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Aug. 21, 2015
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NTERTAINMENT Thunderbolt
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‘Fantastic Four’ ‘Straight Outta
Compton’
by Senior Airman James Hensley 1/2
by Staff Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.
Why one star you might ask? To be honest I should give it Your weekly guide
half a star for wasting my time, but that’d be a little harsh to entertainment “Straight Outta Compton” is a movie directed by F. Gary Gray,
since the movie wasn’t down-right awful. whose other works include “The Italian Job”, “Law Abiding Citi-
Welcome to the Fly Over, Luke’s source for zen,” and “Friday.” Like his previous movies, Gray continues his
I was going to write a review about how amazing “Dragon- winning streak with by producing another highly rated movie.
ball Z Revival F” was but then I saw this movie and thought movie, book, video game, music and all things
I better warn the readers to save their money. If there are entertainment reviews. Using a four-point “Straight Outta Compton” tells the story of musical artists Ice
die-hard “Fantastic Four” fans of the comics out there hop- scale, the Thunderbolt staff provides in-depth Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E
ing Fox might have actually made a good effort on the big reviews allowing the viewer an opportunity to -DVRQ0LWFKHOO'M<HOOD1HLO%URZQ-UDQG0&5HQ$OGLV
screen, guess again. decide what new and classic entertainment op- Hodge), who together formed the highly controversial and ex-
tions are worth their time. The Know a Critic SORVLYHJURXS1:$
I’ll start with the one good thing about this movie which section helps the reader choose critics who
was the character Ben Grimm/The Thing (Jaime Bell). The have tastes similar to their own. 1:$IRUPHGLQLQ&RPSWRQ&DOLIRUQLDDQGSURGXFHG
character is finally shown as something almost likable in music into the ‘90s. They were famous for the song “F***k tha
appearance and actually has a few moments that were kind 1/4 - Save your money Police” and because of their edgy lyrics were banned from radio
of cool. However, along with the rest of the cast and with a VWDWLRQVDQGSHUIRUPLQJLQFLWLHVDFURVV$PHULFD1HYHUWKHOHVV
terrible dialogue that sounds like it was written by a child, 2/4 - Wait for Netflix release 1:$VROGPLOOLRQVRIDOEXPVDQGJDYHELUWKWRDJHQUHRI´UHDO-
the movie falls short. ity rap” that has impacted people until this day.
3/4 - Worthy of Dine-in Theater
Taking a step back from the cast and characters and look- The movie begins by introducing each member of the group and
ing at the story as a whole reveals it was a poor attempt by 4/4 - Bombs on Target establishing their identity before the grouped was formed. In the
Fox to keep the rights away from Marvel for the “Fantastic ÀUVWVFHQHVWKHDXGLHQFHJHWVWRVHHKRZ(D]\(JRWPRQH\E\
Four.” If we ever get a good “Fantastic Four” movie, it’ll be Know a critic VHOOLQJGUXJV1H[WZHJHWDJOLPSVHRI'U'UH·VEHJLQQLQJVDV
from Marvel studios, not Fox. a DJ and life at home with his mother. Ice Cube is shown writ-
James Hensley likes to ing songs in a notebook on a bus on the way home from school.
The story ventures too deeply into the background of each give a movie a chance be-
of the main characters while never actually explaining any fore taking the critic’s word After a glimpse into each of their early lives, Gray starts to
of their motivations. RQ LW +H HQMR\V ZDWFKLQJ EULQJWKHFKDUDFWHUVWRJHWKHUDQGZHVHHKRZ1:$VWDUWVWR
action, thrillers, shooters form. Dr. Dre is working as a DJ and producing music in the
Reed Richards (Miles Teller) is the boy genius who comes DQG PRUH +H DOVR HQMR\V studio. He’s working with various artists, one of whom is Ice
up with the trans-dimensional travel device. It eventually gaming and dominates in Cube, who would go on to write most of the music for the group.
transports him and the others to another world where there’s the Titanfall multiplayer :KHQ'U'UHLVEDLOHGRXWRIMDLOE\(D]\('UHDVNV(D]\(
power in said planet that transfers to him and the rest of the game and the Halo fran- if he would be interested in getting into music. Reluctantly, he
team, along with Dr. Doom (Toby Kebbell). Reed, Dr. Doom, chise. He’ll take you one- DJUHHVDQGWRJHWKHUZLWK'M<HOODDQG0&5HQWKHJURXSIRUPV
Johnny Storm (Michael Jordan, not to be confused with the Hensley on-one, but believes the
basketball legend), and Ben use the device to be the first *UD\ GRHV D JRRG MRE RI EULQJLQJ HDFK PHPEHU·V SHUVRQDOLW\
WRWKHSODQHWEHIRUHWKHPLOLWDU\FDQWDNHWKHSURMHFWDZD\ UHDO WHVW LV WHDP ÀJKWLQJ +LV JDPHU WDJ RQ ;ER[ to the screen and revealing things about their nature you didn’t
IURPWKHPIRU1$6$ Live is Overwhatch. That’s right, it has an extra “h.” know. Eazy-E is portrayed as a light-hearted guy, very different
than the tough, gangster images shown on television. We see the
So, instead of the space cloud from the last “Fantastic Luther Mitchell is work ethic of Dr. Dre and the lyrical genius and aggressiveness
Four” movie which gave them their powers, pools on the D MRXUQDOLVW ZKR HQ- of Ice Cube.
planet explode when touched and give each member of the MR\V ZDWFKLQJ PRYLHV
team their classic, unique powers. His go-to genres are The movie deals with the issue of representation in the music
suspense-thrillers and industry, and this is captured in Eazy-E’s relationship with Jerry
Sue Storm (Kate Mara) didn’t go with the team, and what comedies. When he isn’t Heller (Paul Giamatti), co-founder of Ruthless Records. Ruth-
I found funny was when the transport device containing in the gym pumping less Records was owned and operated by Eazy-E and produced
the rest of the team is returning, it sent out a shockwave iron or writing a story, 1:$·VÀUVWWZRDOEXPV+HOOHUFDPHWR(D]\(LQWKHPRYLH
of power which gave her invisibility and force field powers he likes to read every- and offered to get him started in the music business. Heller
while knocking her unconscious. Really the only thing in wanted 20 percent for his part and Eazy-E would take the rest.
common between the characters throughout this movie is Mitchell Jr. thing from philosophy 7KLV DUUDQJHPHQW ZDV JRRG DW ÀUVW KRZHYHU PHPEHUV RI WKH
the device they worked on together. The reason I say this is group, particularly Ice Cube, had problems with it and tried to
because after the device gets used and they get their powers, to romance. He has nu- warn Eazy-E that it was a bad deal. Blinded by loyalty to Heller,
they each do their own thing. merous books on his Kindle and bookshelf at Eazy-E ignores Ice Cube, and Cube leaves the group. Dr. Dre
home. The “Art of War” by Sun Tzu is a classic. DOVROHDYHV1:$
Any movie about superheroes has to have an equal or more
powerful, iconic villain. If the villain can be cheered for in the The rest of the movie deals with the solo career of Ice Cube, Dr.
VOLJKWHVWWKHQWKHDFWRULVGRLQJDJUHDWMRE/RNLWR7KRU Dre founding Death Row Records and Eazy-E’s illness and death.
Red Skull to Captain America and so on. Dr. Doom is the ´6WUDLJKW2XWWD&RPSWRQµÁRZVZHOOIURPEHJLQQLQJWRHQG
classic villain to the “Fantastic Four” but this movie shows so
little of him and dumbs him down to the basic villain whose 8QOLNHRWKHUORQJPRYLHV,·YHZDWFKHGWLPHÁHZGXULQJWKLV
motivation is world destruction. You can’t feel anything for movie. There is so much to the lives of these characters, that it
the character because there’s nothing in depth about him. could easily have been a great, three-hour movie. This movie
ZLOOOHDYH\RXZDQWLQJWRNQRZPRUHDERXW1:$DQGWKHOLYHV
With the villain being less than average and the heroes of those “Straight Outta Compton.”
being pathetic and not working together until the last 30
minutes of the movie, this attempt falls flat on its face. The 7KLVÀOPLVUDWHG5IRUODQJXDJHWKURXJKRXWVWURQJVH[XDOLW\
climax of the movie was so short and boring it felt as though nudity, violence and drug use.
it was tacked on at the last minute.
“The story of pioneering L.A. gangsta rappers N.W.A.
,I \RX GHFLGH WR VHH LW E\ WKH HQG RI WKH PRYLH \RX MXVW (as dictated and co-produced by the now-bazillionaire
might be left with the feeling you wasted your time. My N.W.A.’ers themselves), “Straight Outta Compton” is
take-away is, don’t see this movie in a theater. Wait for the among the most potent rags-to-riches showbiz movies
1HWIOL[UHOHDVHDQGWKHQLI\RXKDYHDQKRXUDQGDKDOIWR ever made.”
kill, still don’t waste your time.
a'DYLG(GHOVWHLQ1HZ<RUN0DJD]LQH
This film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and
language.