MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDE OUT 2

 

Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety shows up, they aren't sure how to feel.

Director: Kelsey Mann

Cast:  Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, Kensington Tallman

Release Date: June 14, 2024

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy

Rated PG for some thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 36m

Review:

Inside Out 2 doesn't pack the emotional punch the original did but it still manages to find an inventive and relatable approach to the experience of going through adolescence.  Kelsey Mann takes over the directorial reins from Pete Docter and maintains the same wonderfully abstract and colorful style throughout.  Mann does manage to expand the world by introducing us to the basement where memories create florescent strings which make up Riley's sense of self and the Secret Vault where we get a fun mash up of 2D and video game animation.  The new settings provide plenty of eye candy and their own brand of distinctiveness from the original which is refreshing.  Likewise, the new emotions' character designs are familiar but more exaggerated than the original group led by Anxiety who looks like a mutated Fraggle Rock Muppet.  Amy Poehler again voices Joy and leads the majority of the film with her endless exuberance and optimism.  There's more to Joy's personal journey this go around which gives her more depth and allows Poehler to do more than just be endlessly optimistic.  Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black also return as Sadness and Anger with both delivering solid work again.  Tony Hale and Liza Lapira take over for Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust with admirable ease as the characters get screen time this go around as the quartet trek back to home base.  Maya Hawke and Ayo Edebiri join the cast as Anxiety and Envy with Hawke bring the perfect sense of neurotic, anxiousness to her character.  Hawke get a lion's share of the newcomer's spotlight and her exchanges with Poehler in the opening and finale really shine.  They manage to bring the story together from different ends of the spectrum to its complicated and relatable conclusion although the story toys with larger ideas such as psychical maturation and everything that comes with that but pulls back to focus on the angst.  Its a safer choice and possibly something a sequel would deal with but that doesn't detract from the overall quality of Inside Out 2.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: LET HIM GO

 

Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff and his wife leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas.

Director: Thomas Bezucha

Cast: Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Lesley Manville, Will Brittain, Jeffrey Donovan, Kayli Carter, Booboo Stewart

Release Date: November 6, 2020

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rated R for violence

Runtime: 1 h 54 min

Review:

Let Him Go is meditative western that’s really heavily on it’s cast since it’s story and plot are decidedly light.  Thomas Bezucha slow burn of a film is an interesting mix of idolized nostalgia and crime drama.  Bezucha takes his time letting us get to know the main couple before moving the film’s plot forward in earnest.  Kevin Costner & Diane Lane make for a believable and good looking pair of grandparents.  They both add far more subtle and nuance to their characters than what’s in the actual script.  Through their talents they give us a relationship that feel real and lived in, making it the cornerstone of the entire film.  Lesley Manville’s villainous Blanche is a much showier role and she’s excellent in limited screen time.  The film would have been wise to give us a tad more depth or history to her character and the Weboy clan as a whole.  As is, they’re thinly drawn evil ciphers whose sole purpose is to terrorize the protagonist.  The lack of depth wouldn’t be such an issue if you couldn’t spot story threads in the early part of the film that are presented and ultimately abandoned.  Ultimately, the performances alone make this a rewarding watch even with its pedestrian pacing and thin characters. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Dearest Blog: With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opening worldwide this weekend, it's a fair bet I'll be spending most of my holiday break at Marquee Cinemas. 

 

As goes the Bat, so go I. Probably the biggest spoiler here is that I loved this movie, otherwise nothing you wouldn't know from the many trailers and clips making the rounds. 

 

As the world wrestles with the pros and cons of Superman's protection versus his unchecked power, Gotham's most famous resident weighs in. 

 

 Dear Reader(s), if you have access to a computer or a tablet or a smartphone or a TV, you've probably already heard somebody say something bad about Dawn of Justice. I am here to tell you why the naysayers are wrong, and, though it may surprise you, I have more (if not better) reasons than: "Batman. Duh." Batman v Superman is an epic tale, crafted by a fan for fans. 

 

This picture is setting the table for what's to come, and, as such, it's got a lot of balls in the air, and plenty of appearances that earned applause from the crowd each of the three times I've seen the movie so far. Ben Affleck is not only a great Batman/Bruce Wayne, he is ideal for where the DC cinematic universe now finds itself. 

 

He's older and more jaded, but no less strong or purposeful (some might say pig-headed!). I was a little stunned by the vitriol directed at Affleck's casting--the guy's always seemed a bit benign to inspire such passion--but I confess, seeing him in the Batsuit gave me a mad crush that went from zero to Renner in exactly two hours and 31 minutes. 

 

Most of the supporting cast is equally terrific, with Jesse Eisenberg unsurprisingly the standout as super-villain Lex Luthor. Gal Gadot makes a fantastic Wonder Woman, and from the young men's reactions at Thursday night's sneak-peek...well...let's just say I'm glad I don't have to clean that theatre. Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, and Laurence Fishburne all contribute more than their fair share towards elevating the movie from good to great. Batman v Superman boasts sweet fight choreography, nice effects, some intense battles between good and good as well as good and evil, and a fair few chuckles, too. 

 

Dawn of Justice does have some flaws, and, lest I be accused of too much fangirling, it's only fair I mention those. Like so many movies these days, this one could have used a trim. Coming in at two hours or even two-fifteen wouldn't have cost the picture any massive cuts, just an edit here and there on those lengthy battles, chases, and flashbacks/dream sequences. 

 

The titular faceoff, in particular, though any fanboy's dream, strays a bit into overkill. Holly Hunter is a great actress, but listening to her speak is like nails on a blackboard; by her third line I'd have given anything to have ANY other actress in her role (except maybe Carey Mulligan, because we all know how I feel about that one). 

 

And then there's Henry Cavill, bless his perfect, perfect self. Cavill attempting to cob together memorized dialogue with the appropriate facial expression is nearly as difficult to watch as Charlie Hunnam desperately trying to cling to an accent for more than five minutes. 

 

I adore Cavill, and I think he's about as perfect a Superman as a person could want, but his acting chops could use some work. Truly, those are the only problems I had with Batman v. Superman. My bottom line on Dawn of Justice is this: Many people were determined to hate this movie before they ever saw it; that is the unfortunate reality of the Internet age. 

 

Many people are determined to compare the movie to Marvel in general, and to the upcoming Captain America movie in particular, but DC is DC; it is not trying to be Marvel (nor should it), and I'd rather enjoy each for what it is than pick either apart for what it isn't. 

 

At last check, there was about a fifty-percentage-point difference between critics' and fans' ratings of Batman v Superman over at Rotten Tomatoes, so I guess, you, dear Reader(s), can let somebody else tell you what to think about this movie, or you can go and see for yourself. If you go with an open mind, I think you'll enjoy what you see. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice clocks in at a whopping 151 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality." 

 

While it's not *quite* as magnificent as The Dark Knight or Watchmen (each of which holds a spot in my top ten movies of all time), Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is an entertaining epic and a perfect launchpad for DC's next phase. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gets eight and a half. 

 

Oh, and, for the record, I've got a milestone birthday coming up this year, so somebody be a dear and get me Affleck in that Batsuit, won't you? 

 

Please and thank you. 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) share the screen in this Warner Bros./DC Entertainment co-production penned by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio, and directed by Zack Snyder. Amy Adams and Diane Lane return as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne

Release Date: Mar 25, 2016 

Rated: Rated pg-13 Intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality.

Runtime: 2 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a movie that’s got a lot going on both on screen and behind it.  Setting up an expanded DC movieverse along with being accessible to the general public and pleasing fans is an incredibly tricky thing to accomplish.  Needless to say, this film is an undertaking in every sense of the word and according to the professional critics it fails.  I went in expecting the worst and left scratching my head.  Not because the movie was awful, I was preparing for Sucker Punch level of Snyder bombast, but because I really don’t understand where most of the critics are coming from.    It’s a massive sprawling story appropriate for the icons on hand.  It isn’t perfect but it’s an impressive film that’s got some heft to it.  Since Snyder is a comic book fan so some of the fan service, particularly the dream sequences, will leave the uninitiated a tad lost.  It’s far from overkill but I can see how the complaint would be lodged against the story’s structure since some of the sequences feel abrupt.  As for the story itself, it feels like a traditional comic book narrative with nefarious plans at work to get our heroes to the titular battle.  There’s not a ton of surprises since the big turns are telegraphed in a fairly obvious manner along with all the oversharing via the prerelease trailers spoiling some of better reveals.  The cast does make the entire thing enjoyable even if the lofty themes can be a bit overbearing at times.  Henry Cavill seems far more comfortable in his role this time around.  Cavill gives the character some much need layers even though there is only so much room to maneuver given the characters traits.  Ben Affleck though has much more room to deliver a much more vicious, exacting and world weary Batman.  I had my doubts about Affleck when he was cast but he delivers the goods.  The biggest question mark, for me at least, was Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.  On the surface his Luthor feels different that past iterations, especially on film, but once you get past all the ticks and speed talking, you’re left with an amalgam of the comic versions of Lex Luthor, the businessman and mad scientist. Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter both have interesting supporting roles with each begging for more screen time, Irons in particular.  Gal Gadot leaves the biggest impression in her supporting role as Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman.  Gadot fits the role much better than expected and plays the character with a perfect mix of mystery, strength and confidence.  It’s impressive enough that it’ll leave you anticipating the solo Wonder Woman film even more.  Aside, some of the quibbles mentioned previously, there is a sense that the story needs some wrangling in.  A good 20 to 30 minutes could have been trimmed to make it a sleeker more effective film.  Its lack of focus is felt most in the final act where the film has built a massive head of steam leading to a massive showdown only to be bogged down by other secondary story threads.  It’s not fatal but noticeable.  As is, I find it hard to believe that comic fans especially DC fans wouldn’t find a lot to like here.  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice doesn’t quite hit it out of the park but its pretty damn close.  

B

Cindy Prascik’s review of Man of Steel / This Is the End

Dearest Blog, today I followed the herd to the cinema for Man of Steel. Though I'd happily have seen Star Trek again, I did the responsible thing and paired MOS with This Is the End, so, dear reader(s), I could share my "wisdom" on the week's big new releases. You're welcome. ;-)

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

A reboot of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel is the obligatory origins tale.

The usual disclaimers, personal biases that will, no doubt, color this review: I love superhero movies. I do not love Superman, but I adore this team of filmmakers, and most of this cast. I very much wanted to love this movie. I did not.

Starting with the obvious: Henry Cavill.

I'm an Anglophile, so this is not the first time Mr. Cavill and I have crossed paths. While he is an extraordinarily good-looking young man, he is, unfortunately, only an average actor, with no special charisma. Never is that more obvious than when he shares a screen with one of Hollywood's most magnetic leading men, Russell Crowe, who is terrific as always, even with limited screen time. This film really needed a Robert Downey, Jr.-esque leading man to overcome its flaws, and Cavill is not that guy. (I'm a fan, but it is what it is.) The cast is fleshed out with big names and very familiar faces: Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Laurence Fishburne, and, as mentioned, Russell Crowe. Other than Crowe, they are as unremarkable as the material. The usually superb Shannon is a particular disappointment, flat and uninspired as the film's main villain.

While the acting in Man of Steel is nothing to write home about, the cast can't really be blamed for the film's chief handicap: it's just plain boring. I somehow managed not to check the time more than once, which, in and of itself, constitutes a super-human feat.

Man of Steel does have some positives, including big, solid special effects, and a grand score by Hans Zimmer. My fellow Crowe fans will be pleased to note that Russell is looking fit these days, and there's no denying Henry Cavill is easy on the eyes, and has the perfect look for this iconic role.

Man of Steel attempts to drag Superman into the darker territory where Batman and Watchmen now comfortably reside, but Superman is ill
suited for that world. Take away the camp, and you're left with something that's no less silly, just less entertaining. This is an okay movie, but, sadly, far from the perfect superhero movie many of us were counting on.

Man of Steel clocks in at an excessive 143 minutes, and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language." This will make a bundle at the box office this weekend, and, despite my disappointment, I'm very happy about that for all involved, and I look forward to a sequel that I'm already confident will be brilliant. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Man of Steel gets six.

Next on my agenda was the raunch-comedy, This Is the End, starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill and a slew of their Hollywood compatriots as what I'm told are very exaggerated versions of themselves...facing the Apocalypse.

This Is the End is one of those films I don't quite know what to do with. When it was funny, it was really, really funny, but, unfortunately, there was a good bit I just didn't find funny. Being that the film is essentially one long "in" joke, I'm willing to concede that maybe I just didn't get some of it, but there were also times when it was simply too much: too gross, too much foul language, too, too much. (Bear in mind I think Tropic Thunder is the funniest movie of all time, so I'm not particularly squeamish about any of that.)

The entire cast shows off brilliant comedy chops, especially Jay Baruchel (a personal favorite) and James Franco. Not sure how much credit is due there if they were basically playing themselves, but, to a man, they are hilarious. It goes without saying that I loved Harry Potter's Emma Watson in a small role that allowed her to play against type. The movie is a tad too long, and the plot (such as it is) bogs down in places, but generally speaking it's good fun from start to finish. While I won't spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't see it, I have to at least say there's a squee-worthy moment that: a.) caused me to embarrass myself in front of a packed theatre, and b.) immediately allowed me to forgive this film for any shortcomings.

This Is the End runs 107 minutes and is rated R for "crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use, and some violence."

It's a raucous comedy that's a great time, if you've got the stomach for it. I enjoyed it, but I also spent most of the two hours thinking how much funnier The World's End is certain to be. Of a possible nine Weasleys, This Is the End gets six.

The moral of today's cinema trip: If you're thinking of seeing either of these films, but haven't yet seen Star Trek Into Darkness or Now You See Me, do yourself a favor and see one of those instead.

Until next time...





Wait...what was I saying?

MOVIE REVIEW: MAN OF STEEL

Superman flies back onto the big screen in this Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen), produced by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), and featuring a screenplay by David Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight). Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Boardwalk Empire) co-stars as General Zod and Laurence Fishburne steps into the role of "Daily Planet" editor-in-chief Perry White. Russell Crowe and Christopher Meloni co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe.

Release Date: Jun 14, 2013

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min.

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

Review:

The Man of Steel delivers a newer slightly edgier more conflicted version of the granddaddy of all superheros. Its first act is a bit of a slog simply because there’s a lot to cover, mostly on Krypton. Once the set up is out of the way Snyder lets his film breathe a little even though there’s still an oppressive aura about it. It attempts to give Superman a slightly more interesting slant and it works to a certain extent. Henry Cavill and his lantern jaw look good in the Superman suit and cape. He carried a concerned look on his face even when he’s smiling. Cavill has a quiet strength about himself which works well for the character even if though he and Amy Adams have zero chemistry together. Michael Shannon meanwhile is limited by a surprisingly underwritten take of General Zod. Shannon maintains a crazed look throughout but isn’t given a meaty enough script to work with. Russell Crowe fairs better as Superman’s father Jor-El. Crowe is reserved but paternal. As mentioned previously, The Man of Steel’s first act is rather slow and reserved for a Snyder film but once the action starts it does stop, so much so that it almost beats you into the ground with the sheer amount of destruction being flung around. It’s all visually striking which shouldn’t come as a surprise but it’s also emotionally distant. The film never connects the way it should; instead it keeps the audience at arms length. A few scant moments of levity here and there but otherwise it’s all serious superhero business.

B-

First Photo of Henry Cavill As Superman from Zach Snyder's Man of Steel

First official photo of Henry Cavill as Superman in Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel is out.

Right off the bat I’ve never been a big fan of Superman in general but being a child and growing up with the Christopher Reeve’s films, it was kind of hard to escape.

I actually enjoyed the Bryan Singer reboot but that probably had more to do with it reminding me of the Donner films but I digress.

Snyder is a visual filmmaker and while I loved Watchmen and hated Sucker Punch I was still looking forward to see what he was going to do with this property.

Still am but first impressions on the new look, what’s up with the scales on the suit and I guess this Superman has super hair??