MOVIE REVIEW: VENGEANCE

 

A journalist and podcaster travels from New York City to Texas to investigate the death of a woman whom he hooked up with.

Director: B. J. Novak

Cast: B. J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Dove Cameron, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, J. Smith-Cameron

Release Date: July 29, 2022

Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for language and brief violence

Runtime: 1h 47m

Review:

B. J. Novak's Vengeance is a dramady that's disarmingly funny even though its dissecting some heady and timely themes.  Novak wrote and directs the film and you get the distinct feeling that the story and idea are something very personal to him.  The script has an easy flow to it as you meet the assorted cast of characters who start off as clichés before being revealed as three dimensional people.  Novak's main character plays as a your standard narcissistic coastal elite who's clearly outside of his bubble.  The comedy that comes from the fish out of water situation is solid and delivers some solid laughs.  Boyd Holbrook and Novak have some solid chemistry together and deliver some of the film's funnier moments.  J. Smith-Cameron provides a strong maternal performance that's more subtle than a lot of the other characters but packs a punch by the end of the film.  Ashton Kutcher also delivers a surprisingly subdued but incredibly effective supporting turn as a small town record producer who like most people in the film have much more to them than meets the eye.  Vengeance has a slightly choppy tonal feel that makes it uneven in parts but ultimately it does a solid job of capturing the current state of our divided country.

B+

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

MOVIE REVIEW: NOPE

 

Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behaviour.

Director: Jordan Peele

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott

Release Date: July 22, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images.

Runtime: 2h 10m

Review:

Jordan Peele's Nope is a strange sort of concoction that's intriguing on multiple levels for a variety of reasons.  Peele's film is a slow burn sci-fi film which leans heavily on its colorful characters and gorgeous cinematography both of which makes it easier to ignore some of the script's more glaring inadequacies.  The story plays out in two portions with the lead up providing some genuine, albeit fake out, chills while the second borrows heavily from a couple of classic horror films.  Peele pulls off an impressive sleight of hand in the first half leading you to believe you are watching a certain type of genre film before flipping the script even though he provides plenty of clues early on.  This is the type of film that will prove divisive once the reveal occurs especially since there is very little in the way of answers provided.  Peele seems to be making a concerted effort to make his film a discussion piece since multiple facets of it leave it open for endless theorizing and pontification.  On screen, Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and  Brandon Perea make for a fun trio.  Kaluuya is a talented performer who can transmit so much by doing so little, its not a showy turn but its still incredibly dense.  Keke Palmer is lively and fun throughout getting some of the film's funniest lines.  Brandon Perea also get some fun moments as the overly involved Fry's  employee.  Michael Wincott and Steven Yeun both do solid work in underwritten roles that never feel fully realized.  Those looking for a terrifying horror film will likely be left wanting with Nope since its funnier than scary.  Peele's film does play well as a love letter to his cinematic inspirations from a genre he clearly loves.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

 

Marcel is an adorable, 1-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother, Connie, and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. However, when a documentary filmmaker discovers them, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope of finding his long-lost family.

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Cast: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer Camp, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Isabella Rossellin

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Rated PG for some suggestive material and thematic elements

Runtime: 1h 30m

Review:

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on is a wildly imaginative stop  motion film that has a heartfelt authenticity that's hard to find.  Dean Fleischer Camp's mockumentary has a fairy simple relying more on the charm of its central character and his sweet, life affirming worldview.  Jenny Slate, who cocreated the character with Camp, delivers a touching and surprisingly nuanced performance as Marcel.  Slate voicework makes the entire film work but imbuing the fanciful character feel real and believable.  Isabella Rossellin serves as the her main costar, together they make a fascinating family unit as they explore topics of isolation and self discovery.  Its a real testament to the script and performances that the film is sneakily moving and poignant while being incredibly accessible to everyone.  Marcel the Shell with Shoes is the type of original film that comes out of nowhere and surprises at every turn reminding you some films don't have to big events to leave a lasting impact.  

A

MOVIE REVIEW: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

 

Abandoned as a girl, Kya raised herself in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the marsh girl haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, she opens herself to a new and startling world.

Director: Olivia Newman

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr., David Strathairn

Release Date: July 13, 2022

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault.

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Where the Crawdads Sing, based on the bestselling novel, is the type of film adaptation that's desperately aspiring to land a deep and emotion punch.  Unfortunately, Olivia Newman's film never reaches those heights instead it lands like a strange low rent To Kill a Mockingbird/The Notebook hybrid.  Newman, directing her first film, shoots plenty of lovely vistas establishing the swampy marsh as a main character of the film but its all terribly sanitized which robs it of any sense of grounded authenticity.  It hampers the film's emotional impact since the entire thing feels more romanticized than gritty.  The script itself doesn't help the matter much since the majority of secondary characters are written as types with very little depth.  Daisy Edgar-Jones delivers a workmanlike performance that serves as the driving force of the entire film.  Jones is able to pull every bit of emotional resonance out of the script which is an impressive feat since it features a hefty amount of cheese.  Taylor John Smith does what he can as the film's requisite good guy and he does have passable chemistry with Jones which makes their early sequences more effective.  On the other end of the spectrum, Harris Dickinson channels a sort of 80's jerk energy which makes his and Jones scenes improbable at best.  Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr. and David Strathairn serve as the Kya's caretakers with the latter perfectly suited for the southern lawyer role.  As the film moves, slowly, towards its finale you get the sense there is a better version of this story somewhere which would make it easier to overlook some of the more non sensical and downright illogical portions of the story.  

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

 

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman

Release Date: July 8, 2022

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Music, Romance, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity.

Runtime:1h 59m

Review:

Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder, his follow up to Thor: Ragnarok, is a chaotic unfocused kaleidoscope that struggles to find the consistent fun and charm that made the previous film so enjoyable.  Waititi's delivers some truly impressive set pieces the majority of which are colorfully opulent but one monochromatic fight sequence is likely to leave the biggest impact.  You get the sense that he's poured his mind onto the screen like a visual trek through his stream of conscience.  It works in spots, but it never finds its footing consistently due to sizable tonal shifts throughout the film which makes for some noticeable dead spots.  The script, written by Waitit, tries to include some heftier emotional depth to the whole thing but it never connects the way it should.  Additionally, the humor here never feels as organic as it did in the previous entry making for more chuckles than laugh out loud moments.  The film relies heavily on Chris Hemsworth's charm, and he carries the film with relative ease that shouldn't come as a surprise since the character is like a second skin by now.  He's clearly having a great time and that energy is the driving force for the film. Natalie Portman returns to the fold but there is a strange lack of chemistry between her and Hemsworth.  Her bulked up frame makes for a great visual when she's in her Thor attire but her performance is noticeably stiff reminiscent of her turns in the Star Wars prequels.  Their relationship is the central part of the story but there is a disconnect which hurts the film overall.  Tessa Thompson returns but isn't given all that much to do outside of a few quips and action sequences.  Likewise, Christian Bale's villain is underutilized for the better part of the film which is a shame because the character's story is intriguing.  There are moments where you get the sense that Bale is trying to give his character more depth but the film never gives him enough time to fully realized it.  It's an issue with the film overall, there are plenty of solid ideas but very few of them are allowed to blossom organically due to its frantic and scattershot approach.  As such, Thor: Love and Thunder is all candy colored empty calories with very little actual substance.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

 

In the 1970s, young Gru tries to join a group of supervillains called the Vicious 6 after they oust their leader -- the legendary fighter Wild Knuckles. When the interview turns disastrous, Gru and his Minions go on the run with the Vicious 6 hot on their tails. Luckily, he finds an unlikely source for guidance -- Wild Knuckles himself -- and soon discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Director: Kyle Balda

Cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin

Release Date: July 1, 2022

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor

Runtime:1h 27m

Review:

Your enjoyment of Minions: The Rise of Gru will depend heavily on whether you still find the yellow denim clad underlings adorable or grating.  The target audience is sure to be delighted by the colorful hijinks and adults will appreciate the bevy of 70s references thrown on screen in rapid succession.  Kyle Balda directs the film with energetic ease in this unapologetically light and breeze children's film.  Sure there is a message ingrained through the film's story but none of it is overly heavy or heart wrenching and for this franchise it works.  The three central Minions, voiced again by Pierre Coffin, are the central focus of the film regardless of the film's title and their adventures deliver the biggest laughs.  Their training with Michelle Yeoh's Master Chow is a particularly fun sequence especially since you get the feeling she's really enjoying herself.  Taraji P. Henson's Belle Bottom is set up as the primary villain and she's fun when she's onscreen but the film doesn't take advantage of her or her crew which are voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.  Alan Arkin gets a bit more time to shine as Wild Knuckles who is Gru's idol and ultimately his mentor.  If you are still in business with this franchise by the fifth entry,  Minions: The Rise of Gru will offer an fun easy going family film.  

B