didonatope

Over the past 14 years, the Fast & Furious franchise has certainly come a long way. Over the course of seven films, the characters went from hijacking trucks in East L.A. to high-tech espionage missions in Abu Dhabi. It's quite obvious that the cast and crew wanted to make Furious 7 the best and biggest film in the franchise. Considering the many obstacles they had to overcome, to say they succeeded in the end would be a gross understatement. Furious 7, simply put, is one of the best popcorn films of all time.

Picking up where the last movie left off, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), finds out that Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew severely crippled his villainous brother. As a result, Shaw makes it his mission to harm Toretto's "family" in any way he can. After killing one of Toretto's close friends, Toretto decides to go after Shaw. Meanwhile, the CIA plans to use Toretto's vendetta against Shaw as leverage to help them stop a dangerous criminal (played by Djimon Hounsou) from threatening national security with a high- powered computer chip.

Some may call this plot a mess, but I felt that a crazy plot like this was suitable for a film that is intentionally over-the-top and silly. When you combine an outlandish plot with a generally light- hearted tone and lovable characters, you get the perfect example of escapist entertainment done right.

Many action films make the mistake of putting bland, stone-faced characters in outlandish set pieces. The result is usually a film that looks good, but isn't worth seeing again. Just like most of its predecessors, Furious 7 avoids this mistake and gives audiences some amusing, badass and heartfelt characters to root for. Whether it's Tyrese Gibson's cowardly-lion-type character or Michelle Rodriguez's mentally-vulnerable but kickass character, fans of the franchise will be more than happy to see their favorite characters return to the big screen.

Even the new characters stand on their own as fine additions to the series. Nathalie Emmanuel and Djimon Hounsou add some flare to the film and Jason Statham has his best role yet, playing a villain that you'll love to hate. In a career of mostly heroic roles, it's actually a nice change of pace to see him play the villain.

Vin Diesel is as excellent as usual, playing Dominic Toretto with a smooth personality that's occasionally pushed over the edge when his family is threatened. Paul Walker, in the scenes shot before his tragic death, shines one last time as Brian O'Conner, an ex-FBI agent with all the right moves. It is quite bittersweet seeing these two characters interact this time around; it is the last time that they will be together, but the actors give the necessary heart and effort to make their characters work.

In regards to Paul Walker, with the exception of a few choice shots and angles, it is almost impossible to tell when he is on screen or when it is his CGI double. Those fearing an awkward uncanny valley situation will be pleased to know that the CGI in this film is first-rate and practically un-riffable. Even when it's obvious which scenes were added to write off Paul Walker's character, the way they wrote him off of the franchise is both respectful and touching. Kudos to Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop for giving Paul Walker a proper farewell.

Now it's time to address the heart of the movie; the main reason why people come in droves to see this: the INCREDIBLE set pieces. I think it's pretty clear to see that the filmmakers put their all into this, and director James Wan does an excellent job calling the shots. The cars are as slick and gorgeous as ever, and seeing them crash through buildings and fall from the sky is sure to please.

There's something about the way the action is shot that really makes it worth watching. Unlike some more subpar action movies, the set pieces are comprehensibly edited and allow the audience to get immersed in what's going on. In an Imax movie like this, immersion is extremely important, and audiences are sure to be thrilled to the edge of their seats.

This movie never falls short on the cheesy thrills. Some intentionally hilarious but nonetheless awesome scenes include driving a car between three skyscrapers, Dwayne Johnson flexing out of an arm cast, dropping cars out of a plane, and Jason Statham putting on his sunglasses as he walks from an explosion. It doesn't get more lovably cheesy than this. This movie is like a giant ice cream sundae: sweet, deliciously thrilling, and perfectly aware of how over-the-top and awesome it is.

The only real drawback I had to this film was that they didn't really get a chance to tie in the third film. Yes, an event from the third film is revealed to have fueled the plot, but it was kind of an odd choice to have Lucas Black show up for a minute before disappearing. I wasn't really a fan of his character in the third movie, so I was hoping they could redeem the character by having him join Toretto's team in this movie. That unfortunately didn't happen, so his cameo felt like a waste.

Overall though, Furious 7 is a triumph in every sense of the word. It's a triumph for the franchise, it's a triumph for action movies, it's a triumph for the cast and crew, and Paul Walker would be proud. Great job guys!

"Oculus" is one of those horror films that you rarely see in recent years: a wide-release scary movie with an actual sense of dread and horror. This along with last year's "The Conjuring" and "You're Next" could easily signify an improvement in Hollywood horror.

Starring up incoming actors Karen Gillan (appearing this summer in Guardians of The Galaxy) and Brenton Thwaits (appearing in this summer's "Maleficent"), Oculus tells the disturbing tale of two siblings going face-to-face with a supposedly haunted mirror that haunted them as children. After the brother Tim (Thwaits) is released from a mental institution, his arguably more unstable sister Kaylie (Gillan) recruits him to take part in an experiment to prove that an antique mirror is responsible for the death of their mother when they were kids.

In the wrong hands, this plot could have been handled haphazardly and poorly. However, writer/director Mike Flanagan and co-writer Jeff Howard do a fine job in crafting a genuinely unsettling but well-made experience. The structure of this film is fantastic. While other films like "Twilight: Eclipse" and "Man of Steel" poorly execute flashbacks into the main story, "Oculus" actually uses flashbacks to its advantage. Throughout the movie, the audience is shown what happened to the main characters as children. Instead of showing all of the events chronologically, the writers make the wise choice of interspersing the events of each story (the past and the present) in a parallel fashion. For example, what happens at the beginning of the past's story is shown back-to-back with what happens at the beginning of the present's story. The events are shown in a way that both stories reach full circle by the end. In many ways, the structure itself is symbolized by the mirror; the past and present are reflected and shown parallel to each other.

Moreover, the sheer unpredictability of the plot makes the terror even more effective. Considering that the characters are both mentally traumatized by the events of their childhood, it isn't sure at the beginning whether or not the mirror is actually haunted. Before the answer to that question is revealed, the main characters constantly have disorienting hallucinations. Whether it's suddenly finding themselves in another room or seeing people that aren't there, the story is reminiscent to a nightmare where nothing you do can stop what's going to happen. No matter what the characters do, there is always a sense of not knowing what really happened and what didn't. The Grade-A editing of this film certainly helps its effectiveness too.

Something else that makes this a superior modern horror film is the lower-than-average emphasis on cheap gore. While there are some bloody, grisly scenes in "Oculus," their sporadic appearances make them even more terrifying when they show up. The violence is mixed perfectly with the creepiness to ensure a much more terrifying experience than the average moviegoer would expect. It is perhaps the first time in quite a while where I could take gory scenes seriously. The same goes for the performances.

Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaits elevate a fine script into a masterful film with compelling, honest performances that make the film much more raw and fear-inducing. I for one am looking forward to seeing their blockbuster debuts this Summer; with performances like these, I'm sure they will make it to the big time in no time.

While I'm not expecting "Oculus" to do HUGE numbers at the box office, I sincerely hope a sequel is made (a theatrical-level one, not a poor direct-to-DVD one). Without spoiling the film, the plot is tied up nicely at the end, a fine franchise could certainly be made of this. If you're a fan of disturbing, creepy, competent horror films, I'd highly suggest checking this one out. Be prepared though; I can honestly say it is one of the more disquieting films I've seen in recent years.

For more reviews, visit cinegrade.org

In the past few months there have been many reasons to be excited for the sequel to 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger." From Black Widow's promised prominence in the plot to the intrigue of how Captain America himself will adjust to the modern world, the hype for this movie has been overwhelming to say the least. On top of that were the glowing early reviews, some of which saying that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is even better than "The Avengers." I'm sure the question on everyone's minds is: "does this live up to the hype?" You bet.

The sheer amount of suspense and political intrigue in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" would make it a fine sequel on its own. However, not only does this film manage to surpass the excellent first installment, but in some ways surpass "The Avengers."

Taking place after the events of 2012's "The Avengers," Captain Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans reprising his role) struggles to adapt to a world shrouded in fear and obsessed with security. Now working for the government organization S.H.I.E.L.D, Rogers faces the conflict of being ill-informed of his recruiters' ulterior motives and hidden agendas. The retro, simplistic era of the 1940s is far behind him, and Rogers must use his skills and wits to take down a possible conspiracy inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coming along for the ride are Black Widow (played reliably well by Scarlett Johansson) and newcomer The Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie of "Pain and Gain"). Together they must take down a force none of them expected to face.

Unlike previous Marvel films like "The Avengers," and "Thor," the plot of this movie is much more down-to-Earth. In today's world of NSA controversy and outright paranoia, many plot elements in this film give it a very modern and relevant feel. In many ways, this is a stark contrast to the retro, swashbuckling feel that the first "Captain America" gave off. This is a perfect way to tell the Captain's story; Steve Rogers has been thrust into the modern day against his will, and after the fantastical events of "The Avengers," he is just now starting to be affected by today's mentality of security. It's indeed very interesting plot foundation for a superhero film.

As well as being a fine continuation of the first film's story, the new elements that this film brings to the "Captain America" series are quite good enough for the film to stand on its own. Even those who didn't care for the first movie could get a kick out of them. Among the new characters is The Hawk, an ex-military superhero introduced in this film. This character is immensely likable, partly because of Anthony Mackie's fine performance, but mostly because they introduce him from the very beginning and flesh out his character.

Also joining the cast is veteran actor Robert Redford as the sinister Alexander Pierce. Redford is the type of villain that is rather refreshing to see in a superhero film: villains unaided by superpowers or violence and who carry the story with wits and malice alone. He doesn't need a mech-suit or psychic abilities, but he is a fine menace for the First Avenger to go up against.

In addition to the fine new characters, every action set piece in this movie is both exhilarating and an absolute thrill to watch. What makes them even better is that they are accompanies by a gripping story with plenty of shocking and even emotional twists and turns. Even after seeing aliens invade New York in "The Avengers," this movie's more grounded approach to storytelling gives a sense that the stakes are higher than ever in the Marvel Universe. Fear not though, this movie is far from a dark one, and there is plenty of that good ole' Marvel humor to give some levity. I'm pretty sure that audiences won't be prepared for how intense the story alone is.

It's not very common that audiences get an April movie that's not only great, but exceptional. "Captain America: Winter Soldier" is indeed a masterpiece, and as much of a bold statement as it seems, it is one of the best superhero movies I have ever seen. The amount of sheer quality it possesses makes it an absolute must-see.