Film: Killers of the Flower Moon

 

GENRE: Crime Drama
RATING: R for violence, language and grisly images
RUNTIME: 3 hours and 26 minutes
PLATFORM: Download
STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio (Wolf of Wall Street, Inception, Titanic)
Robert DeNiro (Goodfellas, Casino, Heat), Lily Gladstone (Billions)
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Wolf of Wall Street)
WRITER: Eric Roth (Dune, Forrest Gump) & Scorsese (Casino, Goodfellas)
PLOT: Osage people being murdered when oil is discovered on their land.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The runtime was a concern.

STORY STUFF: While I found the story interesting, the way it is drawn out left me bored. Once it gets to the court case, we don’t need another rehashing of what just happened. I love a good courtroom drama. Why not set it in the interrogation rooms and the courtroom and have the story told with people weaving their tales and then flashbacks telling us what really happened. I actually enjoyed the radio drama at the end just because it was so different. Funny how they wrapped up a big chunk of story in such a small amount of time. How novel. Oh, and I’m glad that diabetes has better medicine nowadays.

ACTING STUFF: Not a fan of DiCaprio’s character in this film. He plays it well but I’m not rooting for him. I like how a critic compared his Ernest to Henry Hill just more of a victim. De Niro is compelling as Scorsese always get great stuff out of him. Gladstone was also captivating but got tiresome when her health deteriorates. In supporting roles I really enjoyed Louis Cancelmi (Billions) and Ty Mitchell.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some really cool shots. Scorsese knows how to fill a screen with interesting cinematography. Not much else stood out to me.  

VERDICT: Three stars out of five (out of respect)
SEE IT IF: You have 3½ hours to spare and enjoy Scorsese films
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Please Don’t Destroy; Wonka

Film: Napoleon

 

GENRE: Bio-Drama
RATING: R for strong violence, sexual content, brief language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 38 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Gladiator, Joker, Her)
Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission: Impossible - Fallout)
DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Bladerunner, The Martian)
WRITER: David Scarpa (The Last Castle, All the Money in the World)
PLOT: The rise and fall of Napoleon with a focus on his battles, wife & politics

FULL DISCLOSURE: I don’t know much about history.

STORY STUFF: I’d say I liked almost two-thirds of the film. The battle scenes were very well done and what kept me the most invested. The relationship between Napoleon and Josephine was strange and full of horniness. The political stuff was boring and made the story drag a number of times. It could be that I know nothing about French Revolution stuff so maybe it was just over my head. Like the man, this film tried to conquer too much. Also, what happened to Josephine’s children from her previous marriage? They just disappeared.

ACTING STUFF: Phoenix plays Napoleon well, especially when he’s having fun (the line about the boats made me laugh out loud). The warped relationship he has with Josephine is at times humorous but also melancholic. The battle scenes show him as a cunning strategist but also he’s sleeping while standing up. I know Phoenix usually plays psychological characters who don’t talk much but it’s not always fun to watch. Kirby plays Josephine more modern and more like Marie Antoinette than I expected. No one else in the cast really stood out to me.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Like I said before, the battle scenes are incredible. The Battle of Austerlitz has amazing shots full of underwater mayhem. The look is very epic in nature which makes the movie theatre a good place to see the film. The ending has a graphic of how many people died in Napoleon’s battles. Not sure what point was trying to be made. How many died on the other side? Am I supposed to not like Napoleon because a bunch people died in a war? Felt odd to end that way. I’m a geek and enjoyed the font choice.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are into epic histories and have time on your hands
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Please Don’t Destroy; Wonka

Film: Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

 

GENRE: Adventure Drama
RATING: PG-13 for strong violence content
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 37 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods)
Tom Blyth (newcomer); Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Asteroid City)
DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence (Catching Fire, Mockingjay, Slave 4 U)
WRITERS: Michael Lesslie (Assassin’s Creed)
Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3, The Force Awakens)
PLOT: It’s the 10^th Annual Hunger Games and Snow is tasked to be a mentor to a strong female from District 12.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Read and enjoyed the novel.

STORY STUFF: This is an interesting backstory for Snow. I found myself rooting for him some of the time. The pre-Hunger Games prep is always interesting with a number of different strategies at play. The actual Hunger Games is well done in its constricted arena with Snow on the outside. The last third of the film (like the novel) gets boring quick. The excitement is lost as they have to show Snow slowly transitioning to someone darker. I would have rather seen some political maneuvering instead of rebel stuff. A great first two thirds though.

ACTING STUFF: Blyth plays Snow well at the capitol. He looks like someone who would eventually become Donald Sutherland. I liked watching him figure things out for personal gain but also for the girl. Zegler is wonderful as Lucy Gray Baird. She has a beautiful voice and is full of energy and life. I hate Viola Davis. I just don’t like her in films. Even though I’m not supposed to like her, I’d rather someone else play the part. Peter Dinklage isn’t given much to do but be a pissy Tyrion Lannister. The real standout is Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman. Every line out of his mouth is gold. You can tell he is having fun and that allows us to have fun. His comment on the drones is great and his mantra “See what happens when you do stuff?” made me laugh out loud. I still smile thinking about it.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The look of the film matches the high production value of the other Hunger Games films. The big fail however is Snow sporting a close shaved haircut, white shirt and blue jeans. Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? What were the costumers thinking? I half expected Snow to do a rap battle or something. What a shame, especially as most of the other costumes look great, like Lucy Gray’s dress.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like The Hunger Games trilogy.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Napoleon, Please Don’t Destroy film

Film: The Killer

 

GENRE: Crime Thriller
RATING: R for strong violence, language, and brief sexuality
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 58 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Alien: Covenant)
Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick); Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
DIRECTOR: David Fincher (Social Network, Zodiac, Fight Club)
WRITER: Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven, Sleepy Hollow, 8MM)
PLOT: A paid assassin needs to travel and tie up loose ends when a hit goes wrong.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I like Fincher’s style no matter how dark.

STORY STUFF: I found myself pretty invested right from the start. We get most of our information from visuals and our killer’s narration but both are very well done. Walker writes a lot of great inner monologue as the killer describes his process. I love how methodical the killer is but he is also paranoid and makes a number of mistakes. I know Fincher and Walker are making a point that no one pays attention anymore, but the killer’s various 70’s TV aliases not raising a single eyebrow made me roll my eyes. That seems like a pretty risky thing to do for an assassin.

ACTING STUFF: While actors like Parnell and Swinton give great short performances, this film is all Fassbender. He is perfectly cast as a strong, silent type. What he doesn’t convey in his steely looks, he makes up for in his pitch perfect narration.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: There is just something about the way Fincher shoots his films that keeps me mesmerized. Just beautiful angles, wide shots, dollies and light contrasts. I also highly enjoyed the playlist consisting of mostly The Smiths. Lots of great lyrics that comment on the killer’s situation. Vey fun stuff.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like a sharp Fincher film
UPCOMING REVIEW:  The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Film: The Marvels

 

GENRE: Action Fantasy
RATING: PG-13 for action violence and brief language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 45 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Brie Larson (Room, Fast X, Just Mercy, Captain Marvel)
Teyonah Parris (Wandavision, Candyman); Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel)
DIRECTOR: Nia DaCosta (Candyman)
WRITERS: DaCosta (Candyman); Megan McDonnell (Wandavision); Elissa Karasik (Loki, WeCrashed)
PLOT: Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan’s powers get entangled as they try to save the universe.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Expectations were incredible low.

STORY STUFF: I like a good space saga but not in the hands of Marvel. I just found the film messy and I either didn’t know what was going on or didn’t care. Kree and Skrulls? Sorry, not my thing. I did like the Khan family getting involved. Other than Nick Fury one-liners, the saving grace of the film were the kittens, sorry Flerkens. Lots of laughs when the ship is overrun by kittens trying to save the day with their outrageous appetite. I could watch that scene over and over again.

ACTING STUFF: Larson and Parris do an okay job but don’t look like they are having much fun. Vellani is having too much fun at times. She gets a couple good reactions but it gets a little much, kinda like her television series. The Khan family trio is fun to watch. Samuel L Jackson gets all the great lines though. He’s much better in a supporting role as compared to the dull Secret Invasion series.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Lots of space stuff that didn’t wow me. There’s an odd singing land that made me exhausted watching them constantly dance. I like the Beastie Boys track and some of the other song choices. The first post-credit sequence might excite a few viewers. Luckily, a Cinplex employee warned us that the last post-credit thing is just a sound effect and not worth the seven-minute wait. We took his advice. So should you.

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You feel need to watch every Marvel film.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  The Killer

2023 Fall Preview

So, I would usually go all out with a fall television preview, but with the ongoing actor/writer strike, it’s going to be a long time for some TV favourites to return. Here’s the short list. Also keep in mind that any of these dates can change as the studios panic with no actors to promote their stuff.
(Green = New Series, Blue=Returning Series)

The Morning Show: Season 3 (Wed.Sept.13) on Apple TV+
The Continental (Fri.Sept.22) on Prime
Prequel to John Wick with a younger Winston (includes Mel Gibson)
The Amazing Race: Season 35 (Wed.Sept.27) on CBS
Lego Masters: Season 4 (Thu.Sept.28) on FOX
The Simpsons: Season 35 (Sun.Oct.1) on FOX
Loki: Season 2 (Fri.Oct.6) on Disney+
A Murder at the End of the World (Tue.Nov.14) on Disney+
Sounds like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
Fargo: Season 5 (Tue.Nov.21) on FX
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Wed.Dec.20) on Disney+
Rick Riodan helps bring his YA novels properly to the screen

Along with a short TV list, the same goes with film releases. Here are some that I am interested in but a bunch of these could still be delayed to 2024 for all I know.

What Happens Later (Oct. 13)
Meg Ryan directs and stars in rom-com with David Duchovny
Killers of the Flower Moon (Oct. 20)
Scorsese directs DiCaprio and De Niro
The Killer (Oct. 27)
David Fincher’s new thriller before it goes to Netflix
The Marvels (Nov. 10)
Will this be the film that makes me drop the MCU?
The Holdovers (Nov. 10)
Alexander Payne directs Paul Giamatti as a grumpy teacher
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Nov. 17)
Prequel to The Hunger Games based on the novel
Wish (Nov. 22)
Disney musical about how the wishing star came to be
Napoleon (Nov. 22)
Ridley Scott directs Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor
Maestro (Nov. 22)
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein (goes to Netflix after)
Freud’s Last Session (Dec. 7)
Anthony Hopkins as Freud in this play adaptation
Wonka (Dec. 15)
Timothee Chalamet in a fantastical Willy Wonka origin story
Migration (Dec. 22)
The Minions folks tell the story of ducks taking a vacation
Ferrari (Dec. 25)
Michael Mann directs Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari

That’s all I got. Enjoy your fall.

Film: Barbie

 

GENRE: Comedy Fantasy
RATING: PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 54 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad, Wolf of Wall Street)
Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Nice Guys); America Ferrara (Superstore)
DIRECTOR: Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women)
WRITERS: Noah Baumbach (Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story);
Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Frances Ha, Little Women)
PLOT: Barbie questions her existence and finds herself in the real world.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Went more for Robbie and the hype.

STORY STUFF: The trailer gives you most of the first half of the story. The second half that includes a Ken take-over is pretty funny. The existential crisis goes on too long though. The ending heart-to-heart in a blank void got me rolling me eyes and checking my watch. There are plenty of fun moments in the film but the storyline is not captivating.

ACTING STUFF: Robbie plays Barbie perfectly. She brings the look, the emotion, the comedy and more. Gosling is fantastic as Ken. His insecurity and forced bravado is hysterical at times. Ferrara is well cast and makes an amazing speech. I got tired of Kate McKinnon (SNL) pretty quickly and Will Ferrell (Elf) is over-the-top and really not needed to add silliness to the proceedings. Michael Cera (Superbad) is a breath of fresh air as the only non-Ken in Barbieland. Most of the Barbies and Kens also give fun performances in supporting roles.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I love the plastic-ness of the set, especially the waves. As with the dolls, the costumes are important and add significantly to the film. I was expecting some better music for some reason. There is a late nineties song that is used beautifully though. I won’t spoil it but it made me laugh a bunch.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Barbie or want to see pretty plastic people.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  A Haunting in Venice?

Film: Oppenheimer

 

GENRE: Drama Biopic
RATING: R for nudity and language
RUNTIME: 3 hours and 00 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre (preferably IMAX)
STARRING: Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Inception)
Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Chaplin); Matt Damon (Air, The Martian)
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight trilogy, Tenet, Inception)
WRITER: Nolan (Memento, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk)
PLOT: The story of the American scientist and his involvement in the development of the atomic bomb and its aftermath.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a while.

STORY STUFF: What a captivating story. I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. I had watched the TV series Manhattan about the project but didn’t remember much about the historical facts. I loved the themes of putting theory into action and should we have this much power. I find the story lingers on long after the credits roll. I found the three hours flying by; and if you think the Trinity test is the conclusion of the story, you are in for a lot more. The dialogue is crisp and the pacing is a mixture of quiet contemplation and ticking intensity. Apparently, the book this film is based on is incredibly dense, but Nolan has done an impeccable job trimming it down into this amazing film.

ACTING STUFF: There should be a bunch of Oscar nominations coming out of this film. Murphy is mesmerizing as Oppenheimer – he perfectly captures the deep thinking and impressive ego; he should be getting a best actor nod. Downey Jr should get a supporting actor nomination for his work on this film – he is such a great actor. Matt Damon, Florence Pugh and Jason Clarke command the screen. Emily Blunt starts off slow but ends strong. David Krumholtz is a little chunky but give a great performance. And even Josh Hartnett brings in stellar work. There are number of great one-scene wonders that I won’t spoil for you. Nolan has brought together an amazing ensemble.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The first thing I noticed was the amazing editing of Jennifer Lame (Tenet, Black Panther 2) with these beautiful shots of images Oppenheimer has in his head. The cinematography is incredible with the extra touch of black and white film representing Strauss’ narrative as opposed to the colourful Oppenheimer one. The music and sound finally work in a way that makes sense and doesn’t overpower the dialogue unlike the soundscape of Tenet. The practical effects (including the Trinity explosion) are vivid and puts recent Marvel CGI to shame. There is a scene in a gymnasium that incorporates all these elements and it is simply jaw dropping and breath-taking. Expect a number of Oscar nominations for these parts as well. It’s a masterpiece.

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like a biopic with big questions and relevant fears
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Barbie

Film: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 43 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Edge of Tomorrow, Jack Reacher)
Hayley Atwell (Captain America, Agent Carter); Esai Morales (Ozark)
DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie (MI5, MI6, Jack Reacher)
WRITERS: Erik Jendresen (Bank of Brothers, Ithaca)
McQuarrie (Maverick, Usual Suspects, Edge of Tomorrow, Valkyrie)
PLOT: Ethan Hunt and his team look for a key to destroy dangerous foe   

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is one of my favourite franchises.

STORY STUFF: This another non-stop thrill ride. Ethan Hunt is tasked with saving the world once again. This time the evil villain is AI. I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing a bunch of movies dealing with the power given to AI. Anyway, the plot has some interesting twists and turns. I did find some of the exposition in the beginning to be a little much. Bringing back Kittridge is nostalgic but raises my eyebrow. I liked the added hunting of Hunt by Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire) and Greg Tarzan Davis (Maverick). Atwell is a great addition but I found her running away pretty repetitive and bothersome at times. Even though the film is long, the fun action sequences will make the time fly by.

ACTING STUFF: Cruise, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are a fantastic team; their comradery adds a great level of fun to the proceedings. Atwell is wonderful as the pickpocket Grace who is in way over her head. She works very well with Cruise. Like I said before, I liked Whigham and Davis as the agents sent to bring Hunt in. The rest of the cast bring great intensity to their roles. Morales plays a good bad guy but I’ll save that judgement for the conclusion of Part Two.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Of course, the reason to watch this film is the amazing stunts. Everyone has seen the big motorcycle cliff dive but there is a lot more to marvel at. We’ve seen Ethan drive fast in close quarters before but this film’s Italian car chase adds some fun elements to make the pursuit a lot trickier and fun. There is a train sequence at the end that is heart-pounding and amazingly done. The kitchen car was my favourite. This is definitely a film to watch on the big screen.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like awesome action and enjoy the series
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Oppenheimer

Film: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence, language and smoking
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 34 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Bladerunner, Presumed Innocent)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag); Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale)
DIRECTOR: James Mangold (Logan, Ford v Ferrari, Knight and Day)
WRITERS: Mangold (Walk the Line), David Koepp (Indy 4, The Mummy),
Jez Butterworth (Spectre), John Henry Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow)
PLOT: Indiana Jones and his goddaughter try to find an artifact that can change the course of history.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.

STORY STUFF: There are a bunch of hits and misses when it comes to the story. The name of the artifact is lame but I did like the connection to Archimedes (very Alias-like). The pacing of the film is pretty good with some great action sequences throughout. I wish there was more problem-solving moments like in Crusade and even Crystal Skull. I liked the goddaughter stuff even though it might not be for everyone. Indiana Jones films always requires a high level of suspension of disbelief; this one packs a doozy. I was annoyed by some flagrant continuity issues. One of the day shift is practically Ed Wood worthy. There’s also something broken that is magically repaired. I like a good chase scene and there’s a good one in Tangiers but how these vehicles catch up to each other is downright ludicrous. But I’m still along for the adventure.    

ACTING STUFF: Harrison Ford is legendary and continues to shine as Indiana Jones. I enjoyed the snarkiness of Waller-Bridge. Mikkelsen always has a commanding presence as the bad guy. His henchmen are terrible though: one is just trigger-happy and the other is so cartoonishly big, he almost looks CGI. Fun to see John Rhys-Davies as Sallah again but he is looking mighty old. Enjoyed Toby Jones and Antonio Banderas lending a hand as well.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Mangold makes a mistake right off the bat. The Paramount logo needs to be incorporated into the first shot; it’s tradition. I was happy that the CGI wasn’t as noticeable in this film like Crystal Skull (still annoyed with that monkey scene). I’m very okay with de-aging Ford for a chunk as it’s necessary. The distance running on the train was a bit much but most of the effects looked rugged and practical. I wish Mikklesen’s character had a cool scar on his face or something (I thought they were setting that up in the beginning but then nothing.) The location stuff was great including an underwater sequence. The music by John Williams continues to inspire, so much so that the theatre lights wouldn’t turn on until the main theme was done as the end of the film.     

VERDICT: Three and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Indiana Jones and want some fun despite mistakes.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One

Film: The Flash

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence, strong language and partial nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 24 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ezra Miller (Perks of Being a Wallflower; Fantastic Beasts)
Michael Keaton (Batman); Sasha Cole (Young and the Restless)
DIRECTOR: Andy Muschietti (It; It Chapter Two)
WRITER: Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey)
PLOT: The Flash changes the past and screws up the world.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed the first few seasons of The Flash.

STORY STUFF: I’m happy to say it wasn’t the train wreck I was expecting. There are a number of fun scenes and even some good emotional stuff in this film. Barry wanting to save his mom is straight from the comics so the premise worked for me. I was also a bit moved by Barry’s interactions with his mom. Loved the Batman stuff. The Zod and Supergirl plot did not need to be a part of this overstuffed film. So the last third of the movie falls apart for me. Also the speed force bowl graphics and concept just made my eyes roll a lot. I did enjoy Bruce Wayne explaining time travel and key crossovers using spaghetti. I’m glad this film and the latest Spiderman are taking time to explain things to us commoners.    

ACTING STUFF: I watched the recent TV series of The Flash and I really enjoyed Grant Gustin’s portrayal. Ezra Miller is a bit much, two of him is almost unbearable. Keaton steals the show naturally There are a number of cameos of other DC heroes both live and CG’d (I won’t spoil them). Cute to include them but it also shows that Barry needs some more star muscle for his ‘stand-alone’ film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The speeding looks cool; the speed force looks dumb. One of the opening scenes involving a baby in the microwave is a little too cartoonish for my liking. I’m glad the Barrys had different haircuts. I did enjoy the repurposing of a Batman suit into a Flash suit. Fun stuff.    

VERDICT: Two and a half stars out of five (almost three)
SEE IT IF: You want to relive Keaton’s Batman complete with music
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Film: Asteroid City

 

GENRE: Comedy Drama
RATING: PG-13 for brief nudity and suggestive material
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 44 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore; Darjeeling Limited);
Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow); Jake Ryan (Moonrise Kingdom, Chad)
DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson (French Dispatch, Grand Budapest Hotel)
WRITER: Anderson (Isle of Dogs; Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic)
PLOT: A science event in a small remote town leads to romance, friendship and quarantine.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Love Wes Anderson films. All of them.

STORY STUFF: Anderson loves plays, many of his films feature them in some way. This one goes so far as to break up the film into acts and scenes while also sharing the history of the production from writing to performance. It could not be more Wes Anderson in style. The plot in the center of Asteroid City is interesting enough but doesn’t have the same stakes as Royal Tenenbaums; I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the story. However, there are loads of fun scenes, quirky characters and dead pan dialogue that will easily bring a smile to your face.   

ACTING STUFF: The poster lists a cavalcade of stars ranging from Anderson’s theatre troupe of quirkiness to newcomers like Tom Hanks and Steve Carrell. All give great performances. The standouts from the troupe include Schwartzman as the widower and Jeffrey Wright as the general. Ryan (also from the troupe but now older) is perfect as oldest son, Woodrow. But the big scene stealers are the Faris triplets who are simply adorable with their over-lapping dialogue and playful innocence. Anderson always knows how to cast his film well – especially with precocious children. I missed seeing Bill Murray though. First, no John Ratzenberger in a Pixar film and now this. What is happening to tradition!  

ARTISTIC STUFF: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Wes Anderson is his own genre; he has such a particular style of filming. The coloring in this film is vibrant (when not start black & white), the music is catchy, the tableaux are incredible, the framing is interesting, the set is chock full of detail. This film is a kaleidoscope of fun for the eyes.   

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Wes Anderson films or small desert towns
UPCOMING REVIEW:  The Flash; Indiana Jones 5

Film: Elemental

 

GENRE: Animated
RATING: PG for thematic elements and brief language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 49 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Leah Lewis (Nancy Drew); Ronnie De Carmen (Soul)
Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World Domination; The Circle)
DIRECTOR: Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur; Partly Cloudy -short)
WRITERS: John Hoberg & Kat Likkel (My Name is Earl, Galavant)
Brenda Hsueh (How I Met Your Mother; Disjointed)
PLOT: In a city where fire, water, land and air live, Ember and Wade find each other and try to save a small business.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m a big fan of Pixar. Didn’t know much about this.

STORY STUFF: I like it when Pixar thinks outside the box. Sure I love their look at toys, bugs, fish, cars, etc. but there is a special creativity that goes behind films like this and Inside Out. While this films delves into issues like racism, immigration and small business red tape, there is a love story at the heart of this film. Nothing will compare to the romance in Wall-E but I was still captivated by fiery Ember and watery Wade.  I do get frustrated when a character could solve all their problems by speaking their mind yet they refuse to do so. On the opposite side of that, I found it incredibly clever and groundbreaking that the male, being watery, is transparent both physically and emotionally. Can’t think of a film where the male in a relationship shares all his hopes, dreams and feelings so openly and unashamedly. So refreshing (pun intended).

ACTING STUFF: Other than Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) as Wade’s mom and Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) as a cloud boss, I did not recognize any other voices. Not that that should make or break a Pixar film; it just surprised me. Lewis and Athie do a great job. I miss John Ratzenberger making a cameo though.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I just love the creativity that is poured into this film. There are so many clever things going on in the background, I feel I will get even more the second time around. I did love the stadium wave and the way that the water people boil when Ember walks by. Lots of great stuff. The animation didn’t blow me away though, it’s hard to after watching the new Spider-Man.   

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and enjoy clever things and romance.=
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Asteroid City; The Flash; Indiana Jones 5

Film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

GENRE: Animated Action
RATING: PG for animated violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 20 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Shameik Moore (The Get Down, Into the Spider-Verse)
Hailee Steinfeld (Hawkeye, True Grit); Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight)
DIRECTORS: Joaquim Dos Santos (Legend of Korra)
Kemp Powers (Soul); Justin K. Thompson (newcomer)
WRITER: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Lego Movie, Clone High)
Dave Callaham (Expendables, Wonder Woman 1984, Shang-Chi)
PLOT: Miles Morales finds himself in the Multiverse with a team of Spider-People who are concerned that the Multiverse could collapse.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Liked the first one but not a fan of multi-verse.

STORY STUFF: While there are a number of fun moments and great scenes in this film, it just gets too busy in the middle. There’s more broodiness in the beginning this time around with both Gwen and Miles and their respective parents. Once Miles enters the multi-verse about an hour into the film, it just gets chaotic. There’s a chase scene that is well animated but I always wonder how the person getting chased know where to go in this new environment. Some of the jokes are pretty funny especially when all the Spider-People are given vague information. It’s also important to note that this is a two-parter so don’t expect things to wrap up just yet.

ACTING STUFF: All the voices work well. They are full of emotion and fit their animated avatars. I had a hard time placing Jason Schwartzman’s (Rushmore) voice for some reason. I also missed Nicholas Cage and John Mulaney from the first film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The animation is incredible. There is so much texture and stylized art, it is a treat to watch. I do find they spend an awful lot of time showing things from an upside down perspective. It’s trippy but overused at times.  

VERDICT: Three and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the previous one and like multi-verse stuff.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  The Flash?; Indiana Jones 5

Film: Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3

 

GENRE: Action Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Chris Pratt (Lego Movie, Parks and Rec, Jurassic World)
Chukwudi Iwuji (Peacemaker); Pom Klementieff (Uncut Gems, Oldboy)
DIRECTOR: James Gunn (Guardians, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker)
WRITER: Gunn (Guardians 1 & 2, The Suicide Squad, Belko Experiment)
PLOT: A Rocket origin story is told as the Guardians rallies to save one of their own.      

FULL DISCLOSURE: Wary given Marvel lately but glad Gunn’s involved.

STORY STUFF: There are some great scenes in this film but as a whole I felt it wasn’t up to the standard I hoped for. First off, it’s just too long. I cared about Rocket and his backstory but I could have got there in half the time. I really don’t get the appeal of Adam Warlock; maybe I’m missing something. Apparently he’ll be in a bunch of other Marvel films but he did not excite me in any way. I did find that there was better group interaction this time around as compared to the second installment. It was a good end for this mini-franchise but it wasn’t fantastic.

ACTING STUFF: I was worried that Pratt would be mopey the whole time as Peter was still mourning Gamora but he did bring some fun here and there. Dave Bautista steals lots of scenes as Drax and it is fun to watch him interact with Klementieff’s Mantis. Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Zoe Saldana’s Gamora left me cold. I will say that Bradley Cooper’s voice as Rocket is pretty impressive as it gave me plenty of feels.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I do not like Groot’s look anymore. I loved his thin spindly body in the first film. I felt that in the Christmas Special they kind of cheaped out as it looked more like a Halloween costume. It still looks like it in this one. Love the character and the voice but the body should be back to ‘normal’. The special effects and use of slow motion is well done as per usual. Also, the soundtrack is killer. There is a Beastie Boys sequence that is just a load of fun and worth the price of admission.   

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the previous ones
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse