MOVIE REVIEW: COCAINE BEAR

After a 500-pound black bear consumes a significant amount of cocaine and embarks on a drug-fueled rampage, an eccentric gathering of cops, criminals, tourists, and teenagers assemble in a Georgia forest.

Director: Elizabeth Banks

Cast: Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, Matthew Rhys, Ray Liotta

Release Date: February 24, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Thriller

Rated R for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout

Runtime: 1h 35m

Review:

Cocaine Bear is a gory comedy that embraces the goofiness of its premise.  Elizabeth Banks knows exactly what kind of movie she's making and doesn't saddle it with too much extraneous baggage that keeps the film moving at a brisk pace.  Its straightforward in the best way possible spending a little time early on introducing the players before the inevitable mayhem begins.  The cast and director are both on the same page as there's a decidedly cartoonish air about the characters and performances.  The ensemble cast is peppered with recognizable character actors, including Ray Liotta's final onscreen appearance, who are clearly having a ball playing their roles.  Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Alden Ehrenreich get the biggest portion of the screen time with the latter two providing the best onscreen chemistry.  Margo Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Isiah Whitlock Jr. make the most of their limited screen time in supporting roles.  The titular bear is a solid, but it’s never photo realistic enough to make you forget you are watching CGI animal.  The plot and characters are thinly written which makes it difficult to maintain its initial energy before it sputters into its finale. Ultimately, Cocaine Bear is a solid piece of mindless, goofy fun that's easy to enjoy even though you'll probably forget about it shortly there after.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: LIGHTYEAR

 

Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure with a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion.

Director: Angus MacLane

Cast: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Release Date: June 17, 2022

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action/peril

Runtime: 1h 40m

Review:

If we are being honest there is no good reason for a Lightyear film to exist outside of cashing in on a well known property.  We're told with a quick line of text to open the film that this is the movie that makes Andy want the Buzz action figure in the original Toy Story.  Outside of that bit of crossbreeding, director Angus MacLane goes about delivering a visually impressive sci-fi origin story that pays homage to classic films like Star War, Trek with bits of Aliens and 2001 sprinkled in for good measure.  MacLane keeps the action moving at a steady pace while managing to deliver an emotional montage that echoes the opening sequence from Pixar's Up.  On its surface the script plays like a light fairly straightforward sci-fi adventure at first but it reveals a deeper emotional core as the story moves on even if not as revelatory as some of Pixar's other films.  Chris Evans voice work leads the film even if it takes a minute to get used to him voicing the role.  Evans finds a tenor in his voice that echoes Tim Allen voicework but with enough of that Captain America sound to make it his own. It’s a fun performance played a bit more seriously which fits in with the movie.  The supporting cast of Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules and Uzo Aduba all deliver solid performances even if the characters are slightly underwritten to the point where they don't make the impression they should.  The real standout is Peter Sohn who voices Sox, Buzz's robotic cat assistant, who manages to bring an engaging but fun voice to his character.  Sohn's character gets some of the best comedic moments in the film and will probably be the most memorable of supporting cast.  Lightyear is a crowd-pleasing film that delivers enough fun Toy Story Easter Eggs to keep longtime fans happy and enough action to keep younger kids entertained even if it's not in the top tier of Pixar's catalogue.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Da 5 Bloods

My dears, the bad news this week is my cinema has reopened...with a full slate of movies I've already seen, and nothing I'd risk a deadly disease to see again. (*cough* Rocketman *cough*)

The good news is Netflix is premiering a buzzy, brand-new release from revered director Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods.

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

A group of veterans returns to Vietnam to repatriate a fallen colleague...and reclaim a hidden treasure.
The good news is Da 5 Bloods is a pretty engaging picture that doesn't feel long despite its boated runtime. It's painfully relevant, hammering home some difficult truths about the many sides to any story, the ambiguousness of "good guys" and "bad guys," and the ugliness of prejudice, even among those who are, themselves, victims of it. It boasts some nice performances (what a delight to see Norm Lewis!), and — between the festering wound that the Vietnam war remains in this country, and the historical footage and photos it uses to underline its own story — the film packs quite an emotional wallop.

The bad news is Da 5 Bloods is more predictable than the worst broadcast network police procedural. The aforementioned nice performances are countered by some legitimately terrible acting. The film's gruesome violence is so over the top as to be almost comical at times, and its melodramatic score is equally ridiculous. Finally Da 5 Bloods suffers a severe shortage of Chadwick Boseman. If you are watching this movie to see Chadwick Boseman, watch 21 Bridges instead. It's a better movie, and you'll get a lot more Chadwick for your buck.

Da 5 Bloods clocks in at 154 minutes and is rated R for, "strong violence, grisly images, and pervasive language."

I'd be hard-pressed to call Da 5 Bloods a good movie, but it's certainly an important one that's worth your time. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Da 5 Bloods gets five.

Until next time, dear reader(s), take care and stay well, and I'll hope to see you at the cinema soon!

MOVIE REVIEW: DA 5 BLOODS

Four African American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Jean Reno

Release Date: June 12, 2020

Genres: Drama, War

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images and pervasive language

Runtime: 2h 35min

Review:

Da 5 Bloods is a film that has a lot on its mind.  Spike Lee foregoes subtly and delivers a timely but decidedly didactic treaty on race which feels incredibly timely given the current state of the world.   Lee’s visuals here are impressively aggressive throughout with aspect ratios changing based on time periods and news reel footage interspaced to highlight film some of his points.  The story itself feels like a something for the late 70s or 80s Vietnam films which is clearly intentional.  The cast is stellar across the board with Delroy Lindo delivering some of his best work in his storied career.  It’s always great to see The Wire alums get a spotlight and both Clarke Peter and Isiah Whitlock Jr. both deliver excellent work here.  Those expecting Chadwick Boseman to be a major part of the film will likely walk away disappointed since his character gets limited screen time even though he’s one of the driving forces in the story.  While the basic plot is fairly basic, Lee uses multiple techniques to keep the story engaging but its hard not to notice that there could have been some cuts here or there to make the film tighter.  As is, the film moves at a snail’s pace working better as a series of character studies and history lesson. 

B-