MOVIE REVIEW: RED SPARROW

Prima ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a bleak and uncertain future after she suffers an injury that ends her career. She soon turns to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people to use their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after completing the sadistic training process. As she comes to terms with her new abilities, Dominika meets a CIA agent who tries to convince her that he is the only person she can trust.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds

Release Date: March 2, 2018

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity

Runtime: 2h 19 min

Review:

Red Sparrow is a solid if predictable throwback to 80’s cold war spy thrillers like Gorky Park.  Those walking into this film expecting a fast movie action centric spy film will be thoroughly disappointed.  Francis Lawrence film moves at a snails pace with the cast keeping everything interesting even during some of the quieter moments.  The plot plays out in a pretty straightforward fashion so the twist and turns that inevitably occur don’t really surprise or shock that much.  Some of the graphic sequences are uncomfortable but they don’t hit the intended tone.  Thankfully, Jennifer Lawrence carries the film ably even though she’s acting through some impressive bangs an unconvincing Russian accent.  Still, she’s always interesting and engaging.  If this film had cast a lesser actress in the lead the film would have been thoroughly unbearable.  The supporting cast is rounded out with the excellent actors like Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons and Ciaran Hinds.  Sadly, Edgerton and Lawrence don’t really share much chemistry making their relationship feel forced throughout.  Jeremy Irons character could have used a bit more screen time to flesh out his motivations which are sadly passed off in single sequence late in the game.  Red Sparrow isn’t a terrible movie, it just one that feels like it could have been much better.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: RED 2

Frank (Bruce Willis), Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), and Marvin (John Malkovich) fight an unrelenting onslaught of hired killers, heavily armed terrorists, and powerful government officials in their desperate race to prevent a missing portable nuclear device from falling into the wrong hands. Sir Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Lee Byung-hun, and Catherine Zeta Jones co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren

Release Date: Jul 19, 2013

Rated PG-13 for pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material.

Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min.

Review:

I’ll be upfront and say that I enjoyed Red 2 much more than I probably should have. It’s overlong somewhat predictable and incredibly stupid but it delivers the kind of mindless fun I look for occasionally. Dean Parisot direction is far from perfect but he excels with the outlandish action set pieces which are lots of fun. Unfortunately there are plenty of dead spots throughout, the film could have easily been trimmed by a good half hour. By the end of the film even the action pieces start to drag on because the film just seems to go on forever. Still, the cast is clearly enjoying themselves with expanded roles for Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren which I consider a positive. Anthony Hopkins and Lee Byung-hun inject some good energy while Catherine Zeta Jones isn’t nearly as effective as you’d expect. Bruce Willis is on cruise control letting the supporting players do the heavy lifting. Red 2 is a film that’s easy to watch and just as easy to forget.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Red 2 and The Wolverine

Dearest Blog, yesterday I trekked to the cinema to see two highly-anticipated (for me) releases: Red 2 and The Wolverine. If I'm guessing by the number of people with whom I shared the theatres, not everyone anticipated these films quite so highly.

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

First on my agenda was the middle-aged comic-book sequel Red 2.

Ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) has retired (again) to domestic bliss with Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), but the life he thinks he wants is re-interrupted when his crazy old pal Marvin (John Malkovich) drags him back into the world of international espionage.

I tend not to read many reviews before I write my own, but as much as I'm online, I can't help but see headlines. The headlines I saw about Red 2 led me to believe it's worth an eye-roll and no more, in keeping with the first one.

However, I loved Red, and I'm pleased to report I loved the sequel equally well.

Bruce Willis is Bruce Willisey in the lead. This is a compliment. He carries this sort of film about as well as anyone, and the wisecracking tough-guy routine has yet to wear thin with me. Helen Mirren is the coolest Dame on the planet...all the more so when she's armed and dangerous. John Malkovich has his kooky on and is enjoyable as always. Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones kick up the star power of this cast, though I didn't entirely buy either in his/her role. Brian Cox is amusing in another brief appearance, and I was delighted to see David Thewlis. I'll cop to being absolutely fixated on Byung-hun Lee, whom I've only ever previously seen in the G.I. Joe movies, and wishing he had more screen time. I still hate Mary-Louise Parker, FYI.

Plot-wise Red 2 isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. It's action heavy, with the usual not-too-complicated (and somewhat holey) "save the world" storyline. Again, this is a compliment. It does slow down enough in some places that I wished they'd made it a bit shorter, but it's not bad enough to derail enjoyment of the whole.

Red 2 runs 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material."

With its likable, familiar cast and likable, familiar storyline, Red 2 is much like an afternoon passed with good, old friends...except Mary-Louise Parker, who's that one person you don't actually like, but you have to put up with because one of your friends does.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Red 2 gets seven.

Next up was the weekend's big new release, The Wolverine.

A meeting with an old acquaintance draws Logan into a conflict that is more than it seems, and forces him to confront his personal demons.

So...y'all hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, yeah? See, I didn't. I liked it. A lot. I also liked this one. A lot.

Hugh Jackman is one of the more gifted and well-rounded leading men working in Hollywood these days, and it's to his credit he can do things like Wolverine and things like Les Miserables and be credible in both. He sings and dances on the Tonys and the Oscars, and he still embodies the macho superhero perfectly. The bulk of Wolverine's supporting cast is comprised of Asian actors with whom I'm only vaguely, if at all, familiar, but I thought they all did a fine job. I did pause to wonder whether Hollywood ever offers these actors any decent roles that have nothing at all to do with martial arts. I feel sure they've more to offer.

I am not invested in X-Men lore, so I can't comment on how well this film represents the comics, but the story is engaging, with (obviously) a good bit of action. It does run a bit too long (I ought to just copy and paste that line from review to review), and there were times, particularly some of the fight scenes, where I wished they'd just get on with it already.

Scheduling forced me to see this in 3D, and it was worse than useless; there wasn't a single scene where I thought it added anything. For the more shallow among us, Hugh Jackman is looking extremely fit, and there's plenty of gratuitous shirtlessness to be ogled.

The Wolverine clocks in at 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality, and language."

If you were waiting for that perfect superhero movie of the summer, well, you'll still be waiting, but the Wolverine is a solid couple hours of escapism that should please most fans of the genre.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Wolverine gets seven.

So, dear Blog, that closes the book on another Star Trek-less weekend; however, as the next four weekends are giving me 2 Guns, Elysium, MY BELOVED GARY OLDMAN in Paranoia, and The World's End, they should be filled with enough awesomeness to get me through.

Until next time...




Not gonna lie, I gave it six and a half Weasleys, looked at this, and changed it to seven.

Cindy Prascik’s review of Despicable Me 2 & R.I.P.D.

Dearest Blog, a hot, humid, rainy day means one thing to me: lots of people sharing my cinema. It's a prospect that doesn't thrill me, to say the least, but off I went anyway for a double-bill of Despicable Me 2 and R.I.P.D.

Spoiler level here will be mild, limited to things you'd know once you'd seen a trailer or two.
Our leadoff batter was the animated sequel Despicable Me 2.

Former super-villain Gru has gone straight, and spends his days being a father to Margo, Agnes, and Edith, and trying to start a business, his own line of jellies and jams. When a new threat emerges, the Anti-Villain League recruits Gru and his super-villain knowledge to help thwart it.

I liked Despicable Me 2 easily as well as its predecessor, in fact, maybe even a little better. The Despicable Me franchise has learnt that its bread is buttered on the Minion side, and the little yellow fellows play an even bigger role this time around, which is to the film's benefit.

The solid voice talent includes Steve Carrell and Russell Brand, reprising their roles from the first film, as well as newcomers Kristin Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, and the delightful Steve Coogan. The movie looks great, too. I saw it in 2D, and while I could certainly see things that were designed for 3D effectiveness, there's nothing that didn't look right in 2D, and everything is clear and bright. The second half does fall off somewhat from the first, which might have left me with a less-positive impression if the ending weren't so much fun.

Despicable Me 2 clocks in at 98 minutes and is rated PG for "rude humor and mild action." It's a family-friendly good time, well worth your movie dollar.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Despicable Me 2 gets seven and a half.

Next up on my agenda was the comic book movie R.I.P.D.

A cop (Ryan Reynolds) is killed on the job and joins R.I.P.D. ("Rest In Peace Department"), a team of undead good guys who keep undead bad guys from taking over the Earth. He's partnered with an old West lawman (Jeff Bridges) who disdains the idea of any partner, let alone one of the newly-dead.

Now, dear Blog, I try to make a point of being a well-educated consumer. As such, it's not often I get stuck paying for a movie I hate. For sure some are better or worse than I anticipate, but as long as the trailers aren't misleading, seldom am I all that disappointed. R.I.P.D. is the unfortunate exception to the rule; I was bored out of my gourd from beginning to end.

If we're being honest, I don't think most of us expected R.I.P.D. to be anything more than a poor man's Men In Black: good action, some awesome monsters, and hilarious wisecracks. Unfortunately, the action isn't exciting, the monsters look terrible, and the wisecracks are anything but funny. I don't think I laughed even once. The plot didn't engage me for a second, and the whole thing looks so dark (even daylight scenes) that it appears to be under a heavy fog. By luck of the schedule draw, I ended up seeing this in 3D, which is pointless.

The cast is decent, but mostly phones it in. Ryan Reynolds is as likable as any actor working today (ditto his leading lady Stephanie Szostak), but his role is so bland I couldn't say I was actively rooting for him. Academy Award winner Bridges has cornered the market on crusty-but-lovable, kooky old guy roles, but unfortunately this one is just crusty and not at all lovable. By rights he's supposed to provide most of the comedy, but he left me totally flat. Any way you slice it, I was getting stuck with one of my most-despised actors, Mary-Louise Parker, this weekend, as she also stars in the weekend's other big action flick, Red 2. It goes without saying her presence didn't help anything. My beloved Robert Knepper has a cameo that's so bad I'd have been happier not seeing him at all. Other than Szostak, pretty much the only thing the movie has going for it is Kevin Bacon, who is oddly perfect for his role. Oh, and if they got one thing right, it's that Boston is surely a bastion of the undead...I know every time I look at Aerosmith.

R.I.P.D. runs 96 minutes, which seem like 96 hours, and is rated PG13 for "violence, sci-fi/fantasy action, some sensuality, and language including sex references."

Of a possible nine Weasleys, R.I.P.D. gets three.

If I hadn't had to wait for my ride anyway, I probably would have walked out on it.

Until next time...




EEK! The Boston Undead!!

MOVIE REVIEW: R.I.P.D.

Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.’s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance...or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way.~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Robert Schwentke

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak

Release Date: Jul 19, 2013 RealD 3D

Rated PG-13 for violence, sci-fi/fantasy action, some sensuality, and language including sex references

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

R.I.P.D is a hammier sillier knock off of Men In Black, some of the character designs and sets look like they’ve been stolen from their backlot, with bits of Ghostbusters sprinkled in for good measure. If you can get past that fact then you might be able to enjoy some of the goofy fun on display here. Robert Schwentke created a breeze silly little film with some rather impressive action set pieces especially the 3D finale. It rarely lingers much on anything and moves from scene to scene like a college kid on a bar hop. When it does linger to long on quiet moments it really bogs down, thankfully there aren’t many. Most of the cast seems to be having a ball especially Jeff Bridges who chews up scenery throughout. Bridges just looks like he’s having a ball and while he and Ryan Reynolds don’t have perfect chemistry together it works well enough. Reynolds himself does his usual act and it fit the character for the most part. Mary-Louise Parker is great in a small but fun turn as the duo’s boss. Kevin Bacon is the only one that kind of phones in his performance, he seems rather disinterested for the most part. Honestly, that might be a result of reading the overly predictable script. There isn’t any tension throughout the film and the plot is rather uninspired even downright lazy occasionally. R.I.P.D is harmless fluff that’ll probably be viewed more often than not on cable tv.

C+

TV SHOW REVIEW: WEEDS SEASON 1 - 7

TV SHOW REVIEW: WEEDS SEASON 1 - 7



Synopsis:

Dark comedy about a single mother who makes ends meet by selling marijuana in the fictional suburb of Agrestic, California. The series exposes the dirty little secrets that lie behind the pristine lawns and shiny closed doors of homes in the of this gated community. Mary Louise Parker stars as the suburban mom who resorts to selling weed to support her family after her husband unexpectedly dies

Starring: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk

Weeds is an interesting show, for a dramedy it’s incredibly risky and bold, not just because of the subject matter either. Jenji Kohan has to be given credit for taking massive risk throughout the series’ 7 season run. Most shows stick with the status quo and stick with what works. Weeds, for better or worse, likes to stir the pot (pun intended). At its center is the lovely and snarky turn by Mary-Louise Parker. Parker has an interesting screen presence and an uncanny ability to deliver lines in a funny & sarcastic way. Her biggest talent is turning a character that becomes increasingly reckless, selfish and self centered likeable some how. It’s a daunting task to keep the audience on Nancy Botwin’s side and there are plenty of times that it’s impossible but regardless Parker make her interesting. Justin Kirk has a slightly easier time with Andy Botwin who starts off as kind of a mooch be really turns into the shows heart and soul. Andy functions nicely a passive stand in for the audience. Hunter Parrish and Alexander Gould really grow into their roles both literally and artistically as the series goes on. Gould’s character in particular takes an interesting but decently foreshadowed turn as the series goes on. Kevin Nealon really flexes his comedic muscle as stoner / once well respected bureaucrat and accountant, like everybody else’s character his story line takes many a twist and turn. An assortment of excellent character actors and actresses pepper the series all leaving lasting impressions which are especially noticeable when their characters disappear from the series. Elizabeth Perkins, Allie Grant, Tonye Patano and Romany Malco in particular do fine work and causally tossed aside during various seasons. I’d be a liar if I said that Weeds wasn’t occasionally frustrating and maddening. Things change a lot over the course of the series. Season 1 is vastly different from Season 7 but then again the characters would be incredibly boring if they stayed the same forever. Wouldn’t they? If Season 7 is the end and a massive cliffhanger we’re left with is the end, part of me feels like its oddly fitting. Time will tell if we get a proper end or not.

B-