MOVIE REVIEW: DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS

Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission.

Director: Jared Stern

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves

Release Date: July 29, 2022

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action, mild violence, language and rude humor

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

DC League of Super-Pets is the type of family film whose sole purpose to exist could be simply to sell cute plush toys.  While its sure to accomplish that the film itself is a pleasant surprise.  Writer/director Jared Stern's film is breezy, fun and wittier than you'd expected.  The setting borrows from Bruce Timm's classic DC animated shows with its art deco style while the character designs are reminiscent of Pixar's The Incredibles.  Its a visually appealing film that's filled with Easter eggs and visual cues that long time fans of the DC universe will surely enjoy.  The voice cast does excellent work throughout lead by a steady and sincere performance from Dwayne Johnson.  Johnson brings a palpable sense of  earnestness and authenticity that makes the character much more endearing than you'd expect.  Kevin Hart is more of surprise with a measured, funny but thoughtful turn as Ace.  The supporting cast of Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves are all clearly having a ball voicing these characters with Lyonne and Reeve's Batman getting some of the film's best lines.  The story itself plays out like most superhero films only with a furrier facade.  There's plenty to keep kids and adults entertained for the better part of the runtime even though you get the sense it could have been trimmed by 15 or 20 minutes.  Its humor occasionally veers outside of it's kids corner into more adult fare that will likely go over most of the younger kids heads.  As a whole, DC League of Super-Pets is a surprisingly fun animated offshoot that works far better than it should

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker & Jumanji: The Next Level

Yesterday I trekked to the cinema to shake off the after-Christmas blues with Star Wars: Episode IX and Jumanji: The Next Level.

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

First on my Boxing Day agenda: Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.

The final chapter of the Skywalker saga sees the Resistance facing off with a mysteriously-resurrected Emperor Palpatine.

Star Wars is one of those franchises that has such a devout and legendarily bitchy fanbase that there's nothing any review can really say that will be taken at face value. If you love it, you're too devoted to see its flaws; if you hate it, you're just a bitter fanboy. For whatever it's worth, I'm here to say that Rise of Skywalker is probably a lousy movie, but I mostly loved it anyway.

Episode IX definitely occupies more minutes than it earns, with some bloated battle/chase scenes that could and should have been trimmed significantly. The bulk of the movie is simple fan service, giving that devout fan base what the filmmakers thought it would want to see in the finale for at least this most-beloved branch of the Star Wars universe. Artistically, that never does a project any favors, but as a casual SW fan who has been in love with Luke Skywalker since I was ten, I very much enjoyed it. Highlights continue to be John Boyega and Oscar Isaac as Finn and Poe, while neither Daisy Ridley nor Adam Driver does much for me. (Yes, I know the whole wide galaxy thinks Driver's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't.) Some effects are terrific, while others are inexplicably dodgy. A good deal of it looks like a weird production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Pretty much every plot device and line of dialogue is more hokey than the one that came before it. I mean, you can only wring so many tears out of previously-unused Carrie Fisher footage, am I right? A real positive here is the organically diverse cast, no big deal, just characters of all races and species living and working together like it's as common as it should be. If some of Episode IX truly represents the best that Star Wars has to offer, it's re-hashed enough by this point to have lost much of its impact.
Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker clocks in at a mammoth 142 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi violence and action."

The Rise of Skywalker is an imperfect but enjoyable finale to a very-much-loved saga.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker gets seven, including one bonus Weasley for having an actual Weasley, Domhnall Gleeson, in the cast.

Next on yesterday's docket: Jumanji: The Next Level.

The gang is drawn back into the world's most dangerous game for another adventure.

Jumanji is an unlikely success story, a project that had every reason to be painfully bad, but somehow ended up surprisingly good. First and foremost, that is down to an absolute home-run with the casting, not just the notably terrific adult leads--Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan--but also their younger/real world selves: Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain, Ashley Scott, and Morgan Turner. As with the first Jumanji, the kids are so good it's almost a disappointment when they morph into their more famous video-game selves. Almost. Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan are so great I kinda want them and only them to be in all the movies all the time now, please and thank you. Throw in bonus Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, and you've got yourself one top-notch cast. The Next Level is as laugh-out-loud hilarious as its predecessor, in both broad and more clever ways, with a fresh story that never feels like a sequel for the sake of it. The action-packed plot moves along quickly and doesn't overstay its welcome, wrapped up with a nice Christmas setting, making it the perfect holiday family fare. For whatever it's worth, this movie got the best crowd reaction of any movie I saw this year, and that's a month into its release.

Jumanji: The Next Level runs 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "adventure action, suggestive content, and some language."

Jumanji: The Next Level is that rarest of sequels that may even best its predecessor.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Jumanji: The Next Level gets eight.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Hobbs & Shaw

Following my blissful ten-week Rocketman interlude, yesterday it was off to the pictures for the decidedly-un-Rocketman-like Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

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

When a genetically-enhanced baddie (Idris Elba) threatens to release a virus to cull humanity, it's up to Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) to put aside their differences and save the world.

In the grand tradition of the Fast & Furious franchise, Hobbs & Shaw is big, loud, dumb fun that uses a single ridiculous set-piece to up the ante for the whole action genre. (Think Tom Cruise hanging off the side of that airplane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.) The film is fast-paced from start to finish, with well-choreographed fight sequences and insane car chases, but the last act holds a special surprise only hinted at in the trailers. Overall the movie looks really good, though there are a few spots where the green screen is so obvious the actors might as well be Colorforms. (How old is everyone reading this? Do I need a different reference there?) The humor comes easy and is only seldom forced, working especially well for Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds in roles that are little more than cameos, but are just what the doctor ordered for the aging F&F series. Elba, Statham, Johnson, and franchise newcomer Vanessa Kirby ensure the movie isn't short on eye-candy. The picture's a bit overlong, but it keeps moving well enough that it's hardly noticeable.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw clocks in at 137 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material, and some strong language."

While it's fair to say the Fast & Furious franchise is getting a bit long in the tooth, Hobbs & Shaw is good fun that not only ticks all the boxes for action fans, but also continues to raise the stakes for stupidly huge stunts. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw gets six.

Fangirl points: My go-to guy Jason Statham and my want-to guy Idris Elba! Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Secret Life of Pets 2

Yesterday I preceded my day-long Rocketman festival with an early screening of the Secret Life of Pets 2.

This review will include some very specific spoilers that--as a pet mom and animal lover--I feel obligated to mention. However, I will put them at the end after the rating, with a warning, for anyone who wants to read to that point for a general overview.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 revisits our old friends from the first installment, sending them in mostly different directions, adding new friends and adversaries, and giving us a movie that feels a little disjointed.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 features three separate plotlines, two of which converge at film's end, and one that mostly stands on its own. It's not really a problem, but it does make the whole seem a bit jumbled. That aside, pieces of the movie are laugh-out-loud funny. If the dogs are broadly drawn, the cats are spot on. These writers, they're cat people! The art and animation are sharp and colorful, and a cheerful score is peppered with familiar tunes sure to appeal to young and old alike. Kevin Hart's voice work as the unhinged bunny Snowball is again the movie's highlight, and this time he's playing off a familiar costar, Tiffany Haddish, a new addition as Snowball's puppy pal, Daisy. This is a fun outing that doesn't overstay its welcome, making the movie’s shortcomings easy enough to forgive.

An aside: This was my first experience with a sensory-friendly movie screening, and I want to give props to my local theater, Marquee Cinemas, for offering this option. The film itself is unaltered, but the volume is lowered, the lights don't quite go all the way down, and there are subtitles on the screen. This screening also skipped the trailers. It was a good experience that seemed to go over well with its target audience, and it did my cold heart good to see kids who mightn't otherwise get to experience the cinema enjoy a movie.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 runs a quick 86 minutes and is rated PG for "some action and rude humor."

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is nothing special, but it's a fun enough summer outing to get folks by until Toy Story 4 hits screens in a couple weeks.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Secret Life of Pets 2 gets five.

Hereafter there be spoilers!

Fangirl Demerits (a first!):

I have never been a person who blames people's behavior on entertainment; on the contrary, I greatly value personal accountability. However, when it comes to anything targeting children, I do think we need to be careful what we put out there, and this movie does a few things that bothered me.

Near the beginning of the movie, there's a scene of a baby pulling on a dog's ears and tail. In the real world, this is how children get bitten and innocent animals get put down. Pets are not toys. This cannot be stressed enough, and it's no joke.

In one scene the little dog Gidget is using the dishwasher as a sauna. A silly enough gag, but how long until somebody's child puts a small dog in the dishwasher, much like kids were flushing fish down the toilet to “set them free” after seeing Finding Nemo? The movie loses nothing without that scene, so just don't do it.

Finally, in one plotline, the apartment-dwelling Max and Duke visit a relative on a farm, and are told, "Dogs sleep outside." Decent people don't make dogs sleep outside, and decent pet owners don't bring their dogs to places where they aren't welcome indoors. I docked this movie a full Weasley point for that one.

Until next time...

PS: Where's my Cats trailer??

PPS: Go see Rocketman, will ya?

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Downsizing / Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Dearest Blog: Saturday I kicked off the busy Christmas weekend with Downsizing and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

 

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

 

First on the docket, Downsizing.

 

In the interest of saving the planet, scientists perfect a process that reduces humans to a fraction of their size.

 

Ladies and gentlemen: I didn't hate this movie, and that's far better than anything I expected to be able to say about it. At least as far as my reaction, Downsizing reminded me of Collateral Beauty: I suspect it isn't a very good movie, but I liked it maybe better than it deserves.

 

First, a few of the problems. Downsizing clears two hours by a quarter, and that's just too long for as slow as it gets in places. In the film's defense, I'll admit I was never *quite* bored, but the length is cumbersome. Matt Damon, generally a pretty likable if unspectacular actor, somehow misses the mark in the lead, failing to earn much sympathy for a character who struggles mightily to be a good guy and do the right thing. For the second week in a row, I also had to endure Laura Dern's presence in a movie, thankfully, this time very briefly. Downsizing feels like a "message" movie, but ultimately muddles too many messages for any of them to have much impact.

 

Now, the good news: Downsizing does boast a pair of extraordinary performances, from Christoph Waltz, who leaves any movie better for having him, and from Hong Chau, who steals the show with a moving and powerful turn. Downsizing is quite funny at times, though the the whole feels tinged with the natural melancholy of irreversible choices. If the movie has one message that ultimately does hit home, it's the importance of being honest with ourselves and accepting the real reasons we do the things we do.

 

Downsizing clocks in at 135 minutes and is rated R for "language including sexual references, some graphic nudity, and drug use." (There are penises a-plenty in this movie, a fact I mention only because it is so unusual. If you're not okay with that sort of thing, take a pass.)

 

Downsizing is a confused morality tale that's more entertaining than expected. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Downsizing gets five.

 

Fangirl points: YOU GUYS THERE'S A BODEANS SONG IN THIS MOVIE!!

 

Next on my agenda: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

 

Four high schoolers are sucked out of detention and into the world of an old video game, where their avatars must play for their very lives.

 

Dear reader(s), full disclosure: I have no special affection for the original Jumanji, so I was never as appalled as the Internet-at-large over the idea of a remake/reboot/sequel. However you may feel about the original, I suggest you give the fun, funny 2017 version a try; I don't think you'll be sorry.

 

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has end-to-end action and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black have great chemistry and do a remarkable job of channeling their real-world, younger selves. It's a testament to the four youngsters--Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain, Morgan Turner, and Madison Iseman--that you'll actually miss them when they're replaced by their more famous "avatars." Johnson leads with his usual easy charm; it would be impossible not to enjoy a film with him in the lead. (Yes, I even liked Tooth Fairy!) Bobby Cannavale chews the scenery in a terrific turn as the picture's primary baddie, and Karen Gillan only gets more and more amazing with every movie. The movie's effects are solid, and a lively score by Henry Jackman perfectly underscores all the action. The crowd at my screening broke into applause multiple times over the course of the film.

 

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle runs 119 minutes and is rated PG13 for "adventure action, suggestive content, and some language."

 

It can be a hard pill to swallow when the things we love reach the age of being re-done for a new generation, but Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle got a better reaction from my theater than The Last Jedi, Justice League, and Thor...combined. It's an action-packed family comedy with a little something for everyone. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle gets eight.

 

Dear reader(s), I hope you enjoy these final, festive days of December, and I'll look forward to seeing you at the movies.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Secret Life of Pets

Dearest Blog: yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas, with a dear friend and approximately eight million kids, to see the weekend's blockbuster animated release, The Secret Life of Pets. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

The adventures of domesticated and non-domesticated animals in New York City. Well, dear reader(s), first stating the obvious: If you have pets, you're gonna enjoy this movie a LOT more than if you don't. 

 

The main storyline, about a pair of pups who have to find their way home after mistakenly being collared by animal control, is solid enough for the film's quick runtime, but the most fun bits by far are the devoted doggy sitting at the door awaiting his owner's return, or the disdaining cat knocking a lovingly-offered bowl of food across the room. 

 

Kevin Hart, as a psychotic rabbit, completely steals the show from a uniformly great voice cast. Pets' art and animation are bright, colorful, and thorougly pedestrian, nothing state of the art here. The movie is pretty funny throughout and only occasionally so crass as to appeal exclusively to ten-year-old boys. The Secret Life of Pets clocks in at 90 minutes, which includes a laugh-out-loud Minions short, and is rated PG for "action and some rude humor." It won't give Dory a run for her money come Oscar time, but The Secret Life of Pets is a cute, fun story with all-ages appeal. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Secret Life of Pets gets six and a half. 

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Finding Dory & Central Intelligence

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a promising pair of pictures: Finding Dory and Central Intelligence. 

 

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

 

First on the docket: Finding Dory. Everyone's favorite memory-challenged blue fish goes searching for a piece of her past. 

 

Dear reader(s): Finding Nemo is my favorite thing that Pixar has ever done. Outside of dear ol' Captain Jack, it may be my favorite thing Disney's ever done, too, so it was with equal parts excitement and trepidation I accepted the idea of a welcome, but unnecessary, sequel. I am pleased to report that, if Finding Dory doesn't quite match Finding Nemo, it does an admirable job of carrying on the franchise nonetheless. 

 

In the grand tradition of Pixar product, Finding Dory looks amazing. Outstanding art, bold colors, and lovely animation combine to create a picture that appears to live and breathe on its own. If Dory were a real, live person instead of a cartoon fish, Ellen DeGeneres undoubtedly would earn some serious awards consideration; she is brilliant. 

 

Her supporting cast is filled with familiar and capable voices, including Albert Brooks, reprising his role as the clownfish Marlon, as well as Ed O'Neill, Diane Keaton, Idris Elba, and Sigourney Weaver. 

 

The predictable-but-charming tale is backed by a lovely score by Thomas Newman. If I were to quibble over one small flaw, it's that the movie has too many false endings, which make it seem to drag on a bit, but the post-credits scene is well worth weathering the extensive end credits. Finding Dory runs 97 minutes (which includes an adorable short called Piper) and is rated PG for "mild thematic elements." Finding Dory is an almost-perfect mix of beautiful art and a sweet, family-friendly story. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Finding Dory gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Idris Elba, Dominic West, Kaitlin Olson. 

 

Next up: buddy comedy Central Intelligence. 

 

A bullied youth turned CIA agent drags his only high-school friend into the world of international espionage. If you took all of Hollywood, put it in a bag and shook it up, then dumped out any ten random actors, Dwayne Johnson would probably have more charisma than all ten combined. 

 

He's no Crowe or Denzel in the acting-chops department, but the guy is always fun to watch, and, in Central Intelligence, he has great chemistry with his hilarious co-star Kevin Hart. 

 

Central Intelligence boasts a well-plotted story with a fair few twists, and, though most of its laugh-out-loud moments were revealed in trailers, the movie is uniformly entertaining and amusing, and the action keeps it moving at a good clip. 

 

Central Intelligence clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action/violence, and brief strong language." 

 

A serviceable buddy comedy that provides both laughs and thrills a-plenty, of a possible nine Weasleys, Central Intelligence gets seven. 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: GET HARD

When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Etan Cohen    

Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson.

Release Date: Mar 27, 2015    

Rated R for Pervasive Crude and Sexual Content and Language, Some Graphic Nudity, and Drug 

Material    

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.    

Genres: Comedy    

Review:

Get Hard is exactly what it presents itself as, nothing more and nothing less.  It’s dated jokes about race, sexuality and just about anything feels like a retread.  Anyone’s enjoyment or lack there of will depend on how much you like Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.  Ferrell and Hart have excellent chemistry together throughout and make even the laziest jokes work.  It’s all juvenile and sophomoric but if you were expecting anything deeper or more important then you walked into the wrong movie.  It’s a breezy film with enough laughs to keep it from getting stale.  It’s the definition of predictable and far from Ferrell’s best work, but still funny enough to make fans happy. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: RIDE ALONG

A motor-mouthed high-school security guard joins his prospective brother-in-law, a decorated police detective, on a shift along the mean streets of Atlanta and learns that life on the force is no picnic in this action comedy from director Tim Story (Fantastic Four, Think Like a Man). Ben (Kevin Hart) longs to marry his gorgeous girlfriend Angela (Tika Sumpter), but before he can propose he must first get the approval of her tough-as-nails brother James (Ice Cube), a top detective in the Atlanta Police Department. John Leguizamo and Laurence Fishburne co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Tim Story

Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Bryan Callen

Release Date: Jan 17, 2014

Rated PG-13 Sequences of violence, sexual content and brief strong language.

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

I went into Ride Along willing to give it a fair shot and off the strength of a funny trailer I was slightly hopeful. Personally I like Kevin Hart and Ice Cube has done some funny movies, even if we a few decades removed from them. On the good side, Hart is funny is spots and shares good chemistry with Cube. The biggest problem is that the movie is incredibly lazy in every way possible. The script is full of hackneyed tropes and jokes at every stop with Ice Cube winking at the camera while making some incredibly unfunny meta jokes, unwittingly at his own expensive. Kevin Hart, aka that squirrel on a Red Bull IV, is talented enough to pull some laughs out of a bone dry script. Saying that John Leguizamo and Laurence Fishburne are slumming it doesn’t even begin to cover their appearance in this film. At a little over an hour and a half, it’s the kind of movie that you’ll be seeing none stop on TBS or FX followed by another Cube classic Are We There Yet.

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: GRUDGE MATCH

Two retired boxers (Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro) decide to settle a long-standing beef by heading back into the ring in this sports comedy from director Peter Segal. Back in the day, Billy "The Kid" McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry "Razor" Sharp (Stallone) were the two biggest bruisers in the Pittsburgh boxing scene. Their fierce rivalry drawing nationwide attention, Razor and The Kid were deadlocked for the title of overall champion when the former announced his retirement just before the decisive 1983 match that would have determined the supreme champion. Three decades later, enterprising boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr. (Kevin Hart) lures the aging pugilists back into the ring for the fight that everyone has been waiting for. Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, and Jon Bernthal costar. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Peter Segal

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Alan Arkin, Kevin Hart, Jon Bernthal

Release Date: Dec 25, 2013

Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, sexual content and language

Runtime: 1 hr. 53 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Grudge Match is those type of film’s that’s heavy on clichés and light on surprises. It’s about as harmless as a sleeping kitten. The plot borrows liberally Rocky and Raging Bull mixed with generic family drama (lost loves and children). There are old jokes by the barrel full with plenty of room left for the most obvious ones like Ben Gay and Geritol. It’s about as vanilla a film as they come with only one real surprise. Its watch able, occasionally lots of fun and surprisingly heartfelt in spots. You’d expect the cast to phone it in but most are surprisingly engaged with Stallone and De Niro giving the whole thing a pulse. Stallone in particular delivers his most authentic performance in years. De Niro seems to be having a ball perhaps reliving old glories. He and Bernthal, who does look like he’s related to De Niro, have a nice father long lost son chemistry on screen. Alan Arkin and Kevin Hart provide harmless comedic relief which never veers into anything close to dangerous territory. Kim Basinger meanwhile seems to have thought that it was a good idea to whisper all her lines regardless of the situation. The movie moves along at a nice pace rarely lingering and almost making its 2 hour runtime seem worthwhile. Along the way you’ll get the expected training montages, reunions leading up to the big fight. The climatic fight is impressively edited, making the whole thing seem as real as possible, even if boxers in movies never seem to defend themselves but I digress. It ends on a feel good moment which feels earned even in the most generic of all films.

B-