Film: Zombieland-Double Tap

GENRE: Action, Comedy, Horror

RATING: R for bloody violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 39 minutes

STARRING: Woody Harrelson (Hunger Games, True Detective)

Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network), Emma Stone (Easy A, La La Land)

DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, 30 Minutes or Less, Venom)

WRITERS: Dave Callaham (The Expendables, Wonder Woman 1984)

Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool, Deadpool 2)

PLOT: The four survivors are restless as they face evolved zombies and more survivors.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Enjoyed the first Zombieland.

STORY STUFF: A fun time at the movies. Ten years later and they didn’t miss a beat. This sequel has the same high energy, dark humour, rule graphics, body count and quirky characters. Unfortunately, it also has a slim storyline. It’s a simple plot but that’s okay; it’s not trying to be more than it is. Loved the references to Uber and Walking Dead. Fun stuff.

ACTING STUFF: The four leads fall nicely back into their characters. We see a little less of Abigail Breslin this time around but that’s fine by me. Love the addition of Zoey Deutch (The Politician) as the ditzy newcomer. I thought I would tire of her character but she practically stole the show for me. She was fantastic.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: Still love the text graphics and slow motion that are liberally used throughout the film. I also enjoyed many of the props used by the characters and in the background. Three cheers for the prop master and set dressers.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the first one or like zombie stuff

UPCOMING REVIEWS: The Current War, Terminator: Dark Fate

Film: El Camino

GENRE: Drama

RATING: TV-MA for violence and brief strong language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 2 minutes

STARRING: Aaron Paul (Need for Speed, The Path, Exodus)

Jesse Plemons (Game Night), Robert Forester (Jackie Brown)

DIRECTOR: Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul)

WRITER: Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, The X-Files)

PLOT: A Breaking Bad epilogue featuring Jesse on the run after trying to start a new life.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved Breaking Bad.

STORY STUFF: While I don’t believe this chapter was completely necessary (as the finale was phenomenal), it was fun to get reacquainted with these characters. As we got closure on Walter White in the series, it was nice to see Jesse get some closure as well. The story plays out like an extended Breaking Bad episode with its deliberate pace, fun twists, ramped up emotions and tragic consequences.

ACTING STUFF: Aaron Paul deserves another Emmy. His performance is heart-breaking and powerful. Watching him work through his trauma and devising a masterplan is compelling. I’ll try not spoil things with all the cameos but they all give solid performances as well. Especially loved Charles Baker and Matt Jones as Skinny Pete and Badger. They are the ultimate loyal friends.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The film is beautifully shot and edited. The look fits perfectly with the Breaking Bad style. Nothing over-reaching here. As it should be.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: And only if you’ve seen ALL of Breaking Bad

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Zombieland 2: Double Tap

Film: Gemini Man

GENRE: Action, Drama

RATING: PG-13 for violence and brief strong language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 57 minutes

STARRING: Will Smith (Bad Boys, I,Robot, Men in Black, Aladdin)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo-TV), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange)

DIRECTOR: Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

WRITERS: David Benioff (Game of Thrones), Billy Ray (Hunger Games),

Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After, Jack the Giant Slayer)

PLOT: A retiring hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Liked the idea but not the trailer so much.

STORY STUFF: While the initial premise is interesting the execution was awful. The plot is pretty weak, the dialogue is stiff and the ‘twists’ are predictable. I found it amazing that the older hitman knew of the Gemini project but didn’t occur to him that it might involve cloning. Gemini is the sign for twins. That’s like being surprised that a company called Espionage Inc. is doing surveillance on you.  

ACTING STUFF: The acting is okay. Smith gives a couple good performances but is not given much to work with. Clive Owen (Inside Man) is the villain but is wasted in this film. I liked Winstead. She reminds me of Cobie Smulders (HIMYM, Stumptown) for some reason.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I will concede that there are a couple fun action sequences in this film. There’s a motorcycle chase that starts all Mission: Impossibly but ends kind of silly by overusing the bike.  

VERDICT: One and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You really, really like Will Smith.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Zombieland 2: Double Tap

Film: Joker

GENRE: Drama

RATING: R for strong violence, language, disturbing behaviour
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 1 minute

STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Her, Gladiator)

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Deadpool 2)

DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Starsky & Hutch)

WRITERS: Phillips (Old School) & Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter)

PLOT: Arthur Fleck get pushed too far and slowly become Joker.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was apprehensive after the trailer.

STORY STUFF: It’s a slow burn but Arthur’s decent into madness is very effective. It’s hard to watch at times. The whole thing reminded me of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. If you go in expecting a DC version of a Marvel origin story, you’ll be sorely disappointed. This is the definition of gritty. It’s a lot darker than Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. The story is interesting and gives some solid foundation to the Joker’s backstory.

ACTING STUFF: Phoenix is phenomenal. His commitment to the role is impressive. His constant laugh is creepy as hell. Comparing his Joker interpretation to Heath Ledger’s is like apples and oranges as there are stark thematic differences. Phoenix is less manic and more internally disturbed. His thin frame is haunting and looks dangerous. The other actors all give solid performances but Phoenix (who is on screen pretty much the entire time) is the reason to watch.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some beautiful shots throughout. It’s raw but consistent. The film doesn’t have a large body count, but the violent scenes are hard to watch at times. Their use of the songs ‘Smile’ and ‘That’s Life’ are heavy handed.  

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You want a gritty tale of madness (Not for young viewers)

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Gemini Man