CHiPs

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CHiPs is based off the television series of the same name. The movie is written and directed by Dax Shepard. The movie stars Shepard and Michael Pena as two motorcycle policeman who go undercover to find a group of corrupt cops. It is very rare for me to find a movie like this. Not once did I even remotely crack a smile. CHiPs is a laugh-free, aggrevating assault of douchiness and homophobia. Within the first ten to twenty minutes of the movie, the tow leads get into an argument or whether or not the situation they are in is technically homophobic (and it’s horribly executed). The mystery aspect of the movie falls completely flat as well. You can actually make out that the villain is Vincent D’Onofrio when he lifts the visor on his motorcycle helmet. That throws any curiosity I might have had while watching this right out the window. It doesn’t help matters when they actually show his full face before revealing him as a cop. Most of this cast is talented people. In addition to the three cast member I’ve already mentioned, there’s also Kristen Bell, Ryan Hansen, and Maya Rudolph. Everyone has this feeling like they’re just kind of there I will give the movie a measly amount of credit for Dax Shepard and Michael Pena having natural chemistry with one another. I feel like their performances would have worked better if their characters were more likable. In the end, I don’t think I can recommend avoiding this piece of awfulness enough.

1 / 10

Linkin Park - Meteora

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The album opens with a 15 second introduction simply called Foreword. It isn’t bad or anything, but I do think it could have just added to the second track. It’s not really long enough in my opinion to truly warrant being its own thing, but it does segue into the second track nicely enough. Don’t Stay is the second track on the album, and pretty perfectly reintroduces Linkin Park. Chester Bennington practically carries the song vocally. The instrumentation on the song is incredible, excellently blending the electronic feel that will really encompass later on with the sound that made them who they were at the time. Lyrically, the song is fine. There’s nothing inherently bad. The issue is there isn’t really anything about them that stands out. As an example of how to truly make Chester the standout and amplify what Don’t Stay tried to do, look no further than Somewhere I Belong. This is a track that I feel truly shows just how well Chester and Mike Shinoda can balance each other out. This is one of the best songs on the album lyrically, which is why I truly feel this song is considered a classic among Linkin Park fans. Lying From You is a good song on the album with a pretty solid and memorable chorus. It has the difficult task of following Somewhere I Belong, and kind of struggles to stack up in comparison, but that doesn’t make it a bad song by any means. Hit the Floor really is Mike Shinoda’s showcase. Yes, the instruments do a very good job setting up the mood of the song and what you are ultimately in for. Chester Bennington tackles the chorus and has the right level of anger and intensity. The only real issue I have with the song is that, while I think the instruments start off well and good, they ultimately bleed into the background. Easier to Run is a song that feels softer than a lot of what came before. Chester and Mike are quieter than normal. The instruments have a hint of aggression. Even when Chester raises his voice, it doesn’t feel angry. Ultimately, this is a song that seems to be about regret. It feels as though the two are talking about wanting to be better men, but it’s easier to take the coward’s way out. Faint returns to the aggression and anger that the rest of the album (save for Somewhere I Belong) conveys. Similar to Easier to Run and Lying From You, there’s a hint that this song could be about a past relationship. At this point in the album, I really have started to notice just how short a lot of these songs are, most of them clocking right around 2 to 3 minutes in length. Figure.09 has always been one of those songs I’ve liked, but have really put on repeat. Simply put, it just never was one I easily connected with. I’m not fully sure why. Listening to it with adult years doesn’t really change that, unfortunately. I still think this is a good song. It just doesn’t have much replay value for me. Breaking the Habit is one of the two best songs to truly show Chester Bennington at his absolute best. His voice and the instruments work together at their probable best here. This is easily one of the 3 best songs on the album in my opinion. It’s one that I didn’t really appreciate that much when I was in high school, but has really grown on me over the years. I know that Chester Bennington had his struggles with drugs and alcohol. While the song never explicitly says that’s what this song is about, it does make me wonder. From the Inside feels a touch to similar to Easier to Run. It hits a lot of the same beats. It’s a softer, more melodic song that gives Chester and Mike the chance to slow down a little bit (with the occasional dip into anger). Even with Chester actually letting some of his anger loose, I think this is one of the weaker songs on the album. It just feels a little been-there done that without the more intriguing meaning behind some of the other songs on the album. Nobody’s Listening is the song on the album that pumps me up the most. It’s always had a solid repeat value for me. The chorus is pretty damn good in my opinion. But, listening to it again, it’s not a perfect song. Outside of the chorus, the lyrics don’t really leave much of an impression. The instrumentation and mixing is upbeat and matches the song, but it’s not something I ever really think about either. Session is the sole instrumental track on the album. It does have a nice enough blend of electronic and rock. That said, this is the one that has the least replay value for me. It’s a short song, clocking in at 2 and a half minutes, but it feels longer than that. It probably doesn’t help that I honestly feel this is the song that has aged the most poorly. Numb is the final track on the album, and I honestly think they saved the best for last. I feel that there easily could be multiple meanings to gleam from this. This felt like it was one of the ones that had the most time and effort put into it. Overall, Meteora is a solid second album that does progress the band, but isn’t as good as their first effort         

3.9 / 5

The Hitman's Bodyguard

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Disgraced bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is tasked by his ex-girlfriend, Interpol agent Amelia Roussell (Elodie Yung) to protect hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Kincaid has agreed to testify against a cruel dicator (Gary Oldman) so that his imprisoned wife (Salma Hayek) can go free. The dictator sends several men after the pair to prevent his own imprisonment. The first thing I want to say is that I think the cast is solid overall. Reynolds and Jackson work off each other well and have good chemistry with one another. Bryce, Kincaid, and Rousell are probably the most interesting and fleshed out characters in the movie. You understand why the character of Michael Bryce is down on his luck and disgraced. You’re told why Kincaid became a hitman and it actually makes sense. You also can kind of see both points of view that Bryce and Roussell have. However, the big issue with The Hitman’s Bodyguard is that nothing really stands out as remarkable. Sure Gary Oldman is good as the villain, but it doesn’t really measure up to other villains he’s played in the past. The action sequences are hit and miss. Some of them are good. Others employ far too much shaky cam. It feels like this movie wants to be a send-up of 80s and 90s action movies. But, many of those movies have a plethora of memorable lines. There isn’t a line of dialogue that really stands out with the likes of “Yippie-Kay-Yay, motherfucker,” “I’ll be back,” “Hasta la vista, Baby,” or “I am an F.B.I. Agent!” Ultimately, The Hitman’s Bodyguard was a decent enough one-time watch at matinee price, or at the very least, cable background noise.

6 / 10

The Defenders - Season 1

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The Defenders is the culmination of seasons 1 and 2 of Daredevil, season 1 of Jessica Jones, season 1 of Iron Fist, and season 1 of Luke Cage. In case you are wondering, the only show you really need to see so you don’t feel lost is Daredevil. I only watched part of the first episode of Iron Fist, and I followed the story here just fine. As I have previously stated, this is the culmination of 5 seasons from three different television shows. Sometimes those tones can clash. Normally, these shows have 13 episodes in a season, The Defenders only has 8 episodes. To me, this rushes it a little bit, and I think just a couple more episodes would have been good for fleshing things out. That said, I really did like The Defenders quite a bit. The four leads have good chemistry with one another, and their very different personalities understandably all clash at times. The Hand has been making plays, dipping their hands into events that all four of the main characters have had to deal with in the past. Finn Jones as Danny Rand seemed to struggle in what little I actually got to see in Iron Fist. With The Defenders, he doesn’t have to carry the whole show on his shoulders, something that really made the actor seem uncomfortable with in his own show. Each of the four main characters had a pretty understandable reaction towards the events that drive them all together. Matt Murdock / Daredevil’s been retired for a little while (but has also seemed to want to get back into the swing of things). Luke Cage has just gotten out prison, and wants to try helping one family, but things spiral out of control. Jessica Jones has just been trying put the events of her own show behind her, and is the most skeptical out of all them. Iron Fist has been led to believe that destroying The Hand is his destiny. Sigourney Weaver portrays Alexandra, the head of The Hand. As a villain, she feels right at home with the rest of the Netflix villain catalog. She’s the antagonist, but in many ways, she genuinely believes what she’s doing is right (and has to be done). When you first see her, it’s actually in a very vulnerable place, making her motivations that much more clear and relatable. Overall, The Defenders has its rocky moments, but it’s still a solid enough watch for those who have already been along for the ride. 

B+  

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

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This is part of a new weekly thing I’m going to do called Music Monday. Basically, every Monday I am going to look at an album in depth. To start things off, I am going look over Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory. Papercut is the first track off of Hybrid Theory. The song is just incredible, with awesome instrumentation along the sounds of men losing their grips on reality brought to life through the great tag team of Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda. One Step Closer is just as good as Papercut, and still holds up. The anger that Chester Bennington brings is just as understandable as it is relatable, which isn’t always the easiest line to walk, but this song seems to do expertly. With You isn’t as good the first two tracks, but it is still an awesome song, with a spectacular chorus that, unfortunately is more memorable than the verses themselves, but that doesn’t take away from the song by any means. Points of Authority, to me, is Hybrid Theory’s most underrated song. When I first heard the album, this song was on constant repeat along with In the End, and makes for a great workout tune, and a personal favorite. Crawling seems to allude to feelings of pain that won’t go away, something that is relatable for several people. The song is really good, but doesn’t quite have the effect that Points of Authority and Papercut do. Runaway works well into the album’s overall themes of anger and loneliness. Dealing with a person who clearly wants to avoid confrontation, the song is driven home by an awesome and memorable chorus by Chester Bennington. Once again, Linkin Park shows how good they are with songs layered by levels of anger, loneliness, depression, and hints of hatred, and few songs on Hybrid Theory showcase that better than By Myself, which really comes off as a breakup song, but easily can be read as something deeper. In the End is a classic amongst Linkin Park fans for good reasons. This is most definitely the song I would recommend to potential fans, as I believe it is the song that most perfectly encapsulates Linkin Park’s musical talents, abilities, and lyrics and content. This is my absolute favorite Linkin Park song, for obvious reasons. Much like the rest of Hybrid Theory, A Place for My Head is a fantastic showcase for angry lyrics, backed up by amazing instrument work that give off a real head banging feel that few rock albums from the last fifteen years do. Forgotten is an ironically titled song because the chorus is actually very catchy and memorable. Various lyrics from the verses really shine through, and once again showing how good a tag team Bennington and Shinoda are. Cure for the Itch works a lot better in terms of the album than it really should. Its lyrics are very little, and the song is largely instrumental, which might actually be why I like the song as much as I do. The issue is it doesn’t have a huge replay factor, but it isn’t something I will ever skip when I want to listen. Pushing Me Away serves as a fantastic end for the Hybrid Theory album. The lyrics are completely relatable, and the beginning buildup from softer to harder instrumentation really helps drive the song home.

4.8 / 5