MOVIE REVIEW: EXTRACTION 2

 

Back from the brink of death, commando Tyler Rake embarks on a dangerous mission to save a ruthless gangster's imprisoned family.

Director: Sam Hargrave

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Idris Elba

Release Date: June 16, 2023

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout and language

Runtime: 2h 2m

Sam Hargrave's follow up to his pandemic hit doesn't offer a lot more in terms of story as it plays fairly close to the original's plot simply switching out targets and adversaries.  The film's main draw is its action sequences and they are taken to another level of coordinated madness that nearly makes you forgot about the incredibly barebones story driving the entire thing.  Hargrave spends very little time explaining how Hemsworth's Rake survived a seemingly fatal wound at the end of the original.  Once that's out of way, a rather intriguing appearance from Idris Elba starts the story in earnest.  The set up is fairly basic as we're introduced to an array of Eastern European bad guys straight from central casting.  They're disposable fodder that serves as nothing more than meat for the grinder.  It quickly leads to the 22 unbroken shot that's impressive in terms of the sheer scale due to all the moving parts involved in coordinating the carnage thrown onscreen.  Its audaciously outlandish and insane but it's hard not to enjoy the action spectacle thrown at the audience in steady succession.  The rest of the film still has plenty of set pieces following the prison escape but that moment is definitely the most memorable of the entire film.  Sadly, the story doesn't get nearly the same amount of attention that the action does since it does the bare minimum to make the character more three dimensional.  The cast, for their part, do their best to make the characters more interesting and engaging than what's written on the page.  Chris Hemsworth's leads the film with the same steely dogged determination that he brought in the original.  The film doesn't ask him to do much more than be a believable killing machine as he dispatches enemy with a impressive gusto, people of a certain age might get flashbacks of 1985's Commando which less quips.  Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Bessa are given far more to do in this entry with Farahani taking full advantage of the expanded screen time.  Hemsworth and Farahani share some great chemistry together, the third film would be wise to take as much time with the characters as it does with the action sequences.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING

 

While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he's real, and second, because she's a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she's beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.

Director: George Miller

Cast: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Alyla Browne, Aamito Lagum, Aamito Lagum, Matteo Bocelli, Kaan Guldur

Release Date: August 26, 2022

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Rated R for some sexual content, graphic nudity and brief violence

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing is a lavish and ambitious fable that attempts to show the importance of storytelling.  Miller has lofty goals in mind, something that's fairly apparent early on with it's heady dissection of narratives.  His visual flourishes are wonderfully garish and impactful but the script is really where the meat of the film lies.  Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton carry the film's connective story with some solid chemistry together which makes the film work better than it should.  The collection of stories are a mixed bag with some faring better than others.  It makes for an uneven experience with the film lagging and perking up depending on the tale being told.  Its nature keeps the film from maintaining a consistent energy and flow in spite of committed performances across the board.  As such, the film ends up feeling much longer than it's actual runtime.  Additionally, the primary story between Swinton and Elba doesn't really connect the way it should even though it serves are the film's closer.  Three Thousand Years of Longing sadly never reaches the heights it aspires too ultimately coming off as noble misfire from George Miller.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: BEAST

 

Recently widowed Dr. Nate Daniels and his two teenage daughters travel to a South African game reserve managed by Martin Battles, an old family friend and wildlife biologist. However, what begins as a journey of healing soon turns into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of bloodthirsty poachers, begins stalking them.

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Cast: Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, Sharlto Copley

Release Date: August 19, 2022

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violent content, bloody images and some language.

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Beast is a lean, straightforward but brain dead animal attack thriller that's engaging enough to keep your attention during it's brisk runtime.  Baltasar Kormákur directs the film with a steady hand, establishing the landscape and players early on before moving on to the mayhem everyone knows is coming.  The script provides the thinnest of characterization for Idris Elba's character, he's trying to connect with his daughter after the loss of his wife, while providing nearly none for a criminally underused Sharlto Copley.  Elba for his part is fully committed here and elevates the material as best he can.  This film isn't concerned with it character's as much as building tension for some well scripted set up which make the central CGI animal feel like a tangible menace.  The film's at its strongest during these sequences thanks to strong directions and staging.  Unfortunately, this is the kind of film where character's continue making abjectly stupid decisions which put them in harm's way.  It's brisk pace makes it easier to overlook some of these issues if not entirely.  Beast works as a mindless empty calorie fun but those looking for a better lion attack film might be better checking out 1996's The Ghost and the Darkness.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Harder They Fall & Red Notice

My dear reader(s), these past two weeks I'd have liked to go to the cinema and didn't get there, so I threw myself on the mercy of Netflix for a couple new releases. 

First on my agenda, the Harder They Fall. An outlaw puts his gang back together to seek revenge on an old enemy. The Harder They Fall is an okay movie with a cast it doesn't quite deserve. Idris Elba, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and Edi Gathegi are standouts in a group that has no weak links. Outside the exceptional actors, the rest - story to humor to music - works about half the time. Sadly, any time the movie gets good enough to feel invested, it derails itself with hokey or contrived choices, and the overlong run time only exacerbates its problems. 

The Harder They Fall clocks in at 139 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language." The Harder They Fall is worth a look for its incredible cast, but otherwise is nothing special. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Harder They Fall gets five. The Harder They Fall is now streaming on Netflix. 

Next on the docket, Red Notice. The world's greatest art thief attempts to steal a rare treasure while on the run from the law. Red Notice is the kind of dumb fun I feared Covid had cost me my ability to enjoy. I am well pleased to report that is not the case. The movie's goofy humor is pitch perfect for stars Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, Action sequences are well choreographed and don't run on too long. Plenty of twists keep the story moving at a good clip, and Gal Gadot is simply a delight. Red Notice runs 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and action, some sexual references, and strong language." 

Red Notice is dopey good fun that will keep you smiling and won't overtax your brain. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Red Notice gets seven. Fangirl points: Red Notice earns some BIG fangirl points for something that might be considered a spoiler, so I'll just say keep your eyes open for a "perfect" cameo! 

Red Notice is now streaming on Netflix. Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Suicide Squad

My dear reader(s): The weekend just passed brought us the latest installment in DC Comics' extended cinematic universe, the Suicide Squad.

A collection of the criminal and the criminally insane embark on another secret mission.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or a general familiarity with the product.

Technically, I believe the Suicide Squad is considered a sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad. In reality, minus Jared Leto's Joker and with an almost completely new cast, it feels more like a do-over. The original was universally reviled (though I didn't hate it), so putting maximum artistic distance between the two probably was in the best interest of the new movie.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Suicide Squad and *the* Suicide Squad are two very different films. As mentioned, gone is Leto's deeply divisive Joker. While that's a significant character to remove from the mix, I don't think the movie misses him. Gone, also, is Will Smith as Deadshot. The team's new leader is Bloodsport, portrayed by Idris Elba. Will Smith is cool, but I can't say there are many actors I wouldn't happily swap for Elba, and Mr. Smith is no exception. (Sorry, Will. Love ya.) Margot Robbie makes her third big-screen appearance as Harley Quinn, and — given the character's psychoses — it feels inappropriate to say she's delightful, but delightful she is. She's come to own the character, and certainly she owns the screen whenever she's on it. Joel Kinnaman returns as Rick Flag, and Viola Davis as Amanda Walker, but most of the other faces are new to the property, if mostly familiar to movie-goers. Notable are the brilliant Peter Capaldi, John Cena, and David Dastmalchian, a favorite of mine since he named Rachel Dawes as next on the Joker's hit list in the Dark Knight. (Dastmalchian and co-star Michael Rooker have also done time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Sylvester Stallone is a scene-stealer as the voice of King Shark. Most of the performances can fairly be called terrific without a "for the genre" qualifier. The Suicide Squad uses a solid score by John Murphy and an interesting selection of tunes to underscore its dark mood, another important distinction from the original, which often felt more like a series of music videos than it did one cohesive film. The movie has its fair share of juvenile humor, but an equal helping of legitimately funny bits. CGI is decent throughout, and action scenes are exciting and don't wear out their welcome. Harley Quinn features in a fight sequence that is right up there with the Freebird/church scene in Kingsman: the Secret Service as a new classic and maybe an all-time great.

While the 2016 and 2021 Suicide Squads are very different, they're also quite similar. Both are very, very violent, though in a stylized way that doesn't seem as much about the gross-out as it does about interesting visuals. Both have a bright comic-book look to them, with colorful graphics and bold text. Both feature an abundance of bad language and disturbing content. (Why does James Gunn hate birds??) Both play Harley Quinn's insanity for laughs when, really, hers is a grotesque and unsettling story. If the houses ended up looking quite different, it's clear their foundations were the same.

The Suicide Squad is now playing in cinemas worldwide, and streaming on HBO Max through the first week of September. It runs 132 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use, and brief graphic nudity."

The Suicide Squad is good fun for those who aren't squeamish about extreme content, a definite improvement over the original. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Suicide Squad gets seven and a half.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SUICIDE SQUAD

 

The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world -- Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.

Director: James Gunn

Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi

Release Date: Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity

Runtime: 2 h 12 min

Review:

James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a visually aggressive Dirty Dozen grindhouse film in the guise of a superhero film.  Gunn's Guardian of the Galaxy was one of first Marvel films that had a decidedly unique feel to it but those expecting something similar in DC universe will be surprised.  In this film Gunn has gone back to his gory roots by mirroring his first film's, Slither, story and using his refined directorial talents to great effect.  He delivers some truly beautiful sequences which will leave a lasting impact, Harley's escape is colorful collage of carnage.  His story is goofy, bloody but heartfelt at the same time even if all those elements don't hit the mark perfectly.  The character arches are filled with lingering mommy and daddy issues which doesn't give the ensemble much depth outside of being an outcast.  Robbie's Harley fares the best since her character has had three films to evolve into herself.  Idris Elba instantly feels like a more natural fit for this film than Will Smith did in the original film. Elba has a natural toughness that oozes through the screen which works perfectly for his character.  John Cena's Peacemaker should be the stand out of the piece but the script doesn't give him much to work with so he's not as impactful as the script wants him to be.  Daniela Melchior's Ratcatcher 2 ends up being the beating heart of film with her and Bloodsport's relationship providing the emotional string to the film.  Joel Kinnaman's Col. Rick Flag gets an expanded role here which makes him feel more like a complete character even amongst the insanity of Sylvester Stallone's, R rated Groot, King Shark or David Dastmalchian's Polka Dot Man.  Gunn's film embraces the insanity full bore by the final act by delivering the kind of big budget midnight movie madness which you have to appreciate for its sheer audacity.  

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Dark Waters & Cats

The weekend before Christmas provided an opportunity to catch up with my sorely neglected cinema. First priorities: Dark Waters and Cats.

Spoiler level for Dark Waters will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or the news. I don't think there are proper spoilers for a film like Cats--it's not exactly rife with plot twists--but I'm going to talk about it in excruciating detail. If you really don't want to know anything before you see it, or if you really don't want to read 1500 words on one of the year's worst movies, please proceed accordingly.

First on my weekend docket: Dark Waters, a based-on-actual-events tale of the attorney who took on chemical giant DuPont over poisoned water in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Dark Waters is a compelling story told in pedestrian fashion, a disappointment considering the names involved. It's weirdly edited in places, with some shots lingering overlong while others cut off so abruptly it seems like somebody forgot to come back and finish it. The movie wears its agenda on its sleeve, with broadly-drawn good guys and bad guys, chugging along at a deliberate pace that makes it seem longer than it is. Some good tension builds towards the end, as the case comes to a head, but it's pretty late in the game. The big-name cast includes Mark Ruffalo in a fine but unremarkable turn as Robert Bilott, David to DuPont's Goliath. Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins are up and down as Bilott's wife and boss/mentor, respectively. Bill Pullman turns in the only performance I really enjoyed, and his screen time is, sadly, rather limited. West Virginia doesn't necessarily get the worst cinematic treatment it's ever had, though certainly Dark Waters doesn't have an opportunity to show our state at its best, even if it effectively portrays the resilience of our people. (Some would say "bull-headedness," but we'll stick with "resilience" here.) Dark Waters is a movie worth seeing, but maybe more worth seeing on Netflix or as a rental, rather than with the full cinema pricetag.

Dark Waters runs 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic content, some disturbing images, and strong language."

Dark Waters is a serviceable telling of a great story, one that's all the sadder as West Virginia continues to sell itself to the highest bidder with little regard for its own well-being. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dark Waters gets seven.

Next up: the big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's much loved musical, Cats. Buckle up, kids. We're gonna TALK about this one.

On the night of the Jellicle Ball, the Jellicle Leader chooses one Jellicle cat to elevate to a new Jellicle life.

Think that synopsis makes no sense? You aren't alone. Many would say (and have said) Cats makes no sense, there's no story. The plot is a thin one, more a series of vignettes, with each cat making his or her case to win the Jellicle Leader's favor.

Now, the disclaimer: I love Cats. It's one of my top three musicals of all time, and my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber property. When I see the current national tour of Cats in February, it will mark my 30th visit to the junkyard. Certainly some productions are better than others (the 1993 national tour that featured now-Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli as Mr. Mistoffelees and Mad Men's Bryan Batt as Munkustrap is a favorite), but I've yet to crawl away disappointed...until this movie. Herein we shall discuss where the film goes wrong, and those few things it actually gets right.

We'll start with some of the big misses: Despite its best-known number being a proper belter, Cats is a dance-oriented show, yet this film has eliminated the most impressive dance sequences: Mr. Mistoffelees' solo, Jennyanydots' tap number (represented, but not properly), and the Invitation to the Jellicle Ball. Each of those pieces is included, but the best dance bits have been cut or bastardized by an over-abundance of CGI. (Anybody else weirded out by those perpetually-erect tails??) The stage production has always gone to great lengths to get makeup, costumes, and feline movement spot-on, but here not a care was taken...in fact, these things are so bad as to appear willfully wrong. Most costumes stop at the ankles, leaving obviously human bare feet on display, though some Jellicles (in their sensible, everyday forms) wear high-top sneakers, boots, overalls, and even a top hat. Human garb in the stage production is a storytelling tool, and generally is crafted to fit with the cat's pattern, such as Misto's vest and bowtie and Grizabella's dress and coat. The film's makeup leaves its very famous faces very recognizable and looking like A-list actors in dollar-store Halloween costumes. It's distracting. Finally, for a barely-there plot that requires no explanation, this movie does an awkward amount of explaining.

By the numbers, Act I:

This movie *almost* gets the Overture right, as there's only a brief frame before its first notes twinkle through the darkened theater. No choreographed Christmas lights, though. Shame. Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats fares better than most numbers, though it suffers some unfortunate edits, ditto the Naming of Cats, where they left in the line about cats having three different names, then edited out the stanza about the second name. Hope no one's counting! Robbie Fairchild does a fine job with my second-favorite Jellicle, Munkustrap. Munkustrap is the busiest cat in the junkyard, serving as a sort-of narrator and appearing in nearly every number, so it's important that he's good. This one is good. Rebel Wilson's crass performance as Jennyanydots, the Old Gumbie Cat, renders one of the show's cutest numbers a vulgar exercise. Jason Derulo lacks the chutzpah that makes Rum Tum Tugger so much fun when he's done right, but he's a good singer and has some presence. James Corden as Bustopher Jones is one of the movie's better-cast roles, though the number's adapted rather stupidly. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are deprived of their perk, and neither Danny Collins nor Naoimh Morgan brings any real charm to these audacious felines. Also...there's no tumbling, dammit! Dame Judy Dench is okay as Old Deuteronomy, though I miss the traditionally-male Jellicle Leader's big, booming voice. The new number written by Sir Andrew with Taylor Swift specifically for this film is a dud. It's performed by our Victoria, Francesca Hayward, also something of a dud. Victoria is a featured dancer in the show, so it's baffling that filmmakers chose an accomplished ballerina for the role, then assigned her a bunch of singing and smothered her beautiful dancing in CGI. The Jellicle Ball is a bizarre Furry orgy that again buries its choreography in badly-done effects. Ye gods.

Onward to Act II:

Ian McKellen is of Cats' biggest victories as Gus, the Theater Cat. He doesn't have as much to do as you'd like Sir Ian McKellen to do if you were lucky enough to get him for your movie, but he's quite a good fit. Steven McRae is a pretty solid Skimbleshanks, too, though the number itself is disappointing compared to its live cousin. (Skimble is my third-favorite Jellicle; it's important to get Skimble right.) Macavity...uh...where do I even start? Idris Elba, inarguably (for my money) the sexiest man alive, is utterly ridiculous in a role that is, by default, nefariously sexy. First, he does too much talking. There is no talking in Cats. There is only singing and dancing. Secondly, you can see too much Idris Elba (aren't those weird words to put together?) to think he's anything but Idris Elba in a goofy fur suit. That's down to makeup AGAIN. Finally, his Bombalurina is Taylor Swift, an admirable artist for many reasons, but entirely miscast as this very sexy, very mature Jellicle. Macavity is one of the show's best numbers, and one of the film's worst. How very disappointing. Next up is my favorite Jellicle, Mr. Mistoffelees. (It is MOST important to get Mr. Mistoffelees right.) Laurie Davidson is, in fact, quite a good Mr. Mistoffelees. I mean, he's no Jacob Brent, but he's definitely the best part of the movie, despite the filmmakers cutting his big solo. Following Misto's abbreviated number, our Grizabella turns up for the showstopper, Memory, or, as Jennifer Hudson sings it, "Mamwee." Jennifer Hudson has a great voice--that is an indisputable fact--but it's outweighed by her perpetually-running nose, vacant stare, and sloppy diction. This Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer not in an old tire, but rather in a chandelier (perhaps a nod to ALW's other dumpster-fire film adaptation, the Phantom of the Opera?).  The finale, the Ad-Dressing of Cats, feels like an anti-climax minus an Old Deuteronomy with a commanding baritone, but the fact that it's not a complete disaster feels like a win.

A few missing pieces: Growltiger makes a surprise appearance, but his featured number is predictably absent from the film, as it has been from most of the recent Cats productions I've seen (I assume due to its racial insensitivity). There are no Pekes or Pollicles, also frequently axed from the stage production. As mentioned, while the film visits a junkyard, the junkyard isn't its primary home, an artistic choice that won't have much bearing on your enjoyment of the movie unless you really love that junkyard. (I do.) At least they got the "Vivat!" right, I guess.

Here's something I learned about Cats when it was revived on Broadway a couple years back: While shows like Hedwig and Hair really seem to find their audiences in revival--remaining relevant even while painted by the times in which they're set--Cats is not so fortunate. Debuting in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982, the nearly-plotless two hours of dancing felines seemed a good fit for the Ferris Bueller and Duran Duran set, even a game-changer for the time. In 2017, alongside Hamilton, Indecent, and even Come From Away, Cats just seemed irrelevant. I still shelled out for a front-row seat on my annual trip to the Big Apple, and I still loved it, but it was definitely a show out of its time. Had this movie been a straightforward adaptation of the stage production (I'd hoped for some improvement on the direct-to-DVD 1998 attempt), it still would be too late for this show to set the world on fire, but a quality big-screen version would have found its audience among the show's fans, of which there still are many. Instead, it's been turned into a punchline, a bad-movie benchmark for the foreseeable future, and here's the thing about that: In "serious" theater circles, Cats is already a punchline. Low-brow theater, tourist fare. It's also a very specific, unique thing that can't be made into something it's not. You can love or hate it for what it is, but you can't effectively change what it is. In attempting to do just that, Tom Hooper and company have made Cats a punchline for what it *isn't,* and that just breaks my heart. If In the Heights weren't already in the can and looking so promising, I'd worry Cats was bad enough to scare Hollywood off the movie musical for some time.

Cats clocks in at 110 minutes and is rated PG for "some rude and suggestive humor."

The 2019 film version of Cats is a travesty, crafted by people who either failed to understand this terrific show on a fundamental level or simply didn't care. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Cats gets three (one for each of my favorite Jellicles).

The current national tour of Cats is in Toronto through January 5th, moving to Boston and Baltimore immediately following. For my locals, the show rolls into Pittsburgh's beautiful Benedum Center from February 25th through March 1st. For a full list of dates and tickets, please check out the link below. Please do not let this abomination of a film deter you from seeing this legendary show in person.

https://ustour.catsthemusical.com/tickets/

Now...who's up for a Starlight Express revival??

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: CATS

A tribe of cats must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward

Release Date: December 20, 2019

Comedy, Comedy, Drama, Family

Rated PG for some rude and suggestive humor

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

My knowledge of the Cat's stage play is fairly limited.  I've never gotten around to finding out why it was such a cultural phenomenon but have heard the song Memories in passing.  So I walked into the screen adaptation of the musical mostly blank.  Tom Hooper's film is veritable cornucopia of strangeness and WTF moments that it's hard to take your eyes off it.  The much talked about digital fur is instantly distracting and the effect never really seems to wear off for the duration.  It doesn't help that some characters wear clothes and shoes while other don't for no discernible reason, ultimately your left wondering who decides.  Its not the only question that will pop up in your head mainly because the plot mostly consist of introductions with a very general end game which is actually pretty dark once you start to think about it.  Still there are some positives to be appreciated here such as newcomer Francesca Hayward debut.  Hayward's re purposed Victoria is the audience's avenue into this strange world filled with tiny child mice and dancing human cockroaches.  Mind you the film takes very little time to ease the audience into any of this so you jump into the deep end pretty quickly.  Thankfully Francesca's performance is endearing enough to keep you on board if you didn't immediately jump off board.  Her ballerina skills are on full display through the seemingly endless song and dance sequences.  The bigger names all have varying levels of success with their characters as they go full feline.  Ian McKellen and Judi Dench bring and air of respectability to the whole thing with each having a moment to shine in the latter portions of the film.  Meanwhile James Corden and Rebel Wilson play into the whole silliness of the whole thing, it work sometimes but when it misses it misses badly.  Jason Derulo seems to be doing his own thing, particularly during his main song early on.  Idris Elba is all in from the start but he's never given enough screen time to really leave a proper impression outside of leaving you feel confused.  Taylor Swift's cabaret inspired sequence is lively once you get past her dollar story British accent.  Jennifer Hudson is given the film's singular song and you'd be hard pressed to deny her talent even though she can't seem to decide what volume to sing said song at during various attempts.  If this all sounds like a strange hodgepodge of ideas and talents well it is.  At certain points during the film I wasn't sure if I was actually watching some terribly campy 70's grindhouse musical or an unused portions of legendary Marlon Brando 1996 dumpster fire The Island of Dr. Moreau.  At the same time you sort appreciate the audacity of the whole thing like going full bore into the feline mannerisms, so much neck cuddling and nose kisses, while dealing a story is mainly about cats vying for the opportunity to die and move on to it's next life.  

C

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Darkest Hour & Molly’s Game

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of true tales: Darkest Hour and Molly's Game.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or, you know, a history book (or maybe a tabloid).

 

First up: Starting off the New Year right with my Gary in Darkest Hour.

 

Winston Churchill does not negotiate with Nazis.

 

Dear reader(s): By now you will have heard that Gary Oldman's transformation into Winston Churchill is nothing short of remarkable. I'm here to tell you, with all the impartiality a person who makes a homemade Gary Oldman calendar every year can muster, that you should believe the hype. Much has been made of the countless hours Gary spent in makeup and prosthetics in order to take on the portly prime minister's appearance--and it is well and truly amazing--but the quality of this performance is not about physical transformation; it's about how well he tends to the details of BEING Churchill: mannerisms, speech patterns, expressions. The look in his eyes at times is just extraordinary. We movie fans are so used to Gary disappearing into his roles that we may take it for granted, but this is a whole other level, a masterful performance for the ages. Darkest Hour's supporting cast is also stellar, with Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and the incomparable Ben Mendelsohn all holding their own opposite Oldman's tour de force turn.

 

Darkest Hour relates an oft-told story with an outcome well known to everyone, but it isn't handicapped by its familiarity; instead it feels like quite the nail-biter right down to the finish. Despite the somber subject matter, the picture steers well clear of misery and self pity; it is hopeful and actually quite funny at times, that rare awards-worthy bit of filmmaking that seems to care as much about entertaining as it does about accolades.

 

Darkest Hour clocks in at 125 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some thematic material."

 

Darkest Hour is a solid historical epic with an Oscar-caliber lead and a sadly-timely message about the dangers of placating tyrants. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Darkest Hour gets nine.

 

Fangirl points: My Gary (duh)! Ben Mendelsohn! Joe Armstrong!!

 

Next on the docket: Molly's Game.

 

The rise and fall of Molly Bloom, a one-time Olympic contender who made and lost a fortune running an exclusive high-stakes poker game.

 

It won't be news to anyone who's seen so much as a single trailer that Molly's Game rises and falls on Jessica Chastain's outstanding turn in the lead. Chastain seems born to acclaimed writer (and first-time director) Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire style, and she gets to glam it up as the high-class hostess to elite celebrities, athletes, and world leaders. You will not be able to take your eyes off of her. While the supporting cast is solid, there's not much room for anyone but Chastain as Bloom narrates her own story, with others popping in and out merely as grout to her tile. No disrespect to Chastain, who is entirely Oscar worthy, but I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to remind filmmakers that more Idris Elba is always better. (Please make a note of it.) Sorkin's direction weaves seamlessly between Bloom's present-day legal battles and her relating of the events leading to said battles. As is Sorkin's trademark, the dialogue is superb, even if the poker language might as well have been some alien tongue for all I understood it. Daniel Pemberton continues his win streak with another striking score. The film slows down just enough that a small trim might have made a more efficient whole, but that's a petty quibble with what is ultimately a couple great hours of cinema.

 

Molly's Game runs 140 minutes and is rated R for "language, drug content, and some violence."

 

Molly's Game is a fascinating story and a worthy showcase for one of the finest actresses of her generation. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Molly's Game gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Keep those eyes peeled for for about two seconds of Jose Bautista in newsreel footage at the start of the film. 

 

An ice rink PA is playing George Harrison's son singing my favorite George Harrison song. Chris O'Dowd! Justin Kirk! Brian d'Arcy James!

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: MOLLY’S GAME

The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknown to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led people to believe.

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Release Date: Dec 25, 2017

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Brian d'Arcy James, Chris O'Dowd

Rated R for language, drug content and some violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 20 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama

Review:

Molly’s Game, the directorial debut of renowned screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, is a crackling dialogue driven legal thriller.  Sorkin’s move behind the camera is fairly effortless as he directs his film with a confident steady hand.  His style isn’t overly flashy, outside of an expertly crafted opening sequence, he keeps a steady and measured hand allowing his actors and script to do the heavy lifting.  The script is everything you’d expect from Aaron Sorkin, the snappy dialogue is as plentiful as the extended monologues.  The film carries a sort of Social Network feel to it, especially in the first act, before it settles into its own rhythm.  Molly Brown’s story is a fascinating perversion of the American Dream.  Jessica Chastain is electric in the lead role and she’s nearly always the most magnetic person on screen.  It probably helps that she’s glam vamped for the better part of the film as her character routinely transformed herself into the “Cinemax” version of herself.  Chastain’s talent is on full display as she simultaneously displays sexuality while still radiating an intrinsic intelligence and unbridled drive throughout the entire film.  There’s a running theme about an overbearing father that feels slightly off especially in its resolution even though Kevin Costner turns in decent work in an undercooked role.  Idris Elba spends the most time with Chastain in the post arrest scenes and he’s just ready made for Sorkin’s writing.  He and Chastain share solid chemistry together, making their mutual intellect and respect believable.  A few of the courtroom scenes in the third act do feel a bit clunky and convenient when compared to the majority of the film that came before it.  Still, Sorkin’s first foray into directing is an impressive and entertaining success.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Geostorm & Thor: Ragnarok

Dearest Blog: Yesterday I ended my week's vacation at Marquee Cinemas with a double-bill of Geostorm (finally) and Thor: Ragnarok. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or a quick check of the IMDB cast listings.

 

First on the docket: a delayed screening of Geostorm.

 

When a satellite controlling extreme weather events is sabotaged, it's up to its prickly creator to make nice and go fix it.

 

Dear reader(s): Having missed two weekends at the cinema (!!!), I'm a little late to the Geostorm party, so I won't be the first to inform you the movie features a stupidly implausible plot, inane dialogue, and second-rate performances. What I may be the first to tell you is that I haven't had as much fun at the cinema in months. Indeed, Geostorm is the only picture in recent memory to render me totally oblivious to the outside world for a couple hours.

 

There's no denying Geostorm is a pretty bad movie by almost any quality barometer; it's Sharknado-level idiocy on a big-screen budget. Meathead extraordinaire Gerard Butler is the ideal hero for such a film, delivering a performance on par with "shepherd number two" in the third-grade Christmas pageant. Jim Sturgess and Abbie Cornish are even more laughable, and you really have to wonder how Ed Harris and Andy Garcia got talked into this. (My guess is blackmail. It's the only thing that makes sense.) The story plays out in predictably silly fashion, with painfully obvious "twists" and every cartoonish character behaving exactly as you'd expect. The good news is all that isn't really bad news because Geostorm knows exactly what it is, and thus couldn't be any more enjoyable. Throw in some solid disaster effects and a timely (if cheesy) message, and you've got a hilariously terrible outing that may well be the best time I've had at the movies in 2017.

 

Geostorm clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated PG13 for "destruction, action, and violence."

Geostorm is the best bad movie I've seen in a good long while. Of a possible nine Weasleys, I am exercising great restraint in awarding Geostorm only seven.

 

Fangirl points: Ohmygosh you guys, Robert Sheehan is in this movie!!

 

Next on my agenda: Thor: Ragnarok.

 

And you thought Loki was the bad sibling.

 

My usual Marvel disclaimer: For the most part I don't think Marvel movies are anything special; rather, they're enjoyed and quickly forgotten. The notable exception is Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which stands alone in its greatness, but, as series go, the Thor movies are always my Marvel faves. Ragnarok gives me no reason to change either of those opinions: Marvel movies are still nothing special, but the Thor series remains my favorite.

 

Getting the bad news out of the way first: Thor: Ragnarok feels about twelve hours long. I wouldn't say I was bored, but...well...for some of it I wouldn't exactly say I wasn't, either. The battle scenes didn't seem as repetitive or overlong as most Marvel movies (lookin' squarely at YOU, Avengers!), but, my god, it felt like I was sitting there forever. Luckily, that's about the only really bad thing I have to say about the film. Ragnarok isn't a funny superhero movie; it's a straight-up comedy about a superhero, fully self-aware. No shoe-horning in a Tony Stark wisecrack every 20 minutes, Ragnarok is organically hilarious. Trippy 70s effects, a bit reminiscent of Doctor Strange, are particularly well-suited to this outing, giving it the feel of an old-school arcade game. Chris Hemsworth (sadly shirtless only once) isn't just a perfectly-sculpted hero, he's legitimately funny, with great comic timing and terrific expressions. The supporting cast is filled with names that, on their own, are enough to draw me to any picture: Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, Cate Blanchett...and--OH!--this is Cate as you haven't seen her before! Hiddleston's Loki remains the best thing about any Thor movie, but it's Cate's Hela who steals the show here, and whose pics you'll be Googling for your new phone wallpaper as soon as the credits roll (or was that just me?). Triple bonus points for carrying Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song from the trailer into the film itself--not just once, but twice!--a musical move so inspired as to be almost Edgar-Wrightish in its perfection.

Thor: Ragnarok runs 130 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action and brief suggestive material."

 

Thor: Ragnarok is another fun outing in Marvel's best series. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Thor: Ragnarok gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Hey, Bruce Banner, you're lookin' mighty fine in that Duran Duran shirt!

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Blade Runner 2049 & The Mountain Between Us

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to see the highly-touted Blade Runner 2049 and not-at-all-touted The Mountain Between Us.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild for 2049, somewhat elevated (see what I did there?) for Mountain, but nothing really plot-related.

 

First on my agenda: Blade Runner 2049.

 

A young Blade Runner unearths a secret that sends him on a dangerous quest.

 

Ohhhhh...Ryan Gosling...you owe me. La La Land. Lars and the Real Girl. The Place Beyond the Pines. Only God Forgives. (Worst. Movie. Ever.) At this point, *I* could be forgiven for thinking this guy willfully takes only projects he hopes will bore me to death. Slowly.

 

In the interest of full and fair disclosure, here I'll confess that I haven't seen the original Blade Runner in about a hundred years and thus I remember very little (read: nothing) about it. I had good intentions of revisiting it before the new one hit cinemas, but never got around to it, so I know there were certain "recognition" moments that were lost on me. I should also note that I was in no way predisposed to dislike this, so the degree to which I did came as something of a surprise.

 

Blade Runner 2049 actually does have a fair few things going for it. The principal roles are carried by well-known and well-decorated actors who do as much as they can with wooden characters. Gosling is never less than watchable, and Robin Wright is the same. Harrison Ford takes his sweet time showing up, but when he does it's welcome, even if it seems a rehash of pretty much everything Harrison Ford does these days. The picture boasts astonishing, Oscar-worthy visuals and an ominous score that I can't wait to torture my coworkers with. For at least the first half of the movie, all of that was enough that I didn't hate it, but the longer it dragged on, the less interested I became in finding that silver lining, and there you'll find the movie's chief handicap: it is just too long to be as slow as it is (or too slow to be as long as it is). Yes, it's pretentious at times (lots of times). Yes, Jared Leto is ridiculous. Yes, it's often too dark to see anything at all, and yes, the 3D is utterly pointless.

 

BUT...2049 likely could have gotten away with most of that if only it weren't So. Damn. Long. I saw a few social media posts yesterday saying that the film leaves many questions to be answered by a potential "next installment," but the only question Blade Runner 2049 left me was: "Can Robin Wright take a drink without slamming it like a belligerent pirate?" The world may never know.

Blade Runner 2049 clocks in at a painful 163 minutes and is rated R for "violence, some sexuality, nudity, and language."

 

Blade Runner 2049 is a flaming bag of poo left on my cinematic doorstep, but it sure looks and sounds pretty! Of a possible nine Weasleys, Blade Runner 2049 gets four.

 

Next up: The Mountain Between Us.

 

Two professionals who HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE charter a small plane and end up not getting anywhere.

 

The Mountain Between Us is nothing more than badly-done fanfiction, Twilight for grownups, minus the sparkling. How on Earth anyone got one--nevermind TWO--actors the caliber of Kate Winslet and Idris Elba to sign on for this drivel is beyond me. The most entertaining thing about the whole mess was the two older folks in my screening who loudly admonished the screen: "You should have waited for the other plane!" "You should have brought warmer clothes!" (It's a testament to just how bored I was that I found that amusing instead of infuriating.) The picture plods on for nearly two snowy hours, hitting every tired AO3 tag you can think of, and often turning very specifically reminiscent of 1993's Alive. (Spoiler alert: Except they never ended up having to eat each other. At least not literally.) By the time the movie reminds you for the last time that this horrible experience has made someone FEEL ALIVE, you'll be wishing you weren't.

 

The Mountain Between Us runs 103 minutes and is rated PG13 for "a scene of sexuality, peril, injury images, and brief strong language."

 

If ever I am stranded somewhere with Idris Elba and you send someone to "rescue" me, I will end you. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Mountain Between Us gets three.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Dark Tower & Detroit

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Detroit and The Dark Tower.

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

 

First on the docket, Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit.

 

During the Detroit Rebellion of 1967, a handful of city cops terrorize young people staying at the Algiers Hotel.

 

Dear reader(s), you know when I call a movie "must-see," it's usually gonna be some big, dumb actioner with a current obsession not *quite* getting enough screen time for my liking. Evidence: that latest Transformers movie that everybody hates? Yeah, that'll be skirting my Top Ten come year's end. However, here I must break with tradition to suggest emphatically that everyone get out and see Detroit. It is a very, very important movie and a timely reminder of what happens when we allow some people to be treated as less than others.

 

Detroit opens with a clever sequence that brings viewers who might not be familiar with this event up to speed, and from there it's a slow burn into chaos. The movie is never in a hurry to get where it's going, yet there are millions of things happening all at once. Point of view is personal rather than general, with dialogue so natural as to seem unscripted. I'm no fan of Bigelow's jiggly camera work, but I couldn't look away from the terrifying events playing out onscreen. There is no sugar-coating, there are no cookie-cutter characters, and the performances are uniformly extraordinary. Of special note, as usual, is John Boyega in a smart, sympathetic turn. The violence and torment are up close and personal, at times nearly impossible to watch. The movie builds to its unsettling climax with such tension you might not even realize you're holding your breath. This is no fun summer flick; it's challenging and exhausting. (For the record, I ran straight to the ladies' room and threw up when it ended, and it's had me in tears more than a few times since.) Detroit is smart enough not to leave it to viewers to distinguish between "based on a true story" and "inspired by actual events;" it freely acknowledges that its account relies on the recollections of people who were under not-a-little duress during these events. No fun summer movie, Detroit will stay on your mind long after you exit the theatre. 

 

Detroit clocks in at 143 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and pervasive language."

 

A headline I saw earlier this morning said, "Detroit is going to hurt, but it's worth it," and that's about the best way to sum up this brilliant but difficult movie. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Detroit gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Not to take away from the seriousness of this picture, but I can't imagine a more beautiful human than Anthony Mackie exists anywhere in the universe. *le sigh*

 

Next on my agenda was the first big-screen shot at Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

 

The Last Gunslinger hopes to stop the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, which protects the world from evil...or something like that. (I'm pretty close, right?)

 

Not having read this book series from Stephen King, and having heard nothing good about this adaptation prior to seeing it, I was prepared to state that--while I understood it might not meet the expectations of book fans--the movie is perfectly passable entertainment for the rest of us. 

 

Sadly, after nearly nodding off twice in just an hour and a half, I had to rethink that opening.

 

The Dark Tower is just a bad movie, and that's without even being able to speak to its failings by comparison to the books. It feels like, at some point very early in its making, all the Stephen King forces in the universe decided to focus their positive energy on the remake of It and deserted this entirely. (I guess the good news is my pretty busy cinema seemed to soil its collective drawers at the It trailer that preceded Dark Tower, so King may be redeemed rather quickly.) The Dark Tower's characters are so broadly drawn you'll only care what happens to any of them if you have a vested interest in the actor(s). Shallow storytelling provides very few answers, but leaves lots of question marks, for anyone unfamiliar with the source material. Clearly this was meant to set up a franchise, but if it's to do so with any success it'll need serious retooling. Man in Black Matthew McConaughey is as bland as ever (can't spell "McConaughey" without "ugh!") as a paper-doll baddie who's about as menacing as my little Cockapoo. Idris Elba is smokin'--and I mean SMOKIN'--hot as the Gunslinger, but the role is so poorly fleshed out it scarcely taxes his ability or charisma. Effects are pedestrian at best, and the action (such as it is) is accented by a comically-melodramatic score.

 

The Dark Tower runs the slowest 95 minutes ev-ah and is rated PG13 for "thematic material, including sequences of gun violence and action."

 

I truly had hoped to buck the trend and declare the Dark Tower passable entertainment for a summer afternoon, but, sadly, it can't meet even that low bar. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Dark Tower gets two.

 

Fangirl points: OMG you guys...Idris Elba! (Teeny-weeny spoiler alert: When a boy says to the Gunslinger, "I dreamt about you!" I'm pretty sure I said out loud to the screen, "Me too!")

 

Until next time...

 

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Finding Dory & Central Intelligence

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a promising pair of pictures: Finding Dory and Central Intelligence. 

 

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

 

First on the docket: Finding Dory. Everyone's favorite memory-challenged blue fish goes searching for a piece of her past. 

 

Dear reader(s): Finding Nemo is my favorite thing that Pixar has ever done. Outside of dear ol' Captain Jack, it may be my favorite thing Disney's ever done, too, so it was with equal parts excitement and trepidation I accepted the idea of a welcome, but unnecessary, sequel. I am pleased to report that, if Finding Dory doesn't quite match Finding Nemo, it does an admirable job of carrying on the franchise nonetheless. 

 

In the grand tradition of Pixar product, Finding Dory looks amazing. Outstanding art, bold colors, and lovely animation combine to create a picture that appears to live and breathe on its own. If Dory were a real, live person instead of a cartoon fish, Ellen DeGeneres undoubtedly would earn some serious awards consideration; she is brilliant. 

 

Her supporting cast is filled with familiar and capable voices, including Albert Brooks, reprising his role as the clownfish Marlon, as well as Ed O'Neill, Diane Keaton, Idris Elba, and Sigourney Weaver. 

 

The predictable-but-charming tale is backed by a lovely score by Thomas Newman. If I were to quibble over one small flaw, it's that the movie has too many false endings, which make it seem to drag on a bit, but the post-credits scene is well worth weathering the extensive end credits. Finding Dory runs 97 minutes (which includes an adorable short called Piper) and is rated PG for "mild thematic elements." Finding Dory is an almost-perfect mix of beautiful art and a sweet, family-friendly story. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Finding Dory gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Idris Elba, Dominic West, Kaitlin Olson. 

 

Next up: buddy comedy Central Intelligence. 

 

A bullied youth turned CIA agent drags his only high-school friend into the world of international espionage. If you took all of Hollywood, put it in a bag and shook it up, then dumped out any ten random actors, Dwayne Johnson would probably have more charisma than all ten combined. 

 

He's no Crowe or Denzel in the acting-chops department, but the guy is always fun to watch, and, in Central Intelligence, he has great chemistry with his hilarious co-star Kevin Hart. 

 

Central Intelligence boasts a well-plotted story with a fair few twists, and, though most of its laugh-out-loud moments were revealed in trailers, the movie is uniformly entertaining and amusing, and the action keeps it moving at a good clip. 

 

Central Intelligence clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action/violence, and brief strong language." 

 

A serviceable buddy comedy that provides both laughs and thrills a-plenty, of a possible nine Weasleys, Central Intelligence gets seven. 

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Jungle Book, The Angry Birds Movie, Now You See Me 2

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Now You See Me 2 and Warcraft...except I couldn't bring myself to face Warcraft and ended up catching up on The Jungle Book and Angry Birds instead. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. (I'm assuming everyone knows Warcraft is terrible from the trailers?) 

 

First on the docket: The Jungle Book. When the vicious tiger Shere-Khan threatens his life, Mowgli, a boy raised by a wolf pack, is forced to flee his jungle home. 

 

The Jungle Book is a gorgeous film, and a vote of confidence for CGI at a time when, let's face it, even the biggest-budget CGI is starting to look a little dodgy. The movie is probably eighty-percent jungle and jungle animals, and the only time you can tell most of it is fake is when the bear starts singing. I've never seen a real one sing. 

 

Then again, my experience with bears is somewhat limited. Outside its technical virtures, the movie's main plus is some great voice work from the likes of Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, and Scarlett Johanssn. 

 

Unfortunately, it's merely a silver lining on what's ultimately a pretty boring picture. The movie tiptoes around its brutality, with most of it played out off screen. It would have served no one's purpose for a kids' film to be a total bloodbath, but the impact of losses is certainly diminished. There are chases and plenty of other action, but the movie is plain dull in its execution. 

 

The second half, in particular, seems to drag on forever. The Jungle Book clocks in at 106 minutes and is rated PG for "some sequences of scary action and peril." Worth a look for its technical prowess alone, 2016's Jungle Book sadly falls short of the animated feature on which it's based. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Jungle Book gets five. Fangirl points: Giancarlo Esposito. Again! 

 

Next up: The Angry Birds Movie. An island of peaceful, (mostly) happy, flightless birds faces a threat from neighboring green pigs. 

 

Whoa. Trippiest. Synopsis. Ever. Dear Reader(s), I have not even a passing familiarity with video games. 

 

Luckily, The Angry Birds Movie is pretty cute, and I don't think I missed out on anything for not having spent hours with my nose in my phone, playing the Angry Birds game. Angry Birds is a great-looking picture, full of gorgeous animation and bright colors. The film boasts an impressive array of voice talent, including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, and Sean Penn. 

 

The plot is pretty thin, but the film keeps moving and doesn't bog down. There's some charming humor alongside some that's truly disgusting...at least for grownups...as well as a lovely score by Heitor Pereira. The Angry Birds Movie runs 97 minutes and is rated PG for "rude humor and action." It's no game-changer, but Angry Birds is a bright, colorful, quick-moving film that's fun for the whole family. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Angry Birds Movie gets six. 

Fangirl points: Angry Birds was created in Finland. This movie kicks off with a Black Sabbath song. (I'm not joking.) 

 

Finally, the closer on yesterday's agenda: Now You See Me 2. After hiding out for 18 months, the Horsemen resurface to perform their greatest heist yet. 

 

When the first Now You See Me was released into a summer of prequels, sequels, and reboots, I recall lauding it as a breath of fresh air in a sea of franchise installments. Of course, then Hollywood had to go and commission a sequel because...Hollywood. 

 

The good news is, if the sequel wasn't entirely necessary, it is a great time nonetheless. NYSM2 raises the stakes from the Horsmen's first outing, meaning even more incredible stunts that require even more suspension of disbelief. 

 

I mean, faking one's death can't possibly be as easy as depicted here (more than once) or everyone who has a crazy ex or owes on a credit card would be doing it! Still, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, so playing along isn't a problem. Some of the illusions are spectacular, in particular, the rain-manipulation trick hinted at in the trailers, and the plot has plenty of twists and turns to hold your attention. 

 

The cast is terrific from top to bottom, with Jesse Eisenberg again the standout. Lizzy Caplan's character is a somewhat brash replacement for Isla Fisher, but she's great fun and will grow on you quickly. Daniel Radcliffe continues to distance himself from his Potter past with a funny, quirky performance as the film's baddie. 

 

The movie gets a bit preachy here and there, but it's mostly a thrilling, layered ride. Now You See Me 2 clocks in at 129 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and some language." That rare sequel that is as good as, and perhaps even better than, the original, 

 

Now You See Me 2 is great fun and (still) something a little different for the summer blockbuster season. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Now You See Me 2 gets seven. Fangirl points: DanRad in *another* movie about magic! 

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Gunman and Insurgent

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for The Gunman and Insurgent, a pair of action-packed movies sure to get the blood moving. Or not.

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

First up: Sean Penn in The Gunman.

A former assassin's misdeeds come back to haunt him.

Dear reader(s), if we're being honest, my first reaction when The Gunman's credits started rolling was, "What the hell did I just watch??" Not that it was a bad movie, or even a terribly strange movie, it just wasn't what I expected from the trailer. I went back and re-watched the trailer and, in hindsight, I'm not sure why I didn't get it. Luckily, it's a pretty good movie anyway.

Pluses: Sean Penn is on point in the lead. For me, he's one of those guys (like Tom Cruise) who, when I hear his name I think, "I don't really care for that actor." Then I watch him in something and say to myself, "Self, what were you thinking? That guy is awesome!" Though he's crippled on occasion by awkward dialogue, Penn is solid here, which is a good thing, because it's mostly on him to carry this one. Idris Elba and Ray Winstone are very good with limited screen time, and the movie is noticeably better when they're around. The story is interesting, with plenty of action, and there's an angry sex scene that, while not especially long or graphic, is pretty hot. Finally, at just under two hours, the movie is smart enough not to wear out its welcome.

Minuses: Javier Bardem is a total clown...thinking his mugging may even upstage Captain Jack Sparrow in that new Pirates movie. As for the female lead, Jasmine Trinca, both the actress and the role are entirely forgettable; you could have plopped pretty much any woman of an appropriate age in that slot and she'd have been no better, no worse, and no more important to the movie. A bunch of obvious soap-opera glances in the opening scenes reveal the baddie long before you should have any idea; in fact, the whole thing, while entertaining, is extremely predictable. Finally, Idris Elba appears twice in a two-minute trailer and exactly the same number of times in a two-hour movie. I LOVE Elba, and was really hoping to see more of him.

Distractions: Penn's newfound buff-ness and Trinca's funky front teeth.

The Gunman runs 115 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language, and some sexuality."
As is kinda the norm for this time of year, it's a passably entertaining, but ultimately forgettable, afternoon at the cinema.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Gunman gets five and a half.

Up next was the second installment in the Divergent series, Insurgent.

Tris and Four continue fighting the good fight against Jeanine and the faction system.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, literally every single review I saw of Divergent, the first film in this series, contained some version of the sentiment, "Well, that was way better than I expected!" It is, perhaps, for that reason that Insurgent is something of a disappointment.

Though it runs about 20 minutes shorter than its predecessor, Insurgent seems slow and long. I was pretty bored with it for major chunks of time. The action is decent, but repetitive, and much of the dialogue just seems silly.

Shailene Woodley remains (for me) nothing more than a poor man's Jennifer Lawrence...now with new dopey haircut!! I still have a crush on Theo James (curse you, lady Mary, for your deadly bed!!), and I shallowly found the movie far more interesting whenever he was onscreen. Aside from Kate Winslet, who is always reliable, this series has one of the more boring supporting casts I've ever seen, with a bunch of interchangeable actors who could be swapped out with barely a ripple.

Even having said all that, my chief annoyances were a weirdly made-up and bejeweled Naomi Watts (is that really how you picture the leader of your revolution??) and the awkward giggles drawn from my teenage audience by the non-starter love scene and a single almost f-word. (Hardly the movie's fault, but it still set my teeth on edge.)

Insurgent clocks in at 119 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements, and brief language."

Sadly, the middle frame of the Divergent series is exactly what I expect of most Y.A. adaptations. Here's hoping next year's finale is more like part one.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Insurgent gets five.

Until next time...

 

Note to filmmakers: More Idris Elba is always better than less Idris Elba.