MOVIE REVIEW: NEW ORDER

 

Members of a wealthy family gather for a wedding as a nearby protest escalates into violence in Mexico City.

Director: Michel Franco

Cast: Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica Del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle

Release Date: May 21, 2021

Genre: Drama

Rated R for disturbing and violent content, rape, graphic nudity, and language

Runtime: 1 h 26 min

Review:

Michel Franco’s New Order bleak dystopian tale is a message movie that can’t quite decide what it’s trying to say.  Franco’s film feels like a Michael Haneke on a larger more political scale.  It’s unnerving from the onset and there’s nary a sign of hope in its entire runtime.  As a result the film’s short runtime feels longer due to the story’s increasingly oppressive nature.  It’s the type of film that is filled with stark and shocking images which will stay with you long after you leave the theater.  The cast deliver authentic performances even if the characterization are overly generic types.  Naian González Norvind is given the spotlight for the better part of the first half before Fernando Cuautle takes over in second half as the story shifts its focus.  The film’s biggest issue is its general lack of focus, story threads start and end abruptly.  The story threads sole purpose being to sledgehammer home the film’s worldview.  Sadly, it’s hard to dismiss the film as unrealistic given recent history which leaves this an uncomfortable viewing experience. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MONSTER HUNTER

 

Behind our world, there is another -- a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis and her loyal soldiers are transported from our world to the new one, the unflappable lieutenant receives the shock of her life. In a desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers and unstoppable, terrifying attacks, Artemis teams up with a mysterious hunter who has found a way to fight back.

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Tip "T. I." Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung, Ron Perlman

Release Date: December 18, 2020

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sequences of creature action and violence throughout

Runtime: 1 h 39 min

Review:

Paul W. S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich collaborations produce certain types of films, the entire Resident Evil franchise is a testament to that.  Monster Hunter could probably fit in that franchise if you just changed the name because it’s so sparse on plot and mythology that it feels intentionally unfinished.  Anderson delivers some big dumb CGI battles which are surprisingly fun but don’t expect any sort of explanation on what’s going or why.  In fact, there’s nary an attempt at explaining any sort of a plot until about halfway through the film when Ron Perlman, sporting a gloriously massive blonde wig, and a cat cook show up on the screen.  Even then it’s mostly throwaway lines about some sort of ancient race and a tower that looks like it was lifted from Mordor.  I’ve seen my share of terrible movies but I can’t say this is the worst thing I’ve ever sat through.  Jovovich and Jaa actually have some fun chemistry during the first half of the film which mixed with the big battles makes for utterly mindless cinema.  The supporting cast is dispensed with early on so there’s no reason to get attached since they are mostly fodder for the fire.  You almost marvel at how unapologetically brazen Monster Hunter is delivering loud dumb fun, it’ll never be considered a good film but the worst kind of fast food.    

C-

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

In Mexico City, a newly modified liquid Terminator -- the Rev-9 model -- arrives from the future to kill a young factory worker named Dani Ramos. Also sent back in time is Grace, a hybrid cyborg human who must protect Ramos from the seemingly indestructible robotic assassin. But the two women soon find some much-needed help from a pair of unexpected allies -- seasoned warrior Sarah Connor and the T-800 Terminator.

Director: Tim Miller

Cast: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna, Diego Boneta

Release Date: November 1, 2019

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity

Runtime: 2h 8min

Review:

Terminator: Dark Fate is an interesting reboot / refresh of the franchise which needs a shot in the arm after the disastrous Terminator Genisys.  Tim Miller mimics a lot of beats from James Cameron’s first two entries while wiping out anything after T2.  There is plenty of incredibly staged action to be found here and it really drives the better part of the film with some sequences like a battle in a crashing air carrier really leaving a memorable mark.  The story itself should feel familiar because it decides to borrow heavily from the first two films and it’s not shy about it.  Sure the characters might have been flipped to refresh the story but it’s very much the same story.  The reason the whole thing works is because the characters are all engaging enough.  Bringing back Linda Hamilton was a masterstroke and she delivers in spades.  Hamilton’s performance is a perfect bend of anger and heartbreak while maintaining inner strength which made her character so iconic in T2.  Mackenzie Davis might have seemed like a strange casting choice but she’s surprisingly good as this chapter’s designate protector of Natalia Reyes who’s essentially the Sarah Connor here. Arnold Schwarzenegger shows up in the latter portion of the film and how the story deals with his appearance might divide a few people but it’s still good fun to see him and Hamilton again.  Ultimately, you won’t find much new or groundbreaking here but it does feel like a proper sequel to T2 even after multiple misfires.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: ROCK OF AGES

IN THEATERS

ROCK OF AGES



A small-town girl and a big-city boy find their fates intersecting on the Sunset Strip, riding a wave of romance through the height of the "hair metal" scene as the off-Broadway musical rocks its way to the big screen courtesy of choreographer-turned-director Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember, Hairspray). Arriving in Hollywood with stars in her eyes, Sherrie (Julianne Hough) meets Drew (Diego Boneta), and together they plunge headlong into the local rock scene. Meanwhile, as Sherrie struggles to stay afloat in a churning sea of rock 'n' roll excess, she gets swept off her feet by audacious rock star Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise). Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, and Bryan Cranston co-star in a movie featuring music by Journey, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Joan Jett, and REO Speedwagon. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director:Adam Shankman

Release Date: Jun 15, 2012

Cast: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Director: Adam Shankman

Rated: Sexual Content, Language, Some Heavy Drinking and Suggestive Dancing

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Genres: Music/Performing Arts

Review:

80’s hair band rock has that incredible ability to get pretty much anybody to sing along, many a drunken karaoke bars are a testament to that. The musical Rock of Ages strikes me as one of those golden ideas that everybody wishes they would have thought of first, its easy money. The film version of the musical is like mother’s milk, easy to love and hard to criticize. A steady sense of fun permeates throughout the film’s runtime. Adam Shankman, who directed the equally energetic Hairspray, knows the film’s songs are its strong suit and he delivers them in wonderfully garish set pieces. His cast is all strong even if the leads are a tad bland and almost intrusive in the latter half of the film. Julianne Hough is a annoyingly cute and suffers from duck voice. Diego Boneta is capable but easily forgettable. The supporting cast is impressive, made up of big names taking their turn at singing classic songs from the 80’s. Catherine Zeta-Jones is such a wonderful little powder keg that it’s easy to overlook her shoehorned character, the role was created for the film, even if it feels a tad out of place from time to time. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand might as well be considered a single character as they bounce off each other regular and exclusively. Paul Giamatti could be cast as a sleazy character for the rest of his career and nobody would complain. Mary J. Blige has a small role but reminds everybody what a real singer sounds like. Needless to say the supporting actors are all strong but this is truly one man’s movie. Tom Cruise simply owns the film as soon as he shows up on screen. He turns in a performance that makes you forget the other actors and count the moments he’s off screen.s. His turn as Stacee Jaxx is an awards worthy performance period. While Cruise is in top form even he can’t mask some of the flaws of the film. The film’s runtime is a long slog of 2 hours, if you had drinks it might be easy to sit through but otherwise it’s overlong for no good reason since the plot is as thin as you’d expect. Said plot is an after thought, which is to be expected, really hammering the point that there’s no reason to make the film 2 hours plus. A simple note to film makers, just because you use a monkey in your production doesn’t mean we have to linger on it’s actions throughout the film. It’s not hilarious every time. As is this film is the kind that will work best on video where you can skip to your favorite songs while you have a drink in hand.

B