Top 5 Action Movies Of 2018
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” contains a vital element that has been missing from too many recent superhero movies: fun. Most of the better specimens of the genre, as well as the worst, assume a heavy burden of self-importance: the future of the planet, the cosmic balance of good and evil, the profit margins of multinational corporations and the good will of moody fans all depend on the actions of a gloomy character in a costume. Or a bunch of them. The alternative is an abrasive self-consciousness that pretends to be subversive but quickly turns sour and cynical. Either way, these movies can feel like a lot of work. We can argue about that some other time. My point here is that this animated reworking of the Spidey mythos is fresh and exhilarating in a way that very few of its live-action counterparts — including the last couple of “Spider-Man” chapters — have been. Its jaunty, brightly colored inventiveness and its kid-in-the-candy-store appetite for pop culture ephemera give “Into the Spider-Verse” some of the kick of the first “Lego Movie.” The responsible parties (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman directed a screenplay by Rothman and Phil Lord) also hold onto the traits that have defined Spidey for more than 50 years. He is still a cerebral, introspective teenager from outer-borough New York, contending with existential confusions and merciless supervillains. He isn’t Peter Parker, though. Well, he is and he isn’t. Playing with a conceit borrowed from theoretical physics — the hotly contested “multiverse” hypothesis — “Spider-Verse” proposes a multiplicity of web-slingers from different dimensions, all of whom converge thanks to disruption in the space-time continuum. There are a couple of Peter Parkers (voiced by Chris Pine and Jake Johnson). Also a futuristic anime heroine (Kimiko Glenn) with a robot spider, a cartoon pig (John Mulaney), a black-and-white film noir avatar (Nicolas Cage) and a canonical Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld).
The main Spider-Man, in whose universe a variation on the familiar origin story unfolds, is a Brooklyn middle schooler named Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). The son of a hospital worker (Luna Lauren Velez) and a police officer (Brian Tyree Henry), Miles is a new transfer to an elite boarding school, where the side effects of the radioactive spider bite compound the usual humiliations and anxieties of adolescence. Like his arachnid-bitten comrades — and with the counsel of an out of shape “Peter B. Parker” from a different dimension — Miles undergoes an initiation we have witnessed many times. He passes through stages of bewilderment, excitement and grief on his way to learning that “with great power comes great responsibility.” We’ve heard that before, and also encountered most of the baddies who oppose that power. Doc Ock, Kingpin, Scorpion, Green Goblin. But we haven’t seen a Spider-Man like Miles onscreen, which is to say a Spider-Man who isn’t white. Part of the beauty of “Spider-Verse” is that Miles’s identity is both a very big deal and no big deal at all, at once a breakthrough and an affirmation of the ethos that has defined the character from the beginning. The original Spider-Man, an upwardly striving, working-class New York kid, was also a child of the ’60s, a beacon to outsiders and rebels of every color and background, an instinctive democrat and a natural pluralist. More recently, Marvel, in print, movies and television adaptations, has tried to make inclusiveness a central aspect of fan culture and corporate practice. “Spider-Verse” accomplishes this without awkwardness, preening or preaching. It’s a movie for everyone. And, as I was saying, a lot of fun. The story is clever and just complicated enough, moving quickly through silly bits, pausing for moments of heart-tugging sentiment, and losing itself in wild creative mischief. It is referential (and reverential) enough to Marvel traditions to please the geek armies, and perfectly accessible to new recruits or part-time warriors. The characters feel liberated by animation, and the audience will, too. Old-style graphic techniques commingle with digital wizardry. Wiggly lines indicate the tingling of spider senses, while electronic bursts signal the presence of interdimensional static. The rules of visual
coherence are tested and ultimately upheld, while the laws of physics are flouted with sublime bravado. Even the climactic showdown — lately the dullest, noisiest, least imaginative part of any superhero movie — has a crazy, psychedelic intensity. In large-scale live-action filmmaking, digital effects have lost much of their luster, serving less as tools for innovation than as shortcuts to bombast. “Spider-Verse,” analog in sensibility if not in technique, finds greater imaginative freedom in venerable comic book traditions. It finds realism, too. This may be the first “Spider-Man” feature to qualify as a great New York movie, drawn from the life of the city rather than outdated stereotypes. Streets and subways, apartments and schoolyards are beautifully and faithfully drawn, as are humans of all ages, shapes and hues. The people talk fast, the music is loud and sometimes hectic, and everyone is in motion all the time. Even the tourists from other universes are sorry to leave.
Ready Player 1
Although the many story changes might be hard for book purists to accept, Steven Spielberg has lovingly captured the zeitgeist of '80s nostalgia in this adventure. Plus, he brings his own spectacular style to the visuals. Those expecting a faithful or pure adaptation should prepare themselves for key departures from the novel; some of the changes are understandable, while others are initially a bit disappointing. The first challenge is completely different; there's no high school, Oklahoma, Joust, WarGames, or Rush; and the High Five's meeting/collaboration is completely sped up (and that's just a few of the changes). Of course, screenwriters Zak Penn and Cline couldn't depict all of Parzival's '80s trivia-dropping, game playing, and theory-obsessing in the film -- what works on paper doesn't always translate to the screen. What is on screen is pure Spielberg: an epic quest, young people banding together, and a love of the decade when he himself (as well as fellow filmmakers like Robert Zemeckis and James Cameron) reigned supreme in popular culture. The movie, like Halliday's hunt, is filled with Easter eggs for movie buffs and nostalgic enthusiasts. Multiple viewings may be in order to catch them all, because some are fleeting, while others are more overt. (Chances are if the audience is laughing and you aren't, you just missed a visual tribute to an '80s movie, fictional character, cartoon, or game.)
The movie is most impressive when the action is taking place in the Oasis. Spielberg immerses viewers in the sort of virtual reality it would be easy to get lost in, particularly when real life is so bleak. And that, if there's one thing that keeps a very good movie from being extraordinary, is the problem. The virtual scenes dazzle and inspire, while the real-world plot is slightly less interesting. An action sequence between geared-up avatars inside a game is naturally more colorful and imaginative than the grim reality of car chases and debtors' prison. The actors all do a fine job with their roles, even though two of them are far off the ages of their book counterparts. Cooke (who was so wonderful in Thoroughbreds) is believably passionate, if for some reason not quite as much of a genius as she is in the book ("book Art3mis" is even smarter about all things Halliday than Parzival). Rylance (who's become one of Spielberg's most frequent collaborators) is excellent as the nearly mythical Halliday, and Ben Mendelsohn is perfectly smarmy as IOI's greedy (and evil) executive, Nolan Sorrento. Alan Silvestri's score, along with the many '80s jams, is wholly evocative of the decade -- which is only to be expected, considering that his previous scores include the Back to the Future t rilogy, which is heavily referenced in this film. Considering the Herculean task of translating Cline's epic novel onto the screen, Spielberg has kept the wonder and the nostalgia; ultimately's that's what will enchant viewers.
Deadpool 2 Movie info After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Miami's hottest bartender, while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor - finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World's Best Lover.
Critic reviews Reynolds' hilariously offensive antihero serves up another round of snarky, trash-talking, gory, pop-culture-bashing shenanigans that will appeal to those who loved the first film. Full review Sandie Angulo Chen Funnier, filthier, and damn entertaining, Deadpool 2 leaves no stone un-deconstructed: the naughty man-child of the X-Men universe who manages to beat them at their own game. Full review John Nugent The script for Deadpool 2 is loaded with winky, fourth-wall-piercing eruptions of meta, the kind of humor that can make even the slow-witted and literal-minded feel devilishly clever. Full review A.O. Scott Critics Consensus Though it threatens to buckle under the weight of its meta gags, Deadpool 2 is a gory, gleeful lampoon of the superhero genre buoyed by Ryan Reynolds' undeniable charm.
​ ISSION M IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Fast, sleek, and fun, Mission: Impossible - Fallout lives up to the "impossible" part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them. MOVIE INFO The best intentions often come back to haunt you. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm. Rating: PG-13 (for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language) Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Suspense Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie Written By: Christopher McQuarrie In Theaters: Jul 27, 2018 Wide On Disc/Streaming: Dec 4, 2018 Runtime: 147 minutes Studio: Paramount Pictures CRITIC REVIEWS FOR MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT Ironically, the most entertaining element of all may be the star's advancing age; Cruise, well into his 50s, scores numerous laughs as the increasingly confused CIA agent, leaping into one spectacular stunt after another and then wishing he hadn't.
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Top Critic The thought crosses the mind: Where can it go from here? The answer is pretty much everywhere. It keeps on going and going, following one exciting sequence with another and then another. Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle Top Critic Mission: Impossible - Fallout is an unrelentingly consistent action movie, with not a single sequence wasted before the next big stunt. Andrew Whalen Newsweek Top Critic
INCREDIBLE 2
This time Helen is in the spotlight, leaving Bob at home with Violet and Dash to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible. CRITIC REVIEWS FOR INCREDIBLES 2
Peter Bradshaw Guardian Incredibles 2 regresses to a time when any power women managed to acquire was carefully controlled so as not constitute a threat to the male order. Such nostalgia is self-defeating. Andrea Thompson Chicago Reader I exaggerate not a bit when I say that parents will feel just as empowered while watching "Incredibles 2" as any child. Bob Mondello NPR's All Things Considered
It's a nostalgic vision of total power of a local minimum that echoes sickeningly with the nostalgic pathologies of the current day, nowhere more than in Win's enthusiastic declaration of his plan to "make superheroes legal again." Richard Brody New Yorker Both films in the series combine farce with highly tuned stunts and a delicate way with characterization once seen only in hand-drawn animation. Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald The Incredibles 2 is an undeniable triumph, but it is also so keenly aware that it becomes exhausting. Josephine Livingstone The New Republic I also appreciated how Incredibles 2 allowed the kids to be empowered without turning them into mini-adults like other franchises do. Rachel Wagner Hugely entertaining from start to finish. Jack Blackwell One Room With A View An incredibly fun, action-packed family adventure. AUDIENCE REVIEWS FOR ​INCREDIBLES 2 After the undeniable triumph of the first film, I can't entirely wrap my head around why the sequel let me down so much. The animation is flawless, the production design spot on, the action sequences soar. The soundtrack is already maybe a bit too much on the nose, with its catchy 60s agent fanfares. The real problem is the plot, though. It's just not particularly interesting, nor is the villain reveal very surprising. The biggest problem is, that I did not get the impression the movie likes superheroes all that much.
This outing of the first superhero family of film is noteworthy for the daring decision to feature the female lead most prominently - as the male lead struggles with care of the family unit. Interestingly, Mr. Incredible is shown as quite overwhelmed in taking on Elastigirl's traditionally assigned functions, while Elastigirl herself is quite at home doing his job. Also on display is the
emerging unknown quantity in the baby of the family - who seems endowed with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. All of this is kept interesting and dynamic, the emphasis on humor running throughout the piece to pleasing effect.
It is a pity that the identity of the villain is so obvious, and I also find it funny that no one even considers using Voyd's power as a solution in the movie's climax, but never mind, this is a great sequel that manages to be thrilling, hilarious and more visually stunning than ever.