MOVIE REVIEW: THE LOST CITY

 

Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to an ancient city's lost treasure from her latest story. Determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, Alan sets off to rescue her.

Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt

Release Date: March 18, 2022 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance

Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language.

Runtime: 1h 52m

Review:

The Lost City is cinematic fast food, instantly recognizable, mildly comforting and full of empty calories.  Director's Aaron Nee and Adam Nee know what kind of film they are making so they keep everything light and breezy.  The film takes off with a hearty amount of laughs aided by an extended cameo from Brad Pitt who makes the most of his screen time.  Once the film settles in on the central romance between Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum the comedy slows a bit as they try to make their mismatched pair seem romantically plausible and only partially succeeding.  For their part Bullock and Tatum are clearly having fun with their roles with both showing off their strong comedic chops even if their romantic chemistry doesn't quite work.   Daniel Radcliffe makes for a surprisingly effective villain here putting in more effort than the role really needs.  Da'Vine Joy Randolph makes her subplot funnier than it really is by bringing some chaotic energy to her role.  The Lost City is the type of film that's easy to enjoy and just as easy to forget about once you step out of the theater.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Retro-Review: Flashback Cinema Presents Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Flashback Cinema's presentation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

As this third installment in the Harry Potter franchise turns 15 years old this summer, I daresay no one is reading this who hasn't formed an opinion by now, so we'll call this a discussion rather than a proper review. In other words: Here be spoilers. Please chime in with your thoughts in the comments!
A dangerous felon escapes from the Wizarding World's most terrifying prison in search of the Boy Who Lived.

The Harry Potter books and movies, to me, seem much like Beatles records: The early ones are very sweet and innocent, and the later ones sometimes almost impossibly heavy; it's those middle ones that find that perfect tonal balance. Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite HP book and movie, and not just because it introduced my beloved Mr. Oldman to this magical universe. (Shut up, I know you were thinking it!)

Prisoner of Azkaban features major transitions in the Potter universe. As mentioned, the tone begins to turn darker. "Darker" is relative in a story that begins with a baby orphaned in an attempt on his own life, but here the threat seems more constant and fully permeating. Even fun moments are tinged with a hint of worry, like Dementors hovering just outside the Hogwarts grounds.

Following Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, Christopher Columbus ceded the director's chair to Alfonso Cuaron. While I think every director did a fine job with his bit of the Potter world, I have long contended that none of the others *truly* understood magic the way Cuaron did. At times I think it meant more butting heads with author J.K. Rowling, who retained a great deal of creative control over the films (I seem to recall a story about her vetoing his wish to have little people dancing on pianos?), but ultimately it resulted in the most magical feel of any of the movies. Despite releasing in the summer, Azkaban's production design boasts a very Halloween-ish atmosphere that fully expresses Cuaron's vision, with especially brilliant use of the Whomping Willow to indicate the change of seasons. Maestro John Williams' final Harry Potter score also reflects the picture's creepier tone. While my favorite piece for any of the Potter movies comes from the previous film (Fawkes the Phoenix), overall I find Azkaban's score to be the most immersive of the franchise, and the best reflection of its film.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban we see Michael Gambon's first turn as Albus Dumbledore, following the sad loss of Richard Harris. (RIP.) While many prefer Harris' kind-hearted Headmaster, I feel Gambon better captures Dumbledore's kookiness, and the hardness that allowed him to ask the same great sacrifices of others--including children--that he expected of himself. There's a brand new look for Professor Flitwick this outing, and several notable cast additions, including my Gary as the titular jailbird, David Thewlis as Lupin, the new Dark Arts professor, Emma Thompson as flighty Divination professor Trelawney, Timothy Spall as the Potters' childhood friend Peter Pettigrew, and the brilliant Dawn French in an all-too-quick appearance as the Fat Lady.

In POA, Daniel Radcliffe turns in a a more mature performance that really begins to reflect how seriously he takes his craft. Watching him grow up as a fine actor and even finer young man has been such a joy! Rupert Grint and Tom Felton cement their places as the strongest of the young performers, and Emma Watson gets to add a few more layers to her Hermione. The Weasley twins, my favorite characters in the Potter universe, turn up only briefly, but enjoy one of their more defining moments in this installment as well.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban clocks in at 142 minutes and is rated PG for "frightening moments, creature violence, and mild language."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban marks the finest moment in one of the world's best and most beloved movie franchises. Of a possible nine Weasleys--and being the only film that actually features all nine Weasleys (photo evidence below!)--Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban of course gets nine.

N.B.: My everlasting regrets regarding the Potter franchise are that I never got to see Rik Mayall as Peeves, nor hear Uncle Vernon utter the words, "Dementy-Whatsits."

Fangirl points: You. Guys. I forgot how hard I ship Sirius/Remus. I will go down with that ship!
Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Victor Frankenstein & Creed

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Thanks to my employer's generous early dismissal yesterday, I got an early start on the holiday weekend at Marquee Cinemas. 

 

Hollywood owed me an apology for those two stinkers last weekend, and I'm pleased to report they couldn't better have made up for it than with Victor Frankenstein and Creed. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

First on my agenda: Victor Frankenstein, a new twist on an oft-told tale. Victor Frankenstein is much more a story of man than monster, a sort of "origins" movie, told from the perspective of Frankenstein's young associate, Igor. Daniel Radcliffe effectively continues to distance himself from his Harry Potter days, running the physical and emotional gamut as Igor. He is fantastic! James McAvoy brings the crazy to his entertaining portrayal the (in)famous Victor Frankenstein, perpetual frantic motion and spit. (Seriously, had this been filmed in California, they'd no longer have a drought problem.) 

 

The movie boasts lovely costumes and set design, a healthy dose of humor, some groovy effects, the expectedly-high gross-out factor...annnnnd...for as much as we see of him, the Monster looks terrific. 

 

Victor Frankenstein runs a quick 109 minutes and is rated PG13 for "macabre images, violence, and a sequence of destruction." As with any re-imagining of a classic, Victor Frankenstein won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I kinda loved it. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Victor Frankenstein gets seven. 

 

Next on the docket, the latest installment in the Rocky saga: Creed. An aging Rocky Balboa reluctantly signs on to train the young son of his friend and former rival Apollo Creed. 

 

It's a holiday weekend in the US and I'm sure everyone's busy with family and friends and shopping, but as a self-decreed Internet authority, I must insist you MAKE TIME TO GET OUT AND SEE THIS MOVIE. 

 

Michael B. Jordan is amazing as the young Creed--so good you'll have no choice but to forgive that last Fantastic Four movie!--and Sylvester Stallone is as reliable as you'd expect as the reluctant mentor. 

 

I'm sure he could play Rocky in his sleep by now, yet he's no less effective, sympathetic, or heartbreaking for it. Creed moves at a good clip, despite a runtime that's a tad longer than it needs to be. 

 

The boxing action is well executed--and thus a bit much for the non-enthusiast--and the story is extremely well crafted. If the movie is a tad hokey at times, it's so much more genuine and emotional and inspirational, with just enough of the right kind of humor at the right times. 

 

The Liverpudlian baddie is so broadly drawn I half-expected his walkup music to be Love Me Do, but that's a tiny quibble with what's overall a really-extra-super-great movie. (Also his handler is Dwalin from the Hobbit, so...POINTS!) Creed clocks in at 133 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence, language, and some sensuality." 

 

Creed will leave you feeling like Judd Nelson at the end of The Breakfast Club. It is everything I love about movies. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Creed gets eight. Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

IN THEATERS

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2



The final adventure in the Harry Potter film series follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare for a final battle with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is determined to destroy Harry once and for all. In order to defeat the powerful wizard, they must find and destroy Voldemort's last and most elusive Horcrux -- that is, the enchanted piece of soul allowing him to remain immortal -- before his nefarious plans come to fruition. David Yates directs. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes

Release Date: Jul 15, 2011

Rated: Some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Finishing a series a series I originally thought would end up like some kind of cinematic fad is a strange thing. I’m one of those folks that’s never read one chapter of the novels, never been a big fantasy fan in any medium, so I started the cinematic versions as a chore. The first few films I found light and mostly dismissible, I kept with it and slowly but surely the films and character matured. The films became more complete works as a cinematic experience even if some of the jargon still sounds like some alternate version of Star Trek tech speak. In all honesty, I became found of the characters but can’t say I ever adored them. Radcliffe’s Potter has all the calling cards of a typical hero’s journey and coming of age story. This finale completes both sides of these plot threads with wonderful vigor. Radcliffe brings earnestness to the character that just transcends the screen. His ability to ably display quiet strength and growing maturity is an underrated talent. It’s really something incredible to witness, with Radcliffe starting as a green child actor to an impressive performer who can carry the weight of this monolith sized story. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson each show similar growth and are able to reach a similar level of achievement, even if they do kind of fall into the background here more than in Part 1. The film is filled with character moments for series favorites some making sacrifices while other rise to surprising heights. Ralph Fiennes who’s held a restrained check on his character’s evilness is finally allowed to spread his wings and he does so with fantastic results. Director David Yates deserves an untold amount of credit as he’s steered the franchise for the better part of its trek. Here, Yates maintains a strong pace filled with impressively lavish and dour set pieces that impress throughout. He’s fine tuned everything by this point that’s it’s easy to enjoy and easier to overlook how incredibly difficult Yates job was. While I still felt like it might have help to have a scorecard to keep track of some of the secondary and third level characters are, it’s the kind of finale a franchise of this size deserves.

A-

[Trailer] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Never professed to be the biggest Potter fan, I’ve been limited to the films and I’ve stuck with the series. The last 3 or 4 have really have been a lot more impressive with Deathly Hallows Part 1 shining brightest.

The trailer for the final chapter looks pretty damn epic….

Movie Reviews: HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

Sunday, July 19, 2009
Movie Reviews: HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
IN THEATERS

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.


Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman


Director: David Yates


Opened ..July 15, 2009..


Runtime: 2 hr. 33 min.


Rated PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality


Genres: Children's Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, Fantasy, Children's/Family


Review:





Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince continues the maturation process that started in earnest in The Order of the ....Phoenix..... David Yates crafts an elegant and pensive film that doesn’t shoot for big trills and focuses more the characters and the evolution from children to adulthood. Hormones rage at Hogwarts and the scenes dealing with the trios budding feeling are mostly handled well and delicately. That being said it’s hard to watch this entry into the series and not feel like it’s all set up for the final 2 entries; The Death Hallows is being split into 2 to be released over the next two years. The plot is fairly straight forward if you’ve been following the series and none of the twist or turns are thoroughly shocking or surprising, mainly because they are telegraphed in a fairly obvious manner. Yates still manages to make the events here engaging and manages to put some beautiful imagery on screen. Hogwarts, much like the previous entry, doesn’t carry that fancy and wonder it possessed in the early films. Instead Yates bathes this film in grey and sepia tones throughout, rarely showing any sunlight. The actors also bring more gravitas to the proceeding. Daniel Radcliff brings more confidence to Harry while still maintaining that wide eyed innocence of the early films. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have both grown into their roles and can now add more subtle character work than before. Grint in particular shows fairly good comedic timing. Michael Gambon as Dumbledore continues to be appropriately fatherly and sagely but is strangely one note in this particularly important entry for his character arch. Alan Rickman once again delivers strong character work in limited screen time. Newcomer to the series Jim Broadbent shines and he uses his vast talent to make his character the most memorable of this entry. Helena Bonham Carter is devilish fun as Bellatrix Lestrange but she gets painfully little screen time to truly shine. As the events in the film come to an end you are left pining for the finale and Yates makes no secret of the fact that this entry is mostly set up as he ends this tales with a sense of meandering melancholy and unresolved issues.





B+