Willie's View Movie Reviews

     I've never been a big fan of horror movies. Most horror movies have no heart or empathy in it's cinematic storytelling. When watching a movie, I want to feel or understand what the characters are experiencing or going through. I find it near impossible to have any empathy with horror movie characters in most horror movies period. That being said, I found director James Wan's THE CONJURING to be engaging and horrifying all at once. It's based on a true story about Ed and Lorraine Warren and a family that was terrorized by a demonic presence in their house.   I do have to say that I've seen this plot at least a dozen times before, presented in a cheesy, horribly acted and written fashion. THE CONJURING is not one of those films. It presents believable characters in unbelievable and horrific circumstances. James Wan delivers the story in a straight forward, no unnecessary gimmicks style. The performances by the cast including Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson,Ron Liv

      MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-FALLOUT marks the sixth film in the MI franchise. This film series seems to get better with every film. This very well could be the best in the series, but only time will tell for me.      Say what you will about Tom Cruise. You cannot argure the fact that Cruise can sell an action movie better than his action movie counterparts like Stallone and Schwartzenegger. FALLOUT is yet another example of Cruise gathering the most talented filmmakers he can find and entertain the socks off moviegoing audiences.   FALLOUT picks the plot threads from the previous two M:I films and tells another story of bad guys wanting to end the world with a nuclear threat. We've seen it all before. Yet, to my amazement, this film makes everything that's been done before seem like a freshly baked loaf of bread. The thrills and chills, twists and turns have never been this engaging or down right entertaining. Writer/Director Christopher McQuarrie is the only director in the M

    I never thought I would be writing a review for HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 and I never thought I would be seeing it on it's preview night like I do for big blockbuster movies. Nevertheless, here I am to tell you that this third entry in the film series is the best of the bunch and one of this summer's nicer surprises.    HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION as Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) and his hotel staff/family/friends going on a cruise to the Bermuda Triangle courtesy of his daughter, Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez). Once on the cruise ship, he meets and falls in love at first sight with the Captain of the cruise ship, Erika (voiced by Kathryn Kahn), but the potential romance is threatened by a secret that Erika is keeping hidden for personal reasons.    If you've seen the previous two HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA films then you pretty much know what to expect-lots of bathroom humor. However, this time, I found that the third time is the charm. Director Genndy Tartakovsky h

   ANT-MAN AND THE WASP picks up two years after the events in CAPTAIN AMERICA:CIVIL WAR, where our hero Scott Lang was greatly effected. Know right off the bat though, if you are expecting more earth shattering revelations like we got in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, you will be disappointed.        That's not to say that this self contained story of Scott Lang, Hank Pym and his daughter, Hope Van Dyne is a waist of time because it's anything but. It's a two hour action comedy, that like the first one, is big on heart and fun. After the breakneck pace and heavy handedness of INFINITY WAR, it's nice to take a breather and have some fun with characters who, in a smaller sense(no pun intended) have alot to lose here, but the sense of earth ending urgency is toned down here for a less stressful and enjoyable adventure for the audience.        Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang and gives his best and most comfortable performance to date. I'm also very pleased that Michael Dou

   SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO is the sequel to the 2015 film that starred Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. This second entry stars Del Toro and Brolin, reprising their roles from the first and takes their characters to deeper and darker places than explored in the first film. They weren't the focus of the first film. The focus on that film was Emily Blunt's Kate Mercer, who is nowhere to be found in this film. Her character represented the audience. Through her, we the audience entered into a dark and scary world that most of us have no idea exists. We were introduced to a world of dark characters who did bad things to further their causes, whether it be on the side of the good or bad. Through the eyes of Kate Mercer, we the audience took off the roses colored sunglasses to see a side of the world we choose to turn a blind eye to-evil.     In DAY OF THE SOLDADO, we are taken back into that dark and scary world created by one of the best screenwriters working

DR.STRANGELOVE is a film that I have avoided all of my moviegoing life until now, thanks to the 100 Movies Scratch-Off List. I always thought that STRANGELOVE was too smart of a film for me to watch and possibly like. For many years, I've read how highly regarded this film is in the film enthusiast world. They are right. STRANGELOVE is one of the greatest films I've never seen until now. Let me briefly describe this film in my dumbed down way instead of using the typical synopsis that is used for this film. STRANGELOVE is Stanley Kubrick's 1964 satirical look at the Cold War. The world is plunged into chaos when a United States General orders a nuclear attack on Russia. The story unfolds in three different areas. On a U.S. Military Base, an airplane(bomber plane) and the Pentagon with the President (played with a straight face by the brilliant Peter Sellers). What transpires over the 95-minute runtime begins as a political thriller laced with witty comedy. As the plot

    This is the first entry in my MOVIE SCRATCH-OFF BUCKET LIST Challenge.     The Original JURASSIC PARK recently celebrated it's the 25th Anniversary along with the fifth film launching into theaters (in America) this past weekend. I thought it fitting to kick off this 100 movie list challenge by starting with Steven Spielberg's classic film adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel JURASSIC PARK.      If you didn't know, the film is about genetically created Dinosaurs that are put on an island off the coast of Costa Rico and have had a theme park built around them. A group of scientists (Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum) are invited to check out the park and give the creator, John Hammond (played by the late Sir Richard Attonbourgh) their opinions. Add Hammonds two visiting grandchildren, a crooked employee and a violent storm to the mix and you have one heck of a classic thriller that left me feeling like I just climbed out of the boxing ring.   I recommend

         I recently discovered the MOVIE SCRATCH-OFF BUCKET LIST poster and decided to purchase it. The list features classic movies, some that I've seen before (The Original STAR WARS TRILOGY, THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, JAWS, PSYCHO, and MEMENTO) and others I've never seen before (2001, DR.STRANGELOVE, OLDBOY, DRIVE). I will be posting my thoughts of each of the 100 movies on the list in future blogs entries. I invite you to watch those movies you have never seen before and rewatch the ones you have seen. Like my self, you will discover classic movies for the first time, while revisiting some of your favorite films. Maybe your thoughts will change on these films after watching them either for the first time or the fifth or sixth time.     If you are interested in purchasing this poster, check out the video above for more information or just google THE MOVIE SCRATCH OFF POSTER.

It's been three years since we got a Jurassic Park sequel. Now it's time to return to Isla Nuebla for another terrifying (hopefully) visit with those genetically recreated dinosaurs. Question #1: What sequel does this make? This is the fifth film in Jurassic Park series and is a direct sequel to Jurassic World. Question #2: Is Chris Pratt in this or was he too busy playing Star Lord in the Marvel movies to make it back for this one? Yes, Chris Pratt is back as velociraptor wrangler, Owen Grady. After being guilt-tripped into joining his on again, off again girlfriend, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard, who is also back) on a return trip to the island of Dinosaurs to help another Billionaire investor rescue the dinosaurs when an erupting volcano (that wasn't in any of the other movies) threatens to make the dinos extinct. Question #3: Is it really necessary to have another sequel? Depends on if you are a fan of the previous 4 films, which I am. Anytime Hollywoo

   After 14 long years, The Incredibles are back. But what took them so long? THE INCREDIBLES 2 picks up seconds after the first one ended-The Incredibles about to fight The Underminer. One thing we do learn right off the bat is that the story didn't stop at the original's ending. This second entry of the beloved superhero family starts off with a frantic pace and never lets up. That's a good thing. A really good thing.    Is the second better than the first? Yes and No. There are things I really can't talk about because they are most definitely spoilers that could ruin your enjoyment of this film. I can tell you that writer /director Brad Bird has come up with a plot and story that is as complicated and deeper than the first one. It also has a faster pace than the first one. Those are all really good things. The one aspect I enjoyed most about The Incredibles 2 is the family aspect. Not only can I relate to it as a Father, but I found scenes in the movie that play

  TAG is an often rude, crude and foul-mouthed comedy about a group of friends who get together every May to play a game of tag. The premise sounds childish and outlandish but to my shock and surprise, TAG works due to the fact that in the ned, the film has what I call redeeming social value. Translation-it has a heart.     TAG features a very strong ensemble cast that includes Ed Helms (in a very good performance), Jake Johnson (NEW GIRL) as a marijuana smoking jerk(another good performance), Jon Hamm (MAD MEN), Hannibal Buress (whose work I'm unfamiliar with), Annabelle Wallis as a Wall Street Journal reporter (underused here), a scene-stealing Isla Fisher as Ed Helms wife and Jeremy Renner as the untouchable, untaggable friend who reveals this is his last game and is getting married to a snobby young lady (played by Leslie Bibb). There is one other actor that I have to mention, LilRel Howery. He is another actor who is given very little to do and whose character I found to be

   GRINGO tells the story of a good man named Harold (played well by David Oyelowo) who gets taken advantage of by everyone around him. His best friend and boss (one of my favorite actors working today-Joel Edgerton) Richard, uses Harold for his own interests and business gains. Richard is a real creep. He's a lying,cheating thieving excuse for a man. His partner in crime and business is Elaine (Charlize Theron), who is an equally unlikable person. Together or separately, Richard and Elaine screw over everyone around, especially poor Harold. I'll leave out all the details and just tell you that Richard and Elaine run a pharmaceutical company and have made some bad deals with the mexican Drug cartel. They use an unwitting Harold to do their dirty work. But when Harold finally catches on to their shenanigans, he learns to finally stand up for himself. But he finds himself neck deep with the Mexican Drug Cartel and other untrustworthy people, or are they?  That is the fun of GRI

     SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY is the tale of Han Solo's origin story. It tells about his first love, his escape from enslavement on his homeworld of Corella, his days in the Empire and his very first meeting with Chewbacca and how they became gangsters working for crime syndicates across the galaxy. SOLO is also and more importantly a 2 hour and 15-minute entertaining and thrilling rollercoaster ride of a filmgoing experience. It has action, romance, comedy, suspense and thrills enough to entertain a Tusken Raider.    The cast assembled for this film is top notch. Alden Ehrenreich absolutely nails the character of Han Solo. Instead of giving us an impersonation of Harrison Ford, he gives us his interpretation of the iconic character and does a fantastic job. The same can be said for Donald Glover who portrays Lando Calrissian. He's not doing his best Billy Dee Williams impression, he goes into who and what the character of Lando is all about. He does a fantastic, star-making

  First, before I dive into my thoughts on DEADPOOL 2, let me give you a strong word of warning. If you did not see the first DEADPOOL or didn't like the first one, then DO NOT bother with seeing this sequel. There is more foul language and ultraviolence to be found here. If those things are a turn off for you, then let me STRONGLY urge you to stay away. And if you do go, by all means, LEAVE  THE KIDS AT HOME.        DEADPOOL 2 is more of the same stuff that the first film gave us. Lots of potty mouth humor and language and tons of gratuitous violence. It also manages to maintain it's an endearing quality that the first film possed. Ryan Reynolds Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, is a mutant mercenary who cannot die. That is his superpower. If he gets riddled full of bullet holes or gets his neck broken, his body restores itself back to normal, at least normal for Deadpool. There are lots of spoilers that I will avoid getting into here. I can tell you that a Mutant from the future s

What is the film about? Do you really have to ask? Ok, fine. A Big, Bad Villain from the deepest parts of the Universe sets out to collection the 6 Infinity Gems. Once he gets his hands on these mystical and powerful gems, he plans on wiping out half of the universe. Who can possibly stop him? Well, who do you think? The Earth's Mightiest Avengers along with the help of The Guardians of The Galaxy. That's who. Do I need to see any of the previous Marvel films before I see this? It sure would help understand things better. There is very little exposition in the film, unless it has to do with Thanos and the Infinity Gems. Otherwise, the filmmakers assume you know all the major players and everything they've been through up to now. There is no backtracking here. Do people die in this film unlike in most Marvel films? (Minor Spoiler!!!!!) Yes. The Powers that be finally deliver consequences that amount to something here. That is all I will say. How long is the film?

   Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen I appreciate those who take their time out to read my movie reviews. I am looking for feedback. I recently started a new type of review that I call Q&A Movie Reviews. Have you read the two I recently wrote? If so, do you like the style versus the traditional style movie review? What do you think about the reviews in general? Any feedback you are willing to give me will be quite helpful when writing future reviews. Feel free to post in the comment section below and share with me your thoughts.   Thank you for your time. William Wygle

What is the film about? Set in the future, ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of a boys search for his dog, who was just one of many dogs exiled on an island of garbage after a dog flue breakout sweeps Japan. After the boy crashes on the island, he encounters a pack of dogs who help him search for his missing dog. Is it written and directed by artsy fartsy filmmaker Wes Anderson? Yes, it is. Wes Anderson is similar to Woody Allen in the sense that his films do not attract a mainstream moviegoing audience. Mr.Anderson is hit or miss with me. His latest film and his second animated feature after THE FANTASTIC MR.FOX, is a hit with me. Is this a film for children? That depends on the intellect of the child. I doubt small children will sit still for long enough to immerse themselves in this often awkward style of storytelling. Middle school children and up might find something to like about in this film. I hear it's different from today's animated films. How so? The film use

What is the film about? BLOCKERS tells the story of three teenage girls who make a pact to lose their virginity on Prom Night. Complications ensue when the parents find out the plan via text messaging. Is this movie funny? Film is subjective and ultimately up to the individual to decide what is funny or not. For me, I found the movie to be funny in a very uncomfortable way. I'm not a fan of raunchy sex comedies, so I was somewhat surprised when I found myself laughing for much of the movie. One big reason for me is that I could relate to the parents and where their need to control things gets out of hand in comedic fashion. What is John Cena doing in this movie? You read that right. WWE wrestler John Cena is one of the stars of the film and does a fantastic job of showing his comedic side. He is a scene stealer in this film. Can I take my mother to see this? Depends if your Mother like raunchy sex comedies and if you are comfortable watching raunchy sex comedies wit

         BLOCKERS is an ultra-raunchy sex comedy about three parents who learn that their teenage daughters plan on losing their virginity on Prom Night.The film stars John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz as the three parents. The three have a good comedic chemistry that carries much of this surprisingly funny movie. It's also crude and vulgar at times, which is a stumbling block for me. For those who don't like this type of comedy, I issue a strong warning-know what you like and dislike in movie watching. I felt guilty at laughing at some of the stuff. I also found myself relating heavily to three parents, as they find themselves spying on their daughters on one of the biggest nights of their young lives. The three young ladies are also worth mentioning here. Kathryn Newton, Gideon Alden, and Geraldine Viswanathan turn in good work as the often foul-mouthed girls who are finding their way through today's world. Director Kay Cannon does a competent job of bringing

                      ADAM'S RIB starring Spencer Tracy and Kathern Hepburn is considered a classic in cinematic film history. It tells the story of husband and wife attorneys Adam and Amanda Bonner who find themselves on opposite sides of an attempted murder trial. Amanda defends a housewife who shot her husband after catching in the act of having an affair. The question that is put worth is whether or not the wife, played by Judy Holliday, was justified in shooting her husband.                  ADAM'S RIB, directed by George Cukor is an uneven comedy that features amazing chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn. There is no denying that these two had a rare onscreen chemistry that translated into movie magic. They are much better than the movie itself. A woman's place in the world is as timely an issue now as it was almost 70 years ago. The film as a whole did not register with me. I wasn't invested in the issues that Tracy and Hepburn were fighting for. Also, I felt th

          RAMPAGE is the film adaptation of the 80's video game that I don't remember playing as a teenager. It tells the story of a gorilla named George who is infected with a deadly pathogen (aka a virus) that ends up making him a giant along with two other animals. Dwayne (THE ROCK) Johnson stars as Primatologist Davis Okoye. He runs the gorilla exhibit at the San Deigo Zoo (if I'm not mistaken). Once George escapes, it's up to Davis and Geneticist Dr.Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to bring George back to safety. However, the U.S. Military and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are hot on George's trail with the intent to destroy George and the other two giant animals.       RAMPAGE reunites Johnson and director Brad Peyton for their third collaboration. The previous two films being JOURNEY 2 and SAN ANDREAS. The film offers the moviegoer his or her chance to leave their brains in the car and suspend disbelief for nearly two hours and just have a good time. On that level, RA

     SECRET IN THEIR EYES is an uneven crime thriller with big stars-Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and a very good performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor(12 Years a Slave). Somehow this escaped the eyes of moviegoers when it made it's debut in theaters back in November of 2015.     SECRET tells the story of a team of investigators who discover one of their own family members is brutally murdered. The film is written and directed by Billy Ray (Breach, Shattered Glass) and is a remake of the 2009 Spanish language film El Secreto De Sus Ojos. The cast is top-notch, featuring a stellar performance by Ejiofor and good supporting performances by Kidman, Roberts, Dean Norris(Breaking Bad) and Michael Kelly(House of Cards).      My problem with SECRET is that it is uneven in its story structure. Light Spoiler Alert ahead.....The film goes backward and forwards with its use of flashbacks, with hairstyles being the only thing that differentiates between the two time periods-2002 and 2015. It m

      A QUIET PLACE tells the story of a family who lives in a secluded area of a post-Apocalyptic America hiding from creatures who hunt and kill by sound. That is all I will say about the plot of this first-rate horror/thriller co-written by The Office star, John Krasinski, along with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. This is Krasinski's second film to direct. He really knocks it out of the park with an edge of your seat, suspenseful masterpiece.         Emily Blunt, Krasinski's real-life wife plays his wife here, Evelyn Abbott. Krasinski plays Lee Abbott. They are a couple that does everything in their power to protect their two children played wonderfully by Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) and Noah Jupe (Wonder). These four actors do amazing jobs at acting with very little dialogue. All elements of filmmaking-directing, writing, acting, sound, cinematography and visual effects and music are combined for a white-knuckle film going experience. The film is a fast-paced one and g

                        Is I, TONYA a truthful account of the life of professional skater Tonya Harding and is the "incident" involving fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan exactly how it happened? I want to believe this portrayal of the life of Harding but I have a hard time giving myself completely to this "truth" because it is an account from several points of views and they are all either liars, abusers or cheats.       Whether you believe this account of Tonya Harding's life or not, one thing you will have a hard time arguing with me is that this is an incredibly well-acted movie that is also well put together at the hands of Director Craig Gillespie.  His film reminds me of Martin Scorsese's mob masterpiece, Goodfellas(1990). Both films have a similar pacing and style that plunge the viewer into a world of dangerous, charismatic and unlikable people. The film features two amazing performances by Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding and Allison Janney as her mother

SIN CITY is based on the comic book from Frank Miller who wrote and co-directed the film with Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids). It also pays homage to the film noir genre of the 30's and 40's, while staying grounded in its over-the-top comic book style roots.  SIN CITY tells several small stories that are all tied together by the time the film is over and features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Micky Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Jessica Alba and Benicio Del Torro just to name a few.  This is a film that is definitely not for everyone.The film is rated a hard R that contains strong language, nudity, and graphic violence. Some of the action and performances come off as hokey and campy, but the film has plenty of style going for it with its use of black and white film photography blended with color and most sequences. You can watch SIN CITY, if interested, now on NETFLIX. I give SIN CITY a B.

                                   Ready Player One is the film adaptation of the best selling novel written by Ernest Cline. The film is directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. I personally think it's his best film in 16 years (MINORITY REPORT). The screenplay is written by Zak Penn (THE INCREDIBLE HULK and X-MEN: THE LAST STAND) and the author himself, Ernest Cline. The book compared to the film or vice versa are almost two completely different things. That sometimes translates to a bad film but in this case what we get here is a visual masterpiece and a very compelling story well told despite the story being retooled for the big screen.                                      Why? I have read the book and loved it. That being said, much of the 80's pop references either don't have the license available to use (that means permission in legal terms) or simply doesn't translate to film. This is a visual-heavy film, which makes perfect sense to use video game

    Paul, Apostle of Christ is the latest Biblical adaptation that is based on the Apostle Paul (a.k.a Saul of Tarsus). It tells the story of Paul's friend and physician, Luke, who goes to Rome to visit Paul in prison. There is a group of Christians who are hiding out in Rome and are looking to Paul for inspiration and direction in regards to their predicament. On numerous visits, Luke gathers information about Paul's unbelievable story of his meeting Jesus on the Road to Damascus and his conversion from sinner to saint and his many adventures over the years, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These series of interviews comprise the book of Acts, which this film is somewhat based on. There are at least three other subplots that are interwoven into the larger story being told and told quite well. This is the basic dumbed down synopsis of the film without giving too much of the film away.     What didn't work about Paul, Apostle of Christ ?  The major flaw of   

                                   I CAN ONLY IMAGINE is inspired by the song of the same name written by Bart Millard and is based on his life and relationship with his father, Arthur Millard, portrayed by Dennis Quaid in an Oscar-caliber performance.  J.Michael Finely does a fine job portraying the MercyMe frontman, Bart Millard. This is the first film that I've seen this young man in and predict more good performances from him in the future.                                   Chances are that you may have heard the title song originally released some twenty years ago. Over the years, it has inspired many and is a Christian Anthem to many believers in Jesus Christ. The film version is a story that is just as moving and powerful as the song. If you are not familiar with the story then you will find some surprises to be found like I did. It's not fair in revealing any plot details here. See the movie.                                If you think this is a heavy-handed Christ

    MUDBOUND is a NETFLIX Original movie that you can obviously watch right now-on NETFLIX.    Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan and brought to the screen by talented Director Dee Rees, with a screenplay written by Rees and Virgil Williams, MUDBOUND tells the story of two families. One White (The McAllan family), the other Black (The Jackson Family). Henry McAllan (Jason Clarke)is the head of his family, who in the beginning, moves his family to a rural Mississipi farmland that has more mud than crops. Clarke is slowly winning me over with each film I see him in and does a fine job here. Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) plays his wife, Laura, who is equally strong-willed as her husband and stands by Henry's dream of running a successful farm, no matter how bad things get for them or their two children. There is also Henry's younger brother, Jamie (Garrett Hedlund from TRON: LEGACY). He possesses a charm that wins over the ladies but also is a reckless drunk. He can't