MOVIE REVIEW: MUFASA: THE LION KING

 

Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinies.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Release Date: December 20, 2024

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical

Rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 58m

Review:

Mufasa: The Lion King manages to improve on the 2019 remake on multiple levels, but its uneven pacing and overlong runtime keep it from being truly special.  Academy Award winning director Barry Jenkins delivers a visually impressive film across the board with the technical aspects of the photo realistic imaginary providing a venerable feast for the eyes.  Action set pieces are well constructed and do a strong job of putting the audience in the middle of the chaotic action to great effect.  Through all the technical wizardry Jenkins uses his talent to give his characters a real sense of emotion and depth something that was missing in the hollow 2019 remake.  Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. deliver strong work as the pair of accidental brothers at the center of the story by giving each character a real sense of brotherly connection throughout.  Pierre's deep tenor fits well as the younger version of James Earl Jones Mufasa to reflect his innate nobility and courage paired with youthful naiveite.  Kelvin Harrison Jr. turn as the future Scar, Taka, is measured with an air of undeserved entitlement and cowardness but very little conniving until the later portion of the film as the story reveals the cause of their fractured relationship.  The story stumbles a bit with that reveal since there's plenty of room to play with the concepts of entitlement vs earning your position but instead it falls back on a simple conflict over unrequited love which is underwhelming.  Mads Mikkelsen's provides the voice of Kiros who serves as the menacing villain pursuing the group.  Mikkelsen clearly relishes the villainous role with impressive glee that's highlighted by the song Bye Bye a rather chipper song about murdering another group of lions.  Lin Manuel-Miranda's song are catchy as usual and work well for the most part with Kelvin Harrison Jr. final song, Brother Betrayed, proving to be a highlight.  Unfortunately, there are handful of stumbles along the way with the most egregious being the framing device ramming in unnecessary silly sequences from Seth Rogen's Pumbaa and Billy Eichner's Timon which breaks up the film's flow on multiple occasions.  Those moments could have been excised entirely and it would have made the overlong film a more effective and emotionally impactful experience.  As is, Mufasa: The Lion King brings enough to the table to make it a worthwhile exercise just not quite a special one.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

 

Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA.

Director: James Mangold

Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies, Karen Allen

Release Date: June 30, 2023 

Genre: Action, Adventure

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, language and smoking

Runtime: 2h 34m

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is a perfectly capable send off for the legendary character even though it does feel like a band on their farewell tour playing all the greatest hits.  James Mangold does his best Spielberg by delivering the kind of action set pieces you'd expect in an Indy feature, the extended opening is well done but the de aging technology still looks a bit odd in extended use.  The film rarely drags except for a few spots here and there that could have been cut to make it a more efficient experience.  It’s all enjoyable but like the script it’s all incredibly familiar on multiple levels.  There are bits about age and regret interwoven throughout the story but none of it is particularly revelatory.  The addition of his goddaughter, played with appropriate spunk by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, feels like a redo of the much-maligned character from Crystal Skull, Indy's son Mutt Williams.  Helena Shaw's character veers closer to being a mirror image of Indy and their interplay is fun thanks in large part to the actor’s natural chemistry together.  Harrison Ford puts the fedora back on with general ease which shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.  Ford's general gruffness works well with the character at this point in his life so much so that you sort of wonder if he's even acting or just being himself.  He clearly enjoys being back in the saddle one last time even though the film doesn't cover any new territory.  Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook villainous character are broadly drawn and don't really make for very interesting adversaries.  Mikkelsen, for his part, does what he can with the character but you really get the feeling he was dying for a beefier role.  The same is true of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny as a whole, it ultimately serves as comfort food for long time fans of the character who wanted just one more taste before saying goodbye.    

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: FANTASTIC BEAST: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE

 

Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards and witches. They soon encounter an array of old and new beasts as they clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers.

Director: David Yates

Cast:  Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, Mads Mikkelsen

Release Date: April 15, 2022 

Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action/violence.

Runtime: 2h 22m

Review:

Fantastic Beast: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third entry in this prequel series, is lavishly directed and filled with strong turns from its string of A list stars.  None of which should come as a surprise, what is surprising is how this series made a sharp turn into more adult themes and tones.  David Yates, a veteran of the Potterverse, delivers another well crafted entry into the overall series.  His direction is methodical, allowing you appreciate the craftmanship of the production from the sets to wardrobe which makes the world feel real and lived in.  The action set pieces are impressively staged with the dinner escape sequence being a highlight in the film while a particularly gory sequence in a prison is likely to give some kids nightmares crabwalks aside.  The cast is equally committed with each member of the ensemble getting a moment to shine.  Eddie Redmayne, who was the original lead of the series, takes more a secondary role here as the focus shifts to Jude Law's Dumbledore.  Redmayne still manages to make to the most of his screen time especially when paired with his onscreen brother Callum Turner.  Jude Law gets a bigger spotlight here and his take on the character is thoughtful and measured with only a few fleeting moments early on really letting us in.  Mads Mikkelsen, who takes over for Johnny Depp, delivers a strong more menacing turn as the central villain. Mikkelsen can play these type of characters in his sleep so he's hardly flexing but that doesn't mean he's any less fun to watch.  Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler and Jessica Williams are the film's secret weapons by stealing every scene their in and infusing some life in a mostly dour affair.  There in lies the issue with the film, its a decidedly grim affair for the better part of its overlong runtime.  Additionally, this entry is steeped in mythology which might make it inaccessible to the casual fans.  Fantastic Beast: The Secrets of Dumbledore offers plenty to like and appreciate even if the story feels bloated and incomplete by design.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: CHAOS WALKING

 

In Prentisstown, Todd has been brought up to believe that the Spackle released a germ that killed all the women and unleashed Noise on the remaining men. After discovering a patch of silence out in the swamp, his surrogate parents immediately tell him that he has to run, leaving him with only a map of New World, a message, and many unanswered questions. He soon discovers the source of the silence: a girl, named Viola.

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, Mads Mikkelsen, Demián Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Jonas, David Oyelowo

Release Date: March 5, 2021

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi 

Rated PG-13 for violence and language 

Runtime: 1 h 49 min

Review:

Chaos Walking is a prime example of an enjoyable film that still feels like a missed opportunity.  Doug Liman's troubled production, originally filmed in 2017 and pushed back multiple times, is a visually appealing hybrid of a couple of genres.  There's the standard dystopian base mixed with a western, paired with some lovely pacific northwestern vistas which gives the film a distinctive look.  Linman tries his best to keep you from noticing the clichés that make up the skeleton of the plot while using some impressive effects to visualizes the film's primary conceit, the noise.  The "thoughts" are visualized as personalized auras or projections occasionally which keeps the proceedings from lagging even in slower moments.  The cast does the best they can with the script which seems interested in larger themes like sexual politics and zealotry but never delves into any of them with any serious depth.  Daisy Ridley's female character is the kicking off point of the entire story but her character feels painfully underwritten, as such she's relegating to reacting to situations and not much else.  Tom Holland's character fares better mainly due to his general boyish likeability which works so well for as Spiderman.  Holland's interactions with Ridley are the lifeblood of the film and makes markedly more watchable than it deserves to be.  Sadly, there is a bevy of a excellent actors who are short changed by the script.  Mads Mikkelsen can play passive aggressive villainy in his sleep but the film doesn't really give him much to do outside of looking at people menacingly.  Faring even worse are Demián Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, & David Oyelowo whose character seem much more nuanced and interesting than the script allows them to be.  Ultimately, Chaos Walking is a forgettable miss that could have been so much more.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

This prequel to the very tells the thrilling story of how a ragtag band of freedom fighters -- including a former soldier-turned-prisoner (Felicity Jones), a Rebel Alliance insider (Diego Luna), a Jedi (Donnie Yen), and a sentient robot (voiced by Alan Tudyk) -- worked together to steal the Death Star's secret blueprints. Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jimmy Smits co-star in Rogue One, the first of several Jimmy Smits spin-offs planned after J.J. Abrams' J.J. Abrams reboot. ~ Violet LeVoit, Rovi

Director: Gareth Edwards

Cast :Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen

Release Date: Dec 16, 2016

Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Violence and Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 13 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

It’s probably best to start with a small disclaimer.  I’ve never been a diehard Star Wars fan and watched all of them mainly out of duty.  That’s not to say I don’t like a few of them but I can’t say I really love them with any deep rooted passion.  A fact that was reiterated after watching The Force Awakens last year, a film I liked the first time and instantly disliked after a 2^nd viewing.  The biggest issue with that film was how lazily it played on nostalgia with very little in the way of innovation.  Rogue One thankfully brings some fresh energy to the franchise by opening up the established world and telling a story free of major shackles outside of major events from the first film.  Gareth Edwards delivers a film that offers a fresh perspective with a decidedly more grounded and visceral approach.  At its center is Felicity Jones who plays Jyn Eros with a tormented but heartfelt energy throughout.  She’s a well rounded character which serves the film well.  Diego Luna is a bit more of a cipher as the film only gives passing moments of depth to his character which is a shame since Luna is a talented actor.  Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen and Riz Ahmed all bring a strong sense of heart to the film.  It’s a testament to the film that we meet some of these characters well into the film but form a strong connection with them quickly.  It’s nice to see that Mads Mikkelsen fairs better here than he did in Dr. Strange even if his screen time is much smaller.  Ben Mendelsohn plays a perfect villain even if he leans a bit too much toward the mustache twirling variety.  Darth Vader is used sparingly but when he appears it makes a strong impact, particularly in the third act.  A bit of trimming here and there could have streamlined the film a bit but considering how troubled the production was, it’s a bit of a minor miracle that the film came out as well as it did.  I go even as far as to say it’s probably one of my favorite Star Wars films in general.

A-