The Lost City Of Z (2016)

The whole point of this challenge is to check out different films that we may not have explored before and today we have chosen The Lost City Of Z. I have always been a fan of films that are based off of true stories and this one definitely peaked my interest, but it didn’t last very long in my local theater. The film follows a British soldier by the name of Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) who is fighting every day to restore the family name that was put in limbo by his father. While on a mapping expedition in the Amazon, Percy makes a huge discovery that there may have been a civilization in the Amazon that predates everyone. The only problem is that the journey is not an easy one and he faces many obstacles on his journey to try and discover the lost city he calls Z. The film also stars Sienna Miller (21 Bridges) as Nina Fawcett, Tom Holland (Onward) as Jack Fawcett, Robert Pattinson (Good Time) as Henry Costin, Edward Ashley (Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome) as Arthur Manley, Angus Macfadyen (We Bought A Zoo) as James Murray, Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars: Episode VI-Return Of The Jedi) as Sir George Goldie, Clive Francis (A Clockwork Orange) as Sir John Scott Keltie, Franco Nero (Django Unchained) as Baron De Gondoriz, and the film was directed by James Gray (We Own The Night).

What was surprising about the film wasn’t necessarily the story itself or the way the presented it, but the acting in my opinion is the highlight. Robert Pattinson in particular was a highlight for me as the mysterious, drunk, but loyal Mr. Costin who had accompanied Fawcett on some of the journeys. The actors did such an amazing job of conveying the torture they had been going through on the journey with the sicknesses and the lack of provisions. They did an amazing job as portraying how difficult the Amazon itself was and how things were drastically different there then where they had been. The movie isn’t perfect in any way shape or form, but it’s kind of a cool adventure to be on for the two plus hours that you’re watching. I liked Charlie Hunnam’s performance, but I think too many people stole the show on him on too many occasions. Whether it be Pattinson or Angus Macfayden who plays someone who is not what they are expected to be. I thought the sets and costumes were amazing as it felt like you were really there in the Amazon in 1912 or so. The ending of the film definitely tries it’s best to not speculate on what exactly happened to Fawcett and his son despite all the different theories that there are out there. It’s sad to read online that his other son was never interested in the truth, but rather the revenue over the speculation of his death. Check out the film for yourself, I am going to give it an B+ for a final grade.

Onward (2020)

Due to Covid-19, there were a lot of films that I didn't have the chance of seeing because of the shutdown of non essential businesses which included movie theaters. Then there was news that a bunch of films were going to be released online and sure enough when I opened Disney Plus, one film I wanted to see was on there and that was Onward which was written and directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University). The film takes place in a land where at one time magic had ruled the Earth, but then someone decided to make things easier and they got lazier. For Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), he never got the chance to meet his father because he had passed away when Ian was just a baby. On his 16TH birthday, his mother unveils a present that will allow their dad to comeback for 24HRS, but when they try to cast the spell, the stone breaks forcing the Lightfoot brothers to go on a quest before time runs out. The film also stars Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Barely Lightfoot, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) as Laurel Lightfoot, Octavia Spencer (Ma) as The Manticore, Mel Rodriguez (The Watch) as Colt Bronco, Grey Griffin (Unikitty!) as Dewdrop, Ali Wong (Birds Of Prey) as Officer Gore, Tracey Ullman (Panic) as Grecklin, John Ratzenberger (Toy Story 4) as Construction Worker, and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story) as Wilden Lightfoot.

I thought that this was actually an excellent movie and further proves my point that Disney does not make bad films or I should say Disney Pixar does not make bad films. Every single film that I have actually seen from Disney Pixar has been very good and I would say B+ or better if you meant in terms of grades. This film has an incredible cast with Chris Pratt lending his amazing vocal talents to the project alongside his MCU compatriot Tom Holland. Not to mention, Octavia Spencer does an amazing job as The Manticore, a lion scorpion creature and what an appearance by Tracey Ullman who plays a pawn shop owner and it was amazing. Let us not forget that the film actually has an incredible story that takes us on a wild adventure from beginning to end which includes the emotional rollercoaster as well. I love the fact that they throw in a huge dilemma towards the end of the film because finding the could have been that easy especially after what they had been through, but there are some more obstacles to go through for Ian. The film was sort of a coming of age story for Ian who isn't confident enough to do anything on his own and he doesn't realize what he has had in front of him the whole time, but he grows up by the end. That is all that matters when you have a coming of age story for a young wizard elf. I loved the animation in the film, I loved how they portrayed some of the ancient magical creatures like Fairies, Unicorns, and even a dragon as a pet. This was a super fun film that I would definitely watch again. That is why I am giving the film an A- for a final grade.