MOVIE REVIEW: SILENT NIGHT

On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in crossfire between warring gangs. Recovering from a wound that cost him his voice, he soon embarks on a bloody and grueling quest to punish those responsible.

Director: John Woo

Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, Catalina Sandino Moreno

Release Date: December 1, 2023

Genre: Action

Rated R for strong bloody violence, drug use and some language.

Runtime: 1h 44m

John Woo's return to American cinema, Silent Night, is a ridiculously scripted B movie that's more fun than it should be thanks to his signature style of action and Joel Kinnaman's engaging central performance.  The dialogue free gimmick is an interesting approach and it does manage to give the film a certain kind of rhythm that works in the film's favor.  Woo is surprisingly restrained especially during the film's opening act which sets up Joel Kinnaman's character and his mental state.  It would have been easy to jump right into the action from the get go but Woo does an admirable job of setting up the emotional stakes with these opening sequences.  That's not to say the story is deeply layered or original because its not.  It stretches credibility on multiple occasions especially since it expects the audience to believe the main character can become an expert in driving, shooting, fighting and surveillance in a span of six months in order to battle hood gangsters straight from central casting.  The sole reason this works at all is due to an impressive and incredibly committed performance from Joel Kinnaman.  His performance drives the film as he proves he's more than up to the challenge of working sans dialogue.  Kinnaman is able to transmit a massive amount of internal emotions through his facial expressions.  It makes for a fascinating turn as he lets us into the character's tortured psyche which is driven solely by loss and vengeance, so much so that you could make the case that this is the best Punisher movie sans the branding.  All and all, Silent Night works better than it should thanks to Woo's energetic action and Kinnaman's engaging performance that makes it far more watchable that the script deserves.   

C+

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 Review of Run all Night

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for the latest in a seemingly-endless series of "Liam Neeson Kicks Butt" movies, Run all Night.

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

Well, dear reader(s), I have to be honest with you: with two major new releases on the weekend's docket, this was meant to be a double review. Yes, I love you all enough that I was going to force myself to see that damn princess movie.

However, when I got to the theatre and found it crawling with little girls--all of whom were queuing up to have their ideas of life and romance irreparably warped by some fool in a glass shoe--I had to dodge and go with a fourth screening of Kingsman: The Secret Service instead. It was the only responsible thing to do.

Liam Neeson...yadda yadda yadda...family in danger...yadda yadda yadda...guns, explosions, carnage...yadda yadda yadda...my hero!...yadda yadda yadda...the end.

Look, this is one of those movies where I have little sympathy for anyone who sees it and doesn't like it. It couldn't possibly be more exactly what you'd expect, so shame on you if you buy a ticket and then complain about it. Neeson is once again in fine butt-kicking form, perhaps a little rougher around the edges than in some of his other, similar films, but no less convincing as the guy you want to be hanging around with when there's trouble...ANY sort of trouble.

Joel Kinnaman does a terrific job as the neglected son, dragged into the very chaos he's worked his whole life to avoid, and Ed Harris is, of course, great as that guy you'd really be rooting for if only the movie weren't expressly designed to make you root for that other guy. Harris undoubtedly could pull off something like this in his sleep, but it sure is fun watching him.

The movie itself is a bit more grim than some others of its ilk. Not suggesting for a minute that the Taken movies and Non-Stop and A Walk Among the Tombstones are a barrel of laughs, but this one has virtually no lighter moments, and the few it attempts are so crass and abrasive that they don't do much to lift the tone.

The movie is set at Christmastime, and the omnipresent Christmas decorations are a stark contrast to the film's miserable atmosphere. The timing did leave me curious about a thunderstorm towards the beginning of the movie and the coloring trees at the end, though. In New York, in December?

Like the famous ghosts, I think Liam did this all in one night. We really shouldn't have experienced changing seasons, but I guess it's hardly the sort of movie where I'd expect perfect attention to detail. On a personal note, I was delighted to see Bruce McGill (a favorite in our house), Common, and the many, many New York Rangers references scattered about the movie.

Run All Night clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language including sexual references, and some drug use."

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but if you like watching Liam Neeson kick ass (and who doesn't?) you should be decently entertained. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Run All Night gets five.

And sorry about the princess.

Until next time...

(not my graphic)

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Robocop & Winter's Tale

Dearest Blog, yesterday I braved the Valentines' weekend crowds for Robocop and Winter's Tale.

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

First on the agenda was MY Valentine, Gary Oldman, in Robocop.

A critically-injured Detroit police officer is saved by technology...but at what cost?

Dear Blog, I must confess I don't have the same reverence for the original Robocop as many folks do. I like it well enough, but it's nothing special to me. Though I generally avoid press 'til I've written my own review, I have seen some reviews for this remake because they popped up in my daily Gary Oldman Alerts...not that I have daily Gary Oldman Alerts, mind you. Many folks who DO revere the original seemed unable to hate the remake as much as they expected to, so I took that as a good sign.

Due to the filmmakers' determination to hold onto a PG13 rating, the Robocop remake is less brutal than its predecessor. There are explosions and shootouts a plenty, but also very human moments. I haven't seen Joel Kinnaman in too much before, but I always thought he deserved an Emmy for The Killing, and I was interested to see him as a big-screen lead. He does a terrific job of keeping the lead character sympathetic, even when his behavior is more Robo than Cop. While I needn't mention that the best thing about the movie is Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton and Jackie Earle Haley are both better than they needed to be as well. I was also delighted to see two of my TV faves: Boardwalk Empire's Michael Kenneth Williams and Dexter's Aimee Garcia.

So, dear readers, how much would YOU sacrifice in the interest of your safety? Like the original, the Robocop reboot hits you over the head a bit with its social commentary, but, for my money, if it gets credit for any socially-relevant achievement, it'll be introducing a whole new generation to the awesome 70s jam Hocus Pocus! The movie has solid effects, and there's no denying the new Batman...er...Robocop suit looks pretty slick. The action is fast-paced, and a super cast helps make up for any other shortcomings.

Robocop clocks in at a very reasonable 108 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of action violence including frenetic gun violence throughout, brief strong language, sensuality, and some drug material."

Robocop is the remake the world deserves, but not the one it needs right now. (See what I did there?) Of a possible nine Weasleys, Robocop gets six and a half.

Next on my agenda was the maligned Valentines' Day love story Winter's Tale.

A man awakes in present-day New York City with no idea who he is, but soon discovers the connection between past and present.

I haven't read any reviews of Winter's Tale, but I'm told they're brutal, like 13% at Rotten Tomatoes brutal. As the sappy romance is front and center in the trailers, I was fully prepared to hate the movie, but I just couldn't. I didn't precisely love it, either, but 13%?? Harsh.

Winter's Tale is too schizophrenic to be the movie anybody wants or expects. An uneasy marriage of time travel, the Bible, and the most vomit-inducing love story ever, Winter's Tale is too schmaltzy a romance for fantasy fans, and too fantastic for folks looking for a simple love story. The movie never manages to find a comfortable balance between romantic tearjerker and fantasy epic, then it further muddies the water with a shot of morality tale.

If the movie is so-so, Colin Farrell, in the lead, is not. Farrell is a heaping helping of phenomenal actor with a double side of devastatingly handsome, and he salvaged the movie even when it bored me a little. Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay is charming as Farrell's lost love, and Russell Crowe remains immeasurably good, always.

My screening of Winter's Tale was fairly crowded, and it sounded like pretty much all the women were crying and all the men were sleeping. No matter what I write here or what you read elsewhere, that's probably as fair an assessment of the movie as you're going to find.

Winter's Tale runs 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and some sensuality."

In the end, I thought Winter's Tale was a better Cloud Atlas than Cloud Atlas. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Winter's Tale gets five.

Until next time...

[Trailer] RoboCop

The first trailer for Jose Padilha's upcoming RoboCop remake is out and it gives us plenty to chew on in terms of visuals and tone.

Personally, I think this one feels just like the insipid and soulless Total Recall remake from last year...