Movie Review: Just Mercy

There's plenty of films with grit, resolve, and heart that depict the struggle of people who go about their daily lives and want to make a difference in the world, but rarely do we venture into what the state of affairs are in a rural American community where several convicts and prisoners see time for their crime - proven or otherwise. Lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson shares his story of that and one particular case he worked on for in his book "Just Mercy" - which sees Stevenson tell how he represented and defended Walter McMillian -  a pulpwood worker who was wrongfully convicted for murder and getting the death penalty - until sufficient evidence and court hearings through a number of years finally saw a reversal of the decision - freeing McMillian and reuniting him with his family.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I got to see director Destin Danielle Creton's film adaptation of "Just Mercy" - featuring a powerful cast that includes Michael B. Jordan ("Creed", "Black Panther"), Jamie Foxx ("Django Unchained", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), and Brie Larson ("Captain Marvel", "Room") and representing a dramatization retelling of the events that brought Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) as a young and headstronng Lawyer to Alabama to fight for poor people who can't afford proper legal counsel and representation. He meets McMillian (Foxx), and after some time convincing the disillusioned man that he can set him free - starting a journey between both men that introduces us to Stevenson's team in Equal Justice Initiative and McMillian's family as a case that takes years to solve is unraveled before us in a powerful legal drama story.




Now in its second week in Ayala Cinemas, Just Mercy is a film that proves heroes do exist everyday and fight to do what's right amidst all the discrimination and bias that exists in the world. Walk into this with lessons to draw and learn. It's a powerful movie that shows just how talented these actors are in bringing real-life stories and dramas to life.

Rating - 4/5

Movie Review: The Wolverine

 He's the best at what he does... And what he does isn't very nice.

Once again reprising the role that helped make him a bonafide superstar in Hollywood, Hugh Jackman returns as the X-Man Logan, and proves without a shadow of a doubt why he's the man that deserves to be called "Wolverine". Since his last full appearance as the feral mutant in the 2009 X-film spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and making a cameo in 2011's "X-Men: First Class", there's been more questions than answers as to where the X-Men's most dangerous member would go next, and now we get the answer in an adaptation that explores a part of his life that's based from one of the most memorable arcs in the Marvel Comics character's long and documented comic history.

Definitely departing from the typical superhero film route and taking itself more seriously like that of a Japanese noir action movie, The Wolverine is the latest spinoff film that explores the character's time in Japan, as well as battling personal demons and new foes in the form of yakuza, ninjas, samurai, and more hidden enemies with a bone to pick with the X-Man. It's your formula for the kind of action and setup seen in the genre... Only with Wolverine in it, and adds subtle ties to his part in the X-Men film franchise, particularly with one thread that carries over from X-Men: The Last Stand. Does this movie scream berserker rage or something else? Find out in this review, and special thanks goes to 20th Century Fox PH and Ayala Cinemas for the Special advanced 3D screening!

Let's Go, Bub.

Movie Review: Taken 2

If you haven't caught it yet in theaters, Taken 2 proves without a shadow of a doubt that Liam Neeson is a badass, and he's a Box Office pull with a serious mean streak to boot. Almost a week since its release, it holds its own in numbers and figures. Here's a review if you need some thoughts on how this action-flick sequel performs, and special thanks again goes to 20th Century Fox and Ayala Cinemas for the screening!