CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. VS MANNY PACQIOU"

LAST LOOKS

Finally the fight of the century between 2 of the best pound for pound fighters is finally coming to fruition. This generations thrilla in minilla will finally take place May 2nd 2015 and the world coudn't be anymore in a frenzy. For the longest it seemed as though this fight would never happen. After Pacquiao refused to take a blood test and ultimately sued Mayweather in 2009 the odds of this bout actually occuring decreased dramatically. There was also the added tension between the two as Pacquiao won fighter of the decade and Mayweather voiced his disapproval. With multiple reasons putting the fight in jeopardy, both men began to move on to other opponents and began to criticize each other publicly. This is a battle of two fighters with with different agendas. I don't think Mayweather was ducking Pacquiao contrary to popular belief I just think Mayweather wanted to wait until the opportune moment for him in order to generate the biggest pay day possible. I must say I dont know if the allure of this fight is still as vibrant as it once was a few years ago. Seeing Pacquiao get knocked out took away that cloak of invincibility he once possessed. Also with both combatants getting older many wonder if they would be able to perform the way they were capable of a few years ago. Pacquiao regained his dominance over the past year. The stars alligned one night in Miami with the two at a Heat game where they were both in the same place at the same time and they were finally able to put aside all of their differences in order to make this dream fight a reality. You have two fighters that couldn't be any more different. You have the flashy and boastful Money Mayweather against the humble and reserved Manny "Pac-man". All of these combustible elements the clash of the titans that was 6 years in the making is finally upon us. 

THE BREAK DOWN

A star studded event as celebrities from Jay-Z and Beyonce to Michael Jordan to Andre Agassi and Donald Trump have all found a way to be up close for this once in a generation affair. What a scene to have this much star power under one roof at one time. 

Jamie Foxx then sang the national anthem out of tune but his charisma more then covered up for it.

Great video package on both fighters prior to the bout I think this set the stage for people who are not casual boxing fans to get an inside glimpse of what all the hype is about and the magnitude behind this historic confrontation. 

Pacquiao is out first as he walks out with Jimmy Kimmel and takes a selfie. Simple but effective. I think Manny is business as usual as I dont really think he cares how he comes out but how well he performs. Pac man comes out to a strong ovation. The media is not even attempting to be bias as majority of them are Filipino and are expressing their admiration for Manny. During the fan vote Manny won by a considerable margin as I think it is evident that he is the fan favorite as also I think people enjoy rooting for the underdog. 

Out next is Mayweather. You have to be one bad ass fighter to look tough walking out with Justin Bieber and Burger King. Interesting Burger King would allign themselves with Mayweather with all of the controversy surrounding him but from a marketing standpoint was brilliant. Mayweather is known for having these outlandish over the top entrances and does not dissapoint here. Mayweather enters to a sea of boos but I think he really does not mind being the villian in the bout as long as he is getting paid.

Round 1-The bell rings, here we go the wait is over. Both competitors feel each other out to start. Mayweather wins first pretty convincingly Pac looks extremely frustrated. 

Round 2- Mayweather takes second Pac tries to land a bunch of offense at the end to no avail. Mayweather has great defensive tactics here. 

Round 3- Pac goes all in on a left as he knows that this is the only way he can win. Money begins holding. Another good ending for Pac as he takes round 3 with his aggressiveness

Round 4- Pac starts to get busy as he connects with a huge left. Mayweather starts to defend he nails a few jabs but not enough as Pac evens it up at 2-2

Round 5- Mayweather is back with a great combination however round goes to Pac. Floyd keeps saying "nope" as if he is not getting hit. Admitting is usually the first step 

Round 6-See round 5 

Round 7-Mayweather starts jabbing all kind of ways then Pac connects with another hard left. 
Quiet round 7 but Mayweather takes 7 for me. 

Round 8-Mayweather takes the next round as he prevents Pac from doing any major damage this is very close big connects from both guys here.

Round 9- Floyd lands and holds good at keeping Pac from doing anything in this round too.

Round 10- I'm going with Manny I think he had Mayweather in the corner for some good hits. Pac is trying to to be aggressive but cant nail the ones he needs. 

Round 11- Floyd goes in on a jab flurry. This one goes to Mayweather though. Pac is clearly frustrated as I think he is now starting to realize that this is over. 

Round 12- Last round to me goes to Mayweather nothing special in this round this fight should go to Mayweather easily.

Your winner Floyd Money Mayweather Jr. 

NOSE CANDY

Pacqiou-"I thought I won the fight"

Mayweather "Nope!" 

FINAL SCORE

And just like that, it is all over. After all of the media attention, after all of the promotion after 6 damn years that was it. Honestly I I don't think the fight was bad. It was not more than I personally expected. I do feel however the general population were disappointed because of unreal expectations wanting to see a "down goes Frazier!" Knock out moment. You know who is not disappointed? Floyd Mayweather who took home 140 million for winning this fight. At the end of the day its not about if you people want refunds because you paid to see it and I think that's good enough for the money team. "Don't fuck with the money team!" I got an indoor pool and an outdoor pool... don't get me started where is Ray J when you need him. Honestly its not about who ever won or lost because Mayweather fought a strategic plan and executed to victory. Pacquiao failed to make the necessary adjustments and was completely dominated in the second half of the bout which led to his demise. Mayweather did his job he showed up he won and he got paid. No really Mayweather got paid. So whats next? Mayweather has stated how he plans on retiring after his next fight. Things began to take a turn for the worst when Pacquiao stated he had a shoulder injury that prevented him from competing to the best of his capability. This whole thing has turned ugly now with Pac man getting hit with a major lawsuit for not saying anything about the injury prior to the fight. At this point how difficult it was to put together the initial bout, I can't imagine the formula it will take to put together a rematch. I actually enjoyed the fight. I thought it was actually very entertaining but with the aftermath Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacqiao will probably be remembered as more of a nightmare then a dream fight.



-CALEB RAVES

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "KENDRICK LAMAR-TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FAST AND FURIOUS 7"

DIRECTOR-James Wan LAST LOOKS- Racing back into theaters is Furious 7. It's incredible how one of the longest action movie sequences has been able to stay so popular over the past decade plus. It's interesting to see where the theme is going to go now as Fast and Furious seemingly made the transition from being an underground racing flick to an international heist thriller. But somehow with good story lines, fresh faces and lots of riveting entertainment the Fast Franchise looks to be back better then ever. I was really saddened to hear of the death of leading man Paul Walker as I think he was a good actor and obviously an instrumental role in the Fast and Furious movies seeing he has been involved since the very first one. He will greatly be missed. The show must go on however as I think Walker would have wanted it too. Much respect for the entire Fast and Furious crew to come together and still complete the project after such devastating news. From a storyline aspect the Fast Franchise left off in a scene from Tokyo Drift where Han died in a racing accident or so was it?? We learned at the end of Fast 6 that he was actually killed by a new character Deckard Shaw the big brother of Ethan Shaw. Wow just when you thought this anthology couldn't possibly go on any longer they always have some sort of twist that keeps us as viewers interested. That is extremely important in movies that have multiple successors not to be completely redundant. Great job by the Fast and Furious team by coming up with fresh exciting plots and character development that engages interest. Strap in! BREAKDOWN- The Fast and Furious crew are being hunted by Deckard Shaw(Jason Statham) who is out for revenge for his baby brother Owen. Toretto(Vin Diesel) and O'Conner(Paul Walker)  is then introduced to Petty (Kurt Russell) a special ops leader who offers to help the fast team obtain Deckard in exchange for helping him retrieve a female computer hacker named Ramsey. She is the creator of a device called Gods Eye, a program that can track a person using any digital device in an area who was abducted by a gang of thieves.  NOSE CANDY  "I put a hurt on him so bad his momma woulda wished she kept her legs closed"-Hobbs "Wanna know how to kill a shadow shed a little light on it"-Petty "2 things that keep a group together fear and loyalty and I don't sense a drip of fear from any of you"-Ramsey "Would you believe I knocked him out of my charm?"-Letty  "If we're going to be in a war we are going to fight it on the streets we know best" -Torreto "Thought you could leave without saying goodbye?"-Brian O'Conner STYLE POINTS-Mr. Wan thank you for figuring out why the camera was invented as the abundance of ass shots of beautiful women were well on display in this movie. No but for real I think it was great that this Fast film went back to the essence of what this film was predicated on which was underground street racing, fast cars even faster women and felt Wan did a great job of recapturing that initial look at race wars. Even though there was the only street race in the film Wan made it very spectacular. The fight scenes were excellent. I love girl fights as Rhonda Rousey and Michelle Rodriguez squared off for an epic encounter. Rousey is on her way to superstardom as I feel she has the talent that can transcend MMA. The dream fight sequence between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham was also done real well as The Rock delivered a sick rock bottom that was Wrestlemania worthy. The ending fight between Diesel and Statham was awesome with the music and usage of big sticks. Unreal. Of course the free falling out of the airplane with cars was awesome as well as the car going through the two towers was cool too. As unrealistic as a lot of the scenes that happen in this film are they are shot masterfully and are intriguing to watch.  The shot where Walker was on the bus leaning off a cliff was well done as it made the whole theater shift no exaggeration. The party in Abu Dhabi was great with the upscale attire and the girls spray painted gold. Sometimes you close your eyes and can Invision a great set and in this case I dont think the result couldn't have come out any better than they imagined it. Some other cool shots included the traumatized shot of O'Conner in the mini van. The Parkour from one of the thieves in the cellar as I feel Wan did that intentionally to win me over. Watch out for a nice zoom out shot on Paul Walker as there is a close up on his face and the camera pulls out to reveal this rugged staircase. COLD JAMS- The music during the final fight between Toretto and Shaw was something you would hear during an epic gladiator battle. Everything always sounds better with a little opera. Also "When I See You Again" was well done by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. I can predict this being the "pour out some liquor for my fallen homie" anthem for the foreseeable future. ROLE PLAY-Vin Diesel(Dominic Toretto)Always looks good in these mega action movies also I thought he was set up real good for his epic one liners. Paul Walker (Brian O'Conner) I dont know if this franchise will be the same without Walker. He always added a level headed cool swag to these films and will greatly be missed. Also good use of camera angles for Paul Walker's brothers in this film too as it must have been difficult to pull off but did an amazing job in their brothers absence. Great call by the Fast staff to allow Walker's brothers to work those scenes in his memory. Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs) Even though he was injured for majority of the film the "muscle" of the group never dissapoints when he goes attitude era Rock with how bad he is going to beat your ass quotes. Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz) very believable as far as being the bad ass tough girl but also has the ability to be vulnerable and really sweet as well. The scene where she regained her memory and professed she remembered that her and Dominic were married was incredible work. Jordana Brewster(Mia Toretto)-I think its a shame she did not get to kick some ass in this film but I liked her sentimental side as she was believable in her attempt to lure Brian away from the Fast lifestyle. Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pierce)-always adds a humerus aspect to these films as he always holds his own in huge blockbusters. Chris (Ludacris) Bridges- A multi talented guy. Bridges is not just "the token rapper" in movies. I think he has long proved he is a good actor and takes the craft very seriously. Luuudddddaaaa! Kurt Russell(Agent Petty)-Adding a veteran to a franchise like this was a good move. Russell added that voice of reason to the gang and also some wise humor. Jason Statham(Deckard Shaw) An ass kicking machine like he is in all of his movies. He came off very creepy and remorseless. We get to see Statham in movies like "The Expendables" where he holds his own very well amongst his peer. this movie is no different as Statham was perfect for the antagonist role. Money Shot- With all of the fast cars, big explosions and epic fight scenes, I'm going with the Paul Walker tribute at the end. I think that in action movies you try to steer away from scenes that are too sentimental but in this instance given the circumstances it was only fitting. The heartfelt words by Vin Diesel really hit home as he and Paul Walker recreate the ending scene from the original Fast and Furious movie as both of their cars ride off into the sunset going in separate paths. Touching.  Final Score -Whoo that was a lot of fun to watch. This is probably the best time I will have at a movie theater this year. James Wan's hands were all over this film. I thought Wan as a director did a great job of honoring the essence of the previous fast films as well as having the vision to turn it into his own. I don't care about the plot holes, entertainment wins over logic any day in my book. I don't know where the Fast Franchise could possibly go from here but the series did leave the door open as Deckard Shaw didn't die and is incarcerated. I also appreciate the fact that the Brian O'Conner character was not killed and was masterfully wrote off as he wanted to retire from the fast life and spend his time as a family man. If you're looking for pure excitement that's going to leave you on the edge of your seat you wont be disappointed. Furious 7 takes off real quick and for 2 hours never let's up!

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "WRESTLEMANIA 31"

Last Looks

I know I'm a nerd but I have always been a huge professional wrestling fan. I don't care if its fake its real to me damn it! Really I think there is a great amount of athleticism and  performance capabilities to this grappling art and I have a great deal of respect for sports entertainment. It's Wrestlemania season but for some reason it feels like Christmas in July. The special aura for the showcase of the immortals has just not been there this year. Mostly due to a lackluster build with rare appearances from part time talent who will be in main events this year has prohibited this Wrestlemania from being must see. There are matches I really want to enjoy such as Sting vs HHH and Taker vs Wyatt, but honestly up until Brock Lesnar broke the news he had signed a new contract earlier last week I wasn't excited to see the World Heavyweight Championship match. I knew it had been predetermined that Roman Reigns was winning this match since last years Wrestlemania and WWE had went all in on trying to put Reigns over and making him the next face of the company. I am a huge Reigns fan and think he has the "It Factor" but creative has not done him any favors by shoving him down our throats and writing him awful fairy tale promos. Now with the news of Lesnar's new contract it at least puts the doubt in our minds that Reigns is actually going to lose. A lot of different scenarios and I'm pretty much ready for anything at this point. Lets get Ready to Rumble!

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship
Wade Barrett vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs Daniel Bryan vs R Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Stardust

The spot fest we all thought it would be. I hope that with all of the participants going after the belt it adds some prestige to the title. Even though I wanted Bryan in the main event I think it was the right call giving him the title because I think WWE would have lost the the crowd had they not done so. Its crazy how much the reaction of Bryan dictates so much of the story lines. I think Bryan having the belt will add instant credibility to a championship that was once very prominent.
Winner- Daniel Bryan 

Style Points

Stardust's jacket

Wade Barrett bull hammering every one

Ziggler with the zig zag off the ladder

Luke Harper powerbombs Dean Ambrose through a ladder

Ziggler and Bryan headbutting each other to finish. 

Rollins vs Orton 

Good match and everything I expected from two stellar workers. Orton has been my favorite wrestler for some time now and even though I think he is a better heel he can tween and be face if needed. The only issue I had was I felt Rollins should have won. This Wrestlemania had newcomers vs veterans and I thought if one of the younger guys were to win it should have been Rollins being that he had the MITB briefcase and should be booked very strong. Still solid match between the two.
Winner-Randy Orton

Style Points 

Orton double ddt off the apron on the floor to J and J security

Rollins moonsault to the outside

Orton with a rope ddt to Rollins

Rollins attempts a curb stomp and jumps 10 feet in the air and Orton counters to an RKO 

Nose Candy

"The greats make it look easy"

Sting Vs HHH

This match stole the show and to me was the best of the night. Some may say it was too gimmicky but who cares. Thats the special aspect only sports entertainment can provide and did so to perfection. It was everything you could imagine. I marked out when DX and NWO faced off. Sometimes you just need two big names and the rest will take care of itself. I hope this is not Sting's last match because he worked at a very high rate and can still go. A classic match between two legends. I didn't like the handshake at the end because I don't think the chapter in this rivalry is over and HHH had to use the sledgehammer but outside of that this was pretty much a perfect match
Winner HHH

Style Points

Sting's awesome drum entrance 

The fact Sting didn't wear a T-shirt

HHH terminator entrance was awesome the bromance between Hunter and Arnold Schwarzenegger lately is kind of strange  

Sting with a cross body on DX from the top rope

Nwo and Dx face off

The HBK superkick was great!

Unanswered Questions
How did DX win full custody of Xpac? 

Nose Candy 

"You can go down with the ship but nobody remembers the name of the captain of the Titanic"

Backstage Promo

This was great to see. Legendary Intercontinental champs chanting yes with Daniel Bryan. This was a little cheesy but the geek in me was chanting too. Like I mentioned earlier having Bryan with the title adds instant  credibility.

Paige and Aj vs the Bella twins

Give divas a chance has sparked a change in the way the women have been booked for the past few weeks. I'm glad to see the ladies get a chance to show what they can do on the grandest stage. This was a pretty good match it was a little short but I think they told a good story in the amount of time they were given. I know the Bellas get a bad rap for just being reality show stars but they have greatly improved and Nicki I think deserves the title because of how over she has gotten as a heel and she can work a quality match. Great outing from these 4 gals!
Winners -Paige and Aj

Style Points 

Vertical suplex from the Bella twins on Paige

Paige flip off the apron

Nice black widow by Aj for the the win

Nose Candy 

"Two great individuals always beat a good team"-JBL

"The Bellas have been twins for most of their lives"- JBL

Rusev vs John Cena

Wow Lana is gorgeous. My WWE crush never looked better. Ok now that I got that out of the way very good match here. Cena does so good at performing in front of hostile crowds. Its become "cool" to sing John Cena sucks during his entrance. Cena has always been a favorite of mine and has so many high profile matches to prove he does not suck. Really great outing from him and lets not leave Rusev out as he showed up big time too and displayed he can hang with a big star in a high profile match. I agree with Cena winning even though it is a risk to ruin an up and coming star. But this will help Rusev in character development as this was the first time he was pinned and can stop utilizing the "Im the big bad evil undefeated russian" character. Now we can see what Rusev can do without those elements and gain a lot more depth. As for Cena similar to the Intercontinental title I hope he adds relevance to the US championship.
Winner-Cena.....but Rusev still has Lana so technically  he never loses. 

Style Points

Rusev on the tank

John Cena sucks being sung by the crowd 

Rusev rollover suplex 

Lets go Lana chants

Rusev jumping knee.

Rusev headbutt from top rope

Cena rope spring board to a stunner

Nose Candy

"If Rusev hates every thing about America why is he here?"

Segment: The Authority vs The Rock and Rhonda Rousey 

Nobody knew the Rock was going to be there and the place became unglued when he came out. Always glad to see the great one. Stephanie was the star of this segment because she is so great in her role as the rich princess who always gets what she wants and owns everything. Rhonda Rousey was great mainstream promotion. Very cinematic but genius because that picture of Stephanie in Rhonda's hold is going to be on the front page of every media website. This segment kind of dragged but was worth it for the press WWE is going receive.

Nose Candy

"I would say the Rock just blew the roof off this place but there is no roof" -King

"Left your balls in Stanford Connecticut" -The Rock

"That look means that Rhonda Rousey is going to reach down your throat rip out your Aretha tube
and play jump rope with it"-The Rock

Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker

That awkward moment when you have a lantern in the daytime. Bray's entrance with scarecrows didn't do much for me. Meanwhile that guy who got caught on stage during the Undertaker entrance is going to be in the unemployment line next week. Good match here I thought Bray carried this match but Taker showed up big here. Taker has that aura where you want him to win and do well. That mark comes out of you the moment he walks out.Taker proved he can still work at a high level and I hope he comes back next year.
Winner-Taker

Style Points 

Taker goes old school 

Bray slamming Taker and hitting the splash

Taker hitting the choke slam and tombstone made me feel like i was 10 years old again

Taker sit up vs the Wyatt hand stand crawl

Nose Candy

"The gunslinger still runs the town"

"I don't care why the Undertaker is back I am just glad that the
Undertaker is back"

Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar

Wow Roman took a beating. Lesnar is really stiff but Roman smiled through it. Roman has more than earned my respect as I do feel a lot of the boos and negative reaction are unwarranted. I get that he is the "chosen one" but Reigns is very talented and has that It factor. Lesnar does his normal suplex repeat sequence when Roman finally makes it interesting by fighting back and nailing a couple of spears. With both men laid out Seth Rollins decides to cash in his money in the bank briefcase and gets a pinfall on Reigns becoming the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. I love this ending. One it was unexpected for me especially with Rollins losing earlier in the night to Orton but was the first time the briefcase was ever cashed in at mania. Rollins has come so far and I think he has what it takes to be a great champ. For Lesnar I think he still is a special attraction but 2 title defenses in over 200 days is unacceptable and I believe there should always be a full time champ because that is the face of the company. Lesnar announced he had signed a new deal and think he is still is a once in a generation athlete. He also can be used as a big name to sell out a pay per view. I can't help but feel bad for Reigns but I think now he finally has the monkey off his back. But does that mean the circus has left town? I wonder if fans will finally start to rally behind Roman now that he didn't win the big one and now its safe to like him. Whatever happens I think Reigns has a bright future and will soon hold the title and become the next man in WWE for years to come. But for now that man is Seth Rollins a great match with the right outcome. The finish could not have been executed any better.
Winner-Seth Rollins

Style Points

Roman walking down to the ring with security and matrix shot of fireworks 

Lesnar being very stiff especially the clothesline to the outside

Suplex city 

The Seth Rollins cash in and celebration

Final Score 

What can I say Wrestlemania was spectacular far exceeding my expectations. I have to give credit where credit is due. From top to bottom the show was incredible. It is no wonder why the biggest show in sports entertainment has become such a global phenomenon. I know the PG era of WWE gets a bad rap for being too corny and unoriginal and plain out of touch at times. Not for this years Wrestlemania. It's shows like this that make me proud to be a mark! Vince McMahon is a genius and still has the vision to lead WWE. Much respect. Now where do we go from here? WWE really set the bar high and it will be tough to keep the momentum going but I have new found faith in WWE. They have plenty of storylines to capitalize off of such as the elevation of the US and Intercontinental titles, the give divas a chance hype, the Rhonda Rousey mainstream tie in and Rollins with the belt with an array of hungry challengers. Being a wrestling fan is very difficult at times. But it's. shows like this why you can never "count" me out as one.

-Raves

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FOCUS"

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FOCUS" Director-John Requa Last Looks- don't get it. Just 5 years ago Will Smith was a huge Box Office attraction with films like Hancock and I Am Legend. Not to mention huge successes with movies like Bad Boys, Men In Black and Independence Day in the 90's. For whatever reason once Hollywood's go to guy Will Smith just can't seem to pack theaters the way he once did lately. I have always been a big fan of Smith's as I think he has always been very entertaining and diverse. I also credit Smith for giving Hip Hop a blueprint on how to be successful outside of the genre as he has been able to transcend rap and takeover Hollywood. After "After Earth" I was ready to jump off the Will Smith bandwagon but I heard some great things about "Focus" so I decided to check this one out. Besides you can't hit home runs every time and Smith's talent is still something that can't be denied on the big screen. Breakdown- Nicky (Will Smith) is a professional con artist who takes a young upstart Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wing. After becoming romantically involved with each other Nicky decides to break things off as he feels he can no longer mix business with pleasure. After 3 years Nicky and Jess's paths become intertwined as they both are scheming to con the same man. Nose Candy Nicky- " The more you drink the more you learn."  "You have to die with the lie" "There's a science to getting people to trust you and then you move in for the kill." "I once convinced a man that a warehouse was the federal reserve" "2 kinds of people in this world hammers and nails" "Normal People Lie" Style Points-I love the New Orleans shots in this film being that I live only an hour away Its cool to see familiar places when I am watching a movie. Louisiana is rapidly becoming a go to place for shooting films and It's cool to see the Crescent City being showcased in a positive light. South America was also cool and gave this film some cool international flavor.    I'm also a sucker for bar transitioning into sex scenes. This film did a good job here interjecting Nicky and Jess's journey to the bedroom as they were still drinking at a bar. Then only focusing on the lips before a fade to black before anything got too x rated was well done. Also look out for a sick mirror shot as Jess comes through the door of a boutique. If you miss it the first time they show it twice.    The twist at the end was also cool and unexpected. Yes I do spoil on my blog and I thought it was an interesting way to introduce Nicky's dad into the movie imposing as Rafael's bodyguard. They mentioned him before I believe only once in the film and thought it was a good lesson from teacher to student the dangers of getting emotions involved when gambling for it all. Role Play Will Smith- I think he still has "It" as a leading man in a film. Ever since "6 Degrees of Separation" Smith has always had that intellectual smooth criminal vibe about him. His charisma oozes out of him and slimes all over this film. Good performance all the way around.  Margot Robbie-To be so young and be able to hold her own alongside heavyweights such as Leonardo Dicaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street" and now alongside Will Smith in this film is incredible. Even though Robbie is much younger then Smith the chemistry felt real as a young woman who was captivated by a man who was the boss of his trade then left her heartbroken after using her to obtain a huge score. To play a con artist you have to be able to switch personalities very quickly and Robbie does so convincingly. One moment she is calmly eating breakfast the next she is hysterically panicking calling for help reporting a heart attack. Also the scene where she pretends to fall for Nicky's charm only to reveal that she was faking and was no longer interested showed how much range Robbie has. It may be too early but Robbie may be the next go to leading lady in Hollywood for the next few years.  Money Shot- I'm going with the reveal where Nicky con's a rich gambler out of all his money at a football game by asking him to pick a number of any player on the field and he would have Jess pick the number of the player he picked. The look on Jess's face was priceless as she picked correctly. What was more funny was the rich mans reaction to being hustled out of huge money, praising Nicky and referring to him as his hero. I especially love the reveal afterwards of how Nicky and his team "planted" that number in the rich mans head making him vulnerable to being robbed. Final Score-I believe the Fresh Prince said it best "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble." All of the greats downfall has always been attributed to a woman. No but for real "Focus" is a story of following your heart even if you have much bigger at stake and the consequences it may bring. There were some really good scenes in this movie. The moments at the football game were really intense and even though you knew it was a con you as the viewer forgot for a split second which is always good. The film was a little short for me and could have went a little more in depth with the art of deception but made up for it by good performances and exciting twists. "Focus" keeps viewers attention throughout and just when you are on the verge of glancing away finds a way to pull you back in.

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "DRAKE-IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE"

Last Looks    If you're reading this first of all I am late. I know this project has been out for a month now but it's still so heavily played everywhere I thought I would take a stab at my first music project review. Release dates are officially played out. Consumers want their music and want it now so they are going to hack the internet to get to it as quickly as possible. Dropping a project as Drake did so suddenly is the fast track to success now a days. In a day and age where all rappers sound the same Drake goes above and beyond to be different. Drake clearly separates himself from his peers as far as talent and creativity goes. He has also gained an immense amount of popularity over the years as well. It is very rare that when you drive down the street and every passing car is playing a different cut from your project. Its gotten to the point where you look bad if you have not heard the "New Drake." So with that being said lets see how Drake's new effort "If you're reading this its too late" stacks up. The Breakdown 1. Legend- I dont mind this song starting off the album or mixtape or whater this is. Basically Drake is just touting how if he were to die today he would already be a legend reminding all of us nineties babies he has already achieved more in his life than most of us ever will... sigh. Nose candy "Money taught me spanish make it andale"  2. Energy- Drake spits fire so effortlessly over producer Boi da 1' s track about all of the enemies he has accumulated only because he is a better rapper then them. He claims they are not worth his energy but...well I guess drake didn't try too hard on this song. Nose Candy "I got niggas i gotta pretend that I like but my acting days are over so fuck them niggas for life" 3. 10 bands- Drake lets us know how much money he has now that he is a rapper and to my calculations since he already had 90 bands more then what every normal person had before he was a rapper this leaves Drake with a grand total of 627 more bands than you. Nose Candy "My ex ask me where im moving too and i say on to better things" 4. Know Yourself -A real catchy hook that will stick in your head for days. Drake talks about how he doesn't understand why people don't like him if they dont know him and narrates his early days and how he and his friends would obtain money in Toronto. 5. No Tellin -Drake raps about how great his life is and how he still doesnt believe that this is all for him. I love beats with progression Boi da 1 did his thing with this one and Drake puts on a clinic with his punchlines.  Nose Candy "Im looking in the mirror like is that really him" "My flow is on steroids i would never pass a physical" "If you're team was religious they still wouldn't cross us" "Think you are lions and tigers and bears i will put them heads on my fireplace" 6. Madonna -Another dope beat from 40 with a Genuwine "So Anxious" sample. where Drake tells a girl who he doesnt know he can make her famous as Madonna just by the fact that she is rolling with him. Then after the night is over to hurry up and get as far away from him as possible. The thing that is cool about this song is that Drake really sounds drunk so this is probably the way Drake talks to women when he is at the club.  7. 6 god -If this beat doesn't get you out of your seat and rapping lyrics in your mirror nothing will. Basically Drake tells us he is the king of Toronto for 3 minutes 8. Star 67- Drake taps into his Marvins Room phone theme. I love the fact he really did a star 69 and the beat changed for what now Drake is now becoming famous for is his ability to combine two songs into one. Im glad Drake only did this once on this project because he did that a lot on his last one. 9. Preach- Autotune lives! Another head bopping track as Party Next Door samples Henry Krinkles stay which is much better song than this. 10.Wednesday Night Interlude- Dont know why this is called an interlude since there is no skit taking place and seems like just another song on the album. But then again that maybe Drake's way of mindfucking us all to let everyone know he is smarter and from now on this is what a skit will be on rap projects. 11. Used To - Drake talks about how people love to talk about him behind his back. As Wayne comes in and takes over as he normally does with songs he does with his protege. Going all the way back to Ransom Wayne always seems to upstage Drake on tracks which is not easy to do but Wayne somehow does so effortlessly. Nose Candy  Drake -"Jewels look like i follwed a treasure map"  Wayne- "When you tell me im too famous to carry a gat i remind them of where im from" "I hot a halo over my devilhorns" "I got mind control over deebo" "Blood start shooting thats b roll" 12. 6 Man- I have no idea what is going on here Drake raps for 30 seconds about a lot of things he vows to never do then the instrumental plays for another 2 minutes Nose Candy "Im in the matrix and just took the blue pill" 13. Now and Forever -Another futuristic beat that only Drake has the guts to touch. This is my favorite track on this project because there is a deeper meaning of somewhat being trapped in your same situation and having the courage to be let free to see if you are capable of doing it on your own. Maybe I'm just playing to much into it but maybe this is Drake's way of saying deuces young money I'm doing straight OVO. 14. Company- Drake goes 2015 version of LL Cool J's I need love and opens up about how he wants a female aquantence to turn up with. Creative Force-Im still a dog cue actual dogs barking 15. You and the 6- Drake's Dear Mama joint. Drake praises his mother and Toronto for raising him as a single mother. Nose Candy "We do things people would pay to document but im not hear to give you compliments" "Never take advice that was some great advice" "I used to be made fun of because i was half black but now im not black enough" Creative Force-Drake says mama after every bar which is clever. 16. Jungle- A stand out track as Drake goes in over a mellow beat about how he hates being annoyed by women who would rather play on instagram instead of him. No but for real Drake is wondering if girls he has smashed in the past are still cool with him now that he is successful and does not want them anymore. Nose Candy "What are we supposed to do after we have done everything there is to do who is your replacement" 17. 6pm in New York- Drakes latest installment of a specific time in a certain city killing a freestyle. I love theese! Drake doesn't dissapoint with 4 minutes of freestyling hard over this unique boi da 1 beat. Nose Candy "My career is like a how to manual"  "Being number two means your the first to lose" The Verdict    Drake's creativity when it comes to song making is unparalleled. I think while so many are content with just putting out a project just to stay relevant or to please their label, Drake takes it personal as I like to call it. He is not satisfied with just putting out an album he wants to transcend music and change the culture of hip hop. I might have to give it a few more listens but this may be his best album. Making it a rare accomplishment to do in rap having every project be better then its predecessor. "The Six's Son" came through with an innovative sound and diverse subject matter to keep everybody vibing.

Caleb Raves Reviews "American Sniper"

American Sniper

Director-Clint Eastwood

Last Looks:
    American Sniper is the real life story of Navy Seal and War hero Chris Kyle through his four stints fighting in the war in Iraq. After the trial finally concluded on the death of Chris Kyle I was happy for the family getting some kind of closure. I know there is no replacement for a fallen son, brother, husband , father war hero etc. I was just glad justice had been served. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kyle family. I also hope this experience opens up eyes on post war psychological disorders and encourages more to help veterans regain there stability and find a place in society.

The Breakdown:
   American sniper begins with Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) behind the scope of a gun when a woman and a child come into his vision. The woman hands the kid a grenade so Chris releases a shot and as soon as he does we cut to a young Chris Kyle and his father hunting a deer. Chris's dad stresses to him and his brother the difference between sheep, wolves and sheepdogs while inserting shots of Chris sticking up for his little brother in a playground fight. This is when Chris is instilled with the value of only using violence only when it is necessary.
   We cut to an older Chris and his little brother performing as bull riding cowboys. When they make it back home Chris encounters his girlfriend having sex with another man. Chris immediately beats the guy up and kicks him out of the house. His girlfriend claims she only cheated to get attention and she is kicked out of the house also. Chris realizes his life as being a cowboy is going nowhere. He begins watching the news of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings and it inspires him to become a Navy Seal. Chris goes through intense military training. Meanwhile at a bar Chris meets his soon to be wife Taya (Sienna Miller) and after a drinking game they begin dating. The more Chris and Taya get closer the more Chris's shooting ability begins to increase. Chris and Taya wake up one morning to watching the horrific events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chris knows he is going to have to go to war and decides that he and Taya should get married so they wed shortly after. Chris then begins begins his first tour of Iraq. We cut back to the first scene of the film where Chris sees the woman hand a grenade to the kid. Chris shoots the kid and the woman dead. We now learn that this marks Chris's first two kills and the woman and child were attacking U.S. Marines. Chris then becomes more comfortable being a sniper. It is starting to become apparent that Chris is killing more then all of the other snipers combined. While talking to Taya over the phone who is now pregnant, Chris begins to comfort her and downplay the fact he is killing people. Chris is finally told that his next target is the leader of al quaeda Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Chris and a team of Seals infiltrate a man that has insight on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's right hand man nicknamed the butcher. While riding through Iraq Chris while on the phone with Taya is attacked she begins freaking out.
   Chris goes back home and tries to get reacclimatized with society and with his wife who is almost due now. Taya begins to worry about Chris and his behavior. Chris wont talk about anything that happened in Iraq. Chris is starting to feel bad because even though he feels the obligation to his wife and his newborn son that he needs to be in Iraq serving his country and finishing the job he started. He feels the world carries on as if there is not a war going on. Chris goes back to Iraq for his second tour and begins his mission to find the butcher again. Cut to Chris after a few years with his son who is now a toddler. Chris is approached by a guy whose life he saved. While at a tire shop every loud noise begins to trigger an emotional response. Chris has another baby this time a girl. While watching his daughter in the newborn room Chris notices the nurses are not tending to his daughter who is crying and this makes Chris extremely upset. Taya tells Chris she feels alone because he is there physically but not mentally. She begins to tell him that the war is changing him. Chris goes back to Iraq for his third stint where his car is attacked again. The butcher shoots one of his seal members injuring him and killing another. The Seal team decides to regroup. While Chris and Taya lay in bed she finally asks him why does he do this. She is starting to unravel and lets him know that if he goes back to Iraq that her and the kids wont be there when he gets back. A shaken Chris goes back to Iraq for his fourth tour. He calls his wife just to hear her voice and to tell his kids that he loves them. Chris knows the butcher is close and knows this is his time to strike however his comrades inform Chris he needs to stand down because they are not well equipped for a battle but Chris feels he has the kill and goes for it. Chris kills the butcher but it gives away his teams cover and they are immediately attacked.  In an intense shootout the Seal crew looks outnumbered. Chris calls his wife and tells her that he is ready to come home. The crew is then rescued by a manufactured sandstorm and Chris returns home for good.
   Chris sits in front of a blank television screen but all he hears is the shootouts of war in Iraq and helicopters instead of his kids playing. Chris sees a dog taking down his son and Chris immediately tries to kill the dog until he is stopped by his wife. Taya sets Chris up with a psychiatrist. Chris had spent over 1000 days and had over 160 kills while in Iraq. Chris justifies his killing because he was saving his US soldiers and protecting the country he loves. Chris is inspired to help a group of wounded veterans and begins to learn to appreciate life after Iraq and how to live life to its fullest again. Chris and his family move to a new house. Chris begins to regain his normality and plays with his kids regularly now. He teaches his son how to hunt. Chris and his wife also regain their intimacy where Taya tells Chris she is happy to have her husband back. Chris tells Taya that he is going to the shooting range with some of the wounded veterans. The film ends informing us that Chris is killed later on that day.



Nose candy:

1. " 3 types of people sheep wolves and sheepdogs" -Wayne Kyle

2. Basically every line in the Navy Seal training scene

3. " Im making memories by myself with no one to share them with even when you are here you are not here. I see you feel you but you are not here." -Taya Kyle

4. "The thing that haunts me the most are all the guys I couldn't save."

    " Im coming home." -Chris Kyle


 Performances:
    Sienna Mille-Normally the wife in these movies gets the reputation of she was only the housewife. I beg to differ Mille had an incredible transformation from the sassy young girl taking shots at the bar to the nuturing mother who was an emotional wreck trying to get her husband to return back to normality. She showed great range and had remarkable performance.

 Bradley Cooper- Hands down this was the best Bradley Cooper performance I have ever seen. I think everyone knows he is a comedic genius from movies such as Wedding Crashers and The Hangover franchise. Even though I know this was not his first, American Sniper was the first ever dramatic role Ive seen him in and he was brilliant. From the party going cowboy to the courageous war hero to the traumatized veteran to the loving family man. Cooper transitioned through out this film very well. The scene when Cooper was in the delivery room going irate at the nurses failing to tend to his daughter was incredible. Cooper's best actor nomination at the Academy Awards was well deserved. The Kyle family should be proud.


Style Points:
    I thought American Sniper was very well shot. I enjoyed the through the scope shots as one of the biggest unfair criticisms of this film was that this movie glorified Chris Kyle killing women and children. But this shot explained the harsh realities of war and put you in Kyle's position. It's not that Kyle wanted to kill he was put in the situation to save his fellow soldiers as well as protect his country. Even though I never experienced military training, I think those shots were done well as it showed all Kyle had to go through  just to be a sniper. The catch up method was cool. Aside-There is probably some real good film term for just the "catch up" method but this is when the film begins with a scene from the movie then reverts back to an initial point then revisits that scene at some later point in the movie. I thought that was significant because we saw the relevance of that first scene as that was what marked Kyle's first two kills. I thought another cool shot was when one of Kyle's fellow soldiers was shot so Kyle put him in the back of the trunk and the next few minutes was in the dark as the car rode trying to escape a violent war zone.
    In any movie where there is a lot of shooting and explosions, it is easy for directors to overdue it with special effects but I thought it was good that there was not much  through out the this film until Kyle's shot that killed the Butcher. The way the shot was slowed down as it maneuvered through the air until it finally landed made that moment stand out so much more as finally Kyle's mission was complete. Even though it was kind of hard to see and keep up with all of the action the sandstorm rescue scene provided a lot of chaos and suspense. It kept me as a viewer interested as I forgot I was watching a movie for a split second and was beginning to think was the navy seal team even going to make it out alive. The overhead bedroom shots with Kyle and Taya were good too as the couple poured out their true feelings towards each other. Also one of my favorite shots was the scene when Kyle came home for good and  he was sitting in his living room in front of the blank television screen with his kids playing so loudly behind him but all Kyle could hear was gunshots and helicopters. I was literally looking around the theatre like is anyone else watching what I am watching? Really what better way to showcase how traumatized Kyle was after his journey. Finally the original footage of Kyle's funeral was well inserted to end the film. I think it is always good to remind us as viewers the impact or legacy Kyle left behind by providing real footage of all the support and commemoration.

The Verdict:
   American Sniper is a great portrayel of War Hero Chris Kyle. I think Clint Eastwood did a great job bringing this story to life which is not always the easiest thing to do from adaptions from books. The thing I like about this film was that it was more then just a war film. It is about family and also the struggles veterans face when they return to society. I think one thing great movies do is  make you change views on things or make you realize something that you may have never noticed. I had that revelation in a scene when Kyle returned home from his first stint in Iraq where Kyle was claiming as if the whole world continues on as if there is not a war going on and he had trouble adjusting to life because he felt that his purpose was defending his country. I think so many times society me included take our military so much for granted. No that they are looking for a pat on the back or brownie points for every little thing but they are not shown nearlllyyy enough grattitude and respect for their effort. I would like to thank all of the armed forces for everything they do to protect me and my family as well as this country. If you are looking for a film that is action packed with great acting performances as well as some sentimental moments this film definitely does not disappoint.