MOVIE REVIEW: MORTAL KOMBAT

 

Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced fighters Liu Kang, Kung Lao and the rogue mercenary Kano, Cole prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions to take on the enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Release Date: April 23, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Mortal Kombat is a ridiculous movie on multiple levels which somehow works as goofy mindless entertainment.  The film’s opening sequence feels like a bit of misdirection as it plays like a straight laced old school samurai film.  It’s a slick, impressive opening however once Simon McQuoid’s film starts in earnest it pivots heavily into absurdism.  The plot is razor thin with just a string of a idea holding the whole thing together.  None of it makes much sense and neither the director or cast seem to care so there’s a bevy of things that happen simply because they have to.  Once it embraces it overall goofiness, the movie starts delivering over the top action filled with the kind of gory bloodshed fans have come to expect from the video game franchise.  The cast is made with fresh faces and some more established character actors who slumming it for a paycheck.  Everybody makes it out mostly unscathed with Josh Lawson’s Kano being the real standout and ultimately the most memorable character in the whole thing.  While this Mortal Kombat doesn’t have the endearing campiness of the 1995, the new entry could use some Christopher Lambert, it’s still fun video adaptation that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Monday

 

My dear reader(s): The weekend just passed brought me what inevitably turns out to be my favorite mistake: a new Sebastian Stan movie.

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

Following a drunken hookup, a pair of American expats tries to fashion a life together in Greece.

If you've come to my reviews over the last, say, 12-18 months, you could be forgiven for wondering why I bother with movies at all, when I don't seem to like any of them. I can assure you that, in the past, I've been almost too easy to please (cinematically speaking), but the limited releases of the past year, coupled with my decreasing tolerance for wasting my time, has turned my reviews a bit...cranky. I'll apologize in advance for where I have to call out Monday as the combination of vanity project and porno that I expected. It gets some things right, too.

Monday's problems start with the fact that its leads have zero chemistry. We're meant to believe their passion is the catalyst for some life-altering choices, and it it's essentially a flatline. If you struggle to tolerate chaotic people (as I do), you'll never get behind these two as a couple, either. The movie tries so hard to make them sympathetic, but I not-so-secretly felt they'd be better off if they gave up and tried pairing off with actual functioning adults. (Echoing a complaint I also had about Stan's 2019 movie Endings, Beginnings.) Watching them try to fashion a real relationship from a hot one-night-stand is exhausting and never very moving or entertaining. Monday held my full attention for exactly 16 minutes before I started playing with my phone (I clocked it), but there are some positives. First, both leads turn in brave, solid performances. The movie pushes Denise Gogh and Sebastian Stan to the very limits of what I imagine would be anyone's comfort zone, sharing intimate scenes, heated battles, and a penchant for public nudity. Some of the scenery is lovely,  both stunning Greek locations and a frequently-unclothed Sebastian Stan. The movie takes a sadly predictable path, but arrives at (without spoiling specifics) a destination I would not have expected. I'm willing to give it some points for surprising me; I wouldn't have thought it was capable of that.

Monday clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated R for "sexual content, nudity/graphic nudity, drug use, and pervasive language." (Nudity is mentioned twice in the content warnings. They mean it. It's ALL out there, so if you're twitchy about that, maybe take a pass on this one.)

Monday continues Sebastian Stan's unfortunate track record of wasting his exceptional talent on unexceptional projects, but almost redeems itself by turning from the beaten path late in the game. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Monday gets four.

Fangirl points: Seb. (Obvs.)

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: IN THE EARTH

 

As the world searches for a cure to a devastating virus, a scientist and a park scout venture deep into the woods. As night falls, their journey becomes a terrifying voyage through the heart of darkness as the forest comes to life around them.

Director: Ben Wheatley

Cast: Joel Fry, Reece Shearsmith, Hayley Squires, Ellora Torchia, John Hollingworth, Mark Monero

Release Date: April 16, 2021

Genre: Horror

Rated R for strong violent content, grisly images, and language

Runtime: 1 h 40 min

Review:

Ben Wheatley’s In The Earth can best be described as a earthbound take on 2001: A Space Odyssey crossed with Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.  It’s the type of horror film that aims to make you uncomfortable to the point where some of the more extreme moments start coming off as a funny as the film moves on.  Those adverse to body horror sequences will probably be better off skipping this feature since it makes heavy use of it.  The story itself feels like a hodgepodge of ideas which used pandemic fears as a starting off point then got progressively stranger as it goes on.  That’s not to say that Wheatley, who also wrote the script, doesn’t have something to say but it’s not a coherent whole.  The latter seems to intentional on Wheatley’s part as he assaults the sense on multiple front’s.  The primary duo of Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia aren’t required to do much except react to what is happening to them.  Reece Shearsmith and Hayley Squires do most of the heavy lifting on the creepy factor but the film isn’t ever scary.  Wheately’s In The Earth is type of film that’ll leave you wondering what you just watched the moments the lights go up, it’s bound to elicit divisive reactions.   

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: VOYAGERS

 

Set in the near future, the film chronicles the odyssey of 30 young men and women who are sent deep into space on a multi-generational mission in search of a new home. The mission descends into madness, as the crew reverts to its most primal state, not knowing if the real threat they face is what's outside the ship or who they're becoming inside it.

Director: Neil Burger

Cast: Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Archie Renaux, Archie Madekwe, Quintessa Swindel

Release Date: April 9, 2021

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence, some strong sexuality, bloody images, a sexual assault and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Voyagers is a glossy looking film that uses a variety of cinematic inspirations to deliver a paint by the numbers plot with no surprises or innovations.  Neil Burger film, doused in electric blue, has plenty of promise with an interesting set up.  Burger moves his film at a steady pace from the start as we are introduced to Colin Farrell's protector figure and a quick expositional opening which lays out the groundwork for the premise.  Farrell is there simply to set off the plot which leads to him having rather limited screen time.  Once the film gets rolling, plenty of intriguing themes and mysteries are set up but none of them really payoff in a meaningful or thought-provoking way.   Burger, who also wrote the script, doesn't seem interested or capable of delving deeper into any of the fertile thematic elements presented from male aggression, gaslighting, social structures amongst others.  As a result, you are left feeling there is a better story and film in there somewhere had it been handled by somebody else.  What we are left with is a fairly straight forward Lord of the Flies riff that hits nearly all the same beats as the classic book.  The cast is populated by a fairly diverse group of upcoming actors and actresses but Burger manages to use his POC in the worse possible way. Tye Sheridan, whose face is set to forever pout, leads the film along with Lily-Rose Depp with Fionn Whitehead playing the primary villain.  Sheridan & Depp are both rather bland and emotionally distant since neither has the type of screen presence to carry a film.  Whitehead has manic flashes here and there but it's never sustained so the conflict never hits the way it should.  Instead, it all feels perfunctory with a climax that feels like it's ripped from Alien. 

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Godzilla vs. Kong

My dear reader(s), the week just passed brought us Godzilla vs. Kong, a film that — by its very name — made a return to the big screens of the cinema seem imperative.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or if you've ever watched a monster movie before.

As the title indicates, Godzilla vs. Kong pits one giant creature against another, with puny humans serving as catalysts and comic relief.

A disclaimer: I wanted to see this movie on the big screen. I had every intention of seeing this movie on the big screen. I think this movie is 100% worth seeing on the big screen. BUT...for reasons including (but not limited to) Easter weekend always being crazy busy and my cinema still having weird Covid hours, I was forced to watch it on my reasonably-large television. *sadface*

For a movie like this to meet my needs, all it really has to do is have huge creatures, solid effects, and well choreographed battles. Plot doesn't mean much, and people are merely a distraction. Godzilla vs. Kong executes its mission to a "T." Both titular titans look very big and very, very good in this film. Showdowns between the two are magnificent. There are a fair number of consequential humans ("consequential," for my purposes, meaning named characters with at least a little dialogue), but the people are mostly unobtrusive, despite being portrayed by such notable names as Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Demian Bichir, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, and Alexander Skarsgard. Sound effects are nearly as impressive as visuals; however, in order to get the dialogue even barely audible, I had my volume so high that action sequences and music rattled the walls. I find that's the norm these days, both with movies and with television, and I have to think it can't be so hard to do better. Godzilla vs. Kong is fun and well paced, a series of epic action jewels strung together with thin human string. Oh, and the *real* titan here is Elvis Presley, whose "Loving Arms" makes a...peculiar...appearance.

Godzilla vs. Kong clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language."

If massive creatures, colossal clashes, and unimaginable destruction are your cup of tea, Godzilla vs. Kong is just the ticket. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Godzilla vs. Kong gets eight.

Godzilla vs. Kong is now playing in cinemas and streaming on HBO Max.

This review is dedicated to my wonderful friend David, a Godzilla scholar who has probably forgotten more about this character than I could ever know, and to my dad, who would have loved this movie more than anything.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: GODZILLA VS. KONG

 

Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home. Along for the ride is Jia, an orphaned girl who has a unique and powerful bond with the mighty beast. However, they soon find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla as he cuts a swath of destruction across the globe. The initial confrontation between the two titans -- instigated by unseen forces -- is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the planet.

Director: Adam Wingard

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler,  Demián Bichir

Release Date: March 26, 2021

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language

Runtime: 1 h 53 min

Review:

Godzilla vs. Kong is the type of film that is very open about what kind of film it is and it never pretends to be anything else.  Adam Wingard’s film uses the thinnest of a story to get the action moving.  Wingard moves the film at a steady pace so that you don’t think about the exposition heavy human sequences too much since it’s all fairly nonsensical.  Wingard is smart enough to see that people who sit down to see Godzilla vs. Kong want to see the two titans fight in epic fashion.  He delivers some truly impressive action set pieces between the two behemoths in well staged mayhem.  These action sequences are the primary lifeblood of the entire film so if they didn’t work the film would be a failure.  The human side of these films are typically afterthoughts at best and the same holding true here.  The cast is populated with familiar faces who are barely straining one ounce of talent into their roles.  Demián Bichir does manage to leave a lasting impression in the villain role that’s only missing a dash of mustache twirling.  Deft actress Kaylee Hottle leaves the biggest impression in a small but pivotal role. Her portion of the story with Kong is the beefiest of story threads but it’s not explored in any great depth.  Godzilla vs. Kong isn’t the type of film that’s interested in any sort of in depth storytelling just massive mayhem and it delivers the big dumb action you’d expect from these types of films. 

B-