MOVIE REVIEW: IF

After discovering she can see everyone's imaginary friends, a girl embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Steve Carell

Release Date: May 17, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for thematic elements and mild language.

Runtime: 1h 44m

Review:

John Krasinski’s first foray into family films, IF, has plenty of ideas for its saccharine sweet story but its unfocused nature keeps it from really being something special.  Krasinski's film does have a certain earnestness that's endearing enough to carry the film through some of the film's slower moments.  However, there is a somber undercurrent that pervades the film's narrative as it deals with the trauma of loss and grief which stands in contrast to the candy-colored visuals onscreen.  It works in sections but for a film that's only an hour and forty-four minutes it feels decidedly longer than it actually is because it can't maintain a consistent rhythm.  It’s a shame because you're left feeling there's a better film in there somewhere if Krasinski had focused on the original trauma angle and storyline instead of pivoting to rediscovering your inner child theme in the back half of the film.  Story issues aside he's blessed with a game ensemble cast of Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell and Phoebe Waller-Bridge doing solid work throughout.  Fleming has a likable screen presence throughout which makes her easily relatable as we follow her journey.   Reynolds plays against his usual sarcastic type here playing more of a straight man against the CGI creations that pepper the screen.  Steve Carrell and Phoebe Waller-Bridge carry the lion's share of the voice work as the imaginary friends who get the most screen time with both doing strong work even if their characters could have benefited from some added depth.  Louis Gossett Jr. manages to leave a strong paternal impression with his final screen credit as an elderly teddy bear who sets up a retirement home for forgotten Ifs.  A bevy of other A listers voice cameo as other Ifs which makes for a fun game of whose who as they pop up onscreen.  You can't deny that IF has its heart in the right place and it delivers some emotional punch in spots, but it proves to be more of a middling experience when compared to something like Monsters Inc. which covers some of the same territory.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS

Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission.

Director: Jared Stern

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves

Release Date: July 29, 2022

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action, mild violence, language and rude humor

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

DC League of Super-Pets is the type of family film whose sole purpose to exist could be simply to sell cute plush toys.  While its sure to accomplish that the film itself is a pleasant surprise.  Writer/director Jared Stern's film is breezy, fun and wittier than you'd expected.  The setting borrows from Bruce Timm's classic DC animated shows with its art deco style while the character designs are reminiscent of Pixar's The Incredibles.  Its a visually appealing film that's filled with Easter eggs and visual cues that long time fans of the DC universe will surely enjoy.  The voice cast does excellent work throughout lead by a steady and sincere performance from Dwayne Johnson.  Johnson brings a palpable sense of  earnestness and authenticity that makes the character much more endearing than you'd expect.  Kevin Hart is more of surprise with a measured, funny but thoughtful turn as Ace.  The supporting cast of Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves are all clearly having a ball voicing these characters with Lyonne and Reeve's Batman getting some of the film's best lines.  The story itself plays out like most superhero films only with a furrier facade.  There's plenty to keep kids and adults entertained for the better part of the runtime even though you get the sense it could have been trimmed by 15 or 20 minutes.  Its humor occasionally veers outside of it's kids corner into more adult fare that will likely go over most of the younger kids heads.  As a whole, DC League of Super-Pets is a surprisingly fun animated offshoot that works far better than it should

B

MOVIE REVIEW: A QUIET PLACE PART II

 

Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou

Release Date: May 28, 2021

Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for terror, violence and bloody/disturbing images.

Runtime: 1 h 37 min

Review:

A Quiet Place Part II is a solid if flawed follow up to beloved original.  John Krasinski turns in another impressive directorial effort with this well constructed exercise in a tension building.  The pretense of not seeing the monsters being exhausted in the original leave the door open for more monster action.  Smartly, Krasinski doesn't go totally overboard by forgoing tension for all out action.  The set pieces are impeccably constructed with a smart use of setting and sound to deliver jump scares that feel anything but cheap.  The cast is equally strong with Millicent Simmonds taking a more central role in this entry.  Simmonds displays some impressive acting chops even when she's onscreen with actors like Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy.  Blunt's character takes more of a secondary role here but she still manages to shine in her limited screen time.  Cillian Murphy is appropriately intense even though his character feels terribly underwritten.  Murphy does what he can with the role but the character is simply there to advance the story and little more even though there are nuggets of backstory which are never expanded on.  Djimon Hounsou is just as underused in what amounts to a throw away role, written with little to no depth.  Ultimately, the script is this sequels biggest drawback by delivering thinly written supporting characters and character who simply do incredibly stupid things for no good reason.  The original benefited from Krasinki's strong direction, excellent central performances and a simple but efficient script with some logical leaps you could overlook.  A Quiet Place Part II works on most of the same levels but the script and story here are far more lacking.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: A QUIET PLACE

A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward

Release Date: April 6, 2018

Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for terror and some bloody images

Runtime: 1h 30min

Review:


A Quiet Place is a well crafted horror film that uses tension and sound as a tool with incredible precision.  John Krasinski shows off some serious directorial chops setting up his premise and scenes during this horror thriller.  Nothing is terribly ground breaking, especially for seasoned horror fans, but every sequence is executed so well that you can’t help but admire the craftsmanship.    Fede Álvarez‎ 2016 film Don’t Breathe recently mined a similar trope but Krasinski adds a splash of Aliens into the mix, adding a layer of visceral terror to his film.  The plot itself is paper thin, were given little to no backstory, and if you think about the overall idea too much it’ll fall apart.  Strong performances from Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds and Emily Blunt make it easier to overlook some of the more glaring plot holes.  While there is a plenty to love about this film it does start to feel like it doesn’t know where to go especially in the final act.  The ultimate solution ends up echoing Mars Attack which is strange but somehow appropriate.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: DETROIT

A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centered around the Algiers Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women. 

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, John Krasinski, Jack Reynor, Jason Mitchell, Hanna Murray

Release Date: Aug 4 2017

Genres: Crime, Drama, History

Rated R for strong violence and pervasive language

Review:

Detroit is a tense, uncomfortable and incredibly timely film.  Kathryn Bigelow’s style of filmmaking is perfectly suited for the story being told.  Bigelow’s immersive style leaves like a fly on the wall during the entire ordeal.  It’s an intense film that’s anchored by a strong ensemble cast.  John Boyega and Will Poulter really shine throughout the film, with some of the films best moments are watching their character’s process and think through situations.  Poulter though is the real surprise here since he’s been mostly a comedic actor.  Poulter provides the character an unsettling detachment and coldness that’s deeply unsettling.  The film loses a little steam after it moves on to the aftermath with the court proceedings and post event stories.  I was personally more interested in what happened to John Boyega’s character but the film chose a different direction.  It’s a small issue on an otherwise strong film that really shines a light on a dark portion of American history.

B+

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...

 

MOVIE REVIEW: 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is an action thriller based on the 2014 non-fiction book written by journalist Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team. The film depicts the harrowing true story of the attack on a CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, which killed four Americans. After the assault begins, a U.S. Special Ops team are sent to the annex to protect those still trapped within the compound. Directed by Michael Bay, the film stars John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, and Pablo Schreiber. ~ Tom Ciampoli, Rovi

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale, Max Martini, Toby Stephens

Release Date: Jan 15, 2016

Rated R for strong combat violence throughout, bloody images, and language.

Runtime: 2 hr. 24 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a surprisingly mature and somewhat restrained effort from bombastic director Michael Bay.  It still has many of the hallmarks of most of Bay’s work but it’s not as garish as it’s been in his most recent films.  Bay doesn’t take any time before he throws the audience into a series of well choreographed action sequences which make up the better part of the films runtime.  The characters don’t get nearly as much time as they deserve to get properly fleshed out and what little characterization there is falls into some well worn clichés.  It’s a shame Bay didn’t spend more time with some of these characters because John Krasinski and James Badge Dale are game with their performances.  You get the feeling that if they had a bit more to work with we might have had something more meaningful.  As it is Bay gives us a solid auctioneer that feels like a modern day Alamo on more than a few occasion.  It’s a tad overlong and some clunky dialogue hampers some of the slower sections.  Even though it’s an imperfect film it still qualifies as one of Michael Bay’s best films in recent memory.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Aloha & San Andreas

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures more because it's what I do on a Saturday than because there was anything I was all that interested in watching. The weekend's offerings: Aloha and San Andreas.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing not previously divulged by the trailers.

First on my middling agenda: Aloha.

A former military hotshot gets a second chance at life and love in Hawaii.

Aloha isn't normally the type of movie I'd watch unless and until it crossed my path for free on cable; however, a super cast made it a better option than the dreadful-looking Tomorrowland to complete my San Andreas double-bill.

Aloha's biggest flaw is that it never really decides what it is. Tangents are many, fully explored ones are few, and things always seem to be happening and people behaving in ways that don't quite make sense. The movie clocks in under two hours; it might have done well to better flesh out a few things. NOT encouraging yet another bloated less-than-epic Hollywood epic, but Aloha feels a bit like a puzzle missing a piece.

The movie makes little use of Hawaii's great natural beauty, though it doesn't willfully try to make the island seem unappealing, either, like the Descendants did. Also in its favor over the Descendants: people in Aloha actually wear real, grownup shoes sometimes. Hooray for socks!!

The aforementioned super cast almost--almost!--manages to compensate for Aloha's other shortcomings. Alec Baldwin and Danny McBride make the most of their limited screen time, and Bill Murray, John Krasinski, and Rachel McAdams are perfect fits in supporting roles.

Bradley Cooper is nothing short of fantastic in the sort of leading man role that's perfect for a guy with his looks, even if he's been both good and lucky enough to break out of that mold for the most part.

Young Jaeden Lieberher is the movie's scene-stealer, precocious, but not annoying. Finally, whatever higher power you believe in, if you don't think Emma Stone represents His/Her/Its finest work, well, then, I just don't know what's wrong with you. She is earnest and beautiful and 150% terrific, and lights up every scene she's in to such a degree that it hurts when she's missing. So, yeah, Aloha is kind of hokey, but in the end I was rooting for almost everyone and I actually liked it.

Aloha runs 105 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some language, including suggestive comments."

Despite its being the second romance forced on me by a pitiful spring film slate, I didn't hate it.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Aloha gets five.

Next up, San Andreas.

Dwayne Johnson is better than you are, and you should make every effort to be in his company when beset by disaster.

Listen, San Andreas is the kind of thing that's normally right up my alley, but a done-to-death idea and effects that looked kinda wonky in the trailer left me ambivalent. I'm pleased to say that, though it may be the most stupidly implausible movie I've ever seen (and remember, I like movies about radioactive spiders and talking dragons), San Andreas is also quite fun.

Truth: San Andreas is dumber than a bag of hair. Lowest-common denominator laughs. Contrived scenarios. Insipid dialogue. Painful "inspirational" shots backed by a comically-swelling score. Had I rolled my eyes just one more time, I'd be looking out the back of my head to write this review.

I'd heard some complaints about the accuracy of the movie's earthquake science, and while I don't doubt those are entirely true, I don't think most folks would have noticed or cared; the bigger problem is that everything else is so ridiculous you can't even buy into the mundane.

The supporting cast ranges from "I love that guy!" (Will Yun Lee) to pretty likeable (Hugo Johnstone-Burt and Art Parkinson) to super annoying (Alexandra Daddario) to "What the hell are you even doing here?" (Paul Giamatti).

I'm sorely disappointed to discover that the beautiful Carla Gugino is an ugly crier. Of course none of that really matters, because the movie belongs to Dwayne Johnson. Despite the fact he doesn't do much smiling or taking off his shirt (the two things he does best, for my money), he remains one of the more engaging leading men working in Hollywood today, and at his side probably isn't the worst place you could be when the world goes to hell. San Andreas is pretty entertaining, and that's mostly thanks to Johnson.

Thankfully, the effects are also better than the trailer would have led you to believe. There's one awful bit of green-screen, but the rest is huge and quite effective. Felt a lot like being on a rollercoaster, and I saw it in 2D; I can only imagine the 3D is utterly vomit inducing, in the best possible way. The movie also does a great job at maintaining tension, a fingernail chewer from start to finish.

San Andreas clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense disaster action and mayhem throughout, and brief strong language" (a single f-bomb that you can see coming a mile out).

It's a disaster alright, but it's a fun one.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, San Andreas gets four.
 
Until next time...

Pretty sure this is a metaphor for something..

Movie Reviews: IT’S COMPLICATED

Friday, January 01, 2010
Movie Reviews: IT’S COMPLICATED
IN THEATERS

IT’S COMPLICATED

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he’s become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s…complicated.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Lake Bell, John Krasinski

Director: Nancy Meyers

Opened December 25, 2009

Runtime: 1 hr. 54 min.

Rated R for sexuality and some drug content

Genres: Romantic Comedy, Comedy

Review:

Remove Streep and Baldwin from It’s Complicated and you have a barely passable sitcom plot and writing. Thankfully writer director Nancy Meyers, who’s got a monopoly on the middle age rom-com market, has these two wonderful talents to prop up what is a surprisingly pedestrian script. Meyer’s direction here is typical of her usual style; everything looks wonderfully affluent and polished so much so that even the messes look clean. The plot and situations are fairly standard fare and there’s nothing is terribly surprising or fresh about it. Handing this script to lesser lead actors and you have a certifiable sleeping pill of a film that would fit nicely in a Lifetime marathon between the marital abuse films. Talents like Streep and Baldwin are held in such high regard because they are able to pull up the ordinary and make it engaging and fun when it has no business being so. Streep is a truly a rare talent and continuing her recent hot streak she shines emitting zany comic energy only occasionally crossing into over the top territory. Matching her move by move is Alec Baldwin. Baldwin’s wonderful comedic timing is in full display here, something he does regularly on TV’s 30 Rock. Baldwin isn’t afraid to go the extra mile for a laugh. He and Streep share some wonderful onscreen chemistry together and they keep the audience engaged through some of the more clichéd portions of the film. Steve Martin is there as a potential love interest but he’s so under utilized, outside of an inspired party scene late in the film, that a smiling cardboard cutout would have been just as effective. John Krasinski supporting role is the only one that has any heft to it and he show’s that his comedic talents aren’t limited to TV. The remainder of the cast is mostly forgettable but they aren’t given anything to work with in the first place. Meyer’s has had much stronger showing as a director and writer, luckily she’s blessed with 2 incredibly strong leads who make this film far more fun than it ever deserved to be.

C