Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Birds of Prey & The Last Full Measure

Despite the first real blast of winter rolling through my area this weekend, I was able to slip out to the cinema for Birds of Prey and the Last Full Measure.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on my agenda, the film with the unnecessarily awkward and misleading name, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

Following her breakup with the Joker, Harley Quinn struggles to make her way on her own.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is misnamed in that it is mostly about Harley Quinn and hardly at all about the Birds of Prey, who pop up only sporadically throughout and not until the very end as a unit. Margot Robbie clearly is having the time of her life as Harley, as is Ewan McGregor as the film's psychotic big-bad. The rest of the cast is unremarkable, outside of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, always a rose even among thorns. Birds of Prey doesn't look half as good as the Gotham TV series as far as its production design and overall appearance and atmosphere, but there are a couple exceptional set pieces, particularly the climactic battle in a fun house. The movie makes great use of some popular tunes and features terrific score by Daniel Pemberton.

On the negative side, Birds of Prey is unrelentingly foul in both language and content. I'm a grownup and grownup content doesn't put me off, but the movie tries to shock for shock's sake and that's just boring. I find the character of Harley Quinn rather annoying, and this portrayal hasn't done anything to endear her to me. Much like the Minions--who are the best part of any Despicable Me movie but couldn't effectively carry a whole movie--a little Harley goes a long, long way. "Fun" is the word I've most often heard used to describe Birds of Prey, which for me frequently is code for, "It isn't very good but I liked it anyway." I can definitely see why people like this movie, despite it's not being particularly well done, and I'm grateful that solid reviews and good word of mouth should make it a win for DC, regardless of a (so far) sluggish box office.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material."

While Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is built of some great pieces, the whole is too dark to be fun and too silly (bordering on downright stupid at times) to be properly dark. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Birds of Prey gets six.

Next on the docket, the Last Full Measure.

A hotshot government lawyer is assigned (against his will) to review the case of an airman killed in Vietnam, whose brothers in arms are convinced he was wrongfully denied the Medal of Honor.

First and foremost, I would like to give props to my local theater for getting this movie. Even though the film is in wide-release, there doesn't seem to be much buzz around it and I was certain it would pass right by my small town. So, thank you, Marquee Cinemas, for screening the Last Full Measure.

Onward to the movie, beginning where regular reader(s) will expect: with Sebastian Stan. I've said it before and I'll undoubtedly say it again (and again): Sebastian Stan is the finest actor of his generation, and one of the finest actors I've ever seen. If you only know him as a Marvel guy, you are really, really missing out. (Shameless plug: Please check him out in the short-lived series Kings, which you can watch for free on the NBC app.) As a longtime fan, you can bet I was as proud as his mama to see his name at the top of the credits, his first real big-screen lead. This role hardly taxes his talent, but his character is the film's backbone and he serves it well. Most of the acting heavy lifting is left to the older cast members: Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda, and John Savage, but--while fine performances elevate the material--they can't really save it. The tone is overly sentimental and the script is pedestrian, at times so melodramatic as to be almost comical, which is a sad disservice to its subject. Having said all that, the film does put the spotlight on a very deserving hero, and the folks in my screening and the one before it were largely moved to tears. That's a movie that certainly gets something right.

The Last Full Measure runs 116 minutes and is rated R for "war violence and language."

The Last Full Measure is a film that strikes a nerve, not necessarily because it tells its story well, but because it tells *such* a story. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Last Full Measure gets seven.

Fangirl points: I mean, Seb, obviously, but Linus Roache was a nice surprise!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BIRDS OF PREY

It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her back. Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask, his right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, and every other thug in the city. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women -- Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya.

Director: Cathy Yan

Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor

Release Date: February 7, 2020

Genres:  Action, Adventure, Crime

Rated Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material

Runtime:  1h 49min

Review:

Birds of Prey nails so many things right about Harley Quinn as a character that you'd be hard pressed to find flaw especially if you've been a fan since her inception.  Her debut in Suicide Squad, a movie that's unfairly bashed while still being fun if problematic, was iconic for Margot Robbie and the DC universe in general.  Regardless of how you feel about that movie, she was one of the shining lights of the whole affair.  Now in her own film, flanked by longtime Batman friends and adversaries, she's given full reign on the screen and story.  Cathy Yan helms the film with a kinetic energy that's hard to resist with luminous star in a role she was born to play.  There are so many impressively manic and nutty fight sequences to keep even the most blood thirsty movie goer begging for more.  It's a candy colored assault on the senses that takes a break here and there before it drops a mallet on your head again.  Supporting Robbie are equally game cast mates like Ewan McGregor who's obviously having a ball playing Black Mask.  Needless to say that DC fans will have to appreciate this take on Black Mask and Victor Zsasz because it's both respectful of each character but still their own singular take.  The same can be said of this entrie's take on Black Canary and Huntress played by an underused Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  Each brings a specific type of energy to their role much like the more seasoned Rosie Perez who just fits as Renee Montoya.  Ultimately, they are all floating around Margot Robbie's Quinn who keeps the whole thing rolling.  There's a definite girl power rolling through the entire film and it's the better for it, fitting right in as the crazy cousin to the more refined DC super heroine Wonder Woman.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Ford v Ferrari, The Good Liar & Doctor Sleep

Ford v Ferrari / The Good Liar / Doctor Sleep CINDY PRASCIK·TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019·5 MINUTES An extra-long weekend left me with an opportunity to see the weekend's two new releases at my local cinema, as well as catching up a bit from a couple weeks back. On my agenda: Ford v Ferrari, the Good Liar, and Doctor Sleep.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing plot-specific.

First on the docket: Ford v Ferrari.

In the mid-1960s, American auto maker Ford decides to challenge perennial champion Ferrari on the world racing stage.

I feel it's first important to note that I would not hesitate to recommend Ford v Ferrari to anyone, even if you don't like cars or racing, even if you think it's just a white-guy movie, even if the sight of Matt Damon makes you want to punch a wall. (I seem to know an inexplicable number of folks in that last group.) It's just a good movie, sans any qualifiers. Ford v Ferrari starts with compelling story, but, as Midway would be happy to show you, not all compelling stories make compelling films. Where Ford v Ferrari succeeds is in making you care about its story, its characters, and its outcome, whether or not you are pre-disposed to do so. Christian Bale and Matt Damon are terrific in the leads, so much so that I think it would be a mistake to write off either in the upcoming best actor races. (As with Joaquin Phoenix, just ceding the nominations. They also may not have Taron's Oscar.) A two-and-a-half-hour runtime is solidly paced and never drags, and the beautifully-filmed racing scenes are tense enough to leave you holding your breath. The movie is funny, too, often unexpectedly so, and it has tons of heart. If it is cars you love, well, there are plenty of revving engines and sexy shots of gorgeous automobiles to go 'round. A phenomenal score by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders ties a bow on this true gift of a film.

Ford v Ferrari runs 152 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some language and peril."

As someone whose sole knowledge racing comes from Talladega Nights and that one Finnish driver I follow on Twitter, I am here to tell you, dear reader(s), that Ford v Ferrari is a great movie for everyone. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ford v Ferrari gets eight and a half.

Next up: the Good Liar.

A career con-artist sets his sights on a seemingly naive, well-to-do lady.

The Good Liar is the sort of grown-up movie that people complain Hollywood doesn't make anymore, then everyone stays home when it turns up at the cinema. That seems a real shame here, with two icons--Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen--fronting a well-crafted yarn that holds a number of surprises. Mirren and McKellan are expectedly fantastic, playing off one another as only two of the best can do. The story itself is a layered one that takes a darker turn than I expected. It's often said that R-rated films weed out not only those viewers who are too young for extreme content, but also those of a certain age who might prefer their entertainment minus violence and vulgarity. Certainly the Good Liar isn't Saw or the Human Centipede, but with a fair few F-bombs and some intense (though not graphic) violence, I wouldn't take my mom to see it, either. The Good Liar moves slowly enough in spots that it gets to feeling a bit overlong, but it's also smart enough to hold your attention pretty much end to end.

The Good Liar clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated R for "some strong violence, and for language and brief nudity."

The Good Liar is the sort of film that will suffer for having nothing to gain by being seen on a big screen, but it's definitely worth catching in some form whenever it crosses your path. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Good Liar gets eight.

Fangirl points: Russell Tovey!!

Finally, yesterday I closed out my weekend with a-day-late-and-a-dollar-short screening of Doctor Sleep.

Years after the events of the Shining, an adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl who "shines" from a dangerous cult of immortals.

Doctor Sleep starts off promisingly enough, teasing a few ominous bars of the original Shining theme, but, sadly, it's all downhill from there. The film creeps along at a snail's pace, offers little new or interesting, and is never really properly scary. Nods to the original are copious and always entirely expected, especially towards the final act. Ewan McGregor really seems to have no idea how to salvage the material, and--at a bloated two-and-a-half hours--the movie overstays its welcome by a good 45 minutes. Now...here's why you'll want to go see Doctor Sleep anyway: Rebecca Ferguson. While everyone else seems adrift in a sea of clunky dialogue and predictable turns, Ferguson chews up the pedestrian material and spits it right back out into a riveting turn as Rose the Hat. She's creepy, she's sexy, she's camp, she's absolutely fantastic. You won't be able to take your eyes off of her. It's a performance well worth whatever it costs to see it on the big screen.

Doctor Sleep runs a plodding 152 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity, and drug use."

If you're an insomniac, Doctor Sleep is the cure. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Doctor Sleep gets four.

Fangirl points: Zahn McClarnon! Bruce Greenwood!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: DOCTOR SLEEP

Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the "shine." Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.

Director: Mike Flannagan

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis

Release Date: November 8, 2019

Rated R for disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity and drug use.

Runtime: 2 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Horror

Review:

Doctor Sleep is a daunting challenge for anyone. Following up a classic by Stanley Kubrick a is tough task but Mike Flannagan is up to the task for the most part. Flannagan echos Kubrick here and there, personally I could have done with a few less tracking shots, but still manages to create his own beast. The film itself is a solid tome that's reeks of Stephen King. It's a good and bad thing, some of the scares are well constructed while some of the characters seem hollow to the point of being goofy. Thankfully, Ewan McGregor is the focal point of the film and he makes the entire thing work even with a shoddy New England accent. He's extremely watchable throughout the film delivering a well rounded performance. Rebecca Ferguson makes an attractive and menacing villain while Kyliegh Curran is one of the stronger child actors I run across since Jacob Trembly. Saying anything too in depth about how the story would be a disservice but rest assured that diehard The Shining fans will leave extremely happy and satisfied.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: CHRISTOPHER ROBIN

Christopher Robin -- now a family man living in London -- receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal, Winnie-the-Pooh. With Christopher's help, Pooh embarks on a journey to find his friends -- Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. Once reunited, the lovable bear and the gang travel to the big city to help Christopher rediscover the joy of life.

Director: Marc Forster

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cumming, Brad Garrett, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss

Release Date: August 3, 2018

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for some action

Runtime: 1h 44 min

Review:

Christopher Robin is a saccharine sweet bit of nostalgia that’s enjoyable and entertaining even though it’s an uneven tone.  Marc Forster’s film is well crafted from start to finish with a strong cast and impressive CGI.  Ewan McGregor turns in a charming performance even though character seems eerily similar to Georrge Banks from Mary Poppins.  The character is a bit more complex than expected and probably could have been explored a bit more.  Hayley Atwell makes for an equally charming wife to match McGregor.  The voice work turned in by Jim Cummings and Brad Garrett really stands out for Pooh and Eeyore, giving the film its sweet center.  The film does have a tinge of melancholy running through the entire film which makes for a strange tone for a children’s film. Christopher Robin never seems to decide if it wants to be a straight forward children’s film or a most measured meditation on rediscovering your youth. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directed this live-action retelling of the Disney animated classic from 1991. As before, this fairy tale centers on a young woman named Belle (Emma Watson), who is forced to live in an enchanted castle with a prince who is cursed to look like a hideous Beast (Dan Stevens). In time, the pair fall in love as Belle learns to see the good man hiding behind the Beast's monstrous exterior. The film co-stars Luke Evans as Gaston, Ewan McGregor as Lumière, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Ian McKellen as Cosgworth, Kevin Kline as Belle's father, and Josh Gad as Gaston's sidekick LeFou. ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: Bill Condon

Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor

Release Date: Mar 17, 2017

Rated PG for Peril, Frightening Images and Some Action Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 9 min.

Genres: Family, Music/Performing Arts, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

The live action Beauty and The Beast hits all the right notes both figuratively and literally but it still feels like it’s missing something.  Bill Condon does a fine job of directing the film delivering lavish musical numbers and a cornucopia of visual treats.  His cast is excellent with Emma Watson sliding into the Belle role with great easy.  Her voice isn’t quiet as strong as the role needs it to be but she’s still a great choice for the role.  Dan Stevens is solid if uninspired as the Beast which is a shame considering he’s a strong actor.  It doesn’t help that the CGI on the Beast is thoroughly unconvincing.  The rest of the CGI characters are well done which makes the misstep on one of the main characters all the more puzzling.  Ewan McGregor stands our as Lumière as does Emma Thompson.  As for the rest of the live action cast, Luke Evans and Josh Gad make for a great duo which is helped by the fact that they are clearly have a great time.  All in all, the live action version of the film is strong across the board even though it could have used a bit of a trim here there.  Unfortunately, it never really finds itself and it really makes you want to revisit the original animated film.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Beauty and the Beast

Dearest Blog: Today it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the live-action remake of Disney's classic, Beauty and the Beast.

 

Spoiler level here will be...oh, who am I kidding? Everybody knows how this turns out.

 

A selfish prince is turned into a hideous beast by a curse that can only be lifted by his learning to love and be loved.

 

Dear Reader(s), other than Pirates of the Caribbean and that awesome old Robin Hood cartoon, I'm not really a Disney super-fan. If you want to know how the current imagining of Beauty and the Beast stacks up against the much-loved animated version (which I failed to revisit, despite my best intentions), you're going to have to look elsewhere. That out of the way...

 

The new Beauty and the Beast gets just about everything right. Emma Watson is a delight in the lead. She hasn't got the strongest singing voice, but she's gifted with numbers that aren't much beyond your average shower performer, getting by on her natural charm, beauty, and ever-growing acting chops. As for the Beast, well, casting a handsome devil like Dan Stevens in a role where you hardly see his face has to be a black mark on a film's permanent record, but Stevens' charisma is never hidden by his beastly facade. The cast's true gems are in its supporting players. Luke Evans, Josh Gad, and the divine Audra McDonald use their musical theater cred to steal the show, and the number "Gaston" (featuring Evans and Gad) is easily the highlight of the picture. Some interior scenes are a bit too dark (a by-product of seeing a 3D product in 2D), but the movie's glorious sets are otherwise on full, stunning display. Costumes are also top notch. Seeing Emma in that iconic yellow dress tugged at even my Grinch-sized heart. For my money, the movie's only serious flaws are bland tunes (I daresay most don't share that opinion) and the fact it could use about a 20-minute trim, but a good--if predictable--story, fun action, and solid humor more than compensate for these minor quibbles.

 

Disney's Beauty and the Beast runs 129 minutes and is rated PG for "some action violence, peril, and frightening images."

 

The live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast is magic for old and new fans alike. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Beauty and the Beast gets seven and a half.

 

Fangirl points: The Goddess Audra! My beloved Luke Evans!

 

Until next time... 

 

Cindy Prascik's Review of Mortdecai & The Imitation Game

Dearest Blog, lemme tell ya: I'm a little bit exhausted from juggling all these awards hopefuls (that I never expected to see in my area) with regular new releases and weekly screenings of The Hobbit!

However, thanks to an understanding boss, this weekend I was able to catch Johnny Depp's latest as well as one of Oscar's favorites.

First on my agenda: Mortdecai.

Johnny Depp stars as art dealer/thief Charlie Mortdecai, called upon by MI5 to assist with a case.
Well, dear reader(s), even as a die-hard Depp fan, I'm growing bored with his seemingly endless succession of interchangeable goofy characters. Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, and even Transcendence were all terrible disappointments to me. So, as a Depp fan, I'm pleased to say that Mortdecai, while far from perfect, represents a bit of a rebound.

Comedies are a sketchy business...so often you pay ten bucks for a ticket only to find that all the really funny bits were in the trailer. It is, perhaps, because Mortdecai is more amusing than gut-bustingly funny that it doesn't seem that way; instead of a dozen big laughs spread over two otherwise boring hours, Mortdecai is a more evenly-entertaining experience.

Depp is terrific as the self-absorbed Mortdecai, and, if his "weird people with English accents" routine is wearing thin, it works better here than it has in his last few attempts. As Mortdecai's loyal and long-suffering manservant, Jock, Paul Bettany is the movie's highlight.

 A running gag with Jock--not so much as hinted at in the trailers--provides the movie's best laughs.

Mortdecai is a caper as well as a comedy, and it's pretty entertaining. It doesn't drag on or over-inflate itself with unnecessary pretense. It's not too clever, but it IS fun, and, yes, there are even some laugh-out-loud moments.

Mortdecai runs 106 minutes and is rated R for "some language and sexual material." (For my money, I've seen far worse rated PG13...don't understand this rating at all.)

Mortdecai is not a special movie--you won't be talking about it next week, let alone next year at awards time--but Mortdecai IS a bit of mindlessly fun entertainment. Last I checked, that wasn't yet a crime in Hollywood.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Mortdecai gets five and a half.

(It would have been six had it co-starred ANYONE besides Gwyneth Paltrow!)

Next up was The Imitation Game.

During World War II, English mathematician Alan Turing leads a team attempting to break Nazi codes.

Alright, I'm gonna say it straight up: though it has zero chance of taking home the Oscar, The Imitation Game is easily my favorite of the Best Picture nominees I've seen.

 (Still missing Whiplash, which hasn't hit my orbit yet.) Benedict Cumberbatch is phenomenal in the lead, often abrasive but still strangely sympathetic. Again, though he doesn't seem to have a legitimate chance of hearing his name called on the big night, his performance is as good as any I saw last year, and the supporting cast is uniformly strong as well.

The Imitation Game races against the clock to break Nazi codes and prevent further loss of life; as such, it's more "edge of your seat" than it probably seems from the description. The movie also touches on Turing's homosexuality, for which he was prosecuted later in life, under UK laws of the time. It's heartbreaking, but never miserable.

The Imitation Game clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some sexual references, mature thematic material, and historical smoking."

The Imitation Game is riveting from start to finish, beautifully executed on all levels. The very definition of "must see!"

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Imitation Game gets nine. Just go see it already!

Until next time...

Somehow I knew the Internet wouldn't make me do this myself! :-)

MOVIE REVIEW: THE IMPOSSIBLE

Director Juan Antonio Bayona follows up his critically acclaimed feature debut The Orphanage with this drama set during the 2004 Thailand tsunami, detailing one family's incredible fight for survival. Inspired by actual events. Tom Hollander and Geraldine Chaplin co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hollander, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin

Release Date: Dec 21, 2012

Rated R for intense realistic disaster sequence, disturbing injury images and brief
nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

The Impossible is the type of harrowing experience that has you watching the film through clenched teeth while grasping the arm rest during some of the more intense sequences. It’s a dramatization of a true story but it does an impressive job of giving you an approximation of the destruction that occurred during this tragic event. Bayona masterfully re-creates the tsunami’s impact with the visceral punch of a horrific amusement park ride. Naomi Watts and Tom Hollander do the majority of the heavy lifting on the emotional side. Watts and Hollander share a strong believable chemistry as mother and son. Personally, I can’t think of anybody better at playing emotionally beaten and frayed than Naomi Watts while keeping a quite strength behind her eyes. Watts delivers an unglamorous raw turn; it leaves a lasting impression even though she disappears for the better part of the last act. Hollander matches her every step of the way with one of the best performances I’ve seen by a child actor in years. Ewan McGregor and the 2 younger actors get some small moments to shine and each does impressive work with limited screen time. They get relegated to the background for the most part and the script seems content to use them for some of the more manufactured moments of heart string pulling such as a trifold set of near misses before the final reunion. It’s an issue that becomes more apparent as the film nears its finale. These moments feel out of place and forced even though the story didn’t need to beat you over the head with agony and could have relied on the organic moments of uplifting human drama.

B