MOVIE REVIEW: AFRAID

 

Curtis and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new device, a digital assistant called AIA, that takes smart homes to the next level. As AIA begins to learn everyone's behavior and anticipate their needs, it soon makes sure nothing and no one gets in the family's way.

Director: Chris Weitz

Cast: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, David Dastmalchian, Keith Carradine, Lukita Maxwell, Wyatt Lindner Isaac Bae

Release Date: August 30, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for sexual material, some strong violence, some strong language, and thematic material.

Runtime: 1h 25m

Review:

AfrAId has a capable director and solid cast but it’s so incredibly generic, predictable and silly that you might wonder if this movie about AI was actually written by AI.  Chris Weitz's film has a breezy pace that takes very little time establishing the premise and characters before moving to the main plot.  The pacing benefits the film since it moves at such a breakneck speed you barely have time to register how increasingly silly the whole thing is.  Every hot topic headline story seems to be integrated into the plot from the dangers of AI, deep fake porn and swatting.  There's plenty of room for discussion on all these topics but here they are all treated in the most ham-fisted, generic manner that the dialogue becomes unintentionally funny as the film goes on.  The cast is earnest enough to keep the whole thing from going entirely off the rails.  John Cho and Katherine Waterston play straight from start to finish and you have to appreciate their dedication because they clearly think they are in a much better movie.  Cho is steady and believably leery of the whole set up while Waterson does her best with the underappreciated wife/mother role.  They both display some real talent to keep these thinly written characters even mildly interesting.  Their characters’ kids don't fare quiet as well with Lukita Maxwell, Wyatt Lindner and Isaac Bae doing what they can with equally underwritten roles.  David Dastmalchian and Keith Carradine have small supporting roles which honestly could have been played by anyone as the film never utilizes their talents at all.  Making matters worse is the fact that AfrAId is supposed to be a horror film but there's very little to be found throughout with the unintentionally comedy serving as the most memorable part of the whole thing.

D+

MOVIE REVIEW: SEARCHING

 

David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter Margot disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place that no one else has -- Margot's laptop. Hoping to trace her digital footprints, David contacts her friends and looks at photos and videos for any possible clues to her whereabouts.

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Cast: John Cho, Michelle La, Debra Messing

Release Date: August 24, 2018

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Review:

Searching is the type of film that’s based off a gimmick.  It’s not the first film to occur entirely on a computer screen but it’s one of the best.  First time director Aneesh Chaganty unfurls and impressively crafted mystery that’s entirely engrossing.  It’s hard to watch the film and not appreciate the effort and planning involved to create such a detailed and layered story using only computer screens.  John Cho is the heart of the film with his performance being the life blood that drives the entire endeavor.  Cho delivers a subtle measured performance that works perfectly for his character.  There’s an air of authenticity to his turn that grounds the film and helps you forget the gimmick quickly.  Debra Messing and Michelle La are both solid in supporting roles.  Messing is a tad robotic for my taste but it’s a small issue once the twist and turns really start unwinding in the film’s final act.  Searching is the type of film that is impressive on multiple levels and announces the arrival of Aneesh Chaganty as a fascinating director.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: STAR TREK BEYOND

Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise encounter an alien warrior race when marooned on a distant planet after the destruction of their spaceship in this thrilling sequel directed by Fast & Furious director Justin Lin. ~ Violet LeVoit, Rovi

Director: Justin Lin

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho

Release Date: Jul 22, 2016

Rated PG-13 Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 2 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Star Trek Beyond feels like an extended episode of the non existent rebooted series and not a particularly good one.  That’s not to say it isn’t a fun film because it’s an enjoyable lightweight romp which comes and goes with little of consequence really happening.  Justin Lin’s direction is action heavy as expected with lots of big set pieces which are fun and well choreographed.  The biggest asset of the rebooted series has always been the cast and the best thing Beyond does is it gives each of them their time to shine.  Clearly most of the actors have settled into their roles.  Karl Urban has always been a personal favorite of mine as McCoy and here he’s given a much larger role which is to the film’s benefit.  Pine and Quinto are solid as Kirk and Spock with their personal story lines feeling well thought out and meaningful.  Sadly, the overall story is fairly weak even though there’s some nice fan service written into the script, an NX class ship! yelled those few Enterprise fans, but ultimately it’s a waste of Idris Elba as the villain.  Elba is a fine actor wasted underneath a ton of make up and a thinly written character which is really a massive shame.  As is Star Trek Beyond is a mindlessly fun film but one that isn’t terribly deep or meaningful like some of the Trek films in the past.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Star Trek Beyond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Today it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Star Trek Beyond. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. Midway through a five-year mission to deep space, the Enterprise crew is called upon to save the world(s) from a ruthless enemy. While I'm a casual fan of Star Trek in general, I'm positively rabid over the current film franchise, which boasts my favorite cast of any series and movies that I'll happily watch over and over and over again. I am pleased to report that Beyond does not miss a step on the path of excellence set by the first two movies. 

 

First we have the ensemble, for my money, Hollywood's very finest. Every person is ideally suited to his or her role, and consistently turns in sincere, entertaining performances. The more comical tone of the current installment fits co-writer Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, and Karl Urban to a "T," and the picture is not short on laugh-out-loud moments. The sad losses of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin since the previous film cast a bit of a pall over the experience, but that is in no way the movie's fault. Bring the tissues, though. You're gonna need them at least once. Franchise newcomers Sofia Boutella and Idris Elba are both fantastic. 

 

Michael Giacchino's lovely score is the perfect accompaniment to moments both large and small. Nice-looking sets underscore some great big effects, and the Enterprise's first appearance is, as always, a chill-inducing moment. Under director Justin Lin's hand, we get a more action-oriented movie this time out (insert Fast & Furious joke here), so the film does feel a bit more like a plain old action-comedy than any great step forward for the Trek universe, but thanks to an edge-of-your-seat story, genuine, well-written dialogue, and the cast's terrific chemistry, you're never less than fully immersed. 

 

A few small quibbles: the movie's a little too heavy on the jiggly camera work, some scenes are impossibly dark (a by-product of seeing a 3D picture in 2D?), and whatever they were thinking when they cast Idris Elba as a character who doesn't look like Idris Elba, well, it was clearly misguided. Star Trek Beyond clocks in at 120 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi action and violence." A big, fun summer blockbuster that also delivers a great message about the importance of love and friendship, Star Trek Beyond has a lot to love for Trek die-hards, casual fans, and even folks without so much as a passing familiarity with the franchise. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Star Trek Beyond gets eight and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Idris Elba. Did I mention Idris Elba? Because...yeah...Idris Elba. 

 

Until next time...