Film: Saturday Night

 

GENRE: Bio-Comedy/Drama
RATING: R for language, sexual references, drug use
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 49 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans, Snack Shack)
Rachel Sennott (newcomer); Cory Michael Smith (Gotham, May December)
DIRECTOR: Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Up in the Air)
WRITERS: Reitman & Gil Kenan (Ghostbuster: Afterlife & Frozen Empire)
PLOT: It’s an intense 90 minutes before first Saturday Night Live.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Love SNL. Love behind the scenes. Like Reitman.

STORY STUFF: I am completely biased. (It’s in my full disclosure.) I love this stuff. I have read a lot about the beginnings of SNL. I have done loads of research. And while there are a lot of liberties taken, outright contradictions and ludicrous moments, I loved every minute of it. Reitman has said this is not a documentary. Sure, he is cramming a lot of stuff in a short, time-ticking countdown to the first taping. I forgive it because I know he is going for the chaos, emotions and tensions that go into a live show. As a theatre director, I a feel a smidge of Lorne Michaels’ feelings and this need for a live show to go on, no matter what. I will say the brick laying is a tad much but I get the metaphor. Reitman & Kenan load the script with Easter eggs of future sketches, mostly given to Dan Aykroyd. (The Colon Blow cereal is pretty premature though.) The pace of this film is electrifying and I would love to watch it again to catch more background shenanigans.

ACTING STUFF: It is hard to single out the acting performances. I am extremely impressed with the casting of this film. From big names to no names, I enjoyed everyone’s embodiment of the real people behind Saturday Night Live. Honestly, I would list practically the entire cast as standouts.         

ARTISTIC STUFF: The countdown updates are well utilized. The jazzy music underneath keeps the flow going. The filming style reminded me of Birdman without the pretentiousness of trying to do it all in one “long take”. The make-up, costumes and set design are incredible and make me feel like I’m there, back in 1975.

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You love SNL and enjoy the chaos of opening night.   
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Conclave? Red One?

Film: Joker: Folie a Deux

 

GENRE: Drama/Musical
RATING: R for strong violence and language and brief nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 18 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Gladiator, Napoleon)
Lady Gaga (A Star is Born, House of Gucci); Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges)
DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips (Joker, The Hangover, Old School, Due Date)
WRITERS: Scott Silver (The Fighter, 8 Mile) & Phillips (Old School)
PLOT: Harley Quinn inspires Arthur Fleck while he is on trial for murder.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Was pretty conflicted after seeing the trailer.

STORY STUFF: While the first Joker film was filled with dramatic contemplation and flights of fancy, there were also some good action sequences and humour. This one it pretty void of action and humour. The prison stuff is dark as it should be, but this is also a courtroom drama and with the exception of Gary Puddles on the stand, I was completely bored. I love courtroom stuff but this just didn’t work. The flights of fancy are musical numbers but they had no life to them. Give me a showstopper. I understand what Phillips was trying to do with this film but I didn’t enjoy the experience.  

ACTING STUFF: Phoenix continues the crazy and calm he brought to the first film. I thought Gaga did a good job as Lee Quinzel but I wanted more crazy from her. I enjoyed Gleeson as one of the guards, I found him captivating. I did not like Harry Lawtey (Industry) as Harvey Dent. What a boring DA. Show me some life. He’s supposed to be Two-Face eventually. Leigh Gill returning as Gary Puddles made the most of his screen time and created instant empathy for his character.        

ARTISTIC STUFF: This film is beautifully shot. It is the biggest highlight of the film for me. The images, the lighting, the movement, the colours all work in tandem to create amazing tableaux. I understand that lyrics and time period dictated the song choices but I was not a fan. Give me something bombastic. These a probably the saddest musical choices I have ever heard.   

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want a slower version of the first film.  
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Saturday Night

Film: Wolfs

 

GENRE: Crime Action
RATING: R for violent content and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes
PLATFORM: Apple TV+
STARRING: George Clooney (Ocean’s 11, Michael Clayton, Syriana)
Brad Pitt (Ocean’s 11, Fight Club, Babel); Austin Abrams (Paper Towns)
DIRECTOR: Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
WRITER: Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
PLOT: Two rival fixers need to work together to cover up an accident.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I like seeing these guys work together.

STORY STUFF: This film has a strong start. I like fixers getting information and performing a spotless clean-up (reminding me of Mr. Wolf in Pulp Fiction). Things start to unravel half way through the film where they get the real low-down and end up at a wedding reception. I am not sure what time of night this is supposed to be as there are lots of people around at some points and the streets are pretty empty around the same time. In the end, I was not too invested on how the film would conclude. That’s a problem. It’s too bad given the great beginning.

ACTING STUFF: You can tell that Clooney and Pitt just enjoy working together even if they are sniping at each other throughout. They play up their age nicely as they grunt almost every time they have to bend down or crouch. Not sure how Abrams has the energy he does in a chase scene but does a decent job acting alongside Clooney and Pitt.       

ARTISTIC STUFF: There is a fun slickness to the film that I enjoyed. Watts amps up the humour whenever he can. There’s not much else to say here.  

VERDICT: Three and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like seeing Clooney and Pitt have fun on film.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Joker: Folie a Deux

2024 Emmy Awards Recap

 

There were some genuine surprises for the 76^th Emmy Awards, I’ll get to those in a bit. Father and son duo, Eugene and Dan Levy did an admirable job hosting. Their banter was light and they kept the proceedings going. Like last year, the Emmys honored TV history with representatives from family and occupational TV archetypes. They also brought back actors for the anniversaries of Happy Days and West Wing, which was nice.

There’s not much to write about the presenters and speeches. There was a bizarre Johnny Walker Blue sponsored entrance for a couple actors that was mega-awkward. I did enjoy Candice Bergen’s comments about her old days fighting with the VP and comparing that to today. Unfortunately, her glittery dress was lighting up the bottom of her face like a flashlight during campfire horror stories. I also enjoyed the touching tribute given to Greg Berlanti (along with Joshua Jackson shaking his head while entering to the Dawson’s Creek music). Berlanti also gave a good speech as the winner of the Governor’s General Award. Okay, maybe there was a bit to write about the presenters and speeches.

The biggest shock of the night was Hacks beating The Bear for Best Comedy Series. I love The Bear but Hacks is the funnier show and was super deserving. Them beating The Bear for writing as well was surprising since The Bear episode was “Fishes” with their intense family dinner. I was so happy when some of my favourites defied odds and won against the predicted winners. Ripley and Slow Horses winning made me shout for joy. The other long shot that made me grin from ear to ear was Lamorne Morris winning for Fargo, he’s come along way from New Girl.

The couple awards that annoyed me a bit was Daily Show winning despite the fact that Jon Stewart is only on one night a week. I also thought that Liza Colon-Zayas was more deserving of her Emmy for The Bear’s next season and not season two – were the voters confused which season they were voting for?

Anyway, here were the winners:

THE WINNERS:

Drama Series: Shogun (Predicted)

Comedy Series: Hacks

Limited Series: Baby Reindeer (Predicted)

Talk Series: The Daily Show (Predicted)

Variety Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Predicted)

Lead Actor [Drama]: Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun) (Predicted)

Lead Actress [Drama]: Anna Sawai (Shogun) (Predicted)

Lead Actor [Comedy]: Jeremy Allen Shite (The Bear) (Predicted)

Lead Actress [Comedy]: Jean Smart (Hacks) (Wanted)

Lead Actor [Limited]: Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) (Predicted)

Lead Actress [Limited]: Jodie Foster (True Detective) (Predicted)

Supp. Actor [Drama]: Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) (Predicted)

Supp. Actress [Drama]: Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown) (Predicted)

Supp. Actor [Comedy]: Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Comedy]: Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)

Supp. Actor [Limited]: Lamorne Morris (Fargo) (Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Limited]: Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) (Predicted)

Directing [Drama]: Shogun – Crimson Sky (Predicted)

Directing [Comedy]: The Bear – Fishes (Predicted & Wanted)

Directing [Limited]: Ripley (Wanted)  

Writing [Drama]: Slow Horses – Negotiating with Tigers (Wanted)

Writing [Comedy]: Hacks – Bulletproof

Writing [Limited]: Baby Reindeer (Predicted)  

2024 Emmy Award Predictions

 

The Emmys are this Sunday. It’s weird because the last Emmy Awards were in January thanks to the strike. This also means a lot of changes in the nominations. The Crown is the only returning drama. I’m not expecting much surprises: The Bear for comedy (despite its clearly dramatic content), Shogun for drama and Baby Reindeer for limited series. I hope they spread the love. I’m praying for some Slow Horses and Ripley love. Anyway, here are my predictions:

Outstanding Drama Series
3 Body Problem | Fallout | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Shogun | Slow Horses | The Crown | The Gilded Age | The Morning Show
WILL WIN: Shogun (The production value is really quite high)
WANT TO WIN: Slow Horses (I have become a huge fan of this show)

Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Hacks | Only Murders in the Building | Palm Royale | Reservation Dogs | The Bear | What We Do in the Shadows
WILL WIN: The Bear (Season 2 was awesome)
WANT TO WIN: The Bear (Though it would be fun if Curb won)

Outstanding Limited Series
Baby Reindeer | Fargo | Lessons in Chemistry | Ripley | True Detective
WILL WIN: Baby Reindeer (Haven’t seen it but has some Emmy love)
WANT TO WIN: Ripley (Beautifully shot and acted and full of suspense)

Outstanding Talk Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live | Late Night with Seth Meyers | The Daily Show | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
WILL WIN: The Daily Show (Though Jon Stewart's only on one night a week)
WANT TO WIN: Late Night with Seth Meyers (He is the best interviewer)

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | SNL
WILL WIN: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (No surprise here)
WANT TO WIN: SNL (49 years and still a fan)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Hijack: Idris Elba | Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Donald Glover | Fallout: Walton Goggins | Slow Horses: Gary Oldman | Shogun: Hiroyuki Sanada | The Crown: Dominic West
WILL WIN: Hiroyuki Sanada (Appreciate the diversity but love Oldman)
WANT TO WIN: Gary Oldman (His character is gross, smart and fun to watch)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
The Morning Show: Jennifer Aniston | The Gilded Age: Carrie Coon | Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Maya Erskine | Shogun: Anna Sawai | The Crown: Imelda Staunton | The Morning Show: Reese Witherspoon
WILL WIN: Anna Sawai (From what I saw, she was pretty good)
WANT TO WIN: Imelda Staunton (I enjoyed her Queen Elizabeth)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
What We Do in the Shadows: Matt Berry | Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David | Only Murders in the Building: Steve Martin | Only Murders in the Building: Martin Short | The Bear: Jeremy Allen White | Reservation Dogs: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
WILL WIN: Jeremy Allen White (No doubt about this one again)
WANT TO WIN: Steve Martin (for his quick singing)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary: Quinta Brunson | The Bear: Ayo Edebiri | Only Murders in the Building: Selena Gomez | Loot: Maya Rudolph | Hacks: Jean Smart | Palm Royale: Kristen Wiig
WILL WIN: Ayo Edebiri (Can’t say she’s funny though)
WANT TO WIN: Jean Smart (She had a bunch of funny stuff this season)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Fellow Travelers: Matt Bomer | Baby Reindeer: Richard Gadd | Fargo: Jon Hamm | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans: Tom Hallander | Ripley: Andrew Scott
WILL WIN: Richard Gadd (I’ll be sad if Andrew Scott loses this one)
WANT TO WIN: Andrew Scott (He is quietly riveting in this limited series)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
True Detective: Jodie Foster | Lessons in Chemistry: Brie Larson | Fargo: Juno Temple | Griselda: Sofia Vegara | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans: Naomi Watts
WILL WIN: Jodie Foster (She had lots to do in this season)
WANT TO WIN: Juno Temple (She was so fiery and rocked Fargo this season)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Shogun: Tadanobu Asano | The Morning Show: Billy Crudup | The Morning Show: Mark Duplass | The Morning Show: Jon Hamm | Shogun: Takehiro Hira | Slow Horses: Jack Lowden | Slow Horses: Jonathan Pryce
WILL WIN: Billy Crudup (He just plays slimy so well)
WANT TO WIN: Jack Lowden (I like the effort he gives his character)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Gilded Age: Christine Baranski | The Morning Show: Nicole Beharie | The Crown: Elizabeth Debicki | The Morning Show: Greta Lee | The Crown: Lesley Manville | The Morning Show: Karen Pittman | The Morning Show: Holland Taylor
WILL WIN: Elizabeth Debicki (Everyone still loved Princess Di)
WANT TO WIN: Christine Baranski (She’s just fun to listen to)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
The Bear: Lionel Boyce | Hacks: Paul W. Downs | The Bear: Ebon Moss-Bachrach | Only Murders in the Building: Paul Rudd | Abbott Elementary: Tyler James Williams | SNL: Bowen Yang
WILL WIN: Ebon Moss-Bachrach (His “Forks” episode should be enough)
WANT TO WIN: Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Though I like Bowen Yang as well)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Palm Royale: Carol Burnett | The Bear: Liza Colon-Zayas | Hacks: Hannah Einbinder | Abbott Elementary: Janelle James | Abbott Elementary: Sheryl Lee Ralph | Only Murders in the Building: Meryl Streep
WILL WIN: Hannah Einbinder (She plays really well with Jean Smart)
WANT TO WIN: Hannah Einbinder (See above)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Fellow Travelers: Jonathan Bailey | The Sympathizer: Robert Downey Jr. | Baby Reindeer: Tom Goodman-Hill | True Detective: John Hawkes | Fargo: Lamorne Morris | Lessons in Chemistry: Lewis Pullman | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans: Treat Williams
WILL WIN: Robert Downey Jr. (For star power)
WANT TO WIN: Lamorne Morris (I loved his honest cop)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Ripley: Dakota Fanning | Under the Bridge: Lily Gladstone | Baby Reindeer: Jessica Gunning | Lessons in Chemistry: Aja Naomi King | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans: Diana Lane | Baby Reindeer: Nava Mau | True Detective: Kali Reis
WILL WIN: Jessica Gunning (She is pretty disturbing to watch)
WANT TO WIN: Kali Reis (She was pretty good in True Detective)

Directing for a Drama Series
Mr. & Mrs. Smith • First Date | Shogun • Crimson Sky | Slow Horses • Strange Games | The Crown • Sleep, Dearie Sleep | The Morning Show • The Overview Effect | Winning Time • Beat L.A.
WILL WIN: Shogun-Crimson Sky (There is a lot of love for this show)
WANT TO WIN: Slow Horses-Strange Games (Though the next episode is more exciting)

Directing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary • Party | Hacks • Bulletproof | The Bear • Fishes | The Bear • Honeydew | The Gentlemen • Refined Aggression | The Ms. Pat Show  • I’m the Pappy
WILL WIN: The Bear-Fishes (These one seems like another hands down win)
WANT TO WIN: The Bear-Fishes (This intense episode never lets up)

Directing for a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie
Baby Reindeer • Episode 4 | Fargo • The Tragedy of the Commons | Feud: Capote vs The Swans • Pilot | Lessons in Chemistry • Poirot | Ripley | True Detective: Night Country
WILL WIN: Baby Reindeer- Episode 4 (It well shot but very disturbing)
WANT TO WIN: Ripley (This series is just so well made)

Writing for a Drama Series
Fallout • The End | Mr. & Mrs. Smith • First Date | Shogun • Anjin | Shogun • Crimson Sky | Slow Horses • Negotiating with Tigers | The Crown • The Ritz
WILL WIN: Shogun-Crimson Sky (They are highly favoured)
WANT TO WIN: Slow Horses-Negotiating with Tigers (Great dialogue)

Writing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary • Career Day | Girls5eva • Orlando | The Bear • Fishes | Hacks • Bulletproof | The Other Two • Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good | What We Do in the Shadows • Pride Parade
WILL WIN: The Bear-Fishes (Another easy win)
WANT TO WIN: The Bear-Fishes (Lots of fun overlapping dialogue)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special
Baby Reindeer | Black Mirror • Joan is Awful | Fargo • The Tragedy of the Commons | Fellow Travelers • You’re Wonderful | Ripley | True Detective • Part 6
WILL WIN: Baby Reindeer (It’s the Beef of this year)
WANT TO WIN: Ripley (Love myself an artistic suspense)

Let’s see how I do. I’ll post after the Emmys with the results and commentary. 

Film: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

 

GENRE: Dark Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for violent content and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 45 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatres
STARRING: Michael Keaton (Batman, Birdman, Spotlight, Beetlejuice)
Winona Ryder (Little Women); Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI)
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Beetlejuice)
WRITERS: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Shanghai Noon, Smallville)
PLOT: The Deetz family returns for a funeral but end up needing Beetlejuice after a family member makes an uninformed choice.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Usually apprehensive of legacy sequels.

STORY STUFF: That was a mixed bag. There are some very fun parts of this film but way too many plot threads. The stuff with Beetlejuice is awesome and the Deetz family stuff is okay, although Justin Theroux is to hammy. Willem Dafoe’s actor cop is completely unnecessary as is Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s ex-wife who is trying to track him down. There are some nice callbacks to the first one along with a rousing musical number near the end. I do miss the Harry Belafonte tunes though. There is a snippet of an eighties ballad lip-synch that made me laugh out loud in the theatre. I also was thankful that the film was short and sweet being under two hours – how refreshing.    

ACTING STUFF: Keaton commands the screen once again as Beetlejuice – he brings the energy, the sounds, the voice and grossness. Ortega is along to pull in the younger viewers but does a great job as Lydia’s daughter. Catherine O’Hara falls back into her role seamlessly but Ryder is a little clunky at times but that could be because she’s with Theroux who I found annoying. The shrunken head people are fun but the stand out is Bob.       

ARTISTIC STUFF: Because Jeffrey Jones is behind bars, they kill off his character early and tell the story of his death using Claymation. Then they have the top half of his body missing for the rest of the film – pretty clever. While I didn’t see the need for Monica Bellucci’s role, I did enjoy the special effects of stapling her back together as she gets introduced. I was surprised the exposed brain of Dafoe’s character was not more grotesque; it just looked really fake, like they didn’t care. There are some odd song choices in the film that are very un-Burton like. Also, I get the gimmick of the Soul Train but are there this many disco nuts dying or do they just keep filling the platform and train on repeat? I guess I’m not supposed to think about that though.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You liked the original and are up for a legacy sequel
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Wolfs, Joker: Folie a Deux

Film: Reagan

 

GENRE: Bio-Pic
RATING: PG for minimal violence and smoking
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 15 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatres
STARRING: Dennis Quaid (Any Given Sunday, In Good Company)
Penelope Ann Miller (Kindergarten Cop); Mark Moses (Mad Men)
DIRECTOR: Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer)
WRITER: Howard Klausner (Space Cowboys)
PLOT: The life of Ronal Reagan.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Grew up with Reagan as president.

STORY STUFF: Oof! That was rough. Played more like a TV-movie than theatrical film. There is an awful frame story of a present day comrade asking an aging Jon Voight why the Soviet Union collapsed. He could have just said ‘Reagan’ and been done with it but instead gives this young guy a way too long biographical accounting of the 40^th president. Except for the actual clever lines spoken by Reagan in debates and other press conferences, the rest is garbage. Nancy Reagan is apparently the most supportive wife on the face of the planet as expressed in her cheesy affirmations. I like some of the recreations of moments in history but it just doesn’t have the gravitas needed for a theatrical release.

ACTING STUFF: The only saving grace of Reagan is Dennis Quaid. I appreciated his performance. His voice is close enough without being too cartoonish. He has a twinkle in his eye that I thought worked. Everyone else is painful to watch. Wonder Years dad, Dan Lauria as Tip O’Neill? No, thanks. Entourage’s Johnny Drama, Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner? Laughable. Hercules’ Kevin Sorbo as a baptizing reverend? What? Lesley-Anne Down is terrible as Margaret Thatcher. I’ll admit I have a soft spot for Xander Berkeley, who always plays spineless leaders on TV shows, as George Schultz.      

ARTISTIC STUFF: The de-aging of Quaid looks pretty good. The de-aging of Voight is disturbing for some reason. Maria pointed out that the jellybeans used were not decade accurate. They were more like recent Jelly Bellys instead of old school beans. The soundtrack to the film is pretty lame. There’s a final horse riding scene that almost seemed Titanic-like with its ethereal music send-off accompanied by tearful Nancy and secret service. Just awful.

VERDICT: One stars out of five (for Quaid)
SEE IT IF: You’re unable to wait to waste time watching it on a streamer
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

Film: Deadpool & Wolverine

 

GENRE: Action Adventure Comedy
RATING: R for lots of bloody violence, language and sexual references
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 7 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatres
STARRING: Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy, IF, The Adam Project, Red Notice)
Hugh Jackman (Greatest Showman, X-Men); Emma Corrin (The Crown)
DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy (Free Guy, Night at the Museum, Stranger Things)
WRITERS: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool 2); Rhett Reese (Deadpool);  
Paul Wernick (Deadpool); Zeb Wells (Robot Chicken); Shawn Levy (newcomer)
PLOT: Deadpool needs Wolverine to come out of retirement to help save the world again.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Been looking forward to this one.

STORY STUFF: With five writers attached to the film, I was hoping for a stronger story. They probably spent the majority of the time pitching one-liners and action pieces. The lines are hilarious and many are not for the faint of heart. The fight scenes are well thought out and also funny in their own disturbing way. These were the strong points of the first two Deadpools as well. Even after doing my homework and watching both seasons of Loki, I still found the Time Variance Authority stuff a little mind numbing. Also, the sad Wolverine scenes got a little long. If you are going for laughs and action you won’t be disappointed. Keep your expectations low when it comes to story though. It seems typical of this film season’s offerings unfortunately.

ACTING STUFF: Reynolds is a Marvel Messiah. He nails the character, of course. His meta references and talks to camera are always a welcome symphony of humour. Jackman has a lot of fun getting angry at Reynolds and is also a treat. Corrin’s villain is just okay. Matthew Macfayden’s (Succession) TVA guy also didn’t grab me like I hoped. There are a many cameos and fun reveals so I won’t spoil them for you (Avoid reading the cast list on IMDB if you can). It’s fun to see so many people having fun making a movie.        

ARTISTIC STUFF: The fights are incredibly well choreographed and gruesome. What boosts them several notches higher are the music choices that accompany them. I love all the sound and music in this film. There are also a bunch of Easter Eggs you can see in the background of Void terrain.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the first two Deadpools and want to laugh more.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Trap; The Instigators

Film: Twisters

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for action and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 2 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Daisy Edgar Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing)
Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick); Anthony Ramos (In the Heights)
DIRECTOR: Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
WRITER: Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, The Boys in the Boat)
PLOT: A tornado chaser returns to Oklahoma to work with a new team  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Liked the original, was skeptical about this one.

STORY STUFF: Not sure you could call this a sequel. The only real references to the original is the use of Dorothy for a couple minutes, the location and the title font. I guess the plot is similar with different people chasing tornadoes, a traumatic experience, movie theatres and Ram trucks. While some poor choices are made along with lame mansplaining, the plot is decent and the tornadoes are well done and there is a sense of will people die with each twister. I still don’t know why people would live in an area called Tornado Alley or why they would hold evening events when a tornado hit a town nearby, same thing happened in the original with the drive-in film. Maybe cancel these events. Also, I’m thinking if I lived in Tornado Alley, I have probably been taught what to do if a twister hits the town. I also rolled my eyes when tornado chasers would explain the effects of tornados to fellow experts; I know the audience needs the exposition but find a different way. Also, the supporting characters in the original were far more dynamic than the tag-alongs in this one, which meant I cared more about what happened to them. Those nitpicks aside, I actually found this to be a pretty decent summer blockbuster popcorn flick.

ACTING STUFF: Glen Powell uses his charm well and commands the screen. You can’t help but root for him. Edgar-Jones also gives a great performance as the tornado whisperer. She does a decent southern accent (which is why it’s odd that Powell’s character keeps calling her city girl). Ramos is too whiny and doesn’t grab me. Interesting to see David Corenswet as a jerk in this film before he dons the Superman cape in the DC reboot. I like the actress who played the mother. I didn’t know she was in this film so I won’t spoil it if you don’t know.        

ARTISTIC STUFF: The twisters are well done which is good for a film called Twisters. I like that fire was added to some of them. Not a fan of the country music. The original had Van Halen.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoy your action with a little destruction.  
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Deadpool & Wolverine

Film: Despicable Me 4

 

GENRE: Animated
RATING: PG for action and rude humour
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 34 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatres
STARRING: Steve Carell (The Office, 40-Year-Old Virgin; IF)
Kristen Wiig (SNL, Bridesmaids); Will Ferrell (SNL, Anchorman)
DIRECTORS: Chris Renaud (Despicable Me 1 & 2)
Patrick Delage (newcomer)
WRITERS: Mike White (White Lotus, School of Rock, Nacho Libre);
Ken Daurio (Secret Lives of Pets, Despicable Me 1-3, Migration)
PLOT: Gru’s family is in danger from an old school rival so they enter the witness relocation program.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved the first two films but not the third.

STORY STUFF: There is a bunch of very fun stuff in this film but there are also some flaws. I do think it is an improvement over the third film. The storyline is okay but veers off into weirdness when Gru is blackmailed to break into his former school. The main three minions are great with lots of vending machine fun. The minion bus and training are also hilarious. The ‘super’ minions do not work for me at all. Hardly a laugh; what a shame. The villain is not that great but then I have found all the franchise baddies are too over-the-top and one-note. One of my highlights of the film would have to be the cat doing Dance-Dance-Revolution – very funny.  

ACTING STUFF: All the voice acting is well done. Ferrell goes big with his accent for Maxime – which can be both fun and annoying. I enjoyed the stunt casting of Stephen Colbert as an aloof neighbor just so he could work with his Daily Show buddy. Pierre Coffin always does well rocking the minion voices. And Madison Skyy Polan as Agnes is always super adorable. Love that character.         

ARTISTIC STUFF: The animation is well done like their previous films, although Baby Gru is tempting copyright as an Incredibles Jack-Jack wannabe. Pharrell does his song stylings like usual. Nothing really new to talk about though.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the other ones.  
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Twisters

Film: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

 

GENRE: Action Comedy
RATING: R for language, violence and brief drug use
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 58 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Eddie Murphy (48 Hours, Shrek, Coming to America, SNL)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, Snowden); Taylour Paige (Hit the Floor)
DIRECTOR: Mark Molloy (newcomer)
WRITERS: Will Beall (Aquaman, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Justice League);
Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten (Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)
PLOT: Axel returns to Beverly Hills when his daughter’s life is threatened  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved the first two films but not the third.

STORY STUFF: All aboard the nostalgia train. Straight up pandering to those who loved the first two Beverly Hills Cop films. Being the intended audience, I’m fine with it. I recognize the cheapness but embrace it anyway as I get older. While I didn’t mind the family reason for Axel to return to Beverly Hills, they spent way too long on that part of the story. We get it, your daughter is mad at you. The case is okay but the imprisoned victim gets barely any screen time so I didn’t find myself caring about him all that much. It’s all about Axel reconnecting with people from his past. And again, I’m okay with that.  

ACTING STUFF: Murphy gets lots of opportunities to shine: he has some great one-liners and fast talking shenanigans. You can tell that he’s not a big runner or action star anymore. He gets to drive weird vehicles now and wreck stuff while wincing at the destruction. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton return as Rosewood and Taggart and boy, do they look old. They each get some fun stuff with Murphy. The film also brings back Paul Reiser in the thankless role of Jeffrey and Bronson Pinchot is back to ham it up like the old days. You can tell that Kevin Bacon is having fun playing the bad guy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt holds his own as the straight-laced cop forced to work with Axel. I really enjoyed Nasim Pedrad as a ditzy real estate agent. I was not a fan of Paige as Axel’s daughter – she is quite the pill. I wish they could have given her a different attitude to play.        

ARTISTIC STUFF: Talk about nostalgic – there are a number of songs from the first couple films sprinkled throughout the film like “The Heat is On”, “Shakedown” and “Neutron Dance”. A bunch of the driving scenes are reminiscent of the first action set piece. There is nothing spectacular about the action but it was still fun to watch. A funny nitpick is when Axel is shown his file and it contains production stills from the earlier films. Who took these photos? Was there a cop taking photos of Axel and Rosewood pointing their guns at bad guys at Maitland’s house? Strange.  

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You grew up with Beverly Hills Cop.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Twisters

Film: Inside Out 2

 

GENRE: Animation
RATING: PG for some thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 36 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation, SNL, The House, Sisters)
Maya Hawke (Stranger Things); Kensington Tallman (Drama Club)
DIRECTOR: Kelsey Mann (newcomer)
WRITERS: Meg LeFauve (Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Captain Marvel);
Dave Holstein (Weeds, Kidding); Kelsey Mann (The Good Dinosaur)
PLOT: Riley is now a teenager and dealing with friends and hockey.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved the first Inside Out for its sheer cleverness.

STORY STUFF: While not as good as the first one, this sequel is pretty clever and full of great stuff. Riley is now thirteen which means a few new emotions join the gang like Anxiety, Envy and Embarrassment (although I was plenty embarrassed before I was thirteen). There are a number of fun interactions when each emotion gets a chance at the helm. This film seemed to have more Riley storylines this time around. I will admit that I got a little welled up near the end of the film but Pixar is so good at the manipulation. I’m not sure if really young kids will get all the references but it sure is fun for adults who can reflect on those times. Without wanting to spoil anything, I’ll just say that my highlight was the sarcasm.

ACTING STUFF: Poehler is always great as Joy. I love that Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith (The Office) returned as Anger and Sadness. I was sad to not hear Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling doing Fear and Disgust – they were so great. Tony Hale (Veep) is okay as Fear but Liza Lapira’s Disgust doesn’t have the same edge Kaling brings. I enjoyed Hawke’s Anxiety voice. It was nice having Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) join as Envy but I didn’t feel the part was that great as I didn’t see Envy doing all that much in this story.     

ARTISTIC STUFF: I’ll credit the creativity and cleverness again. The different parts of Riley’s brain are so well thought out. The characters are wonderfully animated; Ennui’s head design is perfection and the texture of the emotions’ skin and hair is so artistically done. All the animation is incredible. I didn’t find the short post-credit sequence worth it though.

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and have seen the first one.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F