My Review of The Lego Ninjago Movie

        So I recently watched The Lego Ninjago Movie and I'm here to bring you my review? So without further ado...







        The battle for NINJAGO City calls to action young Master Builder Lloyd (voiced by Dave Franco), aka the Green Ninja, along with his friends, also secret ninja warriors. Led by Master Wu (voiced by Jackie Chan), as wise-cracking as he is wise, they must defeat the evil warlord Garmadon (voiced by Justin Theroux), who also happens to be Lloyd's dad. Pitting father against son, the epic showdown tests these fierce but undisciplined modern-day ninjas as they learn to check their egos and pull together to unleash the inner power of Spinjitzu.

       

        This is film is a perfect example of a film trying way to hard to stand out amongst the crowd. Back in 2014 The Lego Movie really changed the game in a lot of ways and it presented several possibilities for multiple spin-off films and we got one of those earlier this year with The Lego Batman movie which was super cleaver in a lot of different ways, but this film isn't that in a lot of ways. With this new universe you're going to get a lot of films that you wouldn't normally hear about and to that aspect, some people would automatically be turned off by it. The animation of course is magnificent as do all the Lego movies so far and there are a few gags in the film that you have to pay really close attention to to get and at times there are some emotional moments that try to go the route of the previous two films and try to reel you in that way. You can truly feel the tone shift in this film compared to the other Lego films and this one id definitely meant for children and that is mainly due to the popularity and success of the television show that has been going one even before the first Lego film so it has a core audience and to those people this film is something you can enjoy, but for others it jut seems like a hot mess. Overall this is possibly the worst entry yet in the Lego movie universe and it did try to be something different on multiple fronts, but it just felt like a bland and boring film that is trying to feed off the success of the other films instead of being something more original. I give the The Lego Ninjago Movie a 4 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of The Lego Ninjago Movie, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

My Review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle

        So I recently watched Kingsman: The Golden Circle and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado...







        With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy (played by Julianne Moore) and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy (played by Taron Egerton).

       

        This is one of the more disappointing films of the year. The first Kingsman film came out of nowhere and became a smash hit that not only had some great action but great comedy as well and it even took a jab at the spy film genre which was so refreshing to see. In this film it basically takes the same premise and tries to reinvent the wheel and it just does not work. Both Taron Egerton and Mark Strong are front and center for the majority of the film and when they are screen together they have great chemistry and it shows especially in the more emotional scenes, but the film only has that to go on and it just doesn't do much for the overall film. Also when you have a film that includes Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum, you try not to waste their time and characters and that's basically what happens and it would be shocking to know that combined they had more than 15 minutes of screen time. What the film was missing the most was Samuel L. Jackson who just brought a different type of villain we are seeing and while Julianne Moore is ok in the film , her motives really aren't clear and she has a lot of awkward scenes in the film that are cringe-worthy as can be. Another bothersome thing twas that there was no church type scene in this film, meaning that we don't get that over the top gory scene from the first film in this film and towards the end it tries one, but the things they pull off don't make it seem like this film should be rated R and it instead should've been PG-13. A lot of the action feels forced and so does the comedy and it just comes off as film that didn't try in the least little bit. Overall this film could've been so much better in a lot of ways, but it just took the same premise and made a much more serious film when it didn't need to be. I give Kingsman: The Golden Circle a 5 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

Weekend Box Office Review 9-22-17 to 9-24-17/ Weekend Preview

        Here are the weekend domestic box office results for the weekend of 9-22-17 to 9-24-17 as well as my 5 key takeaways, as well as my predictions for the top 5 films at the box office this weekend. So without further ado...

Box Office Totals courtesy of boxofficemojo.com

TW	LW	Film	Studio	Weekend	# of Theaters	Total Domestic Gross	Weeks
1	-	Kingsman: The Golden Circle	20th Century Fox	$39,023,010	4,003	$39,023,010	1
2	1	It (2017)	Warner Bros.	$29,757,494	4,007	$266,096,375	3
3	-	The Lego Ninjago Movie	Warner Bros.	$20,433,071	4,047	$20,433,071	1
4	2	American Assassin	Lionsgate	$6,255,617	3,154	$26,185,076	2
5	3	Mother!	Paramount Pictures	$3,290,780	2,368	$13,459,798	2
6	4	Home Again	Open Road Films	$3,232,156	2,685	$22,267,987	3
7	-	Friend Request	Entertainment Sudios	$2,002,863	2,573	$2,002,863	2
8	-	Stronger	Roadside Attractions	$1,611,899	573	$1,611,899	2
9	5	The Hitman’s Bodyguard	Lionsgate	$1,608,722	2,037	$73,356,701	6
10	6	Wind River	The Weinstein Company	$1,257,881	1,431	$$31,645,630	8

1. Kingsman: The Golden Circle was able to take over the number one spot this weekend and it even managed to have a higher opening weekend than its predecessor which is always what a studio wants.
2. It (2017) fell out of the number one spot, but it still managed to rake in over $29 million and it also became the highest grossing rated R horror film of all-time and it will probably pass The Sixth Sense for one number highest grossing horror film of all-time.
3. The Lego Ninjago Movie had a very disappointing opening weekend by studio standards and it also had the worst opening weekend for a Lego movie to date.
4. The biggest loser of the weekend was American Assassin as it mad 57.9% less than it did last weekend and there was no biggest winner of the weekend.
5. I went 0 for 5 on my predictions

Predictions

1. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $22 Million
2. American Made $19 Million

3. It (2017) $14 Million

4. The Lego Ninjago Movie $12 Million

5. Flatliners $9 Million

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of this weekend's box office totals and what are some of your takeaways? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                                       Jonah Sparks

My Review of American Assassin

        So I recently watched American Assassin and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado...







        When Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) takes CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (played by Dylan O'Brien) under his wing, they receive an assignment to investigate a wave of random attacks on both military and civilian targets. After discovering a pattern of violence, Hurley and Rapp join forces with a lethal Turkish agent to stop a mysterious operative who wants to start a global war.

     

        This film is a really fun yet cheesy film to watch. This film does a lot of good things from the action to the acting and it's a film that will keep you entertained for the most part. Dylan O'Brien is slowly morphing into a good action star and he really brings an emotional element to his character and that's something you don't often see in a massive action film like this. Michael Keaton is stepping out of his element in this film compared to his more recent roles he has done and his character is pretty generic and you've seen it time and time again, but becasue it's Michael Keaton, he the makes the character feel more believable. Taylor Kitsch is a terrific actor, but he keeps getting the short straw in each and every film and in this film his villain is just so bland that you know right from start that's a villain that can be easily taken down. As mentioned before the film is cheesy to an extreme as it has a lot of over-the-tip action scenes that don't make any sense and even the dialogue is tough to hear simply because at times it feels phoned in and it doesn't make much sense for the plot of the film. The first few minutes of the film really get you hooked on what seems to be a fun ride, but it just ends up in a tailspin with no real direction. Overall this film could've been a great sleeper hit especially with the genre and the actors involved, but instead it comes off as a generic action film that people will soon forget. I give American Assassin a 4 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of American Assassin, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

Director Spotlight of Matthew Vaughn

        Continuing the Director Spotlight segment we'll spotlight a director who has directed some of the more underrated comic book films of all-time... Mr. Matthew Vaughn. I'm going to give you his filmography, my top 3 favorite films of his and his future projects. So without further ado...

Matthew Vaughn's Filmography

Year	Film	Rottentomtoes.com Score
2004	Layer Cake	80%
2007	Stardust	76%
2010	Kick-Ass	75%
2011	X-Men: First Class	86%
2015	Kingsman: The Secret Service	74%

Top 3 Favorite Films

1. Kingsman: The Secret Service

2. X-Men: First Class
3. Kick-Ass


Future Films
2017- Kingsman: The Golden Circle

TBA- I Am Pilgrim

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of Matthew Vaughn's career and who would you like to see me spotlight next? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                                         Jonah Sparks

Editorial: Casting IT: Chapter 2

        A little over a week and half ago, It (2017) hit theaters and it became a smash hit with both critics and audiences alike. I was also a massive fan of the film and you can check out my review here. Before going into the film I had previously watched the 1990 miseries with Tim Curry as Pennywise and even after reading Stephen King's lengthy novel, I had a good knowledge of what was going on in the newest incarnation and was happy to see some things on the big screen for the first time. With the success of It (2017), there are talks going around that a sequel is going to happen and more than likely it will happen. So if you know anything about the book or the miniseries, you'll know that the Losers Club comes back to Derry 27 years after their first encounter with Pennywise and that's what the sequel is going to be based around and I cannot tell you how excited I am to see that film.

        One of the bigger questions surrounding the sequel is who is going play the older version of the kids we see in It (2017) and there have been several names tossed around in past few days. So I figured I would throw my hat into the ring and give you all my predictions on who will be apart of the sequel as some reasons why I want them to be cast. So without further ado...


        Now before we get started there are a couple of caveat to the casting choices. Number one, each actor for the 2019 film has to be at least 40 years old as that would be the appropriate age for the kids when the return to Derry 27 years later. Number 2, rumors are going around that Warner Bros. may not want to spend too much money on casting and instead focus on the story and the visual aspects and while that sounds great, I honestly think the film is going to end up making more money than they think and I think they might be able to spend a little more for the cast.


Bill Denbrough
2017-Jaeden Lieberher                       2019- Tobey Maguire


        The main reason for this choice is that they look alike and Tobey Maguire does seem like a natural born leader. He is a fabulous actor, but he hasn't made the best choices as of late and I think a perfect way to resurrect his statues would be to put in a film that is outside of his comfort zone.





Beverky "Bev" Marsh
2017- Sophia Lillis                       2019- Amy Adams


        This has been one of the harder choices to make. As you can clearly tell, Sophia Lillis and Amy Adams resemble each other perfectly and that right there should be enough and even throughout the film I could only imagine Amy Adams stepping into this role for the sequel. Now this is what I want because bringing in an actress of the caliber that Amy Adams is says a lot.  The only problem with the casting is that it feels like the most unlikely simply becasue at one point director Andy Muschietti wanted to film a post-credits scene with Jessica Chastain as an older version of Bev. Now you may ask why, but the answer is simple. in Andy Muschietti's last film Mama, the lead actress was Jessica Chastain so they have a working relationship and I think that Chastain has the role locked up if she wants it although I would prefer Amy Adams more.





Ben Hanscom 
2017-  Jeremy Ray Taylor                      2019- Jerry O'Connell


        Now some of you are probably scratching you head about this choice, but to me it's almost perfect for several reasons. First, in the novel and miniseries, Ben loses weight and becomes a figure that ladies swoon over and becomes a renowned architect. What makes this casting special is that one of the roles O'Connell is best known for is playing Vern Tessio also known as the fat kid in Stand By Me which was also based off of a Stephen King novel. So long story short, make the whole thing come full circle and put Jerry O'Connell in the role of the grown up fat kid from It.




Richie Tozier
2017- Finn Wolfhard                              2019- T.J. Miller


        For the longest time I was honestly of Bill Hader for this role, but then after seeing a picture of T.J. Miller, it hit me that he would be the perfect choice for this role. I just think T.J. Miller has that raunchy comedy side to him and is willing to push jokes further. If you look at what he did in Deadpool, then you would see a resemblance as to the type of humor Richie Tozier presents in the new film.





Eddie Kaspbrak
2017-  Jack Dylan Grazer           2019- Matthew Gray Gubler


        This is another choice I've went back and forth on for awhile, but in my first initial viewing of the film Matthew Gray Gubler was the first person to come to mind. He has the quirkiness of Eddie and he even looks like Jack Dylan Grazer. Now the one thing that does go against my casting, he is under 40, but he's only 37 so I think that qualifies for the part.





Mike Hanlon
2017-  Chosen Jacobs                   2019- Sterling K. Brown
 

        This is one of the more harder roles to cast out of the 7,but after re-watching  The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story he is the perfect choice. He is one of the more underrated actors working in Hollywood today and I think this could be a big breakout role for him in a major blockbuster. Now in the novel and miniseries, Mike is the one who brings the whole group together after 27 years, but in the new film the way his character is portrayed in the film, he doesn't seem like that, but I hope in the end that they stay with that in the second film and Sterling K. Brown looks like an intelligent figure and that's exactly what the character of Mike is.





Stanley Uris
2017-  Wyatt Oleff                       2019- Ben Foster


        Much like the role of older Mike Hanlon, older Stanley Uris is much harder to do considering the role Stanley has in the second part of the book. One of the guys who could possibly willing to do the part is Ben Foster. He (even more than Sterling K. Brown) is one of the top 3 most underrated actors in the business and he seems to be getting the short end of the stick in every film and he would get that in this film.

 
         So there you have it ladies and gentlemen here are my predictions for the cast of It: Chapter 2.
     





        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of my predictions and what are some of your predictions? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

My Review of Mother!

        So I recently watched Mother! and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado..........







        A couple (played by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem)'s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

     

        This is one of the more beautiful let seemingly divisive films of the year. To start off, Darren Aronofsky is a fantastic director and there are always hidden meanings behind each one of his films from Requiem for a Dream to Black Swan and add this film to that last. It has some of the most visually stunning imagery put on film and some of the images are quite disturbing and it will unsettle quite a few people. Some people look at this film as confusing, but in all honesty the film is straightforward with it's storytelling that some people should get right off the bat. Both Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are terrific and they play off of each other so well throughout the entire film. If Jennifer Lawrence didn't win her Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook (which she shouldn't have) then she should defiantly win an Oscar for her performance in this film. The themes of the film are really a representation of what we go through in life and what is currently going on in the world around us. It's a film that when you have finally gotten the overall theme of the film, you will be overcome with emotion and it makes you want to change for the better. The biggest problem for the film is the ending and only because it didn't end when it should've and it adds one tiny scene after the fact and it just really throws people off. Overall this is well-crafted masterpiece from one of the most brilliant directors of our time and this film is a film people will talk about for long time to come. I give Mother! a 9.5 out of 10.

      So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Mother!, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                          Jonah Sparks 

Weekend Box Office Review 9-15-17 to 9-17-17/ Weekend Preview

        Here are the weekend domestic box office results for the weekend of 9-15-17 to 9-17-17 as well as my 5 key takeaways, as well as my predictions for the top 5 films at the box office this weekend. So without further ado...

Box Office Totals courtesy of boxofficemojo.com

TW	LW	Film	Studio	Weekend	# of Theaters	Total Domestic Gross	Weeks
1	1	It (2017)	Warner Bros.	$60,103,110	4,148	$218,813,729	2
2	-	American Assassin	Lionsgate	$14,846,778	3,154	$14,846,778	1
3	-	Mother!	Paramount Pictures	$7,534,673	2,368	$7,534,673	1
4	2	Home Again	Open Road Films	$5,183,004	3,036	$16,984,088	2
5	3	The Hitman’s Bodyguard	Lionsgate	$3,588,883	3,272	$70,395,923	5
6	5	Wind River	The Weinstein Company	$2,572,397	2,619	$29,141,212	7
7	4	Annabelle: Creation	Warner Bros.	$2,411,319	2,117	$99,711,680	6
8	6	Leap!	The Weinstein Company	$2,163,778	2,416	$18,705,564	4
9	7	Spider-Man: Homecoming	Sony Pictures	$1,858,740	1,436	$330,245,988	11
10	8	Dunkirk	Warner Bros.	$1,311,449	1,478	$185,148,101	9

1. It (2017) once again held onto the number one spot and it'll be interesting to see if it can hold on for a third time with some pretty stiff competition coming out this weekend.

2. Despite getting some decent reviews, both Mother! and American Assassin had really disappointing opening weekends and their financials don't look too great. 

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming was able to hold on for one more weekend in the top 10 and unfortunately it's run in the top 10 will come to an end this weekend. 

4. The biggest loser of the weekend was It (2017) as it made 51.3% less than it did last weekend and there was no biggest winner of the weekend. 

5. I went 5 for 5 on my predictions. 

Predictions

1. The LEGO Ninjago Movie $51 Million
2. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $40 Million

3. It (2017) $30 Million

4. Friend Request $12 Million

5. American Assassin $6.5 Million

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of this weekend's box office totals and what are some of your takeaways? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                                       Jonah Sparks