Posted on 12/24/2016 8:39 PM By Ronen Divon
Rogue One is an offshoot of the main Star Wars plot. It is part of the large anthology we can expect to continue and grow well past our lifetime. The standalone story of this film chronologically intersects with the larger events; just before the Star Wars film A New Hope. It tells the story of Jyn, daughter of a scientist who unwillingly builds the Empire’s infamous Death Star, and how she ultimately plays a small yet critical role in its destruction. The problem is that Rogue One falls short in feeling meaningful. It is a side story that plays as no more than a footnote.
Posted on 11/19/2016 8:50 PM By Ronen Divon
Based on the Strange Tales comics from the 1960’s, Doctor Strange, the film, can be described as House, the character from the TV series; your brilliant yet arrogant doctor, meeting Master Shifu of Kung Fu Panda. The plot is thin and consists of our bright surgeon i.e. Dr. Stephen Strange, experiencing a car accidents that ends up his career. The mishap sets him up on a quest that leads him to meet the Ancient One; a master who would instruct him in the mystic arts of the East, so that he could ultimately save the world. And if this sounds a little like Star Wars, it is because the story elements, though much simplified, are the same. Only that the evil that Doctor Strange must face is quite corny and disappointing in lack of originality.
Posted on 8/7/2016 12:58 PM By Ronen Divon
What Beyond lacks in essence it makes up in action squences and effects. Thus, here lies my biggest disappointment. I remember how much I enjoyed the first installment of this reboot (Star Trek, 2009,) which had both substance and extravagance. Unfortunately, it had been mostly downhill from there, with the 2013 second installment (Into Darkness,) being just okay plot-wise, and now, with Beyond, that is outright shallow. That being said, I love the way Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin (may he rest in peace,) and other cast members slide so comfortably into the roles of Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and the rest of the crew. The action scenes and special effects are, indeed, mesmerizing and the acting, engaging. The light humor threaded through the story is well-balanced.
Posted on 7/5/2015 5:01 PM By Ronen Divon
Pixar continues to shine! Inside Out, the latest animated film by the studio, demonstrates yet again that storytelling supersedes special effects. Originally conceived by Pete Docter, Inside Out is all about relationships and emotions, especially during times of transition; be it geographical relocation or the change from childhood into puberty. Good storytelling is the ability to tell the tale of one individual in a manner that all watching can relate. That is where Pixar proves time and again their mastery. Fortunately Pixar’s animation skills do not fall far behind, making Inside Out a pure delight.