"Dolittle" Review: Do Little To See This One!
Dolittle is an example of a film that tries to save itself in post-production when it should have done it at the script level. Sometimes a known franchise name isn’t worthy of the dust being blown off of it. Well, a $175,000,000 budget with a dismal return on investment just may teach Universal Pictures the lesson!
After losing his wife, Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) has become a recluse. Far from the famed doctor who could speak to animals and help the world, he lives alone (no humans) with some of his four legged friends in a sanctuary given to him by Queen Victoria. When the queen turns ill, a royal emissary named Rose (Carmel Laniado), calls on the doctor to save the queen. In the midst of the visit from Rose, Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett), a “force sensitive animal whisperer”, brings Dr. Dolittle a squirrel he accidentally shot. Enamored by Dolittle’s ability to speak with the animals around him, Tommy wants to be Dolittle’s apprentice.
The threat of losing his home due to a clause in a contract forces Dolittle out of his self-imposed retirement. The adventure takes him, his new apprentice and his animal friends across seas to dangerous islands full of bandits and a dragon. Wait, a dragon!? You thought this was a Victorian era period piece? Of course it’s a fantasy, comedy, adventure…honestly, I don’t know what it wants to be.
The storyline and script is muddled enough, but it’s not the only thing that’s muddled. Downey Jr.’s whispery accent is one for the record books! It’s hard to understand what he’s saying as he does his best-worst Jack Sparrow impression. The accent doesn’t accentuate the character and makes for an already difficult view with the amount of ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement) that seemed to have gone on in this film. There are so many moments when characters are speaking with their backs to the camera or the editing quickly cuts around what they’re saying to mask their faces.
It’s movies like Dolittle that give January releases its storied rep. It never fails that plenty of duds get dropped in the beginning of the year as we anxiously await to hear what the best films coming out of Sundance are, who will win an Oscar and move into Spring. I hope everyone in the cast and crew got paid upfront, because this movie won’t make a return on the back end! Since the writers and producers did little to make this film charming and proper, I suggest you do little to see it as well!
Rating: F
"Avengers: Infinity War" Review: It's All Led Up To this!
Wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me catch my breath! We’ve been leading up to this battle for ten years, and I don’t think anyone who sees Avengers: Infinity War can say that they are disappointed. For the few people who inevitably may, at minimum you have to respect the gargantuan charge that Marvel had in bringing everything and everyone together.
You’ll know the film’s tone and stakes from the opening scene. Things are grim. The villains (Thanos and his cronies) are extremely powerful. They have a power that feels like we haven’t seen before. It’s exercised in such a way that it feels like they can’t be taken on one on one or even two on one at times. The main bad guy in this film is Thanos (Josh Brolin), the purple giant that we’ve only caught glimpses of up until now. He’s bent on collecting all of the Infinity Stones now that he has the gauntlet that can wield their power. Marvel gives us a complex villain in Thanos in that through his twisted logic, he believes he can bring balance to the universe by wiping out half of it.
Doing the math on the number of stones, and where to find them, the Avengers quickly spring into action on taking a stand. Throughout the film, different heroes are in different place across space but they’re all working towards the same goal: stopping Thanos. It’s a desperate situation that literally has the fate of the universe in the balance.
Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely had an extremely large task on their hands in weaving a tapestry of different characters together while creating one cohesive story. For the most part, everyone gets some time to shine. Characters like Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are more than just eye candy in this film. They have a heft to their story that makes them feel more apart of the story than they have in the past. It’s great to see the continued evolution of characters like Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and Shuri (Letitia Wright) in their power or intelligence. The writing suggests that in between films thing happened rather than spelling it out for us.
The Russo brothers did a great job in making sure that they respected the directors work that has come before them. So Thor (Chris Hemsworth) feels like Taika Waititi’s Thor (thank God). Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Wakanda feels like Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and his vision of Wakanda. The pacing of the film is on the money as well. The 156 minute run time is earned in such a way that you want to see more.
The biggest issue I had with the film is that at times it did feel like you could see the stitches in the segments being put together for the overall story and to give each character some screen time. While there were plenty of emotional moments throughout the film, some of them felt hollow due to either the writing not setting up the weight of its importance or the power of the Infinity Gauntlet.
With that said, I haven’t seen a movie where the audience was one in experiencing it together in a while. Funny moments receive uproarious laughter, grim moments received pen-drop silence as we all held our breath, and awesome fight scenes and choreography got us all cheering. This was a daunting task. It’s the type of task that you say shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll be among the stars! Well Marvel shot for the moon, and in my opinon, planted their flag as Titans in movie magic. The ending will send you reeling!
Rating: A-
"Captain America: Civil War" Review
The world entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with 2008’s Ironman. Eight years later the MCU enters phase three with its latest installment, Captain America: Civil War. Believe me, the eight years you’ve devoted to following the MCU is well worth the culmination and seamless integration of characters, emotion, and action in this film!
Over the years some people have criticized the explosions and destruction in these films. Captain America: Civil War addresses the issue head on. It raises the ethical and moral questions of “what innocent collateral cost comes with superhero protection?” and “who watches the watchers?” in a way that Batman vs. Superman attempted to, but does a far superior job. After a mission with the Avengers stopping mercenaries from executing a terrorist plot ends with the loss of innocent lives, the United Nations steps in to put the team in check.
The UN draws up a huge document called the Accords that will stand as a law for super humans and those with powers to abide by. This sparks a rift between the Avengers in which they are forced to choose sides. While Captain America (Chris Evans) thinks there has to be another way, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) thinks that being governed and held accountable makes sense. While this perspective seems unnatural for these characters (you might think it should be switched) it works well and makes for great conflict both internally and externally with our heroes!
While the team takes sides, a mysterious enemy named Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) creates problems that they must deal with. But with a rift in the team on how to handle situations, it becomes a squabble on numerous levels! The squabbling is awesome to watch! The action sequences are phenomenal. We get to see each character’s power used in ways that highlight their skill and supplement the team fights. There are so many scenes in which directors Andrew and Joe Russo let the action happen in front of the camera (don’t worry, you can follow the action on this, unlike the Avengers: Age of Ultron) in beautiful choreography between the two. One chase scene through a market feels like a verite documentary as the camera tries to keep up.
This installment introduces us to T’Challa aka Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Both characters are introduced effortlessly and are showcased well! Holland may be the best Spider-Man to date (including Toby Macquire) in my opinion. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely nailed Spidey’s trade humor, verboseness, and youthful energy. I can’t wait to see Boseman in his solo film in 2018! Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) made his entry into the MCU last year with Ant-Man, and we finally get to see him interact with the Avengers on a larger scale!
Captain America: Civil War fires on all cylinders, and is certainly the film to see this weekend! Save your money though, and see it in 2D. I saw it in IMAX 3D and it did nothing to enhance the film. Nonetheless, once again, Marvel reigns supreme!
Rating: A-
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review
After seeing “Avengers: Age Of Ultron”, I totally understand why beloved writer/director Joss Whedon is stepping down from the helm. While the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is entertaining and has it’s high points, it also proves that Marvel may need to slow things down or at least not overwork their brilliant writer/directors.
The opening sequence shows our heroes are used to working as a team as they storm a Hydra base. They fight individually, using their incredible powers, and together with cool moves like Thor (Chris Hemsworth) striking Cap’s (Chris Evans) shield with his hammer to create a wave of energy. It’s the type of beginning that gets fanboys to start clapping and hollering. (It happened in the screening I saw.) Yet, Marvel movies aren’t number one in the super hero film world solely because of CGI awesomeness. They’re number one because of storytelling. That’s what separates them from the rest.
From the opening we’re introduced to a visually and script level busy movie. It’s hard to follow the action on screen, and once the movie gets started, it’s hard to follow the story. After storming the Hydra base to retrieve Loki’s scepter, Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) finds a secret lab housing Hydra experiments. Along the way, he and the team face opposition in the Maximoff Twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), two of Hydra’s human experiments bent on destroying Tony.
Always the rebel, Tony sleuths in his own lab and concludes that Hydra has been working on artificial intelligence. With the help of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), aka Hulk, the two are able to unknowingly finish Hydra’s research. In doing so, they create Ultron (voiced by James Spader), an omnipresent digital robot who was supposed to be Stark’s security guard for Earth. Instead, they get a powerful, schizophrenic bot with twisted dreams of a better world.
Ultron eventually breaks captivity and begins to build his own army. We get to see the Hulkbuster suit put into good use in a city demolishing scene after the Avengers try to capture Ultron! With an enemy that’s everywhere, the team retreats to the middle of nowhere and lays low with Hawkeye’s (Jeremy Renner) family. This is also when the team starts to go off separately on mini missions that aren’t quite fully fleshed out. We get our first look at the seeds for “Civil War” as Cap and Iron Man have a discussion while chopping firewood. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) makes all kinds of advances toward Bruce. It’s a lot of bread crumb excitement for future films with minimal direction.
Let’s wrap this up. There is a big fight between the Avengers and Ultron. Heroes do what heroes do, but not without taking an L along the way. We get a glimpse at a new Avenger team, and if you stick around at the end you can see the cliffhanger for what’s coming next in the MCU pipeline! The formula is an amazing business model, but in an effort to churn out films and stay on schedule and budget, I fear we may see more films like “Age of Ultron”. Sure, it’s an entertaining time at the movies, but so is a Michael Bay film. It has too much going on, understanding that it's a movie with plenty stand-alone-movie heroes in it. I'll let it go this time, but let’s not lose what makes Marvel films great Kevin Feige, superb storytelling. We didn’t set the bar, you did.
Rating: C+
"The Judge" Review
As I drove to the screening of “The Judge” I thought to myself, “I’m not looking forward to another stubborn father/son relationship movie”. In fact, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Robert Downey Jr. play Tony Stark minus the billions of dollars. Imagine my surprise when I viewed a movie about Tony Stark minus the billions of dollars that actually had heart!
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a big time Chicago lawyer who left behind the simple town he came from. When the death of his mother brings him back to Carlinville, Indiana, Hank has to face the demons he left behind. One particular demon being his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who has served as the town judge for the past 42 years. No matter what Hank has done that may impress most people, his father doesn’t seem to care. In fact, he doesn’t seem to care that he came back for the funeral outside of a handshake.
Once the funeral is over, Hank is ready to get on the next flight out of town, but a mysterious car accident involving the judge keeps him there. It seems the aging judge hit and killed Mark Blackwell (Mark Kiely), an ex-con that he let off easy that wound up committing murder soon after. With Judge Palmer’s memory on the fritz, a courtroom drama plays out with the judge being the on the other side of the fence and Hank choosing to stand by his father’s side. Amidst the trial, Hank also tries to tidy up his relationship with his father and loved ones.
There are plenty of great performances in the film. Robert Duvall will probably receive award nominations as the aging judge. Billy Bob Thornton plays the slick, and equally brilliant prosecuting attorney Dwight Dickham, who’s bent on getting Judge Palmer convicted. Vincent D’Onofrio is as real as it gets as the brother who stayed behind, and has the weight of the family at large on his shoulders. Vera Farmiga helps give us a heartfelt look into who Hank was before he left Carlinville as Hank’s ex-girlfriend Samantha. Robert Downey Jr. is a low budget Tony Stark in the film, but he does it so well that you wind up believing he’s Hank Palmer shortly after the film gets underway.
Regardless of its’ sappy overtones, there is something about “The Judge” that speaks to the human experience. Wether it’s family grudges, unforgiven history, or the inevitable certainty of death we all must face, this movie touches on it all. Stemming from personal experience, director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Change-Up) does a great job of spearheading a universal story. Sure, it may be a little melodramatic in it’s handling of said topics, but it handles them in such a way that you automatically think about your own life experience while watching the film.
In lesser hands, “The Judge”, may not have worked. With a random heart to heart in the middle of a tornado scene, and a son who no matter how much he says he hates his father, keeps trying to please him, the film could easily derail into Hokeyville, USA. Fortunately, the combination of veteran actors come together to create a film that speaks to the human experience.
Rating: B
"Iron Man 3" Review
It’s hard to build a successful film franchise. The truth is, the film industry is a business and sometimes art and heart don’t quite get in on the action. It did here. I said it before, Iron Man was great, Iron Man 2 took a dip, but Iron Man 3 would allow me to forgive 2. After seeing Iron Man 3 I forgave, forgot, and can’t wait to see another! Especially since “Tony Stark will return”. I’d say that Iron Man 3 is the best out of the Iron Man series (which it is), but I respect the fact that you can’t get to 3 with out having 1.
The film starts with a shaken Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) traumatized from his near death sacrifice in New York (Avengers). Tony recounts events of what happened New Years Eve 1999, to get us to what we are about to see through voiceover. We learn about his one night encounter with botanist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and diss of scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). The combination would come back to haunt him 13 years later, even though Tony is a different person.
In the present, Tony is a sleep deprived super hero who is focused on building more Iron Man suits in an effort to protect the people and person he loves most. He throws himself into his work in order to avoid dealing with “the wormhole”, which at the very mention of the word throws him into an anxiety attack. He’s put away his old ways and is settled down with Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow). An old co-worker, Aldrich, comes by Stark Industries to try and convince Pepper to buy into his new company AIM. Even though the presentation is incredible, Pepper stands by her man’s ideals of not being involved with weaponry and declines.
At the same time a new bin Laden style terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is attacking the U.S. at home and abroad, while leaving no trace of bombs. When one of these attacks put Tony’s head of security, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in a coma, Tony decides to call out The Mandarin. He even goes as far as giving him his home address.
In a be careful what you wish for move, The Mandarin brings the war to Tony’s back door, literally. After leveling most of Tony’s home, the rest of the film puts Tony on a journey of finding out who The Mandarin is and forces him to deal with his inner demons. In fact, one line from Tony says “We all create our own demons.” It’s the vulnerability that Downey Jr. displays in his performance that is so riveting to watch. His redeeming quality makes his sarcasm and flamboyance forgivable.
If you’ve been watching since Iron Man you’ve seen Tony’s demons. You’ve seen his character arch, and you know that although he has a self-centered playboy outer shell he’s a softy work in progress on the inside. In fact, in this film it’s his outer shell (the iron one) that he has to learn to live without at times and rely on his inner being. That’s what makes the film so good. Take away the incredible gadgetry and what you have is a wealthy genius who is afraid. The film spends almost a third of it’s time with Tony suit-less. He has to rely on others, and even himself.
The casting and acting is top notch across the board in this film. Robert Downey Jr. was born to wear the shoes of Tony Stark. I’m sorry, but most of the time our hero’s main squeeze feels like a prop piece put in the film just to give him something to fight for and a face to look at (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Connelly, Hayley Atwell, etc.). Not in Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow, People Magazine’s 2013 Most Beautiful Woman, isn’t just a pretty face but gives real weight to the role of Pepper. Pepper is the girl next door, but we respect her brains and heart more than her beauty. Don Cheadle gives another great performance as Colonel James Rhodes and helps turn the film into a buddy comedy at the end. Ben Kingsley, wow, you just have to see it to believe it. I could go down the line all the way to the bit parts...everyone is solid.
So when you have great actors and a great script written by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon) and Drew Pearce, you’ve got the right ingredients for an awesome film. Shane Black does a masterful job in directing. The pacing of the film mixes suspense, action, drama, and comedy in just the right way to make the 140 minute running time fly by.
I love film. It has the power to transport, make you think, laugh, get angry, tell someone you love them, etc. I’m not ashamed to say that sometimes they bring me to tears. There are only two superhero films that have hit me with “whoa, I thought I could hold the tears back...I was mistaken” moments. I sure experienced it on this film! Hit me up on twitter (@picturelockshow) and ask me when I cried tears of joy and I’ll tell you. :)
A high bar has been set for summer blockbusters for sure! This film was great. The comedy is hilarious, the action is absolutely incredible and worth seeing on the big screen. I laughed, I cried, I’m going to see it again in theaters. Be aware that the film was not shot in 3D or for IMAX and the 3D conversion (which I saw in IMAX 3D) is not that great. Save a few bucks and see it in 2D, but GO SEE IRON MAN 3 in theaters as it should be seen!
Rating: A
