?!? No one should be surprised that a sequel is in the works. If the scenes get more freaky, I just might see it. Haha.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 movies for 2015:

10) Jurassic World

9) Mad Max: Fury Road

8) Ant-Man

7) Star Wars: The Force Awakens

6) Tomorrowland

5) Inside Out

4) Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

3) The Martian

2) Kingsman: The Secret Service

1) Avengers: Age of Ultron

There were a number of good films I didn’t get to see this year. In no particular order:

Ex Machina

Infinitely Polar Bear (Starring Mark Ruffalo aka The Hulk from “Avengers”)

Trainwreck

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Straight Outta Compton

Everest

Sicario

The Walk
Spotlight (Mark Ruffalo again, this time playing a Boston Globe journalist)

Creed

The Big Short

The Hateful Eight

The Revenant

Some of these are limited releases and should hopefully get wider releases next year.

2016 looks like another promising year in film. See ya then!