"Frozen II" Review: Disney, Let It Go!
Perhaps much like the theme of the movie, the Frozen franchise is in its autumn. Frozen II offers up a change in its characters, settings and gives a form of growth to all. Suffering from the sophomore slump, while this film offers big numbers and beautiful scenery, it doesn’t quite capture the magic of its predecessor because it’s too busy trying to stand in the shadow of it.
Picking up shortly after the original, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) are leading the kingdom of Arendelle with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and a newly permafrosted Olaf (Josh Gad) by their sides. Still trying to find herself, Elsa can’t ignore the voice she hears calling out to her. The voice may hold answers to the past as the kingdom tries to find answers to its future after the spirits of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water remove everyone from their homes.
Following the voice takes the group to an enchanted forest, which previously could not be entered by anyone. Inside they meet two factions that have been stuck inside for years and search for answers to the past to secure their future. Equipped with solo songs for each character throughout the film, like its songs, it’s forgettable. In fact, most of the songs help to move the struggling story along rather than being an extension of each characters’ inner feelings bursting out of them as musicals should do.
Another reason this outing isn’t as great as the last is because it’s missing heart and a true villain. The heart of the first film was the love between two sisters and the power that exists and can be cultivated from that love. Here, each character follows their own storyline and thus, as a whole, the movie suffers from meandering at times due to a seemingly forced narrative instead of the organic story in the first film. Without a true villain to physically go up against, these characters aren’t written well enough to display the true struggle of (wo)man vs. self that it whiffs at. There’s an opportunity for the film to explore what happens when a loved one smothers you with good intentions, but doesn’t realize they’re holding you back. There are decisions that some characters make that seem to be, well, out of character. It’s as though going from the beat sheet that five writers created for the story wasn’t quite filled in by Jennifer Lee’s screenplay.
On a positive note, Olaf steals the show as the lovable snowman who seems to be graduating from kindergarten to first grade metaphorically. He’s inquisitive about the world around him and his curiosity and zest for life is endearing. Olaf certainly provided most of the laughs that the children in the audience I saw the film with had.
Frozen II is an example of Disney’s machine over-cranking. While the film will undoubtedly be a money maker, lightning hasn’t struck twice. You won’t be able to name a single tune you heard upon exiting the theater. With glimpses of what could have been a solid, universal story, the writing is half baked and thus this film falls short. Your kids will love it though!
Rating: C
"Doctor Sleep" Review: Don't Overlook This One!
In a world where sequels, reboots, remakes, and a lack of creativity exists, it’s hard to believe that we’re revisiting the Overlook Hotel. There are certain classics we shouldn’t touch. I would have thought The Shining would be one of them, but director Mike Flanagan gives us The Shining meets Inception in an intriguing look at where Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is nearly forty years later in the new movie Doctor Sleep.
After learning how to deal with and master his shine, Danny has decided to dampen it by staying under the influence of the bottle. Drowning his grief to escape being haunted, literally and figuratively, by ghosts of his past, it’s years later that an event causes him to run to a small town and unexpectedly sober up. It’s when he starts to sober up that a connection with a powerful “shiner” named Abra (Kyleigh Curran) is made miles away. Simultaneously, a group of adults who have been living for centuries by finding people who shine and eating off of their life force, feels Abra on their radar and have to have her.
The first act of the film meticulously sets up the foundation for the expansion of its world. Once the film establishes itself, following its lead is a pleasure to watch. Flanagan slowly builds the layers of psychological horror through character development, cinematography, and a controlled camera that knows what to show, for how long, and what not to show.
McGregor brings an everyday man’s sensibility to the role as the reluctant, eventual mentor. Curran has a lot to take on as a child actor. It’s rare that you see a horror film in which the kid involved is not only not afraid of the monster or villain, but has a healthy understanding of the power she possesses and is willing to stand toe to toe with said villain. Curran embodies this balancing act with a rare comprehension of her character that helps make the film work. Which brings us to Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). Ferguson gives her character a tangible quality that is both attractive and terrifying. With a villain this good, it’s hard not to root for her and her band of thieves at times.
Flanagan makes a smart move in giving us the fan service in the final act of the film, rather than throughout it. In fact, he pays homage to many of the iconic frames Kubrick created by not giving us a shot for shot match, but instead finding his own frame in the same space. It’s a clever tip of the hat, that keeps us from making intense comparisons.
Doctor Sleep reminds us that occasionally a sequel can be done right these days. It’s a rich expansion of a world that shows us that sometimes the only way to face your demons is to go through them. I wouldn’t overlook this one!
Rating: B+
"Dolemite is My Name" Review
First, I want to take the time to welcome Eddie Murphy back to cinema. It's been a long time coming and now he's hit the Netflix small screen with a star studded cast to give us Dolemite is My Name. If you know anything about comedy and Blaxploitation from the 70's then you've heard of the man known as Dolemite. Director Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) gives us a look at Rudy Ray Moore's story in how he brought his first movie to the big screen and his tenacity to become the "Baddest Motherf*@#*& alive."
The film starts off with Rudy (Murphy) trying to find his niche in the entertainment industry doing odd jobs from singing, hosting clubs and working at a record store in order to find his claim to fame. After receiving inspiration from a local homeless man, Rudy creates the character Dolemite (a provocative pimp character with legendary stories). With the help of this persona, he finds his calling in the industry as a successful comedian. Subverting the norm, Rudy continues to find ways to push the envelope and turn his comedy albums into must have records around the US. It’s during a moment on the road that he gets the idea to make a motion picture of his character and bring it to the big screen with the thought process that movie distribution will put him everywhere at once. The only problem is he has no idea what he's doing. As he takes on the task, he quickly finds out he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
In the words of Dolemite, "its a movie that's made for the people and has funny, titties and kung fu." And this movie has all that and more! This movie also gives an inside scoop on what it took for black entertainers to breakthrough and have a voice in the entertainment industry in Hollywood by building from rock bottom in the 70s. The movie has a star studded cast featuring Snoop Dogg, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Keegan Michael Key, Bob Odenkirk, Luenell and Tituss Burgess as well as appearances from other A listers. Seeing all these great actors in a cohesive film felt like a relatable episode of SNL.
Each actor embodied their roles. Ms. Lady Reed (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) did an outstanding job as Dolemite's first lady. I was surprised to see the chemistry of Da'Vine and Eddie work well together. Eddie Murphy is the and delivered with a capital D. Also seeing Wesley Snipes (D'Urville Martin) in a comedic role was another hidden gem in the movie. He gave the zeal and tenacity and has me looking forward to Coming to America 2 (still on the fence about this sequel).
Overall, this might go down as a cult classic about a cult classic. Funny, witty and did I mention funny? It made me want to go watch some Dolemite (not the greatest films by far) films over again with my new appreciation for what it took to make them. This film has great production value and a big screen film feel to it, which isn’t always typical of a Netflix movie. This is guaranteed to be a film you watch a few times with your family, friends and your pimp friends over the coming holidays.
Rating: B
"Joker" Review: The Beautiful, Dark, & Twisted Origin Story
With Warner Bros officially creating a new movie genre, DC Black (DC- based standalone films), who better a character to start with than with their most iconic villain himself, the Joker? With all the great actors who’ve played the villain (Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamil and Jared Leto) my initial thought was that it was going to be hard to fill those sinister clown shoes. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Director Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix take the comic book villain and give him a beautifully dark, twisted, gritty anti-hero reintroduction.
Taking a few pages out of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver with character development and some references, Phillips peels back the layers of the complex character to humanize him and show how he began his path of brutal destruction. This is a period place that takes place in the early 80’s and shows the grislier and faint side of Gotham City like we’ve never seen it. It follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a mentally ill misfit, who works as a clown by day and failed comedian by night. His journey to menacing criminal is perhaps all the more horrific because it’s grounded in reality.
One of the opening images is of Fleck, working as a clown, looking in the mirror while contorting his face into that creepy, iconic smile while laughing uncontrollably from his pathological laughing disorder while crying. It’s immediately followed by a portrait of the city of Gotham, and it’s not compassionate to say the least. In the first few minutes Fleck endures mental and physical abuse by everyone from his job, his therapist, civilians, his job again, and then his mother (Francis Conroy). It’s a hard watch. Throughout the movie this seems to be a trend as life itself continues to punch Fleck in the face, increasing its power at every turn. In his lighter moments, when life isn’t knocking him down, he pursues a career in comedy. His jokes are dark and twisted, writing what he believes society deems as funny, wishing to one day be on the Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) late night show.
Something that sets this movie apart is the progression of Fleck’s character. He evolves from and awkward, gentle loner to the malicious, confident Joker. Robert De Niro and Zazzie Beetz interactions with Phoenix give more depth to the character’s development with their limited but memorable interactions as Fleck’s idol and love interest respectively. Conroy also helps identify some of the loose ends of his childhood that viewers may find interesting. Rather than being eaten by the dog eat dog world, Fleck eventually embraces it with a cynical twist that feels so natural.
This is ultimately a standalone film that we’ve never seen in the comic universe that has a sinister and refreshing twist to it. It’s well crafted, with a vintage, grunge look that captures the mood and tone being portrayed in the film. From beginning to end, Phoenix owns the character. It has remnants and a few nods to them but Phoenix pushed my perception of the character or new uncharted anti-hero territory. The only knock I have toward the movie is the slow, build but once it started you were invested. Overall the casting, the story, the development and the conclusion of this film is phenomenal and gives you the ultimate satisfaction of an origin story. I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie gets an Oscar nod.
Rating: A-
"Abominable" Review: Universal Themes Rise Above Predictability
Dreamworks Animation’s latest film, in collaboration with Pearl, is Abominable. It’s not like you haven’t seen this story before, you have. It’s just that you haven’t seen it from the perspective of this group of characters. So while co-directors Jill Culton and Todd Wilderman don’t have an instant classic, the message and themes that the movie puts forth are always a welcomed remembrance.
Abominable starts out with an escape from a fortified lab in China. It’s from the visual perspective of a Yeti we later learn is named Everest (Joseph Izzo). The first person nature of the escape allows the viewer to feel Everest’s distress and anxiety, as well as a sense of safety and protection when he finally finds a hiding spot on the roof of a housing building. It’s the same roof in which Yi (Chloe Bennet), a young girl living with her mother (Michelle Wong) and Nai Nai (Tsai Chin), reside. Having recently lost her father, Yi goes to the roof to escape and connect with him by playing her violin at night.
After the inevitable meeting of Yi and Everest occurs, it’s not soon after that she finds herself on voyage to return Everest home. She’s joined by her neighborhood friends, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai), while being trailed by an old explorer named Burnish (Eddie Izzard) who had hired Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to capture the Yeti. The resulting race and chase becomes a voyage for all to find themselves and friendship along the way.
The visuals in the film are a statement as to how far we have come with technology, but also reminder of how beautiful our planet is. The Chinese landscapes are jaw-droppingly beautiful as the main characters move through them. Unfortunately, the plot of the film is not always as stunning. The story is predictable in many ways, but still manages to keep its messages clear, universal, and heartwarming.
t’s great to see an animated film that’s entrenched in China. The scenic views, Chinese characters on posters and ads in the neighborhood, and the culture within the film is authentic. I look forward to the day when the language spoken is Chinese and we have to read subtitles, but as my seven year old daughter pointed out “it may not work for kids”. She’s right. Her little brother wouldn’t have been able to keep up, but it would have been awesome to be truly submersed.
In the end, Abominable is a feature in which a young, pure hearted kid wins the affection of a creature. That affection is a connection that transcends predictability and pierces the heart of anyone who knows what it’s like to be an outsider, alone, and/or feeling loss. That’s what makes this film worth a watch!
Rating: B-
"Hustlers": Let's Talk Live Review
Check out my review on Let’s Talk Live:
https://wjla.com/news/lets-talk/weekend-box-office-preview-with-kevin-sampson
"It Chapter Two" Review
It Chapter Two gives us the conclusion to the Losers story. The film goes big and tries to cram 900 pages of material into its nearly three hour run time. The transition from childhood to adulthood can be tough, and certainly showing that in the sequel to 2017’s It was a difficult task for director Andy Muschietti. His efforts have to be commended. However, with length and structure issues, this doesn’t hit the mark of its predecessor and might wind up being forgotten once you’ve left the theaters much like leaving the town of Derry.
Jumping off with a hate crime towards a homosexual couple, the film gives its first foreshadowing of what you’re about to see: intense setups with questionable or predictable payoffs. After a young man is dismembered by Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), and once Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa) hears about the latest murder over a police scanner, he quickly calls the gang back to Derry to finish what they set out to do. Mike’s call to Bill (James McAvoy), Beverly (Jessica Chastain), Ben (Jay Ryan), Richie (Bill Hader), Eddie (James Ransone) and Stanley (Andy Bean) sets off a chain reaction of fear reentering their lives before returning home.
Upon arriving back in Derry, the group quickly falls back into the friendships they left behind 27 years prior. The narrative is pretty straightforward from there. They have a job to do, and there’s an inventive way in which the internal clock on the group’s decision to carryout their mission is employed. Each character has their own moment to reconnect with their childhood fears and It, which is part of the reason for the bloating of the film. In fact, the film is light on the scares this time around in exchange for humor and the exploration of what it takes to overcome fear. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but its execution is fumbled in some stories.
The casting here is well suited. Bill Hader is stand out as Richie! From the moment he enters the frame, he embodies the role with a scene stealing richness that has to be applauded. (I doubt It: Chapter Two would receive any awards, but you could certainly make a case for Hader’s performance.) While we’re used to Jessica Chastain being a leading woman with a presence, she’s able to shrink herself enough to be one of the gang in a way that really works. It’s a shame that Skarsgard doesn’t get to do a lot with Pennywise in regard to screen time, but when he’s on the screen his performance is masterful.
Don’t get me wrong, Chapter Two has nice moments. Cinematographer, Checco Varese, is able to tap into our fears with the way he uses light in scenes. A lightning bug lights up Pennywise’s face in one scene, while the ugly fluorescent and neons in a fun house light another. Certainly the suspense and hair-raising moments of facing your fear is there. With sound being a huge component of creating scares, the sound department deserves their credit as well. It’s the quiet moments followed by the crescendo of a monsters footsteps getting closer and closer that really puts you in the zone.
Ultimately, this sequel doesn’t match the quality of the film before it due to the way the child ensemble masterfully handled the material and the fact that things that go bump in the night is a lot scarier when children are involved. There’s something about the way it feels more believable because we can remember when our imaginations ran wild and the friendly clown at the circus looked more like a threat then a fun time. That said, seeing the story conclude is much more satisfying this time around than the 90s mini-series.
Rating: B-
"Yesterday" Review: Dope Premise Meets A Good Effort
If you woke up and no one remembered The Beatles, what would you do? That’s what director Danny Boyle’s (Slumdog Millionaire) new film analyzes. If you’re a fan of The Beatles, this is likely a must see; if you’re a casual listener, it may not have you clapping along.
Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) wakes up after a car accident. Apparently the world experienced a power outage for twelve seconds, during which he was hit by a bus, and it erased certain things from existence. The Beatles music and everything that goes with it is no longer in the cultural lexicon. As a struggling musician, Jack decides to use this to his advantage by playing and writing down every Beatles song he can remember.
As the world begins to hear his tunes, a star is born. The newfound fame makes his relationship with former manager and best friend, Ellie (Lily James), a bit strained. The train is moving faster than Jack thought it would and it causes him to analyze not only his relationships but himself as well.
Writer Richard Curtis pens a film that has lots of humor and charm. As an audience member, the thought of a world that hasn’t been changed by The Beatles is hard to find not funny. With Ed Sheeran showing up at Jack’s door to bring him on tour with him, there’s a lot of irony and comical gags in the superstar going up against The Beatles music, unbeknownst to him. However, the film’s premise may also be its kryptonite. More of the story focuses on the music than the bigger story it’s trying to tell, which is lying can catch up to you so be your authentic self.
Jack is forced to face his actions, knowing that his songwriting skills aren’t as great as the iconic band’s. It’s a “what would you do?” hypothetical dilemma that we could ask ourselves. It’s in the space of the decision to live a lie for positive reasons like making money to feed your family, or wanting to finally be seen and heard in the world, that the film tries to address but doesn’t quite knock out of the park. If you’re looking to revisit The Beatles music and have a few laughs, this movie is for you. If you’re not knowledgeable of the band’s music past their top hits like I am, this may be a good pick on Netflix later. When you remove the music, the story is like Patel’s character, meandering, unsure of its direction, but loveably charming.
Rating: B-
"Toy Story 4" Review: A Welcomed Finale...Hopefully
The announcement of Toy Story 4 was a shock to the system. Toy Story 3 was the perfect bow for the franchise. Pixar definitely can teach other studios how to keep a franchise going past its seemingly end. While the latest film has all the warm fuzzies, jokes, love, and deep storytelling that we’ve enjoyed in the past, I respectively and lovingly hope this is it.
The film picks up where the last left off but a few years down the line. Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) is on her way to kindergarten. She still has Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang. While she’s not old enough to stop playing with all of her toys, Bonnie certainly has her favorites, and Woody is not one of them. He gets left in the closet and collects dust bunnies while everyone else gets played with. Since Woody has always been the leader, this change is something he’s grappling with.
After her first day of school, Bonnie comes back with a new toy she created named Forky (Tony Hale). Understanding how much a toy means to the human he serves, Woody makes it his mission to keep Forky from throwing himself in the trash and getting himself lost. This includes making sure he stays safe on the family road trip in the RV, which of course is a task in itself.
What Pixar does better than most is explain life to us with child-like simplicity. They take us back to the basics time and time again. In this film, the big lesson is how we evolve in our relationships with loved ones. Woody has had his time with Andy and got a second chance with Bonnie, but what happens when our metaphorical Bonnie moves on? What do we do with the feeling of no longer being needed? How do you overcome your mentality of finding your self-worth in someone else or the opinion of others? There are all kinds of deep lessons that can be learned when you dig past the surface of what’s presented, and of course it’s laced with gags and humor.
The adventure the gang goes on is a fun and comical ride. There certainly was another story that could be told with Toy Story. The directors have stated that this is a fitting end for Woody and possibly the franchise but they thought it would be over after Toy Story 2. I hope they let this be the end because they have squeezed all the juice out of the lemon to create the delicious pitcher of lemonade that is the franchise. Perhaps Toy Story 3 left us thirsty for more, but Toy Story 4 is the confirmation that we’re good to go.
Rating: B
"Men In Black: International" Review: Neuralyze Me Now Please!
If you’re banking on the chemistry of Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth carrying the Men In Black franchise to new heights, think again. They may have been great together in Thor: Ragnorok, but Men In Black: International focuses more on spectacle than story. With foreshadowing bread crumbs more like muffins, the writing on the wall is easy to read for this movie and let’s hope it’s the same for the franchise’s demise.
Molly (Thompson) witnesses Men In Black agents visit her home as a child. While her parents’ memory was erased, her’s was not. She has spent her life, since that night, trying to find the secret organization. When she finally does, she’s taken in as a probational agent. She’s shipped to London to join Agent H (Hemsworth) on the latest mission to save the planet as a compact weapon that can destroy an entire planet makes its way through various hands.
Rather than focusing on an original story and character development, writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum focus more on familiar themes that made the franchise successful in the past. Production set pieces, aliens, and tech take the foreground over a plot and creating Agents M and H to be more than stereotypes. The fish out of water and the party boy get swallowed up inside the MIB world as forgettable people.
Director F. Gary Gray is one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood. While he has created notable films in the past, his presence in helming this film is absent. This feels like a studio driven film and a missed opportunity to have a talented director leave a mark.
This film reeks of not believing its audience is smart enough to keep up with its plot. Therefore, Men In Black International instantly becomes a forgettable entry in a franchise that has overstayed its welcome. If they could neuralyze me seeing this film, I’d take it now!
Rating: D
"5B" Review: A Time Capsule of Bravery
When the HIV/AIDS first hit the world in 1981it was a concrete death sentence. If you had the disease many people chose to isolate or abandon people with it. So when a team of medical professionals decided to start caring for and comforting people in ward 5B at San Francisco General Hospital, the world took note. 5B tells the story of the brave men and women who put humanity first, from their own mouths.
The film starts with archival footage of gay men and lesbian women dancing together or holding hands. The voices of youth explaining how they’re “coming out of the closet” more prevalently. Just as quickly as those images are shown, we cut to the images of some of the first men who had the “gay cancer” as it was called. No one knew what was going on in the beginning. They just knew that gay men acquired the disease and died within months after.
Rather than viewing 5B as a place that people die, nurses and administrators, such as Alison Moed Paolercio, Cliff Morrison and David Denmark, created a culture of care. Even though, in the beginning, every case was terminal, they focused on the human being in front of them and their needs. They had Sunday brunches, dance parties, and most importantly, touched their patients with no gloves. They were able to meet the basic needs of human beings when they weren’t being met in the past. Thus, they changed the trajectory of how AIDS patients were treated.
One thing they teach you in film school is that the medium has the ability to travel through time and space. Seeing some of the talking heads, now in their 60’s or 70’s juxtaposed with their 20’s and 30’s selves is powerful and otherworldly. Ultimately, we realize that many of the people that we see them assisting in the documentary are no longer alive and haven’t been for decades. This drives home the impact of what they did on 5B. They took huge risks that could have cost them their lives, family relationships, and more.
While the film does a great job of capturing the stories of those who served on 5B, it stuffs tons of human stories into the main thread of the struggle of giving care, service and love during a time of uncertainty around the AIDS epidemic. The talking heads change so often that it becomes a guessing game of who may appear on the screen, remembering their storyline, and piecing things together. It’s a difficult balance to do in a documentary and while the stories are welcomed, the inescapable feeling of redundancy creeps in occasionally.
Ultimately, 5B is an important story that serves as a necessary time capsule. As stated in the documentary, if we don’t remember what happened in the past we’ll repeat it. Fear of the unknown is a repetitive issue in human existence. It can make people do inhumane and evil things. 5B is the perfect reminder of the power of love and what can happen when we put fear aside and seek to care for others.
Rating: B
"Dark Phoenix" Review: Bring the Reboot Already
The real hero in Dark Phoenix is Hans Zimmer. His score elevates the film to a darker, more somber mood. It’s just unfortunate that the writing doesn’t quite match the composition, because if it had, this would be an excellent final bow!
The X-Men have elevated themselves to friends of humanity thanks to Professor Charles Xavier’s (James McAvoy) crafting. After a mission to space goes awry, the team is sent up to retrieve the astronauts. Of course, no mission can go perfectly and rather than letting the solar flare hit her team, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) absorbs it. Fortunately, she doesn’t die, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a solar flare she absorbed either. As time proves, it’s something more powerful.
This franchise is known to have horrible or half baked villains. Enter Vuk (Jessica Chastain). I wish I could tell you what she is and the depth of her power, but the movie didn’t tell me. So all I know is that she’s an alien life form who came to Earth with what was left of her fledgling empire and took the body of a bleach blonde woman. Their goal is to retrieve the power that went in to Jean, rebuild on Earth and they will stop at nothing to get it.
Where Dark Phoenix soars is in the action sequences. Seeing certain characters’ power on display is entertaining. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) shines with some of the sheer might he possesses. Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) gets to go ham for a moment of line of sight teleportation at it’s finest. The climactic train sequence is definitely of note.
The problem that we’ve come to expect with these films is its character development. You just don’t care. Jean’s backstory is shown, but her family is nothing more than a setup. Quite frankly, for this to be the classic ascension of Jean to the Phoenix, she barely gets to do much on screen. There was an opportunity to make her really dark, but that didn’t happen. They could have put her full power on display. She can wipe out planets in the comics for goodness sake! Instead, you could call her the Accidental Phoenix in this film because many of the bad things she does aren’t necessarily on purpose. They come from an “oops I did it again” motive. Wins and losses are just beats on a screenwriter’s page here. The big bad Vuk is certainly just an antagonist in the film whose team seems invincible without explanation.
I’ll give co-writer/director Simon Kinberg credit for trying here. This was an effort in the right direction. The tone felt right, the costume design tried, the cast tried, Hans Zimmer infused his superhuman score, but alas, they just couldn’t get this up the hill of good filmmaking. Did I mention Hans Zimmer’s score is awesome? It’s entertaining, but if you wait to catch it when it’s streaming you’ll probably do yourself and your wallet a favor this weekend!
Rating: C-
"Ma" Review: A Reminder of Why You Don't Hang With Strangers
There’s a reason your parents teach you not to talk to strangers at a young age. You never know what a person does or who they are when they’re by themselves; even if they’re your friend. Ma is just a friendly reminder to teens who may think they know more than their parents, “you don’t know that lady! Why would you go into her basement?”
Maggie (Diana Silvers fresh off of Booksmart) and her mother Erica (Juliette Lewis) have just moved back to Erica’s hometown in middle-of-no-where America. Maggie quickly finds new friends in Haley (McKaley Miller), Andy (Corey Fogelmanis), Chaz (Gianni Paolo), and Darrell (Dante Brown). Being in a small town means there’s not a lot to do event wise, so drinking at the rock pile is a good time. Of course, being a teen means that there’s a small hurdle to getting alcohol. So when Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) walks by and agrees to purchase booze for them, it makes sense to keep going back to their supplier.
Sue Ann gets closer with the teens and even let’s them call her Ma. She opens up her basement as a safe place to drink with their friends. She only has a few rules: don’t use the Lord’s name in vain, she has to check to make sure the driver is ok to drive before they leave, and don’t go upstairs! Initially blinded by the opportunity, the scales covering their eyes to seeing Ma’s strange and sinister nature slowly start to fall off as Ma starts showing up at school, texting them relentlessly and more.
The key to Ma is that the first two acts of the film are dominated by suspense in tension. We know something the main characters don’t know. Yes, in part it’s that you shouldn’t trust strangers or put all your business out on social media for someone like Ma to find, but it’s also Ma’s ties to their parents. After a traumatic incident of bullying and sexual abuse, Sue Ann has been harboring anger ever since.
There’s no doubt that Ma could have explored a variety of things in more detail. There’s an element of the dangers of social media, bullying, and the fact that Sue Ann seems to be the only black woman in her small town (which actually leaves room for a funny joke with Darrell). Yet, seeing an Oscar caliber actress like Octavia Spencer take on a genre film is what helps this movie. Spencer’s choices and presence creates a tangible character that feels like a family member instead of the creepy person next door. They could have let her loose a bit more in her role, but it seems as though she chose to have fun with the character over making her more sinister which works.
The film teams Spencer up with director Tate Taylor (The Help) again. There’s an element of the film that feels like Taylor watched Get Out hundreds of times before stepping on set with his camera work. The close-ups, dutch angle shots, and cuts in the editing are vaguely familiar and make things comical at times rather than scary. However, it somewhat lends itself to writer Scotty Landes’ writing style.
Ma is a fun ride if you know the type of vehicle you’re getting into. It could have been souped up a bit more, but it’s an entertaining thriller that opens the door for desire to see more Oscar caliber actors in rolls outside of their genre wheelhouse. Perhaps parents should check out the film with their teens just to say “that’s what happens when you give in to peer pressure and hang with strangers.” And while you should drink responsibly at the appropriate age, “don’t make me drink alooooone!” might be one of the funniest lines to sing and demand of your friends this year!
Rating: B
"Godzilla:King of The Monsters" Review- Flush Your Money Down The Toilet Instead
I’m a fan of suspending my disbelief for films. If it’s entertaining, I’ll do it. Godzilla: King of The Monsters crosses a line though. It doesn’t give us characters to invest in or believable action in a world that we are already choosing to accept as reality. It’s a slap in the face to its viewers’ intelligence unworthy of your dollars this weekend.
Picking up where 2014’s Godzilla left off, this film plops us back into the classic world where giant monsters exist. The government has learned that there are numerous titans around the globe and the major decision that has to be made is how to stop the impending doom and destruction they will cause. It seems our only hope may be Godzilla.
Explaining or giving an elusion to the human side of this story is asinine because writers Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields didn’t care to develop them. However, in a nutshell, there’s a divorced dad (Kyle Chandler) and mom (Vera Farmiga) who don’t see eye to eye and their daughter (Millie Bobby Brown) has to choose which philosophy to follow. The other humans in the film are government, civilians or military and they either provide exposition, bodies to be killed, or fight monsters.
The reason to go to a Godzilla movie is to see giant monsters. It’s obvious the studio listened to the complaints of fans in the 2014 film because you definitely get that here! Hats off to the visual effects and sound team for creating images that look and sound like giant monsters fighting. (They’re the only reason this didn’t get an F rating.) Buildings being demolished from the wind of Rodan flapping its wings looks authentic. It’s easy to believe in the power, scope and destruction the monsters leave in their wake.
Unfortunately, throughout the fighting scenes of these monsters, the camera work is inconsistent. Sometimes we get clear visuals of what’s happening and which monster is fighting from director Michael Dougherty. Other times, it’s unclear what we’re looking at or what a monster is doing.
With no human story to get behind, you’re left waiting for people to be quiet so we can get to the next monster scene. The audacity of human beings thinking that they can tame, control or even be the pets of giant monsters befuddles my small mind. I’m all for escapist, popcorn blockbusters, but not at the expense of leaving the theater frustrated with seeing a bad film and feeling like I wasted my money. You may as well flush your money down the toilet. At least the plot of wondering if it will get stuck or not will be more entertaining, suspenseful, and plausible.
Rating: D
"Booksmart" Review
We’ve seen Booksmart before. We haven’t seen a female fronted version of highschoolers trying to have one night of fun before graduation like this though. So while it’s great to see the female version of this film, the deja vu of it all doesn’t necessarily make it a winner.
On the eve of their high school graduation, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are ready to shed their good student images and live a little. It’s obvious they didn’t have a bunch of close friends throughout their four years because they don’t know where the biggest party in town is, but who needs close friends when you have a sisterhood like theirs? Their relationship is beautiful and tight-knit. So together they’ll figure out a way to get to the party, and much of the movie centers around them in transit and on the hunt for it.
They start out at a boat party for Jared (Skyler Gisondo), a lonely rich kid who expects that he can buy friends like his parents bought his affection. His one friend, Gigi (Billie Lourd), serves as a magical marker who pops up at each stop of Amy and Molly’s adventure. The boat is made for dinner cruises, and with four people on it outside of the crew, it makes for a pretty lame party and a moment for viewers to scratch their head. They eventually make there way to the party of the year with a couple more stops and a drug induced trip along the way.
While Booksmart’s ancillary characters feel fully realized, and there’s really not anyone you won’t like in this film, the emotional connection and investment is missing upfront. The gags and jokes within the film are hit and miss at times and the soundtrack serves as a hard cut between each transition. One could say the film builds its characters over time, but it’s hard to enjoy the early part of the ride where the girls get into situations that feel grounded more in fantasy than reality. It’s not until Amy and Molly get to the big party that the film takes a tonal shift that is true to life.
Feldstein’s Molly is the livewire with control issues in the duo. Dever’s Amy is the straight woman of the two (humor-wise I should say), but her sensibility makes her journey noteworthy. She’s been an out lesbian since the tenth grade, but hasn’t pursued a romantic relationship. She hopes that will change over the course of the night. It’s her pursuit and experimenting that gives an authentic look at the universal issues that teenagers deal with in finding love. At the end of the day, during that time in our lives, we’re just trying to discover ourselves while deciding whether to follow the crowd or step out on our own.
This film certainly has an audience, but it’s going to be a limited one. You either enjoy over the top sequences and saturated F bombs in a movie or you don’t. Director Olivia Wilde’s feature debut proves that she can tell a story and this won’t be the last we hear from her. However, when you paint a world where teens act like adults and adults act like teens, the universal lessons become harder to receive. Booksmart definitely has laugh out loud and heartfelt moments, but if this is life for Generation Z teens, it’s a strange Utopia.
Rating: C+
"Aladdin" Review: It's Got Faults But Disney Charm Too!
To have seen Aladdin in theaters in 1992 as a child means that you will go into Aladdin 2019 with ice in your veins! At least I did. How many times did I rewatch the VHS with my brother? How do I still know all the words to the songs? It was the Disney magic and the incredible voice acting of Robin Williams that made the film so special. Don’t worry ice kings and queens, Disney hasn’t lost its magic and Will Smith knows how to create a new genie instead of trying to fill those unmatchable genie shoes! It will take a while for the ice to melt, but this film is charming enough to do it.
Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street thief with dreams of being somebody. He’s got a good heart but no money in his pocket. After a chance encounter with Jasmine (Naomi Scott), the Princess of Agrabah, Aladdin is smitten but knows he doesn’t stand a chance with her as a lowly street rat. So when the nefarious Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) forces him to retrieve a lamp from the Cave of Wonders that happens to hold a powerful genie, Aladdin’s windfall is significant. Genie (Will Smith) can make all his wishes come true, or at least three of them.
That previous paragraph was for anyone who was born in the last seven years. The beloved classic tale hasn’t changed much, but co-writers John August and Guy Ritchie are wise enough to know that making a live action version of a classic means that you need to deviate a little. The minor changes that they make to the film are the right shift in a new direction. Disney princesses are a lot stronger than they used to be. Princess Jasmine is more defined as a person than she was in the past. She’s crafted into a tangible character who shows real leadership, a zest for life and courage. Genie and Aladdin’s relationship is a little more intertwined as Genie has the ability to take on a human form outside of his usual blue, legless shape.
The film must lean on the nostalgia of the classic film and songs though. It asks you to forgive the fact that Will Smith can’t sing and that the musical arrangements of many of the songs are a bit of a step down from the originals. Perhaps because three new lyricists worked on this with one of the original songwriter, Alan Menken. Mena Massoud feels like he was casted for the smile and energy that Aladdin has in the animated version, but it not for his musical talent. In fact, much of the film’s musical numbers sound like they should be on Broadway and director Guy Ritchie shoots them like he’s covering a stage play.
While the film has its eyebrow raising, cringeworthy moments, when songs aren’t being sung, the drama is universally touching. The life lessons of being yourself, speaking up for yourself, and doing right by other people is clear. The budding romance between Princess Jasmine and Aladdin has all the right Disney feels. So while it has its faults, the bold step to recreate Aladdin may prove to be worth it this weekend. It will certainly be a good time for families, and at least we’ll get to hear DJ Khaled the next time we’re in a Disney theme park!
Rating: B-
"A Dog's Journey" Review: The Forrest Gump of Dog Movies
A Dog’s Journey is basically the Forrest Gump of dog movies. While Forrest ran through a part of our nation’s history, Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) serves the same family through various doggy lives. Ultimately, it gives a child-like look into a few generations of one family’s life journey. It’s the exploration of the good, the bad and man’s best friend’s role in our lives that make this a cute (corny at times) family film.
Picking up where A Dog’s Purpose left off with a now adult Ethan (Dennis Quaid), the film begins with the turbulent relationship between Ethan, his wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) and their daughter-in-law, Gloria (Betty Gilpin). Gloria is living on the farm with their granddaughter CJ. While the grands are the loving grandparents anyone would want, Gloria detests feeling like she’s under their constant monitoring. She splits with CJ and not knowing where CJ is going, Ethan asks Bailey to watch over CJ as he takes his last breaths.
Throughout the film Bailey reincarnates as a different dog and whether he has a long stint with CJ or a brief encounter, he knows his purpose. Each life teaches him new tricks, while life teaches the steady adulting CJ (Kathryn Prescott) new lessons as well. Whether she has to learn how to thrive in the world without her father, an absentee mother, an abusive boyfriend, or that love may be found in her best friend Trent (Henry Lau), CJ experiences the growing pains we all have.
While this film has touching moments that may cause you to grab a tissue, it’s drawn out. There are so many fades to black or white throughout the film that signify a closing or opening to a new chapter in the story that you can get restless after the fourth reincarnation. When the major points of our lives are compacted into a film it can serve as a great opportunity to reflect or give you perspective. This film will allow you to consider your own journey and think about the four legged friend in your life that may have helped you along the way.
Rating: C+
"POMS" Review: The Perfect Dud for Mother's Day!
You have to be patient with POMS in the same way you have to be patient with your grandmother or an elderly friend. You keep hoping that the chemistry amongst its cast will get better, that it’s going to pick up the pace, that it won’t keep engaging in the routine beats of ensemble films that have done this before (and better), and that its veteran cast will act like they’ve been acting for decades. Instead, this movie slips into slapstick, juvenile comedy at times and you wish its screenplay and characters were more maturely developed.
Martha (Diane Keaton) decides to move into a retirement community after a life with no children, seemingly no friends, and learning she has cancer. It’s her way of “going out” on her own accord. She’s introduced to the welcoming committee, an elderly mean girl trio led by southern belle Vicki (Celia Weston), and informed that she has to join a club or create one as apart of the community. Martha quickly forms a hodge podge group of women to join her cheerleading club. They consist of the barely used Pam Grier and Rhea Perlman.
Martha’s neighbor, the spunky, promiscuous Sheryl (Jacki Weaver), helps the group perform at the local high school. When the unrehearsed group’s performance fails, a video of them hits the internet and goes viral. Due to the club’s ability to lift every member’s spirits, they decide to take it to “nationals” of sorts in the Bring It On type of climax.
There are so many moments in this film that I thought I was watching a young improv troop perform. Diane Keaton gives a confusing performance as Martha. She’s not quite a grumpy old woman, but she doesn’t really have any redeeming value either. She talks out loud to herself a lot in the movie, but not in the way that perhaps an older person, slowly losing her mental faculty would. It’s more like accidentally saying the beats of the scene out loud or trying to fill blank space in a scene. The film doesn’t really allow its stars to shine, but instead reduces them to the stereotypes of a younger version grown up. Jackie Weaver is the only bright light of the film as she brings an authentic, lovable character out of Sheryl.
If this movie wins any hearts it would have to be with an older demographic. That was the only people I heard saying anything positive about the film. I was hoping the film would be a winner in the vein of “you’re never too old to go after your dreams”! I expected to shed some tears and want to hug my grandmother after seeing this film or even be put on the path to think about what she’s been through in her lifetime. Instead, co-writer/director Zara Hayes (co-writer Shane Atkinson gets this ire too) gives us a forced, snooze fest that should have been something special. Sometimes going from documentary filmmaker to narratives doesn’t translate well. POMS is an example where the same care that’s given to documentary subjects should have been given to the characters in this film.
Rating: D
"UglyDolls" Review: Bless Its Ugly Wittle Heart!
STX Entertainment isn’t necessarily a household studio name, but it’s quickly growing its portfolio. Giving us recent films like The Upside, The Best of Enemies, and the forthcoming 21 Bridges, the studio is slowly making a name for itself. UglyDolls is their move into family friendly films and like any first outing it has its bumps. While the film has the spirit of Trolls, its execution is disjointed and poor pacing makes for a difficult watch at times, but bless it’s ugly heart if the messaging isn’t the positivity the world needs right now!
The film starts with a positivity drenched ballad led by Moxy (Kelly Clarkson). She tells the story of how living in the town of UglyVille is great. UglyVille is where dolls go after being separated from the “perfect” dolls on the assembly line in the sky. While all the defected dolls enjoy live in the Ville, Moxy dreams that everyday may be the day that she gets picked by a kid to live in the big world.
After seeing a new ugly doll come out of the tube in the mountain, Moxy decides she wants to see where the tube leads. She takes her friends Ugly Dog (Pitbull), Babo (Gabriel Iglesias), Wage (Wanda Sykes), and Luck Bat (Leehom Wang) along for the adventure. The crew eventually finds the Institute of Perfection, where all the good looking dolls are tested before going to the big world to meet their child. A doll named Lou (Nick Jonas) runs the show and sings brutally frank ballads about being perfect versus ugly. Most of the dolls at the institute are obsessed with perfection and Lou or hiding flaws as not to be shamed.
The heart of this film is about not being afraid to be who you are and let the things that make you who you are shine. The opening number is so beautiful and you can quickly see the imperfect dolls are brimming with talent and happier than the dolls at the institute. It’s a great message, even if it’s overt. Messaging aside, the film limps along from musical number to musical number. While casting tons of talented singers and comedians may be great for social media tags and posts for marketing the film, the acting talent and chemistry that Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake in Trolls can’t be found here. It feels more like a dress rehearsal with understudies for a better film that could have come out of this movie.
Overall, the plot is noticeably Frankensteined from Trolls, Monsters Inc, Toy Story and other classic animation films. Which is kind of funny in a movie about ugly dolls. However, it doesn’t make for a creative, fresh film about being yourself. There’s no doubt that the conversation parents can have about the deeper meaning behind this film on the car ride home will be worth it, but you can’t escape the ugly truth!
Rating: C
"The Intruder" Review: Stellar Suspense, Dumb Decisions
Certain movies ask for you to just go with it in order for you to take the full ride. The Intruder is one of those types of films. If the lead characters did what we’d do in real life, the movie would be over in thirty minutes. So if you can check your brain at the door and go with it, this film may be the popcorn suspense thriller for your outing this weekend!
Scott (Michael Ealy) and Annie Russell (Meagan Good) are a young, successful couple living in San Fransisco looking to start a family. How does Annie want to do that? By buying a house in Napa! They find a beautiful property with lots of character that’s been in one family for generations. The current owner, Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid), greets the couple by shooting a deer right in front of them the first time they visit the property. If that initial encounter isn’t “Get Out” enough for them, throughout the showing, Charlie has a way of stressing the “must keep” features of the house.
After purchasing the property, Charlie finds ways to keep showing up at Scott and Annie’s new home. He mows the lawn and cites that “it was getting out of hand”. It probably doesn’t help that Annie keeps inviting him to functions, like Thanksgiving, even though Charlie is supposed to have moved to Florida to be near his daughter. The Russell’s friends Mike (Joseph Sikora) and Rachel (Alvina August) have mixed views on Charlie. Mike doesn’t trust him and thinks he’s a peeping Tom, while Rachel thinks he’s a hot old man. Regardless, a seed of suspicion is planted and grows into full blown awareness as the film moves forward.
The trinity of actors in this film do a great job of playing their roles. Good plays the loving wife with a heart for the poor old man who lost his wife in their home. Her character is authentic and, while naive, earnest in her decisions. Ealy is the out of his element husband in his new country home digs who also shouldn’t be slept on just because he wears glasses and nice clothes. Quaid has the most fun as the possessive, rehearsed, good ‘ol country boy. In fact, Quaid is repulsive in this movie at some points. Once the sicko is unmasked, he goes all in with his character and it raises the stakes in the hair-raising, skin crawling, “get away from me old man” delivery.
As his follow up to 2018’s Traffik, director Deon Taylor is proving one thing, he understands how to build suspense and tension in a scene. In fact, that’s the biggest thing that this film has going for it. There are a lot of illogical plot contrivances that writer David Loughery has placed in the film. However, Taylor understands what’s creepy, what’s scary based in reality, and uses the camera, lighting and sound to highlight it.
While the use of tension and suspense is fantastic in parts, it doesn’t make up for the whole of the film. There is a point in which an audience starts to yell at the screen in a film like this that’s fun, but there’s also a point in which the film becomes a comedy when it wasn’t written for that. The Intruder looks at that tipping point and walks over the edge. Had it been grounded in more realistic decisions it could be a film that you remember past next week. That said, the ending produced one of the most joyously, uproarious screams of satisfaction I’ve heard in a while.
Rating: C