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

Film: Bad Boys: Ride or Die

 

GENRE: Action Comedy
RATING: R for strong violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Will Smith (Men in Black, I Am Legend, I Robot, King Richard)
Martin Lawrence (Nothing to Lose, Big Momma’s House, National Security)
DIRECTORS: Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life)
WRITERS: Chris Bremner (Bad Boys for Life, The Man from Toronto);
Will Beall (Aquaman, Justice League)
PLOT: Mike and Marcus find themselves wanted men when they stick up for their dead boss.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have enjoyed the franchise thus far.

STORY STUFF: All I expect from a Bad Boys film is fun comradery between Smith and Lawrence, a bunch of cool gunplay, Miami scenery, a Michael Bay rising arc shot and the horrible singing of the theme song; this film checks all those boxes. The storyline is pretty far-fetched with a number of incredibly questionable choices but it was still a fun ride for the most part. My biggest complaint was that they should use the sniper to do the sniping instead of the guy having panic attacks. Oh, and one of the bad guys is so obvious from the start they could have saved a whole lot of time just shooting him right away.

ACTING STUFF: Smith and Lawrence are fun to watch even as they are getting older and little chunkier. Reggie (Dennis Greene who has only acted in the last two Bad Boys films) gets to shine this time around! You might want to rewatch the third film so you can also be reacquainted with people like Keppy, Dorn, Rita and Amando. I loved Rhea Seehorn in Better Call Saul but she has a pretty thankless role in this film. Not a fan of the cliché main bad guy either.      

ARTISTIC STUFF: I found that the directors wanted to have a lot of fun with the camera at times. There are first-person-shooter stuff, near death experience stuff, and strange angles to help keep us focused during all the gunplay. The soundtrack is pretty good. I especially liked the Run DMC sample during one of the shoot outs.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the other ones.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Inside Out 2

Film: Unfrosted

 

GENRE: Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for some suggestive language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 37 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld, Bee Movie, Comedians in Cars…)
Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 3); Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Spy)
DIRECTOR: Jerry Seinfeld (newcomer)
WRITERS: Seinfeld & Spike Fereseten & Andy Robin (Seinfeld, Bee Movie)
PLOT: Kellogg’s and Post compete to create the Pop-Tart

FULL DISCLOSURE: This looked silly but I liked the trailer.

STORY STUFF: Okay that was some silly stuff. If you are looking for a historical account of the making of the Pop-Tart, this is not it. I knew that going in, so I wasn’t disappointed. This was a story that allowed a bunch of comedians to get together and have some fun riffing on breakfast; and we all know how obsessed Seinfeld is with breakfast products. This was a fun project that came out of isolation during Co-Vid. I wouldn’t say it was hilarious. There are some very fun moments but there is also a lot of mugging for the camera and flights of fancy. I’m happy with the run time and it was some decent escapism.

ACTING STUFF: Everyone is just hamming it up with plenty of broad performances. I did enjoy the kids that are featured in this tale. Bill Burr as JFK was fun stuff. I also enjoyed Snap, Crackle and Pop. I am getting tired of seeing Hugh Grant doing these bizarre roles for the paycheck. He’s not the romantic lead he once used to be. There is a fun, guess-that-comedian aspect to the cameos in this film, if you know comedians that is.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: II enjoyed the over-the-top Leave it to Beaver fifties white wash that covers this film. The production design is a lot of fun. Seinfeld has some great fun with a few of his shots including the Pop-Tart as Apollo 13.

VERDICT: Two and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You wanna see pastel colors and watch a 97-minute live cartoon.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Bad Boys 4

Film: Furiosa

 

GENRE: Action
RATING: R for strong violence and grisly images
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 28 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre|
STARRING: Anya Taylor-Joy (Queen’s Gambit, Amsterdam, Dune Pt. II)
Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Extraction, Rush); Alyla Browne (newcomer)
DIRECTOR: George Miller (Fury Road, Happy Feet, Babe: Pig in the City)
WRITERS: Miller & Nick Lathouris (Mad Max: Fury Road)
PLOT: The backstory of Furiosa before she teams up with Mad Max.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Liked Fury Road but lowered expectations this time.

STORY STUFF: Let’s be honest, these films are just big rigs travelling back and forth getting attacked by those who want power in this post-apocalyptic Australia. I enjoyed the visual delights of Fury Road and there was much of the same in this film. Sure, we are following Furiosa instead of Max but there is still a lot of traveling and things blowing up in the desert. As usual, not much dialogue with the exception of Hemsworth’s Dr. Dementus who gets to talk a little too much in this film. He kind of takes over the plot which I don’t think was intentional. Anyway, this film is too long for what it lays out and the pacing is off with its high-intensity chases and then dragged out speechifying from Hemsworth and Furiosa sneaking about. An uneven film.       

ACTING STUFF: Lots of quietness and shows of strength. Taylor-Joy is good but think others could have accomplished this as well. Enjoyed Browne as younger Furiosa although I get frustrated when people don’t do what they are told for their own safety. Hemsworth gets to have a lot of fun but it seems like he’s in a different movie that the rest of the cast. I enjoy him being the bad guy but his attitude is similar to Thor’s.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: It’s all about the visuals. Beautiful shots and silhouettes in the desert. Lots of cool camera shots as the chases ensue. Plenty of explosions all around. The music was better in Fury Road. The unfortunately named Scrotus’ makeup reminded me of Mikey Day’s Butthead. Just sayin’. It was fun to see all the bizarre and disgusting names given to the characters in the closing credits – not that I remember people using those names throughout the film.         

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like to see things go boom in the desert and liked Fury Road.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Bad Boys 4

Film: The Fall Guy

 

GENRE: Action/Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for action, violence, drugs and some strong language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 6 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land, The Nice Guys, Drive)
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, Quiet Place); Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)
DIRECTOR: David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde)
WRITER: Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Hobbs & Shaw; M:I5: Rogue Nation)
PLOT: A stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s film.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed the 80’s TV show this is loosely based on.  

STORY STUFF: That was a lot of fun. You can tell that everyone had a blast making this film. They energy is evident. The plot works for me as I like how they play with the film’s title. There’s a couple scenes where the stunts go on for a bit too long but it was still a fun, non-stop thrill ride. The dialogue is crisp, clever and meta. I liked the references they made to the TV original as well.      

ACTING STUFF: Gosling lights up the screen. He is electrifying and keeps you fully entertained. Gosling has great chemistry with Blunt who also gets some fun scenes to shine. I loved the douche-ness of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Tom Ryder; so fun. Waddingham is a little too cartoonish but still enjoyable. Great work all around.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The stunts are incredible. It’s directed by a stuntman so I expect those to be top notch. No lame CGI here. The soundtrack is amazing. I love the song choices throughout. I couldn’t even tell you which was my favourite because they all fit so beautifully. When it comes to production design, there is the thing about post-it notes. It is hilarious and I wish I could read them all.           

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like to have fun at the movies.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  IF?, Furiosa?

Film: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 

GENRE: Action/Comedy/Fantasy
RATING: PG-13 for supernatural violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Anchorman, Clueless, This is 40)
Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things); McKenna Grace (Gifted, I,Tonya)
DIRECTOR: Gil Kenan (Monster House, A Boy Called Christmas)
WRITERS: Kenan (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, A Boy Called Christmas);
Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Up in the Air, Labor Day)
PLOT: An ancient artifact unleashes an evil force that must be stopped by old and new Ghostbusters.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed Afterlife a lot. High hopes for this one.

STORY STUFF: While there are some fun moments throughout, I was not really captivated by the story. It took way too long to set everything up. Afterlife had a certain energy that I felt this one was lacking. Maybe it was Phoebe’s teen angsty wish to be a ghost that took me out of the story. There are also a lot more characters to keep track of with old and new. I don’t know why we needed to add Lars to the roster. And while it was fun to see William Atherton return with his blowhard threats, I don’t know how he ascended to mayor, especially after his debacle in the first Ghostbusters film.

ACTING STUFF: Because of the plot devices, Grace does not look like she’s having any fun as Phoebe. Rudd is always his awesome affable self. I really enjoyed Logan Kim as Podcast in the last film but he doesn’t get as much to do. They also have the very funny Kumail Nanjiani but he doesn’t get as many one-liners as I would have liked. Bill Murray only gets a couple scenes but uses them well. Also, enjoyed Patton Oswalt having fun in this film. None of the performances are amazing but not terrible either.    

ARTISTIC STUFF: Good use of ghosts and ice.          

VERDICT: Two and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoy the antics of ghostbusting.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  The Fall Guy

Oscar Recap 2024

 

Here are some thoughts on this year’s Oscars:

·         I got 20/23 again. Was surprised with Sound going to Zone of Interest. Best Actress was a tight race, so not too shocked there.

·         Jimmy Kimmel was pretty good as host but had some awful puns.

·         Having five previous winners present is nice in concept but I would much rather watch a clip of the performances instead of empty words. Show the audience why these people were nominated. The only exception was Nicholas Cage and Sam Rockwell.

·         Most of the banter was awful. Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer’s Chip ‘N’ Dale shtick was cringe-worthy. I did enjoy Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger threating Michael Keaton’s Batman.

·         There weren’t many bits but I liked John Cena’s costume category introduction.

·         It’s Mother’s Day in the UK. Now I know.

·         The In Memorium segment has been hurting lately. Stop focusing on the performance and honor those who died. Their clips were so far away.

·         I like that there was a stunt montage but it only shows that they should have a category for this stuff. They should do that instead of casting.

·         I hate the hypocrisy of everyone cheering on the awesomeness of “I’m Just Ken” (which rocked) but then giving the award to Billie Eilish’s boring song. 

·         Loved John Mulaney and his Field of Dreams rant. Let him host this show. C’mon!

·         Stop getting old people to give out the final award. Al Pacino’s reading of the winner was all over the place. I don’t think the academy can use this clip for future montages.

·         Not much else to say. A decent show and I got a bunch right.

Okay, here’s who won:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR (predicted)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
WAR IS OVER! (predicted)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE LAST REPAIR SHOP (predicted)

SOUND
THE ZONE OF INTEREST

ORIGINAL SCORE
OPPENHEIMER (predicted)

ORIGINAL SONG
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? (predicted)

VISUAL EFFECTS
GODZILLA MINUS ONE (predicted)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING
POOR THINGS

COSTUME DESIGN
POOR THINGS (predicted)

PRODUCTION DESIGN=
POOR THINGS (predicted)

FILM EDITING
OPPENHEIMER (predicted)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
OPPENHEIMER (predicted)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL (predicted)

ANIMATED FEATURE
THE BOY AND THE HERON (predicted)

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
THE ZONE OF INTEREST (predicted)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN FICTION (predicted)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANATOMY OF A FALL (predicted)

BEST DIRECTOR
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN [OPPENHEIMER] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH [THE HOLDOVERS] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. [OPPENHEIMER] (predicted)

BEST ACTRESS
EMMA STONE [POOR THINGS]

BEST ACTOR
CILLIAN MURPHY [OPPENHEIMER] (predicted)

BEST PICTURE
OPPENHEIMER (predicted)

How did you do?

Oscar Prediction 2024

 

It’s that time of year again for my fearless Oscar predictions. While I’m pretty confident that Oppenheimer will win a bunch, there are still a few where there are two good choices and hard to pick.  Just as a reminder, I’m not predicting who I want to win but who I think the Academy will vote for. From ‘smaller’ to ‘bigger’, here we go:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
(Wes Anderson can get this one to tide him over until a Best Picture win.)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
WAR IS OVER
(Only because I like the animation style over Letter to a Pig)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
(Repairing musical instruments for public schools may beat book banning)

SOUND
OPPENHEIMER
(Great mix of explosions and eerie quiet.)

ORIGINAL SCORE
OPPENHEIMER
(Some great dramatic music that is not as full of bass like Tenet.)

ORIGINAL SONG
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? [BARBIE]
(No Dua Lipa?. Want ‘I’m Just Ken’ to win instead of Billie.)

VISUAL EFFECTS
GODZILLA MINUS ONE
(Would rather have Mission: Impossible 7 win just for fun.)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING
MAESTRO
(I’m guessing for the nose.)

COSTUME DESIGN
POOR THINGS
(Barbie just copied previous doll designs. This is more interesting.)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
POOR THINGS
(Was impressed with Barbie but think this will win instead.)

FILM EDITING
OPPENHEIMER
(Even though it’s long, it is beautifully crafted together.)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
OPPENHEIMER
(Hoyte Van Hoytema knows where to put his camera.)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
(Ukrainian journalists trapped? Yup, a winner to show support for Ukraine.)

ANIMATED FEATURE
THE BOY AND THE HERON
(Spider-Man already has one and another coming. Give it to Miyazaki.)

INTERNATIONAL FILM
ZONE OF INTEREST
(Holocaust films are often winners.)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN FICTION
(I wish it was a bit funnier. Oppenheimer can’t win everything. I think.)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANATOMY OF A FALL
(Haven’t seen it but heard it was great.)

BEST DIRECTOR
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN [OPPENHEIMER]
(He’s so deserving. I love his films and this is a masterpiece.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH [THE HOLDOVERS]
(There’s no doubt that she’s going to win this.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNY JR. [OPPENHEIMER]
(It’s time he got one. He’s been winning a lot for this film.)

BEST ACTRESS
LILY GLADSTONE [KILLER OF THE FLOWER MOON]
(The academy likes a ‘first’. Emma Stone already has one.)

BEST ACTOR
CILLIAN MURPHY [OPPENHEIMER]
(I found his performance mesmerizing. I feel bad for Paul Giamatti though)

BEST PICTURE
OPPENHEIMER
(It’s pretty much a lock at this point. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t win.)

Didn’t play last year. The year before I got 20 out of 23 categories. We’ll see what happens this Sunday. 

Film: Dune, Part Two

 

GENRE: Action/Drama
RATING: PG-13 for strong violence, brief strong language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 46 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Wonka)
Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Euphoria); Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049)
WRITERS: Villeneuve (Dune); John Spaihts (Passengers, Doctor Strange)
PLOT: Paul Atreides does not want to be a leader but does want revenge against those who destroyed his family.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Haven’t read the books. Enjoyed the first one.

STORY STUFF: While the Dune, Part One was long, it didn’t feel that way because there was enough going on and the pacing worked. That was not the case this time around. There is just way too much time before Paul realizes his ultimate role. Instead of dragging that out, maybe a montage would suffice.  My big questions are about the sandworms. While I enjoyed the initial sandworm riding, I was wondering how they get off the worm? Do they grind to halt and then the person hops off? Also, how do they get a whole bunch of people on the same worm? It seemed tricky enough to get one guy on there. This film has some great dialogue and lots of awesome scenes but it needed a serious trim. Maybe I’ll get more out of it the second time. That’s what happened with the first one.

ACTING STUFF: Chalamet and Zendaya do a great job of anchoring the film. They have enough serious looks and warning-filled dialogue to bring the drama. Luckily, Bardem is around to give some humour as someone who quickly believes. He needs to enunciate more though. When speaking English, he tends to mumble. I was almost happier when he spoke the Fremen language of Chakobsa so I could read the subtitles. Austin Butler (Elvis) is a stand-out as the menacing Feyd-Rautha. I didn’t know he had it in him. He is wonderfully ruthless. I also enjoyed Josh Brolin’s return. I felt that Christopher Walken and Florence Pugh were underused but maybe that will be remedied in the third one. Yeah, expect a Part Three.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: Villeneuve knows how to shoot a film. There is lots of gorgeous cinematography throughout. Love his capturing of scale. Very Freddie Young with a Lawrence of Arabia vibe. Really enjoyed the fight scenes. Hand-to-hand stuff is great. The Fremen hiding in the sand and then suddenly attacking is awesome to watch.         

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve see the first one and have time on your hands
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Oscar Predictions

Film: Argylle

 

GENRE: Action
RATING: PG-13 for strong violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 19 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World; The Help; Rocketman)
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards; Moon); Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass; Kingsman; X-Men: First Class)
WRITER: Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman; Ice Age: Continental Drift)
PLOT: An author of spy novels finds herself in the middle of one of her plots as her works mirror real-words events.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Low expectations going in. Just wanted to see a film.

STORY STUFF: That was pretty messy. I was fine until about a third in when the twists get to be too much. I stopped caring at that point. There are plot points that contradict themselves including shooting oil. Also, a trigger device should have been used way sooner. This film is way too long and twisty. And how did they drive from England to France?

ACTING STUFF: Rockwell is the main reason to watch this film. He is so charismatic and fun to watch. If you come to watch Henry Cavill, you will be disappointed with his screen time. Howard is okay but I’m not a huge fan of her acting. I did enjoy her switching out high heels which I hope was a nod to Jurassic World. Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara and John Cena are fun. Samuel L. Jackson isn’t given much to do.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The overly CG’d action sequences are par for the course for Vaughn’s films. There’s a colourful gun fight that is over-the-top silly and semi-enjoyable. I found it confusing that they used a 2023 Beatles song (Now and Then) as the couple’s song from at least four years ago. That song didn’t exist back then.        

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re bored?
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Dune, Part 2