MOVIE REVIEW: MAXXXINE

 

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

Director: Ti West

Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon

Release Date: July 5, 2024

Genre: Crime, Horror

Rated R for strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.

Runtime: 1h 44m

Review:

Ti West closes out his Mia Goth lead horror trilogy with Maxxxine, a film bathed in every bit of imaginable 80's sleaze and clichés found in those low rent VHS thrillers such as 1984's student/hooker flick Angel.  West manages to capture the look and feel of those kinds of films impressively much like he did by recapturing the 70's grindhouse slasher aesthetic in X.  Its over the top but perfectly suited for the story being told as we follow Maxine's fight tooth and nail to survive and be a star.  Baked into the script a playful sense of meta humor as plenty of subtle references to previous films pepper the dialogue and visuals.  Its a clever wink and nod to what the series and its singular star have created in this surprising trilogy.  Sadly, the story isn't quite up to the level of the previous two film as it veers into downright goofy territory, especially in its final act, either intentionally or unintentionally.  At the very, least it brings the character's story full circle and allows to Mia Goth to shine throughout.  This entry isn't as showy as Pearl but Goth manages to communicate the level of dogged determination and her innate ability at self preservation baked into her character's DNA.  This turn is more nuanced and subtle throughout but doesn't make it any less engaging and engrossing.  A handful of familiar faces appear in supporting roles with Kevin Bacon leaving the biggest impression as a New Orleans PI on Maxine's trail.  Bacon gleefully chews up scenery every time he shows up on screen which make his and Goth's scenes together all the better.  Giancarlo Esposito is a bit more reserved as Maxine's agent/lawyer/fixer but he brings just enough of that Gus Fring energy to make you wish the film had utilized him more effectively.  Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Moses Sumney and Lily Collins all are given one dimensional supporting characters which could have been more impactful as well.  Elizabeth Debicki is given a bit more to work with as the horror film director with higher aspirations that serves as a bit of a role model for Goth's Maxine especially once the film comes to a close.   Maxxxine maybe the weakest of the three films but that doesn't keep it from being a well crafted showcase for Goth who made the series something special.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles plan to use three plutonium cores for a simultaneous nuclear attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When the weapons go missing, Ethan and his crew find themselves in a desperate race against time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. 

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett

Release Date: July 27, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material

Runtime: 2h 27min

Review:

Mission Impossible – Fallout is truly a fantastic piece of filmmaking.  Christopher McQuarrie raises the bar even more than he did in the last entry by delivering action set pieces that are beautifully designed and filmed.  Everything about the film is big from its set pieces to its stakes.  The plot is a twisty yet simple story that has our heroes chasing down plutonium.  I wished that the film did a better job of holding its secrets a bit closer to the vest.  Some the twists are fairly obvious but it doesn’t hurt the overall enjoyment of the film as a whole.  At the center of the entire thing is Tom Cruise.  Cruise is a seemingly ageless daredevil who just wants to believe he’s literally some sort of superhero.  Returning cast members Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson aka sexy British Michelle Monaghan all turn in strong supporting turns with each getting their time to shine.  Henry Cavill makes for a solid foil to Cruise but I would have like a bit more subtleness and depth to his character.  Sean Harris returns as the villain from the previous film who is incorporated into the plot that references previous iterations, something refreshing which ultimately make the film more engaging.

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of Mission Impossible: Fallout

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Mission Impossible: Fallout.

 

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

 

The past comes after Ethan Hunt and his team with a vengeance.

 

Mission Impossible: Fallout has been called the best film in its lengthy franchise, and that's probably a fair, if arguable, assessment. Ridiculously high stakes and and insane stunts make the Fast & Furious movies look like gritty realism by comparison. Fight and chase scenes are expertly choreographed and never dull or repetitive, even if they go on a bit. Tom Cruise--who, as Facebook has pointed out multiple times this week, is older in this MI installment than Wilford Brimley was in Cocoon (!!)--is in top action-hero form, performing his own stunts whenever the insurance allows and carrying the franchise on his back as if he has no other option. The cast is fleshed out with the usual array of familiar and (generally) likable faces: Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill's moustache, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, and Simon Pegg, who is always best thing about any film lucky enough to have him. The brilliant Sean Harris also makes a welcome return as baddie Solomon Lane. Now I shall (reluctantly) mention just a few negatives: While MI: Fallout has a LOT of moving parts, the twists aren't all that clever. They're enjoyable and satisfying, but I made a game of guessing "surprises" before they happened, and I didn't miss the mark even once. There are too many impossibly lucky turns among the chase scenes (a little of that goes a long way), and some "thinking out loud" dialogue that is too silly even for a movie as over-the-top as this. Henry Cavill's wooden delivery, while perfect for a goody-two-shoes like Clark Kent, is jarringly bad for a character that should be at least a little hard to figure out. Finally, even though it doesn't lag, Fallout would have been well served by at least a small trim of its excessive runtime. Not one of those things makes MI: Fallout less than a great movie, but, in the interest of full and fair disclosure, these are what I see as its flaws. Also, since several people have asked, no, you won't be lost if you haven't seen the previous installment (or any previous installments) in the series. The film explains itself more than well enough for even the most casual fan to keep up.

 

Mission Impossible: Fallout clocks in at a whopping 147 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language."

 

Easily the most exciting offering of the season, Mission Impossible: Fallout is that rare commodity: a fun summer blockbuster that's also a genuinely fantastic movie. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Mission Impossible: Fallout gets eight.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: SOURCE CODE

ON DVD/BLURAY

SOURCE CODE



Jake Gyllenhaal headlines this sci-fi time-travel thriller directed by Moon's Duncan Jones from a script by Ben Ripley and Billy Ray. A bomb explodes on a Chicago train, derailing the locomotive and killing hundreds. In an attempt to identify the bomber and prevent another, larger attack on downtown Chicago, Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) agrees to take part in a clandestine government experiment dubbed "Source Code," which allows him to enter the body of a male passenger during the eight minutes before the man is killed. But during his first trip back, Capt. Stevens fails to gather enough clues to prevent the second attack. With time quickly running out, he repeats the mission ad nauseam in a desperate race to head off one of the most deadly terrorist attacks ever to take place on American soil. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden

Release Date: Apr 01, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Some violence including disturbing images, and for language

Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Duncan Jones is an interesting filmmaker to say the least; with Moon he crafted a perfectly claustrophobic mind bending meditation on freewill. With Source Code he broaches the same subject matter from a different point of view, various actually. Using a conceit that’d be familiar to any Star Trek or comic book nerd, alternate realties/multi-verse, Jones creates an impressively engaging Sci-fi tome that has headier themes going on in the background. Jones finds a nice balance by never having these themes overpower his film allowing viewers to enjoy it simply as a thriller with a Sci-fi slant. Jones has a wonderful eye for his film and here his talent is readily apparent as he makes the same scenes interesting throughout even with the amount of repetition. Jake Gyllenhaal is tasked with carrying the film and he does an admirable job. His character is manic, confused and occasionally slightly unhinged. The character serves as a good stand in for the audience as they get their footing with the story and concept. Sadly, the rest of the cast is given very little to do. Michelle Monaghan does what she can with her character and she does bring a nice sincerity to her but it can only be developed so far in the confines of the story. Vera Farmiga is stuck being a talking head on a video screen for the better part of the film. Jeffrey Wright gives one of his hammiest performances in memory, he plays his character in such a stereotypical fashion that it’s kind of distracting, very strange choice for a talented actor. Source Code does have a plot holes throughout and leaves lingering questions even after the film closes. Regardless, this hybrid of Groundhog Day and Johnny Got His Gun will please any Sci-fi fan.

B

MOVIE REVIEWS: DUE DATE

IN THEATERS

DUE DATE



Director Todd Phillips re-teams with his break-out Hangover star Zach Galifianakis for this road movie concerning a soon-to-be father (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his cross-country trip to make it back in time for his baby's birth -- with the only roadblock being the dubious passenger (Galifianakis) who's along for the ride. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx co-star in the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Todd Phillips

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, RZA.

Release Date: Nov 05, 2010

Rated: Language, drug use and sexual content

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Todd Phillips has made this type of film various times throughout his career; he has an almost unhealthy obsession with road trips and odd ball characters. Here Phillips throws together as many odd couple traveling clichés possible and contrived situations to make a plot. It’s barely a plot but it’s enough to give Galifianakis and Downey Jr. a showcase. Galifianaskis is in full man child mode, pretty much playing an even stranger version of his Hangover character. He gives his character enough heart to make a slightly different animal from that other role. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a strong performance as well, he’s like a tightly wound ball of rage and mania ready to burst at any point. He and Galifianakis have solid chemistry together and they are best thing about this entire film. Sadly, its strength is limited to these two and when the script tries shoe horn some sentiment or contrived connection it just rings incredibly false and hollow. These moments drag the film down and make it feel a lot longer than it actually is. Jamie Foxx walks through a few scenes and Michelle Monaghan is given less to do than Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride who both have memorable cameos. Due Date is a generally funny movie that feels like fast food and has as much nutritional value.

C+

Movie Reviews: RAMBO, THE HEARTBREAK KID & SAW IV

Sunday, January 27, 2008
Movie Reviews: RAMBO, THE HEARTBREAK KID & SAW IV
IN THEATHERS




RAMBO
Thinking his days of war and bloodshed are behind him, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) lives a peaceful life in the jungles of Thailand. Even when Christian aid workers ask the former warrior to take them up the Salween River into Burma to deliver medical supplies, he refuses because he knows how dangerous a trip like that can be. The missionaries go anyway, and when they don't come back, Rambo crosses the border himself and dispatches Burmese soldiers with his traditional gusto to save the kidnapped innocents.

Cast Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Rey Gallegos, Jake LaBotz (more)


Director(s) Sylvester Stallone


Writer(s) Sylvester Stallone


Status In theaters (wide)

Genre(s) Action/Adventure

Release Date Jan. 25, 2008

Running Time 93 minutes

MPAA Rating R - for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images

and language

Review:

Sylvester Stallone's Rambo is a gory mixed bag of a mess of a movie that doesn't deliver enough message or action to make it worthwhile. Not as bad a vanity project as Rocky Balbola, Rambo just feels odd throughout, unsurprisingly dated and uneven. Stallone wears pretty much one expression throughout the film and delivers lines without any conviction. The rest of the cast is as forgettable as they are nameless. Mostly they just serve as bystanders during some of the more action oriented sequences. This isn't entirely unexpected as the main draw in a Rambo movie is going to be the gory bloody action. Some sequences do provide some exciting action but are filled with surprisingly bad CG effects being used for gory effects thus rendering the effect meaningless and mute. Stallone seemed to be going for Saving Private Ryan but instead ended up with Pearl Harbor, the extended edition, styled battle. Stallone's script is equally lacking. The characters are given some just god awful dialogue and characters are written with the just slightest of depth, never becoming more than one dimensional. The villain lacks even more depth and isn't really given anything to do than be plain evil. Strangely, Stallone did have some material there that could have made a statement about war and injustices in lawless sections of the world but he misses the point and sends a very mixed message. Let's hope this ends Stallone's walk down memory lane as it's becoming readily apparent that these once beloved characters can't make the leap from the 80's to today.

D-

ON DVD

THE HEARTBREAK KID

Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) is the last single man he knows. But he finally meets a beautiful woman, Lila (Malin Akerman), who seems like she's his perfect match. But after taking the plunge into marriage, Lila immediately starts acting like the wife from Hell on the honeymoon, where a disillusioned Eddie meets another gal, Miranda (Michelle Monaghan) who might actually be his true soulmate.

Cast Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia (more)

Director(s) Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly

Writer(s) Scot Armstrong, Leslie Dixon, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Kevin Barnett

Status On DVD

Genre(s) Comedy

Release Date Oct. 5, 2007

DVD Release Date Dec. 26, 2007

Running Time 115 minutes

MPAA Rating R - for strong sexual content, crude humor, language, and a scene of

drug use involving a minor

Review:

The Farrelly brothers are 10 years detached from their last superior outing, There's Something About Mary, and it's starting to seem that their time may have passed. They've created a series of increasingly bad movies in recent years and The Heartbreak Kid doesn't fare any better. Going into a Farrelly movie you know more or less know what to expect, gross out sight gags the main character being put through the ringer time and again but he ultimately gets the girl. The Heartbreak Kid follows the typical game plan more or less throughout. Here though it just feels flat and lacks any life, mainly because the characters are all mostly unlikable and never make realistic human decisions. Ben Stiller turns in his typical performance providing his character with very little charm or likeability. Jerry Stiller as Eddie's vulgar father is just odd and doesn't achieve the intended comedic effect. Rob Corddry's supporting role is one of the few brightspots as his scenes provide some of the few laughs in the listless comedy. Aside from Corddry, most of the gags miss the mark badly and a group of running jokes are just silly but not in a particularly funny way. It's a shame that it's been so long since the Farrelly brother have hit the sweet spot comedy wise but if they continue to dole out movies like The Heartbreak Kid they may find that their fan base has moved on to greener pastures.

D-

SAW IV

Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) the serial torturer is dead, and two FBI profilers have arrived to help clean up the mess left in his wake. However, not all of Jigsaw's traps have been sprung, and a SWAT commander (Costas Mandylor) gets caught up in another deadly game.

Cast Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor, Lyriq Bent, Justin Louis (more)

Director(s) Darren Lynn Bousman

Writer(s) Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan

Status On DVD

Genre(s) Horror

Release Date Oct. 26, 2007

DVD Release Date Jan. 22, 2008

Running Time 108 minutes

MPAA Rating R - for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language

Saw IV is a mildly better installment than the third turn but it's hardly a classic either. Bloody gory and still trying to convey Jigsaw, history's most prepared horror villain, message Saw IV does give us a more well rounded view of Jigsaw's psyche and motivations. Darren Lynn Bousman does have a fun sense of style in shooting his film, except when he decides to go with the super hyper editing with are series mainstays. Tobin Bell, in flashbacks, gets to open up his performance as we see a pre Jigsaw version of his character and he's fairly solid in giving more life to his ironically dead character. Like the previous entries this movie plays a game with the audience's expectations and delivers a twist at the end. The main problem is that this twist and the gory trek to arrive at it feels vaguely familiar, lacking the originality and effectiveness of the first film. It's been a similar problem with all the sequels to this "Seven light" serial killer series. I've always felt it would have been best to leave the first movie as a stand alone as it progressively getting less and less enjoyable to watch this torture porn tell us the same story over and over again.

D