MOVIE REVIEW: NOPE

 

Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behaviour.

Director: Jordan Peele

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott

Release Date: July 22, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images.

Runtime: 2h 10m

Review:

Jordan Peele's Nope is a strange sort of concoction that's intriguing on multiple levels for a variety of reasons.  Peele's film is a slow burn sci-fi film which leans heavily on its colorful characters and gorgeous cinematography both of which makes it easier to ignore some of the script's more glaring inadequacies.  The story plays out in two portions with the lead up providing some genuine, albeit fake out, chills while the second borrows heavily from a couple of classic horror films.  Peele pulls off an impressive sleight of hand in the first half leading you to believe you are watching a certain type of genre film before flipping the script even though he provides plenty of clues early on.  This is the type of film that will prove divisive once the reveal occurs especially since there is very little in the way of answers provided.  Peele seems to be making a concerted effort to make his film a discussion piece since multiple facets of it leave it open for endless theorizing and pontification.  On screen, Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and  Brandon Perea make for a fun trio.  Kaluuya is a talented performer who can transmit so much by doing so little, its not a showy turn but its still incredibly dense.  Keke Palmer is lively and fun throughout getting some of the film's funniest lines.  Brandon Perea also get some fun moments as the overly involved Fry's  employee.  Michael Wincott and Steven Yeun both do solid work in underwritten roles that never feel fully realized.  Those looking for a terrifying horror film will likely be left wanting with Nope since its funnier than scary.  Peele's film does play well as a love letter to his cinematic inspirations from a genre he clearly loves.

A-

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+

MOVIE REVIEW: HUSTLERS

Working as a stripper to make ends meet, Destiny's life changes forever when she becomes friends with Ramona -- the club's top money earner. Ramona soon shows Destiny how to finagle her way around the wealthy Wall street clientele who frequent the club. But when the 2008 economic collapse cuts into their profits, the gals and two other dancers devise a daring scheme to take their lives back.

Director: Lorene Scafaria

Cast: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, Cardi B

Release Date: September 13, 2019

Comedy, Crime, Drama

Rated R for pervasive sexual material, drug content, language and nudity

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Hustlers is a surprisingly engaging film mixed with a strong undercurrent of feminism and female friendship.  Lorene Scafaria has crafted a film that’s funnier than it is dramatic at any point.  You can’t help but feel that there’s probably a deeper story in there somewhere and we only get to know the characters on their most basic levels. Still, it’s entertaining easy flowing film that’s more fun than it deserves to be.  Scafaria keeps the action moving at a steady pace never lingering too much on anything in particular, this makes some of the more superficial aspects of film brush off easier.  Constance Wu carries the film with ease while showing off a hefty bit of range as she goes all in with her character.  Her character isn’t the showiest role in the film but it’s the heart and soul of the film.  Jennifer Lopez does solid work here even though you get the distinct feeling that she’s just playing a version of her own personality in real life with a stronger tan.  Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart are fun in supporting roles, unfortunately Julia Stiles is sadly underused.  Hustlers is the kind of crime dramedy just fun even if it’s not particularly deep.  

B