Movie Review: War for the Planet of the Apes

Since it began in 2011 with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", the Apes' reboot film series have carried a certain amount of fanfare and weight in chronicling the eventual ascension of intelligent apes in a world that is slowly making humanity the minority. 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" showed how the devastation caused by the "Simian Flu" reduced the human population to a low point, while Apes affected by the same virus have become smarter and sought to build a new civilization for themselves. Unfortunately the fragile bonds of peace broke as tensions and conflict caused both sides to declare war on one another, leading to the current and what is possibly the final installment of the "Prequel Series" with this year's "War for the Planet of the Apes".

Thanks to 20th Century Fox Philippines, I was able to see this pretty EPIC yet bold and darker entry into the series the day before it opened in theaters through a special advanced screening. I won't go into detail much for this review and keep it brief and simple, but I'll add a considerate SPOILER WARNING in any case since I may mention some things that are pretty revealing to the plot. Other than that, the film is now playing in theaters - so catch it now!

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

There comes a time when a hero finally makes his long awaited return to a place he rightfully belongs to, and in the case of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man he is now at home with the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to the deal Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios a few years back that allowed the wallcrawler to join the multimillion dollar shared film universe filled with superheroes based on Marvel Comics. That meant rebooting and reintroducing Peter Parker/ Spider-Man to the MCU with a new actor, and that role fell right into the hands of one Tom Holland - a young English performer who has an extensive background on acting and dancing - qualities that befit a young and nimble Spidey!

Making his debut in last year's "Captain America: Civil War" where he was recruited by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Holland's Spider-Man emerged as a quick fan favorite - becoming a witty, energetic, and very green addition to the MCU. After the fallout of that film and the division of the Avengers, it became very clear that we would see Tony Stark mentoring his new protege just like his comic book counterpart did - thus one of the key elements of the inevitable sequel was established. Add the fact audiences will see Peter's young High School and teenaged life fleshed out for the first time, and you have "Spider-Man: Homecoming" - the new Spidey film that certainly prioritizes the words "FUN" and "AMAZING" all around it.

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Pictures Philippines, I was able to see the film a weekend just before its release in a special "Spider-Man: Homecoming Fan Screening" where my team of webheads in Spider-Verse PH was invited! We went straight from ToyCon 2017 just to see the wallcrawler swing into theaters once more in young and rejuvenated fashion, and WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. We loved the film and wore our respective Spidey suits to see it, and it was SPECTACULAR beyond words.

This review is meant to express how much I enjoyed the movie, and to invite fans new and old to see this wonderful film that redefines "Great Power and Great Responsibility" for a new generation with the webhead filling his rightful spot in the MCU!

Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight

If there's one truth that's certainly consistent about Michael Bay and his vision of Hasbro's popular "Transformers" line, it's that fans and viewers should already separate what is depicted in the filmmakers movies and the ones featured in other forms of media - most especially the iconic "Generation 1" characters that brought the entire franchise to life in the 80's. So it comes as no surprise that Bay's fifth and supposed final entry into the series, "Transformers: The Last Knight", is supposed to cap things and bring answers to the saga that began in 2007 which starred Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky. However after the events of 2014's "Transformers: Age of Extinction", Mark Wahlberg is now the lead and plays the Autobots new ally Cade Yeager, and he leads a resistance to defend his robotic friends who are now labeled outlaws alongside their immortal enemies the Decepticons by the adopted planet they call home. Optimus Prime has gone missing since leaving to find the Transformers' creators and why they keep coming to Earth to invade... And thus this film is supposed to answer that question and the "Secret History of Transformers" and their ties to Earth.

Transformers: The Last Knight – Trailer
What follows however is a film that puts too much into the plot and leaves a lot less of Prime out of the equation. Long story short, the Transformers have played a part in Earth's history since the medieval ages - tying into King Arthur's reign as king of Camelot alongside the Knights of the Round Table. That along with the knowledge provided by Anthony Hopkins' character Sir Edmund Button puts Cade on a journey where he must save the world from a devastating force that threatens to end mankind. Prime meanwhile is swayed under the influence of the creator known as Quintessa - who created the Cybertronians and puts the planet on a collision course with Earth. Megatron reemerges and plans to see that he and his fellow Decepticons return home, while the Autobots remain steadfast to defend their new home and their allies. The final battle sees the line between hero and villain blurred as two worlds collide and one hangs in the balance.

Truth be told, Transformers: The Last Knight was alright but is a complete mess plot wise. It was something that had a lot of potential story wise, yet has too much going inside of it to give any catharsis or satisfaction to its target audience. It definitely continues what Bay started and has all the CGI action and explosions one can expect from the franchise, but as his supposed final bow as director it leaves a lot to be desired and could have been better. The fact that there was less Optimus Prime to see and more on the human aspect was something that everyone has seen already in the past four movies, and leaving things open ended means that there are plans to continue with no end on sight. Hopefully a course correction happens in the next sequel Paramount Pictures and Hasbro plan as they expand their Bayformers series towards future follow-ups and spin-offs.

Transformers: The Last Knight was released last June 21 and is currently playing in theaters.

Rating - 2/5