TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

As a lover and proponent of original filmmaking, I seem to have found myself in a bit of a hypocritical stance. This year alone I have seen four superhero films, a reboot of a Disney movie...and The Nice Guys . Let's stop now, and keep reading to see my review of the threequel to a rebooted franchise of the now eight-strong X-Men films. The movie starts (in a startlingly cinematic epic fashion I hadn't seen in an X-Men movie thus far) with an ancient Egyptian landscape, where the world's first mutant En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac) is worshipped by practically all of CGI Egypt. After betrayal by his men who see him as a false god, Grandaddy Mutant is trapped in the rubble of a pyramid, until 1983 rears its retro head, and some...culty people (??? it's never explained ???) are able to summon up from his slumber. En Sabah Nur (who's actually never called Apocalypse come to think of it) like Ultron and countless others before him is unsatisfied with machinery, weapons and...

It's hard to believe Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been in more movies, isn't it? Or rather, that she hasn't been around longer than she already has. Two massive franchises, an Oscar and... The Beaver ? Did anyone see this movie about Mel Gibson and the beaver puppet? It was actually kinda cute. Anyway, IMDb lists Lawrence as being in 15 movies since she broke out in Winter's Bone . She's the it girl of Hollywood now and she was born in the 90's. What am I doing with my life? But this movie is important for one reason. The Hunger Games and X-Men  were both series, franchises with fans (one of the book series, the other the previous films) built in. Silver Linings Playbook was her and Bradley Cooper's movie. She had a supporting role in American Hustle . Joy can be considered the first original movie that Lawrence has carried...pretty squarely on her shoulders, much like her titular character in this film. So is she effective? My initial response is yes. I l...

In the eighth grade I, to no one's surprise who knows me now, was involved in a book club at my middle school, where you could take your lunch to the library (I can't even do that in college!) and discuss newly released books or popular books coming out; you didn't even have to read a book a week. It wasn't a club, it was an excuse for outcasts to get out of the cafeteria. But a memory that rests so vividly in my mind is hearing about "The Hunger Games" for the first time. It was in 2009, "Catching Fire" was set to come out in the proceeding weeks, and in anticipation of that they described the premise of "THG": in a dystopian world (isn't that always how books we read in middle school started?) a girl takes her sister's place to take part in a deadly series of "games" her corrupt government has set up to keep the 99% in their place. Honestly I thought it sounded ridiculous. Then my freshman year in high school I gave it ...

Fortunately I got to see a good handful of movies over the Thanksgiving break, Oscar contenders Whiplash and Birdman , and ginormous blockbusters that I normally would have seen opening day, Interstellar and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 . It killed me not being able to see these two films that I've heard so much buzz and conversation about. Acknowledging these facts, and the truth that I am late to these reviews, here is my review of Mockingjay , and later, will do a joint review with my friend Aaron Haynes on Interstellar because...I'm not sure I understand it completely. There were fewer movies this year that I was more hyped about than Mockingjay Part 1 . Perhaps it is filling that young adult adaptation space that I crave, but I just can't get enough of this series, talking about it, watching those great propaganda trailers released earlier this year. What I love is that they don't really need to market these gargantuan blockbusters because the fans alread...

The Golden Globe, SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards have all gone nuts over a little David O. Russell picture called "American Hustle." Exceppt for Jeremy Renner, there isn't a cast member among those Big 3 that hasn't been up for something, probably taking into account that Renner's character, Carmine Polito, is the most upright/righteous among this stellar cast of rather deceptive con folk. So here's my job, to deliver to you good people: is "American Hustle" worth the hype, and the rivalry status it has against "12 Years a Slave" for the Best Picture race this January? In a word, no. "American Hustle" is the more entertaining of the two, obviously, but it's nowhere near as accessible as director David O. Russell's proceeding, realistically charming romantic dramedy "Silver Linings Playbook." Its setting is the polyester, toupee, plunging neckline world of the 1970s. If "Hustle" and Russell did o...

Wow, wow, wow!  That was a truly remarkable Oscar awards!  First off, congratulations are due to first-time Oscar host Seth MacFarlane, who knocked it out of the park, and only had one joke who didn't land for me: the Lincoln joke.  You know which one I'm talking about.  MacFarlane and the hilariously placed William Shatner predicted what today's headlines would read, and attempted to alter it by providing classy dances, while MacFarlane had previously made a sock-puppet version of "Flight," made out with Sally Field, and a song dedicated to....the risque women of cinema, to put it politely! MacFarlane was a welcome presence when commenting on the length of the show, saying 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva had been Quvenzhane Wallis' age when the program began!  But what I really came for was to see the race between "Argo," "Lincoln" and "Life of Pi," the presumed front-runners.  The awards started off great though, with Christop...

Here is the blessing and the curse of awards season: you see these extremely well received films you hear so much about, that are going to go down in film history possibly....and some of them disappoint you.  I had the problem with "War Horse" in 2011, with "True Grit" in 2010 (it was just like the original!) and "A Serious Man" in 2009.  All of those were up for Best Picture...and you know...they were OK.  You can't help it!  Going into these Oscar hopefuls, your expectations are insurmountably high, and when they don't deliver, boy, is it a letdown.  David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" doesn't have that problem, however. The film opens pleasantly enough in a mental hospital, where Pat (Bradley Cooper) is just being released from.  His friend Danny, (Chris Tucker, who retrospectively doesn't add much to the film besides diversity, but he's still funny!) hops a ride with him and his mom, Oscar nominee Jac...

Since there are rather obscure categories (Gut-Wrenching Performance? Best Kiss? And now Best Villain is referred to as "Best On-Screen Dirt-bag?" Geez) in the MTV Movie Awards, I'll only cover a few major categories.  "Hunger Games" and "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" appears so often it's almost ridiculous, but here are the big categories ("*" indicates my prediction to win): BEST CAST: Bridesmaids Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 The Hunger Games* 21 Jump Street The Help It's good to see actual Oscar movies nominated for this awards show.  The only movie actually in theaters right now from this list is "Hunger Games" and "21 Jump Street" (barely).  You want to know what was nominated last time they had a Best Cast award? "Fantastic Four" and "The Dukes of Hazzard."  Yeah. That's real. BEST ACTOR: Joseph Gordon-Levitt- 50/50 Ryan Gosling- Drive Josh Hutcherson...

Not since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" and the last few "Twilight" films has a film generated such a massive buzz as "The Hunger Games."  And that is where the comparisons end. There's no need to rehash what you've already heard: Jennifer Lawrence is hot, kids kill kids, and it's "Battle Royale 2012."  I've yet to see "Battle Royale," but the two things aforementioned are true.  The books are one of the best young adult series....published. Ever.  That's why it's necessary to read the books to fully get the movie.  This won't be a chore, you breeze past the first book and are halfway through the second before realizing you haven't gotten out of your chair to take a break. The movie is a complete success, both as an original action film and an adaptation of its source.  It starts out with Katniss comforting her little sister Prim, as she awakes from a nightmare.  It's curious to s...