Django Unchained (2012)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Rated: R
Length: 165 min.

Django Unchained made its premiere on Christmas Day, and was the best present a movie lover could ask for. Quentin Tarantino's unique style of direction was yet again on full display on this celebrated holiday. His incorporation of multiple music genres included songs from the likes of rap superstars Rick Ross and Tupac Shakur, whom of which gave this Western a much more modern feel to it. Christoph Waltz (Dr. King Schultz), who shined as the Nazi "Jew hunter" in Inglorious Basterds, once again stole the show with his wonderful depiction of a highly intelligent, fearless bounty hunter on a mission to provide equality for all. Jamie Foxx was a great lead for the role of Django, and his transformation of character made for a very interesting plot outcome. As to be expected, Leonardo DiCaprio (Calvin Candie) played the role of the villain to the tee, and was surprisingly easy to hate, which is hard to contemplate considering the role he usually plays of the archetypal hero. The extremity of gore and violence was all too familiar in this Tarantino picture, and sometimes seemed to take things too far. The explicit racism of this film was excessive and ridiculous, but probably fairly accurate to this pre-Civil War era film. Although the bigotry and violence was a bit much, it all came together so well at its conclusion. All in all, this was the best film I've seen this year. If this film doesn't win best picture, I have no hope for humanity. Go see it as soon as possible, but be ready for a blood bath.

End of Watch (2012)

Director: David Ayer

Rated: R

Length: 109 min

From the director of Traning Day, David Ayer brings to life yet another heroic tale of two cops who roam the streets of South Central, forced to face the harsh reality of this treacherous neighborhood. Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhall) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) are partners who play off of each other extremely well, providing a colorful commentary to follow throughout the film. However, this film is not all fun and games, the people they encounter on a daily basis have nothing to lose and are ready to kill at any moment. Taylor and Zavala play the role of a young, reckless, and courageous tandem who take down the hardened criminals of the most ruthless gangs in the entire country. The reality of this film is almost too much to handle in some cases, for it presents a very gruesome depiction of how the life of a police officer can truly be. The cinematography of this film is shown mostly through a hand held camera from the first person perspective, which adds to the excitement of every scene. But this film does also convey the familial side of police life, showing the sensitive side of these hardnosed cops, which they must keep hidden behind their day jobs. This very realistic and heartfelt story is a must-see for all action junkies, and might even spark the interest of a small portion of the female audience, especially with the studly antics of Jake Gyllenhall. End of Watch.