Best of 2021

It was nice to be back in the movie theatre again. There’s something about seeing films on the big screen with a large bucket of popcorn. Even though I did watch some serious films, I found myself drawn to the fun stuff this year. The movies became pure escapism during this crappy pandemic. Some of the films on this list have shifted due to second viewings and more thoughtful reflections. Here’s my list:

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2021

1. FREE GUY
Plot: A non-playing character in a video games wants more out of life
Why: The premise was so entertaining. Even if you don’t play video games there is plenty to enjoy. You can’t help but root for Guy the entire time, he’s just that likable. It’s original idea, awesome production values, supporting cast and hilarious lines make this my favourite film of 2021.
MVP: Guy (Ryan Reynolds) – his wide-eyed wonder is beautiful
Highlight: Using a Marvel prop and its owner’s response
Full Review: Click here

2. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
Plot: Peter Parker ruins a spell that brings in villains from the multi-verse.
Why: Not only does this film perfectly wrap-up their already outstanding trilogy but manages to pay homage to the previous franchises in a love-letter to all things Spider-Man. Full of action, humour and feels, this met all my high expectations and more.
MVP: Don’t want to spoil it so you can probably guess if you’ve seen it.
Highlight: Comparing stories between villains (and the heroes)
Full Review: Click here

3. BEING THE RICARDOS
Plot: A tumultuous week behind the scenes of I Love Lucy.
Why: My love for Aaron Sorkin puts this higher on my list than most people would. His amazing writing is music to my ears. The performances of Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, JK Simmons and the rest of the cast are riveting. Throw in some fascinating behind the scenes stuff and I’m hooked.
MVP: William Fawly (JK Simmons) – full of sarcasm and helpful advice  
Highlight: Most confrontations but I’ll go with Oppenheimer and Lucy.
Full Review: Click here

4. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
Plot: A family finds they have a connection to the Ghostbusters.
Why: I appreciate a ‘reboot’ film that respects the past and bring us new characters to care about. The kids in this film are fantastic as they learn more about the Ghostbusters from the 80’s. I find the film funny, adventurous, emotional and classy. Great job Jason Reitman!
MVP: Podcast (Logan Kim) – his running commentary is hysterical
Highlight: “Are you a god?”
Full Review: Click here

5. THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Plot: A collection of whimsical stories set in a fictional French city.
Why: This is the most Wes Anderson-y of Wes Anderson films. Since I love the style of this eccentric director, this only adds to the charm of the film. The short stories are so entertaining and well written. It’s another masterpiece.
MVP: Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) – an intrepid biking reporter
Highlight: The description of the city of Ennui from a bike
Full Review: Click here

6. DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Plot: A senior student finds himself connected to a boy who kills himself.
Why: This is one of my favourite Broadway musicals. I know there are some plot issues but I still love the story and adore the songs. Ben Platt, despite his age plays the awkward Evan perfectly as he returns to his Broadway role. The songs still bring me to tears. 
MVP: Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) – so good at making himself appear small
Highlight: ‘Sincerely Me’ as it’s such a fun song amidst the sadness
Full Review: Click here

7. WEST SIDE STORY
Plot: Romeo & Juliet story but with New York City street gangs.
Why: Steven Spielberg impresses as the production value of this musical is top notch. The cinematography, costumes and acting are incredible. It would be higher on my list except I’m not a huge fan of the original musical. I like the gang stuff but the love story drags the whole things down for me.
MVP: Riff (Mike Faist) – the Jets leader is cool and conflicted
Highlight: The uses of locations, especially ‘Cool’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’
Full Review: Click here

8. TICK TICK BOOM
Plot: A young theatre composer tries to get his first musical produced.
Why: I love watching the creative process at work. This film is full of that process mixed in with interesting cinematography, flights of fancy and well-crafted musical numbers. The songs are not as memorable as West Side Story or Dear Evan Hansen though.
MVP: Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) – a compelling tortured artist
Highlight: A diner fantasy sequence with loads of Broadway stars
Full Review: Click here

9. THE SUICIDE SQUAD
Plot: A group of supervillains go on a mission to reduce jail time.
Why: I love how unpredictable the film was. Writer/director James Gunn pulls the rug from under us a few times often for some really big laughs. The characters are fun and there are some great action pieces. Sure beats the first disastrous attempt.  
MVP: Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) – weird villain with odd powers
Highlight: The aftermath of shooting up an entire village to show off
Full Review: Click here

10. DUNE
Plot: A son of a noble family realizes he is important in a spice war.
Why: This is an epic film with strong acting and visuals. Despite some needed motivation explanations, the plot is pretty understandable. It’s too bad they take themselves way too seriously. Add a bit of humour please.
MVP: Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) – warrior friend with a sense of humor
Highlight: The lighter scene between Paul and Duncan near the beginning.
Full Review: Click here

IF THIS WAS A TOP 15 LIST

11. Luca
A fun Pixar movie that seems to be part of Disney’s effort to showcase as many different cultures as possible. This time it’s Italians. Great voice cast. The villain is lacking though and too much of a Vespa advertisement.
Full Review: Click here
12. Jungle Cruise
This film was a lot more entertaining than I was expecting. The Rock is charming as always and the plot is pretty family friendly. They borrow a lot from other films which is both a good and bad thing. Predictable but fun.
Full Review: Click here
13. The Matrix Resurrections
An interesting continuation of the franchise. Lots of mirroring with the original with some added meta commentary. The film is slick when it focuses on Neo and Trinity but loses it when it gets too big for its own good.
Full Review: Click here
14. Don’t Look Up
The end of the world is coming and there is not enough panic happening. A thought-provoking commentary on how we mistrust science and only care about ourselves mixed with silly antics. An odd combo but entertaining.
Full Review: Click here
15. No Time to Die
Daniel Craig is back as Bond for the final time in this fitting conclusion. Rami Malek is creepy but could be a bit more eccentric. There’s some exciting fight scenes and beautiful locations. Could use more gadgets but still well done.
Full Review: Click here

As you’ll see below, the networks are hurting. I only have a few that are not on some streaming service or cable. The services just have the money, less restrictions and more faith in their showrunners. Just wanted to say I’m sorry if you haven’t been able to watch some of these gems. Anyway, here’s my top ten:

TOP 10 TELEVISION SHOWS OF 2021

1. TED LASSO (APPLE TV+)
Why: While some got tired of the overly optimistic series, I was riveted with the character arcs. Ted, Roy and Nate went through so much this year.
MVP: Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) – the curmudgeon you have to root for
Best Episode of 2021: Rainbow (S02E05)
Roy gives up broadcasting and helps the team in a brilliant song journey

2. MARE OF EASTTOWN (HBO)
Why: I love a good mystery where I am still trying to figure out the killer by the last episode. The unpredictability is awesome as is Kate Winslet. 
MVP: Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) – playing it real without all the airbrushness
Best Episode of 2021: Illusions (S01E05)
After finding some clues, Mare & Colin find a house with surprises in store.

3. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (HULU/DISNEY+)
Why: A murder-mystery yarn with great meta references to podcasts and ageism. These amateurs and their great chemistry is great fun.    
MVP: Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) – the eccentrically funny has-been
Best Episode of 2021: The Boy from 6B (S01E07)
An inventive episode without spoken dialogue and more clues revealed.

4. SUCCESSION (HBO)
Why: This cutthroat family just keeps getting darker. Watching this ultra-rich family implode is heartbreaking, shocking and surprisingly funny.
MVP: Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) – the youngest sibling gets the best lines
Best Episode of 2021: Chiantishire (S03E08)
A wedding in Italy leads to a bad confrontation and unfortunate dick pic.

5. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (NBC)
Why: The series winds to a close with lots of high-jinks as Jake and the squad take down criminals while balancing personal lives.
MVP: Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) – the heart of the show as the top cop
Best Episode of 2021: The Last Day (S08E09/10)
Through another heist challenge, Jake wants to make the perfect goodbye.

6. WANDAVISION (DISNEY+)
Why: Watching Wanda and Vision move through different television eras was a treat. Lots of hidden Easter eggs and brilliant TV homages. Fun stuff.
MVP: Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) – the detective trying to figure it all out
Best Episode of 2021: On a Very Special Episode… (S01E05)
Family Ties era as the kids grow too fast and Vision gets suspicious

7. HAWKEYE (DISNEY+)
Why: This Marvel adventure is a Christmas treat. Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld make a great team. Yelena adds the spice.  
MVP: Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) – tired and surprisingly funny avenger
Best Episode of 2021: Echoes (S01E03)
Escaping from a toy store and car chase, Kate helps Clint with his hearing

8. HACKS (HBO)
Why: This mixture of old and new school comedy took a bit but eventually grew on me as the relationship between the two female leads blossomed.
MVP: Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) – a fading stand-up comic with biting wit
Best Episode of 2021: New Eyes (S01E06)
Ava finally succeeds as she bonds with Deborah after plastic surgery

9. SUPERSTORE (NBC)
Why: I was late to this show but enjoyed watching this hilarious take on retail. Love that they incorporated Co-vid into their storyline this year.
MVP: Sandra (Kaliko Kauahi) – an ignored, weird yet sometimes scary employee
Best Episode of 2021: Essential (S06E01)
The store feels the effects of Co-vid as the months go by

10. THE WONDER YEARS (ABC)
Why: With Don Cheadle narrating and Dule Hill as the father, I’ve been enjoying watching these African American coming of age experiences.
MVP: Bill Williams (Dule Hill) – the jazzy yet stern patriarch of the family
Best Episodes of 2021: The Club (S01E03)
Awkward conversations abound when Dean finds some racy literature

IF THIS WAS A TOP 15 LIST

11. Dexter: New Blood (SHOWTIME)
After dropping the ball in their original series finale, it’s great to see Dexter back to his old tricks. However, he has troubles getting back in the game when he is bent on revenge instead of his rules. New blood indeed.
12. Dope/Sick (HULU/DISNEY+)
A sad but important look at the effects of Oxycotin as people get addicted and lawyers try to take down Purdue. Wonderfully acted with a strong script from Danny Strong, it’s powerful but makes you feel for those affected.
13. Dr. Death (PEACOCK/SHOWCASE)
Shockingly based on a true story, an incompetent back surgeon keeps operating with his use of charm and entitlement. Joshua Jackson gives an eye-opening performance as the titular doctor. Scary stuff.
14. Squid Game (NETFLIX)
The popularity amongst my students pulled me in. I found myself engaged in the nail-biting challenges as the numbers dwindle more and more. The other storylines didn’t grab me as much though.
15. Lego Masters (FOX)
I was impressed with the Lego building in this competition show. I enjoyed the personalities of the paired contestants as they made sometimes gravity-defying creations. Will Arnett is a bit much at times, as are the picky judges.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: 2022 TV Preview

So what’s in your Top 10 for 2021? 

Film: King Richard

 

GENRE: Biography Drama
RATING: PG-13 for some violence and strong language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 24 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Will Smith (Pursuit of Happyness; Bad Boys; I, Robot)
Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country); Saniyya Sidney (Fences)
DIRECTOR: Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men)
WRITER: Zach Baylin (upcoming Creed III)
PLOT: How tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after coaching from their father.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Heard a lot about Will Smith’s performance.

STORY STUFF: I was completely unaware of Venus and Serena’s upbringing which should not be too much of a shock as I know next to nothing about tennis. It’s a powerful story of a father’s determination to bring out the best in his children. He is full of quotable advice and a drive which can be a little too firm at times. It’s an ultra-supportive family which is refreshing to see. The tennis stuff didn’t grab me much as I’m not fan of the sport. The running time goes on a bit long.

ACTING STUFF: There are a number of awesome performances in this film. Smith gives his all as Richard Williams. His stance, his voice, his demeanor is well-crafted. I’m sure he’s getting an Oscar nom for this. Ellis holds her own as the mom, Brandy Williams. The kids are all fantastic, especially Sidney as Venus. You can see the adults they are to become while also experiencing the joy of childhood. I was also impressed with the high-energy performance of Jon Bernthal (Walking Dead, Punisher) as Coach Rick Macci. Bernthal is usually so dark and foreboding; this was a treat to see. Great stuff all around.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: Not much to say here. The production values are well done, especially when you see the real footage during the end credits. There are some nice shots as well. The ones with lots of tennis balls come to mind.

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like tennis and want to see Will Smith shine.    
UPCOMING REVIEW: Top 10 of 2021

Film: Belfast

 

GENRE: Drama
RATING: PG-13 for some violence and strong language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 38 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Caitriona Balfe (Ford v Ferrari, Outlander)
Jamie Dornan (Wild Mountain Thyme); Jude Hill (newcomer)
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Hamlet, Artemis Fowl)
WRITER: Branagh (Shakespeare adaptations for film)
PLOT: Based on a story from Branagh’s life, a young boy and his family experience the religious riots of the late 1960’s.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m assuming it’s going to get some Oscar noms.

STORY STUFF: I’m always disappointed with humanity when I see rioting and there’s a bunch of it in this movie. The storytelling for this film is solid and takes on more meaning as it is semi-autobiographical. I’m glad the running time is manageable and not some long life story. Way to keep it tight Branagh.

ACTING STUFF: I enjoyed many of the performances in this film. Balfe is excellent as the mother trying to keep her family together. Hill is adorable as Buddy with his cute accent and wide eyes to the world around him. The scene stealers though are the grandparents played by Judi Dench (Skyfall) and Ciaran Hinds (Rome, Munich). They are gold.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There is some beautiful cinematography throughout this film. The black and white works well and Branagh smartly adds colour when there are artistic performances going on. I also enjoyed the score and songs provided by Van Morrison.

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to prep for Oscars with some 1960’s Irish turmoil.   
UPCOMING REVIEW: King Richard 

Film: Don't Look Up

GENRE: Comedy Drama
RATING: R for language, some sexual content and nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 18 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Inception, The Departed)
Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games); Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!)
DIRECTOR: Adam McKay (Vice, The Big Short, Anchorman)
WRITER: McKay (Big Short, Vice, The Other Guys, SNL)
PLOT: Two astronomers need to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy the Earth.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: The impressive cast list was the draw

STORY STUFF: I kept thinking about the movie Armageddon during this film. These are the events that would happen if NASA decided to tell the public instead of sending Bruce Willis and his oil drilling team to space. McKay infuses a lot of dark humour and commentary into this apocalyptic film. There are obvious parallels to the pandemic and politics and how we get and absorb the news. It’s definitely a film that makes you think but also roll your eyes at the absurdly of their world and ours. The story moves along a good pace. The problem for me was that I didn’t feel as invested in the story as I probably could have been and maybe that’s because the film is trying to straddle the drama and comedy too much. I did love the runner about charging for free snacks. Good stuff.

ACTING STUFF: This is a stellar cast of talent and you can tell that fun is being had. It’s like summer camp. Maybe like Wet Hot American Summer camp. There is a lot of fun dialogue mixed with passionate moments. DiCaprio and Lawrence lead the cast well. Streep is a little too floopy for me. Jonah Hill (Superbad) is pretty funny with his side comments and disdain for Lawrence’s character. Mark Rylance (Dunkirk) is pretty strange as a billionaire tech CEO; he does some interesting things with his voice.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: I am not a fan of McKay’s editing choices. It seems when he gets bored, he’s put in a cutaway to some nature or a still shot or something else. I’m sure some of it has meaning but I can’t be bothered to figure it out because it’s so jarring and quick. I also hate his colourful and chunky titles at the beginning and end of the film. It looks juvenile. I did enjoy his clarification of a particular government branch.

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re up for dark humour and wanna see lots of stars  
UPCOMING REVIEW: King Richard 

Film: The King's Man

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: R for strong violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 10 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ralph Fiennes (Grand Budapest Hotel, Harry Potter)
Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans); Harris Dickinson (Maleficent 2)
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman; Kick-Ass)
WRITERS: Vaughn (X-Men: First Class); Karl Gajdusek (Oblivion)
PLOT: A group of spies work together to stop WWI.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Just a casual fan of the previous films.

STORY STUFF: The story did not grab me. The future Kingman films are light and fun with some James Bond-ish gadgets and action. This one did not have the same energy. There is a lot of exposition. Their playing around with WWI history would be more interesting to me if I knew more about that war. When it comes to the action, most of the fun stuff can be seen in the trailer. I enjoyed the Rasputin fight and the parachute scene. The rest was lagging and pretty ho-hum.

ACTING STUFF: Fiennes is his usual gentlemen self but a bit bland until he’s drunk. Rhys Ifans (Amazing Spider-Man, Notting Hill) chews all the scenery as Rasputin. You can tell that at least he’s having fun. Not much else to say when it comes to the acting in this film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The fight scenes are well choreographed and there are some fun uses of camera speed. There’s also a bizarre sword perspective that was off-putting for some reason. Costumes were dapper. I did enjoy the use of Wilfred Owen’s poem in the film but that’s because I teach it in English Literature class. Not much else to say.  

VERDICT: One and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to see the trailer on a bit of a larger scale.  
UPCOMING REVIEW: Don’t Look Up 

Film: The Matrix Resurrections

 

GENRE: Sci-Fi Action
RATING: R for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 28 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Keanu Reeves (John Wick, Speed, Point Break, Bill & Ted)
Carrie-Anne Moss (Jessica Jones, Memento); Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist)
DIRECTOR: Lana Wachowski (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas, Speed Racer)
WRITERS: Wachowski (The Matrix films, Jupiter Ascending, Bound)
David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas-novel); Aleksandar Hemon (newcomer)
PLOT: Is Neo back in The Matrix as Thomas Anderson again? Which reality is he in? Let’s follow that white rabbit again.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Expectations tempered as I disliked the sequels.

STORY STUFF: Better than I thought it would be but not as great as it could have been. The film is slick and does a great job with the ‘history repeating itself’ stuff. The variations are welcome in my opinion and there are some great callbacks and some meta comments. I thought I only had to re-watch the first one (which I did) but apparently, it references the other two sub-par sequels as well. If you haven’t seen at least the first one, you’d best avoid this film as you’ll be hella confused. What I hated about the sequels it they got too involved with Zion and too many supporting characters. This film runs into the same problem. When it’s focused on the core group with Neo and Trinity, it’s pretty awesome. As soon as they introduce a new city called Io and its inhabitants, I lost a bunch of interest. I only want to root for a very small group of well fleshed out characters. The story is full of action and great moments but it is also bogged down by lots of exposition. Luckily, they stick the landing.

ACTING STUFF: Reeves and Moss perfectly recapture their characters and keep me rooting for them. I liked the playfulness of Watchmen’s Yaha Abdul-Mateen II’s Morpheus more than the original (but I’m biased as I don’t like Laurence Fishburne much). Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) steals most of the scenes he’s in as does Jonathan Groff (Hamilton). I liked Henwick’s work as Bugs as the rest of crew aren’t given as much depth. Not a fan of Jada Pinkett Smith reviving her role but that’s more to do with the whole Zion/Io issue I have.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The visual effects and martial arts fighting is impressive but we’ve been exposed to it since 1999 so it’s not jaw dropping. There are some cool new effects though. The production design fits nicely with the previous film. When I wrote that they stuck the landing, I was referring to the visuals. The female led Brass Against’s cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Wake Up’ makes a point but does not pack the same punch.   

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five (almost four)
SEE IT IF: You enjoyed The Matrix and could tolerate its sequels.  
UPCOMING REVIEW: Don’t Look Up 

Film: Being the Ricardos

 

GENRE: Drama, Biography
RATING: R for language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 11 minutes
PLATFORM: Amazon Prime
STARRING: Nicole Kidman (Bombshell, The Hours, Lion, Moulin Rouge)
Javier Bardem (Skyfall, Dune); JK Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-Man 2)
DIRECTOR: Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7)
WRITER: Sorkin (West Wing, Social Network, A Few Good Men)
PLOT: A tumultuous week unfolds as news interferes with production of the latest I Love Lucy episode.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love Aaron Sorkin.

STORY STUFF: I was riveted. Keep in mind that I adore Sorkin’s writing and the way he approaches behind-the-scene stuff whether it be a sports channel, presidential politics, sketch show, newsroom, app creation, baseball team, platform launch or courtroom trial. In this script, Sorkin is adept and jumping back and forth between the highly dramatic one week and scenes from the past with a small mix of episode segments to boot. While the three big things that week did not happen simultaneously in real life, it is some well-crafted drama to pull the viewers along. The dialogue is fantastic, as always, with most characters getting some really great speeches for their sizzle reel. I just love listening to the word play and rhythm; it’s mesmerizing for me.

ACTING STUFF: Those who thought Debra Messing from Will & Grace should have got the Lucy role need to see this film and realize why they were wrong. Messing does a great Lucy onscreen as Lucy Ricardo but I have a very difficult time thinking she could do what Kidman was able to accomplish as Lucille Ball, which is most of the time. Ball and Ricardo were reportedly vastly different from each other. I think Kidman nails it. Bardem is charismatic and captivating as Desi; he’s a treat to watch. Simmons is also fantastic as William Fawly who played Fred Mertz. He gets some great scenes, especially with Kidman. The whole cast is amazing. Another standout for me was Tony Hale (VEEP, Arrested Development) as exec. producer Jess Oppenheimer. It was so awesome to see him angry and not the consummate goof; he also gets a great scene with Kidman near the end of the film.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: It’s what you would expect in a Sorkin film. There’s some walk and talks, interestingly lit scenes and lots of time jumps. My only note was that the studio on filming day looked too dark, but maybe that was the mood he was going for.  

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are an Aaron Sorkin fan or liked I Love Lucy.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Matrix Resurrections 

Film: Spider-Man: No Way Home

GENRE: Action
RATING: PG-13 for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 28 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Tom Holland (Avengers: Infinity War; Onward; Current War)
Zendaya (Greatest Showman; Dune); Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)
DIRECTOR: Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming & Far from Home)
WRITERS: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers (Lego Batman; Jumanji 2)
PLOT: Peter Parker gets Doctor Strange to make a spell that goes wrong and brings in villains from the multi-verse.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I had pretty high expectation for this film.  

STORY STUFF: Expectations met and then some. Such a fun movie that is full of great action pieces, humour and even a bunch of feels. The chemistry between the main cast is outstanding which then extends to the multiverse characters from the previous franchises. I am often worried when a franchise resorts to more villains to fill out their stories as they usually are the death knell to the series (see Spider-Man 3; Batman and Robin). This one manages to pull it off, but maybe that’s because we don’t need to see each of their origin stories (much like Holland’s Spider-Man didn’t feel the need to). Of course, this film will be even more enjoyable if you have seen the Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield franchises. There are a number of references that made me smile having just re-watched some of those films. There is also an early cameo that I loved because it was about time. I don’t want to give out spoilers so you’ll have to watch it quickly before someone ruins things for you. Just know that the story is awesome, the time flew by, and the ending worked.

ACTING STUFF: As I said before, the main cast have outstanding chemistry. They get to have fun but also some emotional scenes. Cumberbatch is always great to watch on screen; he has solid comic timing. As I am not sure if you know who is all this film, I’ll just say that everyone brings their ‘A’ game.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: As always, I love Michael Giacchino’s Spider-Man music – there’s just something so playful yet triumphant about it. The action sequences are very well done as I could follow the movements most of the time. I’m guessing the CG artists from Doctor Strange helped with one of the sequences, unless they do all the Marvel films. I will say that I was not a fan of Spider-Man’s new suit, it had too much gray on it – kinda looked like duct tape on the shoulder. But that’s a minor quibble. The production of this film is top notch like all Marvel movies.

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are a Spider-Man fan as it’s not for first timers
UPCOMING REVIEW: Being the Ricardos 

Film: West Side Story

 

GENRE: Musical, Drama
RATING: PG-13 for strong violence and thematic content
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 36 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, Divergent, Fault in Our Stars)
Ariana DeBose (Prom, Hamilton); Rachel Zegler (newcomer)
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Schindler’s List, Colour Purple)
WRITER: Tony Kushner (Lincoln, Munich, Angels in America)
PLOT: A Romeo & Juliet story but with New York street gangs the Sharks and the Jets.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Not my favourite musical – I like ½ the songs.  

STORY STUFF: Kushner does a great job adapting the 1957 musical. There are obvious connections to the division found in America today, but not much had to be altered, unfortunately. There is still racism, fear of cops, class warfare, street violence, etc. A noticeable departure is having Doc replaced by Rita Moreno’s Valentina, as his widowed Puerto Rican wife. I enjoyed the nod to the Oscar winning film (Moreno played Anita and is a producer on this film) and I thought it added a new layer to the adult advice for Tony. In fact, what I really appreciated was the added backstory given to Tony and Bernardo in particular. Like the original musical, I find it goes a little long and the love story drags for me.

ACTING STUFF: I’m not usually a fan of Elgort or Tony, for that matter, but I found myself enjoying his portrayal and singing voice. Zegler is captivating as Maria, as is DeBose as Anita. These women bring powerhouse performances, vocals and choreography. I am a big fan Mike Faist, who I saw play Connor in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, so I loved his take on Riff. It was odd for me to see David Alvarez as Bernardo after seeing him as such a weak character on American Rust, but he did a fantastic job. I’ll admit that I was not a fan of Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke. James is a big Broadway actor and has done some great film and TV roles but his Krupke was too comical and not enough of a threat for me to take seriously like I have in the past.

ARTISTIC STUFF: It must be difficult to try and top a record-breaking Oscar winning musical, but Spielberg goes all out for his first crack at the genre. I love his interpretations and how rich he makes this movie in theme, setting and drama. New York comes alive as the backdrop for great musical numbers and scenes. I absolutely loved using Gimble’s department store for “I Feel Pretty”. The choreography throughout is sharp and reminiscent of the original film and musical but with some great changes; I also loved the moves of “Cool” and “America”. The staging of the balcony scene was incredible with great use of the fire escape. The camera movement is epic as it sweeps through the slums. The lighting is phenomenal with its use of shadows and back lighting. This film is artistically superb and Spielberg should be proud of his accomplishment.

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like West Side Story or have never seen it before.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Spider-Man: No Way Home