It

IT
R
135 Minutes
Director: Andy Muschietti
Writers: Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman, Stephen King
Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Bill Skarsgård

CAST
Jaeden Lieberher...Bill Denbrough
Jeremy Ray Taylor...Ben Hanscom
Sophia Lillis...Beverly Marsh
Finn Wolfhard...Richie Tozier
Chosen Jacobs...Mike Hanlon
Jack Dylan Grazer...Eddie Kaspbrak
Wyatt Oleff...Stanley Uris
Bill Skarsgård...Pennywise

I heard a lot of chatter on this movie months before the release date. I didn't watch any of the trailers, but I knew it was scary. Which left me puzzled. How could a film about information technology be scary? Then I figured it was a movie version of the SNL sketch, 'Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy'. Nothing is scarier than watching a two-hour Jimmy Fallon film. But alas, that was not the case. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised with this movie about a psychopathic clown who terrorizes children.

I love how IT takes place in 1989. It really takes me back. Fine Young Cannibals were topping the charts. HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS was disappointing theater goers everywhere. Culturally, we reached peak blandness. Nonetheless, I still have fond memories of that magical summer before I started kindergarten. More than anything, IT is a love letter to a bygone era. Twas a much simpler time in America, when fanny packs were considered acceptable attire.

I can't overemphasize how historically accurate this film is. The clothes, movies, cars, and music are spot on. The bad things aren't whitewashed either. Back then, people used the 'other f-word' with reckless abandon. And bullies had free reign to torture kids, without interference from adults.

Good horror movies are rare, and a good Stephen King film is even rarer. First, the group of 13-year old friends is realistic. This is really how kids would interact with one another, kind of like SUPER 8. Secondly, the clown is actually creepy, and so are the adults. Like when the girl flirts with the pharmacist to steal cigarettes, the pharmacist actually flirts back. And her father, to put it delicately, had some serious boundary issues. And lastly, the acting is passable, which is no minor miracle with this many child actors.

I recommend you see IT. Isn't that a confusing statement, especially if those words were spoken aloud to another person. Uttering the sentence could start an Abbott and Costello routine. So instead of recommending IT, you should say 'I recommend you see the clown movie'. People will know what you mean. It's not like they're going to think you're talking about KILLJOY, or KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE.

Final Verdict: 90 out of 100

War Of Planet Of The Apes

WAR OF PLANET OF THE APES
PG-13
140 Minutes
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves, Rick
Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Pierre Boulle
Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn

CAST
Andy Serkis...Caesar
Woody Harrelson...The Colonel
Steve Zahn...Bad Ape
Karin Konoval...Maurice
Amiah Miller...Nova

Dawn Prince-Hughes, an anthropologist, noticed that Gorillas at zoos talk to each other (nonverbally), and it's mostly about humans outside their cage. So there's no need for me to suspend disbelief about apes conquering a planet. Clearly, they're just waiting for the right moment to take shit over.

Normally, I'd take the time to describe the plot, but the title says it all. Everything takes place on an Earth-like planet. Where people and animals speak (and sign) in English. Ron Pearlman...I mean Caesar is the chief of apes. And the apes are fighting humans in a war.

It would be easy to point to the symbolism and the use of metaphors, because those things aren't exactly subtle. The apes are kind of like Native American/Slaves. While the colonel and his men are like that KFC guy with a Confederate Army. But I won't go into further detail. If you think too much about it, you might not enjoy the film.

Only dead animals in movies can make me cry. So if an animal dies after a heroic act, I'm scarred for life. I know these animals are computer generated, but it doesn't matter. The battle scenes are still difficult to watch. It's like one of those Sarah McLachlan commercials...times a hundred; except my donation to the ASPCA won't keep these animals from the arms of an angel.

This story isn't all tragic though. You already know the apes prevail in the end. After all, it's called PLANET OF THE APES, not PLANET OF THE HUMANS, or PLANET WHERE APES AND HUMANS PEACEFULLY COEXIST. On another positive, the apes are adorable, even when they're acting super serious. If I watched Caesar read the DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, I'd be unable to suppress that ear-to-ear grin on my face.

In closing, I want to say that it's very difficult to make a part III worth watching. Remember BACK TO THE FUTURE III? Neither do I, and I'm pretty sure I watched it. I'm impressed with the APES franchise thus far, and just like those LAND BEFORE TIME cartoons, WAR OF PLANET OF THE APES demands several follow-up films.

Final Verdict 95 out of 100

All Eyez On Me

ALL EYEZ ON ME
R
140 Minutes
Director: Benny Boom
Writers: Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez, and Steven Bagatourian
Demetrius Shipp Junior, Danai Gurira, Kat Graham

CAST
Demetrius Shipp Junior...Tupac Shakur
Danai Gurira...Afeni Shakur
Kat Graham...Jada Pinkett
Hill Harper...Interviewer
Annie Ilonzeh...Kidada Jones
Jamal Woolard...Biggie
Dominic L. Santana...Suge Knight

Except for that poetry album, read aloud by Malcolm Jamaal-Warner. I've listened to all Tupac's music, watched all the documentaries, and movies. Which unfortunately, includes NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. So naturally, I had to watch this film. As a fan, I'd be inclined to like any movie about Tupac. That is, unless it's this bad.

First and foremost, let's talk about how good all the impersonators are. At the most basic level, I have few complaints. Even the ancillary characters: Dre, Snoop, Daz, and Kurupt were true to life. No Nate Dogg though. I suspect his silky smooth vocals were just too difficult for any mere mortal to imitate. Aside from his psychopathic tendencies, Suge Knight plays as a cliché record executive. But I can't fault the movie for that. If all record executives are the same, then it leaves very little room for nuance. As for Tupac; appearance wise, Demetrius Shipp is impeccably close. His voice isn't spot-on, but is nonetheless adequate. The one thing missing is Tupac's charisma.

The lack of charisma, is the same issue I had with the Biggie movie. While larger-than-life people can never be duplicated, filmmakers can still approximate them better. Like in THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (1978). A pre-motorcycle-accident Gary Busey literally thought he was possessed by the spirit of Buddy Holly, and you know, I'm inclined to believe him.

Next, I want to talk about...nothing else. Aside from the characters, I'm not left with much substance. Large segments of the movie are recreations of documentaries, music videos, and concert footage. It felt like there was only about thirty minutes of unoriginal original dialogue. Which leaves me with no new insights into the man, or his life. And even though this picture is over two hours, it still felt like the movie was fast-forwarding through the rapper's life just to get to the last scene of the Vegas shooting.

If he were actually dead, Tupac would be rolling in his grave. ALL EYEZ ON ME is bad for a reason: because something this egregious just might get the rapper to come out of hiding.

Final Verdict: 40 out of 100