Cedars, September 2017

3. War for the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) “War for the Planet of the Apes” is the third installment of the recently rebooted trilogy, inspired by the classic 1968 “Planet of the Apes” starring Charlton Heston. Director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield,” “Let Me In”) returns after the success of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” The story continues to follow Caesar (Andy Serkis), the ape who began the spread of a virus that allowed others to gain human abilities such as enhanced intelligence. If you couldn’t tell based on the title, this film shows humans and apes on the verge of war. The film is incredibly well paced and is so dedicated to its character development that you never want to look away. The special effects are groundbreaking; each film in the trilogy has continued to push the envelope for what is possible with modern day technology. I would certainly advise watching its two predecessors, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” beforehand. Aside from the different social commentaries that the film makes, it’s just a lot of fun to watch. The action is intense but never over- whelming, and the dramatic scenes are heartbreaking and always genuine. However, the social commentaries made really amplify the power of the film as a whole. The importance of being a voice for the voiceless is constantly present, as well as discussions involving the evils of viewing people who are different as less than human. 1. Logan Lucky (PG-13) “Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.” The underlying theme of Logan Lucky can be found in the classic John Denver song “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The place that we belong can sometimes mean a physical location, but it can also mean a place among family. Staying true to family is a driving force for the characters in this film. Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is a West Virginia native and blue-collar worker who is working on a construction project under the Charlotte Motor Speedway. After losing his job, Jimmy comes up with a plan to rob the people who fired him with the help of a few family members (Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig). In a surprising and wholly entertaining way, the film takes the classic heist, and turns it into a story about never giving up on family. If you encountered these characters in real life, you probably wouldn’t give them the time of day, much less genuinely care about them. How- ever, this film finds a way to not only make you care about its characters but to make you root for them while they are conducting a major robbery. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven”) “Logan Lucky” takes what Soderbergh does best and combines clever and creative shooting with a warm backdrop of characters and location. The film talks quite a bit about “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” a West Virginia classic. It even comments on the fact that John Denver had never actually been to West Virginia. “Logan Lucky” has a similar effect; though 2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (PG-13) “With great power comes great responsibility” is one of the most quotable lines of all time. The original Spider-Man movies that we know and love starring Tobey Maguire (we won’t talk about “Spider-Man 3”) were heavily focused on the tragic part of Peter Parker’s life. However, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” does something different; rather than focusing on Peter Parker’s biggest tragedies, it follows him through the everyday struggles of being a teenager. “Homecoming” is the perfect summer movie, because not only is it made for all ages, but it’s not necessary to have seen any previous films to understand it. The film possesses what other Marvel movies have been lacking of late: a quality story. Marvel movies have become reliant on funny jokes and come-and-go sympathy for its characters. A good example is “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.” The movie is so focused on making the audience laugh that a lot of key story moments take a back seat. While the movie is enjoyable and a lot of fun to watch, “Spider-Man” stands above it in just about every way. At its core, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a coming-of-age story that anyone can relate to. The dialogue is well written and witty, in true Spider-Man fashion. With the Vulture (Michael Keaton), the film shows us a humanized villain that is easily one of the best movie villains created by Marvel in the past 10 years. September 2017 15 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Photo from IMP Awards Photo from IMP Awards Photo from IMP Awards Nathan Robertson is a Junior Broadcasting and Digital Media major and a writer for Cedars. He is an avid film watcher, an open-minded music lover, and a devoted Netflix binger.