The blog of Logan Tyler Smith

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “Ghost in the Shell,” a young woman named Mira Killian is in an advanced future. After her body is damaged beyond repair, she has her brain placed into a robotic body, rendering her amnesic. She now works for the government as an elite assassin, so when a terrorist with similar abilities starts attacking government agents, she goes on a mission to defeat him. However, during this mission she uncovers the truth about her human past. Ghost in the Shell sounds like (and is) one of the polarizing movies in this decade. It’s worth noting that this is a remake of an anime movie of the same name. With that in mind you don’t need to see the original to love and hate Ghost in the Shell on multiple levels. The plot seems somehow believable and ludicrous all at once. It was definitely harder to foll...

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “Logan”, former superhero Logan aka Wolverine is living in a dystopian future. Mutants are next to extinct and he spends his days hustling drugs across the border and caring for the elderly Charles Xavier aka Professor X. When a mysterious young girl comes into his life and requests to be taken to a “safe haven” for mutants, Logan learns thorny ideas about the meaning of family and brotherhood. Logan must also protect the girl from the “Reavers,” a group of sadistic hunters who experiment on mutant children. Logan quickly becomes one of the best movies of 2017 right off the bat. Comic book fans will come into the movie with high expectations and will not be disappointed by the faithful depiction of the Wolverine character. In addition to being true to the comics, the movie is shot and edi...

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “The Lego Batman Movie”, loner superhero Batman/Bruce Wayne has saved the world hundreds of times over the years. But just before he can really celebrate his most recent victory, his archenemy the Joker, unleashes an army of bad guys he has never fought before. To combat this new threat, Batman must learn age-old lessons of teamwork and brotherhood with the help of butler Alfred and newly adopted son, Dick Grayson (aka Robin). The Lego Batman Movie surprises you on a few levels; not just as a animated movie, but as an animated movie’s sequel. As a follow-up to 2014’s Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie manages to closely match the former’s unique mix of humor, pop culture references and general adventure. The pop cultural remarks are especially cheeky; name-dropping almost every Batman work...

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a dropout of the Hogwarts School and animal lover is a collector of various magical creatures. However, upon making his way to America in the 1920s, his collected creatures are released from his magic suitcase. With the help of the organization for governing magic in America, he must capture all his beasts when a strange new threat emerges. Fantastic Beasts is technically a Harry Potter movie, yet it feels like more of a spin-off. With that in mind, this movie is a delightful treat for both fans and non-fans of the franchise. The special effects are top-notch and the characters (especially Eddie Redmayne as the protagonist) are very likable (if also as outlandish as wizards can be). The special effects are not a crutch but do favorably accent the...

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “Sausage Party”, different groceries live out their days in a generic supermarket, happy to enter the “great beyond” (the area outside the supermarket). However, their adventures turns existential when it becomes clear what humans actually do to their food outside the supermarket. A sausage named Frank might be their only hope to escape their cartoonish fate. Sausage Party is just as irreverent and mature as many fans of the lead actors (ie Seth Rogen and co.) have to expect. With that latter adjective, this film is CLEARLY not for young children, regardless of how kiddish the animation may appear. The movie certainly won’t be the next best thing in cinematic history, but it certainly has it moments. This includes very funny but groan-worthy food puns. Whatever it lacks in greatness, ...

This is the segment where I talk about movies pre-2015 that may have escaped the public consciousness in recent years. I'm Logan Tyler Smith, and this is In Case You Missed It. These are my 14 favorite films, just generally: 1. E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial In “E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial”, a lonely boy named Elliot befriends a stranger from another world, dubbed “ET”. His emotions psychically bonding with the alien, Elliot and his family are changed forever in an incident involving government agents. ET makes number one on my list for many reasons, but I’ll state the most obvious ones. The film is a modern day fairy tale with a childlike sense of naiveté that actually makes you feel something. The whole point that you will see in this list from here on out is that all my movies, one way or another, make me or other people feel something. Whether it’s laughter, sadness, or disgust, a great movie should always make you feel something and that is what ET does best of all. 2....

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series. In “Captain America: Civil War”, a registration act requiring heroes to register their identities to the government splits the Avengers into two factions; one led by Iron Man supporting government oversight, the other led by Captain America who believes the safest hands are still their own. Civil War is the next best thing that the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe (or “MCU”) has to offer. When I say the “next best thing”, I truly do mean THE NEXT BEST THING! Full of acting performances at their peak in power, philosophical ideas that provoke the thought and touch the heart, and a story that’s complicated without being convoluted. The acting performances are at the peak of Captain America’s physical condition, as in they could effortlessly bench past 1200 pounds. All the actors; Chris ...