Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Wind River & Goon: Last of the Enforcers

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Thanks to an extra-long holiday weekend, yesterday I was able to enjoy a Fantastic Friday Double-Feature.

 

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

 

First on my agenda, a visit to Marquee Cinemas to see early awards hopeful Wind River.

 

When a young woman's body is discovered on a Native American Reservation, an FBI agent recruits the local game tracker to assist in the investigation.

 

Wind River is a somber, inspired-by-true-events tale that sheds some light on a violent reality faced by Native American women, a sad reality-check sold as a movie thriller. The picture is suspenseful and intense, with quiet power underscored by majestic winter scenery. A perfect cast is headed by Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, supported by Graham Greene, Julia Jones, The Magnificent 7's Martin Sensmeier, and Gil Birmingham in what may be my favorite performance of the year so far. 

 

There is a profound moment between two grieving fathers that, with zero showboating, is the best thing I've seen at the movies in 2017. (And I spend a lot of moments at the movies, so that's saying something.) Wind River's only fault is that that most of Jeremy Renner is mostly covered by a snowsuit for most of the time. It's worse than when whoever dresses the Avengers decided it was a good idea to put sleeves on Hawkeye. Hrmph.

 

Wind River runs 107 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, rape, disturbing images, and language."

 

Wind River is a smart, moving film that will be on your mind long after you leave the cinema. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Wind River gets eight and a half.

 

Next on the docket, a home screening of Goon: Last of the Enforcers.

 

Doug "The Thug" Glatt mounts a comeback amidst mounting challenges on and off the ice.

 

Like the first Pirates of the Caribbean and Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the original Goon surprised movie-goers by being much more than they expected, a legitimately solid picture that wasn't just good for a comedy or good for a sports movie or good for what you'd expect from the creative team in question. Incapable of duplicating that element of surprise, even a good sequel naturally feels diminished, but I am pleased to report that Goon: Last of the Enforcers still has a great deal going for it.

 

Getting my petty quibbles out of the way first: Last of the Enforcers is amusing throughout and has moments of hilarity, but the humor is nowhere near as consistent as the original. The movie also goes overboard in its depiction of hockey violence. The best comedy is rooted in reality, and too many liberties are taken here, particularly during the climactic bloodbath. That out of the way, Goon 2 is a funny film that retains all the heart of its predecessor. It's bittersweet catching up with the old crew, several of whom have taken on new roles in the time meant to have passed between pictures. It goes without saying that more Liev Schreiber is always better than less Liev Schreiber, but being a supporting player does nothing to dim his brilliance; his aging tough guy Ross "The Boss" Rhea is again the very best thing about the movie. New characters serve their purpose well enough, but never manage to drum up a fraction of the affection I have for even the most minor players from the first film. Jay Baruchel doubles as director on this outing, so his screen time as Glatt's profanity-spewing best friend is limited, and the brilliant Kim Coates also feels underused. Returning Highlanders, though they probably have no less screen time than the first time 'round, sometimes feel pushed aside for the new guys, but the movie does give each his moment. Perhaps more importantly, it also does a great job of showing how they've grown together as a team. That, coupled with Doug's new life as husband and father-to-be, is really what makes Last of the Enforcers a great sequel that's well worth your movie dollar.

 

Goon: Last of the Enforcers clocks in at 101 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language, crude sexual content, and bloody sports violence."

 

The original Goon was great enough to rob even the best sequel of the element of surprise, but Goon: Last of the Enforcers is a solid comedy with well-played, heartfelt moments that ultimately win the day. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Goon: Last of the Enforcers gets eight.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: GOON

ON DVD & NETFLIX STREAMING

GOON



The sports comedy Goon stars Seann William Scott as Doug Glatt, a slacker from a rich family who discovers he has a knack for hockey brawls. Dragged to a game by his best friend, Doug punches out the visiting team's toughest player when the angered thug rushes into the stands. The home team quickly recruits Doug (even though he can't skate) and encourages him to beat up their opponents. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director: Michael Dowse

Cast: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Marc-André Grondin, Kim Coates, Liev Schreiber

Release Date: Mar 30, 2012

Rated R for brutal violence, non-stop language, some strong sexual content and drug
use

Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Sports films in general have always been a tough sell for me, mainly because they all have to follow very similar trajectories ending in the big game. As a result, I’ve ignored more sports movies than I should have over the past few years. Luckily, I gave Goon a chance and was pleasantly surprised with it. The usual sports plot points are there (underdog team, change in fortunes and the big game) but Goon makes it all so much fun and even infuses some heart in the process. Feeling like a cross between Major League and Forrest Gump, Goon really hooks you in with its comedic side. As a comedy it works just as well as a hockey film. Seann William Scott makes it nearly impossible not to like the Doug’s dim but sincere self. Scott really shows us restraint in how he plays Doug; it would have been very easy to play him as a buffoon, so there’s some texture there. The only real downside is more script related as Doug seems to waver between not very bright to mentally challenged. The supporting cast is made up of fine actors, all doing well in small quirky roles which really give the film life. Marc-André Grondin in particular is interesting as the wonder kid burnout. Liev Schreiber however is incredibly impressive in a small but pivotal role. Schreiber really give his character an authentic look and feel. As a causal hockey fan, his character just felt real in so many ways. As a whole the film’s sports side feels real, credit for that really goes to the director Michael Dowse. One of my other pet peeves about sports movies is that the sports never feel real; in Goon the majority of the hockey is wonderfully staged and done. A fan of the sport will never be taken out of the experience which is so important in my opinion. Goon is very loosely adapted, (he ended up consulting for the NHL’s Bruins for 8 years after his playing days) from Doug Smith Book Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey Into Minor League Hockey.

B+

MOVIE REVIEWS: RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D

IN THEATERS

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D



Experience a new dimension in action horror as director Paul W.S. Anderson uses the 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron and Vincent Pace to take movie lovers on a nightmare thrill-ride. It's been five years since the zombie virus swept across the globe, and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still traveling tirelessly in search of survivors. When the Umbrella Corporation ratchets up the stakes, an old friend turns up to lend Alice a helping hand. Rumor has it that some survivors have found sanctuary in Los Angeles, but when Alice and friends show up they find the city overrun with zombies, and quickly realize they've stumbled into a diabolical trap. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Paul Anderson

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta.

Release Date: Sep 10, 2010

Rated: Sequences of strong violence and language

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

There are plenty of unexplainable events in the world but none boggles the mind more than the Resident Evil franchise. How and why it’s made it to 4 films and why I’m there ever opening weekend. I don’t know, maybe I find Milla Jovovich terribly likable and think she could be a stellar action heroine for this generation. I keep hoping that someday she’ll find the right project and really make something impressive, after The Fifth Element of course. I’ve now sat through Ultraviolet and all these Resident Evil movies, even rewatched the first 3 films of this series, 2nd one gets closest to the actual video game feel. I’ve been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I first played the game back in college and it’s always seem like the type of game that would work impressively well on film. Sadly, Paul W. Anderson was given the keys to the car and never really had much interest in anything, outside of token moments, close to faithfulness. With Anderson at the helm the series we got lots of slowmo and lots of pointlessness. The plot is incredibly pointless, they take care of the hook from the last movie in the first 10 minutes and then just go on about their business. The reason for this film to exist is simply to showcase James Cameron’s 3D tech without the Smurfs. As a tech demo for 3D it’s a massive success. There is no reason to see this movie in 2D because if you do you’ll be left with nothing but a strange feeling of being robbed of time and money. So my answer is spend more money on higher price tickets? Yeah kind of, the only reason to see this movie is to see what an action movie would look in proper 3D. The action sequences are all set up well and Anderson’s overuse of slowmo lets you appreciate the experience. Speaking about anything else like acting or story is pointless as there is nothing else to this movie but 3D action.

D-