MOVIE REVIEW: TRANSFORMERS ONE

 

Brothers-in-arms Orion Pax and D-16 become sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Director: Josh Cooley

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne,  Jon Hamm

Release Date: September 20, 2024

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

Rated PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.

Runtime: 1h 44m

Review:

Transformers One is a rather impressive revitalization of the franchise by bringing it back to the animated realm on the big screen and smartly putting the focus back on the bots.  Josh Cooley's film possesses an engaging energy from start to finish as we follow the tragic journey of our central pair.  The animation is vibrant with each frame pulsating with life as he gives Cybertron an updated look that is still familiar enough to satisfy longtime fans but fresh enough to attract new fans as well.  It’s a tightrope he manages to traverse for the majority of the film's runtime with plenty of Easter eggs scattered throughout while still managing to tell a solid story.  It’s fun and light for a large portion of the first half before the story shifts thematically as we see Pax and D-16's worldviews diverge in starkly different ways.  Even though you know where the story is going, the script handles it so well that it makes sense in an organic way that leaves far more shades of grey on both sides.  There's a tangible amount of nuance at play as the whole thing unfolds which gives it far more emotional impact than you'd expect from this franchise.  There's plenty of heart baked into the script but strong vocal performances from Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry make it all click.  Hemsworth is appropriately youthful, curious and heroic as the pre Prime Orion Pax.  He and Brian Tyree Henry share solid chemistry together which makes their brotherly relationship work especially with D-16 serving as a solid counter point to Pax's wide eyed optimism.  Henry does subtle vocal work as he establishes his character as a true believer who ultimately has the rug pulled out from under him.  Their dynamic together is subtly drawn even as the lighter action adventure portion of the film dominates the first two acts before the ultimate payoff.  Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key are solid but a bit underserved by the script in supporting roles.  Johansson's Elita is the kind of strong willed, fearless character she could play in her sleep.  There's a definite sense that there was a lot more to the character than what we're given but she's definitely got plenty of room to grow in future installments.  Keegan-Michael Key is fun in spots as the motor mouth comedic relief in the form of Bumblebee but there are moments where his take on the character boarders on grating as its clearly aimed at the younger members of the audience.  Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne round out the supporting cast with each doing well in limited screen especially Hamm who's perfectly suited to the traitorous Sentinel Prime.  Once it's all said and done, Transformers One proves to be one of the more pleasant surprises especially for an unabashed die hard fan like myself.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: TOP GUN: MAVERICK

 

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Tom Cruise; Miles Teller; Jennifer Connelly; Jon Hamm; Glen Powell; Lewis Pullman; Ed Harris; Val Kilmer

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Genre: Action, Drama

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some strong language

Runtime: 2h 11m

Review:

Top Gun: Maverick is the rare decades delayed sequel that somehow manages to recapture the magic of the original while standing on its own merits.  Joseph Kosinski's film works on multiple levels as it echoes classic scenes from the original while allowing his movie star to shine in his iconic performances.  It’s a fascinating bit of alchemy that allows him to bring back that feeling of a 80's blockbuster while delivering some insanely updated aerial acrobatics which may leave some people with a serious sense of vertigo.  The script is lean with a straightforward story that doesn't dig too deep into many of the characters even though it does manage to touch on themes of legacy and age.  Some of the dialogue does come off as stilted and old fashion in spots but it’s easy to forgive. Tom Cruise eases back into his iconic role with such gleeful ease that you can feel his deep affection for the character.  He carries the film with tangible energy that comes through the screen as he leads the newcomers of fresh faced up actors.  Miles Teller and Glen Powell get the biggest spotlights in supporting turns with Powell echoing Kilmer's Iceman throughout.  Kilmer himself gets a surprisingly touching sequence with Cruise that works well within the film and as a tribute to both characters and actors.  It's the type of moment that plenty of revived franchises have attempted but never quite nailed, it's a testament to the cast and crew to pull off such a satisfying sequel.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: RICHARD JEWELL

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, security guard Richard Jewell discovers a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With little time to spare, he helps to evacuate the area until the incendiary device inside the bag explodes. Hailed as a hero who saved lives, Jewell's own life starts to unravel when the FBI names him the prime suspect in the bombing.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Genres: Drama

Rated R for language including some sexual references, and brief bloody images

Runtime: 2h 9min

Review:

Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell is an engaging but flawed filmed even though the performances and direction is strong all around.  Eastwood crafts an engrossing film about the truth life event with Paul Walter Hauser delivering a singular performance.  Hauser gives Jewell a sort of Forrest Gump vibe from the get go even though it’s readily apparent that certain aspects of Jewell’s life reeked of warming signs.  He’s painted as an earnest if somewhat delusional individual who ultimately wanted to do the right thing.  His interplay with Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates really gives the film a spark that gives the understated film life its beating heart.  Unfortunately, the film’s script takes massive liberties with another real life person and their actions.  It’s a glaring misstep that damages the film’s credibility by deciding to go for a clichéd and misogynistic take on the female reporter who is the defacto villain in the film.  It’s a bit puzzlingly that Olivia Wilde would take the role in the first place and then give the character nearly no depth.  Having Jon Hamm do Don Draper with an FBI badge only exasperates how problematic the characterization is.  The fact that Clint Eastwood and his screen writer have no issue taking such an antiquated approach really keeps the film from being some truly special if they’d just gone for a more nuanced approach to the story.  As is, it’s a well acted drama that tells the story of a true life event with fictionalized elements.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.

Director: Drew Goddard

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, Chris Hemsworth

Release Date: October 12, 2018

Genres: Mystery , Thriller

Rated R for horror violence, and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 2h 21min

Review:

Bad Times at the El Royale is a solid twisty thriller from Drew Goddard.  You’d be remiss if you didn’t feel some very strong Tarantino vibes throughout mixed together with some Agatha Christie as each individual story plays out.  The film is stylish and engrossing even if the ultimate payoff is bit of a letdown.  Goddard cast is made up of strong performers and a bevy of recognizable faces but Broadway star Cynthia Erivo really leaves an impressive mark.  Jeff Bridges centers the whole thing with a tangible sense of heart with healthy shades of grey.  Jon Hamm does solid work in a limited role and the film is lesser for taking him off the board as early as it does.  A perpetually shirtless Chris Hemsworth is clearly having a blast hamming it up as the cult leader that brings all the plot threads together.  For all the strong performances and stories, you d start to get the sense that Drew Goddard fell in love with his own creation as the film starts to meander towards the end.  There’s really no reason for the film to be nearly 2 and half hours and the film suffers since this type of pulpy fare is best in short doses.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: TAG

One month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running for a no-holds-barred game of tag -- risking their necks, their jobs and their relationships to take one another down. This time, the game coincides with the wedding of the only undefeated player. What should be an easy target soon becomes an all-out war as he knows they're coming to get him. 

Director: Jeff Tomsic 

Cast: Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb

Release Date: June 15, 2018

 

Rated R for language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use and brief nudity 

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min. 

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Tag is one of those goofy comedies that shouldn’t work because of the flimsy premise but it succeeds more often than not.  Jeff Tomsic creates a fun little film that moves along at a steady pace with the “tag” sequences standing out for ingenuity.  The film’s biggest asset is it’s collection of stars.  They all share good comedic timing and chemistry together.  The jokes go off in fairly rapid fire manner with the movie never lingering too much on anything to avoid stagnation.  Its breezy style makes it easier to overlook some of the horrible things these friends do to each other.  Still it makes for a funny movie that’s got a beating heart underneath it’s crude exterior.  There are a few dead spots here and there but nothing damning even though they could have used female members of the cast a bit more.  Same complaints aside, Tag is a surprisingly funny film that doesn’t disappoint. 

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Tag & Incredibles 2

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a promising double-bill of Tag and Incredibles 2.

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

First on my agenda, Tag.

A group of friends continues a game of tag from their high-school days three decades (and counting) into their adult lives.

While Tag's story is "inspired by actual events" rather than "based on a true story," it seems a great deal of it skates hilariously (or alarmingly) close to the truth. Based on a a group of friends from Spokane, Washington, who really have been playing the same game of tag for over 30 years, some of the picture's most outlandish tags are the ones that really happened.

Tag is a comedy, but it's more amusing than laugh-out-loud hilarious. The likable cast includes Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm, yet I found the characters--at best--bland, and--at worst--pretty lousy people, which made it hard to enjoy their exploits. In fact, as I exited the theater, the first thing I did was jump online to check the IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes scores to see if the movie had left anyone else as flat as it had left me. (At this writing, it's got a 7.1 on IMDB and 56% on RT, so I guess it has.) The story is fascinating, and a few cool tunes pop up, but with such a terrific cast it's hard to think it shouldn't be better than it is.

Tag clocks in at 100 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use, and brief nudity."

It's good for a few summer afternoon laughs and an eyeful of Jeremy Renner, but otherwise Tag is most definitely not "it." 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Tag gets five and a half.

Next up: the long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2.

In an effort to have the superhero ban lifted, Elastigirl is tapped for some high-profile missions while Mr. Incredible keeps the home fires burning.

Incredibles 2 is a sequel that is well worth the 14-year wait. The characters haven't aged onscreen, but they've aged very well in popular culture, with the stay-at-home-dad angle being a nice touch for 2018. The film's action sequences are exciting and well-choreographed, with nary a one dragging on too long. (Are you paying attention, Avengers?) Incredibles 2 features bright, crisp animation, top-notch voice talent, charming characters, and clever laughs. There's an awful little short called "Bao" that runs before the movie, so, unless you really love the pre-show or you want to grab a favorite seat, give yourself an extra five minutes to get to the theater.

Incredibles 2 runs 118 minutes and is rated PG for "action sequences and some brief, mild language." 

Be advised there is one scene featuring a strobe-light effect that may adversely affect some viewers.

Incredibles 2 is a fantastic family film that (at least on first viewing) seems even better than the original. Only time will tell if it ages as well. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Incredibles 2 gets nine.

MOVIE REVIEW: BABY DRIVER

A partially deaf getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) gets caught up in a botched heist in this action comedy from writer/director Edgar Wright (Edgar Wright, Edgar Wright). Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm, and Sky Ferreira co-star. ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: Edgar Wright

Cast: Jon Bernthal, Kevin Spacey, Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx

Release Date: Jun 28, 2017

Runtime: 1 hr. 53 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

Edgar Wright’s latest film, Baby Driver, is another strong entry into his catalogue.  He delivers a musical infused crime thriller that’s innovative even though the basic plot is well worn.  The film has an impressive rhythm from the opening car chase.  The impressively choreographed stunt driving is some of the best I’ve seen in a years.  It’s a testament to practical stunts that you feel every collision and rumble during any of the sequences.  The car chases are far better than any of the CGI infused trickery in another large car franchise.  The characters themselves are fun and interesting even if they never feel like actual people.  Ansel Elgort makes a fine lead, supplying the character with a healthy amount of innocence and charm though he’s outshined by the supporting characters.  Kevin Spacey, John Hamm and Jamie Foxx all deliver fun performances.  Spacey is totally in his element as the boss and Hamm and Foxx make for great villains at different points in the film.  Foxx is at full level crazy as the most despicable member of the crew.  Hamm’s role is tailor suited to his talents of being charming while looking like he’s suffering from a lifelong hangover.  Lily James makes for a cute love interest but doesn’t really register when compared to the rest of the cast.  Still, Baby Driver is one of the most fun films you’ll watch this year.

A- 

Cindy Prascik's Review of Baby Driver

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for one of my most highly anticipated titles of 2017, Edgar Wright's Baby Driver.

 

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

 

To repay an old debt, a young man is forced to use his extraordinary skills in service of a criminal mastermind.

 

Dear reader(s), in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I'll confess my firm conviction that Edgar Wright makes perfect movies, all the time. As writer or director, and especially as writer and director, the guy is a visionary. I keep an open enough mind that pretty much anything can surprise me (pleasantly or unpleasantly), but honor demands I admit there was very little chance I wouldn't love Baby Driver. That's the Cliff's Notes. Now, onto the meat and potatoes...

 

Edgar Wright's love and respect for music lend his films unparalleled attention to detail where it is concerned. Each and every song is selected, each and every note perfectly placed, to underline, energize, advance, or complete its moment, event, or scene. While that's the case with all of Wright's efforts, Baby Driver willfully and overtly makes music its star, the sun around which all the other moving pieces revolve. If you love music, you will feel this film from the roots of your hair to the soles of your shoes. That's not to say the picture's "other" stars are lightweights. Decorated names such as Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx have ample opportunity to shine brightly in Baby Driver's galaxy. "It" girl Lily James charms her way through the movie like an old pro, and Ansel Elgort is a delight in what's sure to be a star-making turn.

 

Baby Driver is an action film, filled with thrilling chase scenes and beautifully choreographed stunt driving. Baby Driver is a comedy, its humor blooming organically from genuine performances and crazy scenarios. Baby Driver is a drama, boasting sincere moments among layered, engaging characters. Baby Driver is extraordinary filmmaking from an extraordinary filmmaker, everything you could want from a movie and more.

 

Baby Driver clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated R for violence and language.

Baby Driver is a beautiful, clever, unique cinema experience that should shut up the "Hollywood is out of ideas" crowd for at least the weekend. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, I am pleased and unsurprised to give Baby Driver all nine.

 

Fangirl points: OHMYGOSH YOU GUYS THERE'S A DAMNED SONG IN THIS MOVIE!

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES

An ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher) discover that their hospitable new neighbors (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot) are actually government spies. Soon, all four of them are caught up in an international espionage imbroglio. Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) directed this action comedy. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director:Greg Mottola 

Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Gal Gadot, Matt Walsh

Release Date: Oct 21, 2016

Rated PG-13 for

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Keeping up with the Jones is a fun little comedy.  As a spy movie satire it’ll never live to last year’s Spy or even Mr. & Ms. Smith which it borrows heavily from as well.  Still, it’s light and breezy direction by Greg Mottola makes for an enjoyable if inconsequential comedy.  Its biggest strength is its cast.  The foursome of Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher & Gal Gadot are likeable throughout with each shining at one point or another. The plot in of itself is thread bare with nary a surprise in sight.  This oversight does leave the film lingering past its expiration point.  It’s a shame because with a slightly better script and plot this could have been something special. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Self/Less & Minions

Dearest Blog, today the sun came out in the Ohio Valley, so I escaped to the cold darkness of the cinema. On the docket: Self/Less and Minions.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing the trailers haven't already given away.

First up: Self/less.

A wealthy, terminally-ill man (Ben Kingsley) undergoes a secret, controversial procedure to transfer his consciousness into a healthy young body (Ryan Reynolds).

Well, dear reader(s), if you've done any Internetting since yesterday, you've probably already seen Self/less bashed every which way from Sunday, called a flop, and held aloft as further proof that Ryan Reynolds just doesn't put butts in the seats. None of that is probably far off the mark, but it's perhaps more harsh than the movie--and Reynolds--deserve.

The basic premise of Self/less--the idea of putting our minds, our personalities, our "souls" (if you believe in such things) into another vessel when our existing ones expire--is not revolutionary, and the movie's means of tackling it is neither new nor special. It feels ho-hum from the outset, and things don't exactly pick up quickly. Laying the groundwork takes a good 45 minutes. Once the film gets moving, the tension is solid and there are a couple decent twists.

The writing is a bit awkward, and any foreshadowing is so obvious they might as well have run a crawl across the bottom: "Pay attention! This will be important later!" Most performances are wooden at best, though Reynolds is as earnest as always. For my part, I think he does the best he can with the material. Matthew Goode is also okay, but there's just not much to work with. Surprisingly, I was never really bored, but I couldn't fairly call it a good movie, either.

Self/less runs 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence, some sexuality, and language."

Self/less probably isn't *quite* as bad as you've heard, but please don't mistake that for a ringing endorsement.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Self/less gets four and a half.

Next on the agenda, Minions.

Bet you didn't even know you needed an "origins" story for Despicable Me's lovable little yellow fellows, did ya?

B.G. (Before Gru), the Minions do time with other super-villains.

The Minions are my favorite part of the Despicable Me movies, but even I wondered if their gibberish routine wouldn't wear thin over a full 90 minutes of it. The good news: Minions are still a lot of fun.

The bad news: the story is paper thin and barely holds up for even such a short movie. The voice talent features big names like Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Alison Janney, and Michael Keaton, but nobody is all that interesting. There are a few good laughs, and, for the older fan, some tips of the hat to the time period in which the film is set (including some terrific tunes), but mostly I was fidgeting in my seat and checking the clock.

Minions clocks in at 91 minutes and is rated PG for action and mild rude humor.

Minions are still pretty lovable, but your money would be better spent on a cute, plush Kevin, Bob, or Stuart than on a ticket to this movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Minions gets three.

Until next time...

Banana!

MOVIE REVIEWS: THE TOWN

ON DVD

THE TOWN



Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Ben Affleck

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively.

Release Date: Sep 17, 2010

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Ben Affleck’s sophomore directorial effort is a dirty gritty heist drama that’s always interesting even if the story feels predictable. Affleck has an undeniable talent to capture the feel of the area and the people who live there. Even if the plot is a bit far fetched Affleck keeps the film grounded with characters that feel lived in and world weary. In the lead role, Affleck turns in his best work in years allowing the audience to feel the character conflicted nature. While Affleck is impressively strong, Jeremy Renner is absolutely stellar in a supporting role. Renner almost disappears into his character, creating a character that’s menacing and unpredictable. Jon Hamm also delivers strong work as the pressing FBI agent. Blake Lively is appropriately grimy but her performance occasionally feels forced. Faring worse is Rebecca Hall who just seems to blend in with the scenery never making much of an impression. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small but important roles, they both perform well and make you wish they’d been given a bit more screen time since the characters are so intriguing. The film ends with a pulse pounding bang with a massive action set piece that’s a perfect bloody send off for a well crafted and acted film.

B+