MOVIE REVIEW: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

Director:  Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O'Brian, Bill Murray

Release Date: February 17, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence/action, and language

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania gets credit for delivering one of the tripper entries into the Marvel monolith.  Peyton Reed waste little time throwing the audience into the Quantum Realm and peppering the screen with all variety of sci-fi weirdness and oddities.  It’s a visual cornucopia that just assaults the senses from all sides as the cast ventures through the worlds.  There's nearly enough there to make you ignore the fact that the event which kicks off the entire plot is even more contrived than Spider-Man: No Way Home starting point.  It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise since this is the film that kicks off the newest phase of Marvel's ongoing opus.  Specifically, this film serves as an introduction to the new big bad that will be the serve as the primary villain over the next few years.  In that regard, they have been blessed with Jonathan Majors and his impressive acting talents.  Once Majors appears onscreen, he dominates the film with an impressively nuanced turn that bodes well for future appearances.  Up to that point the cast had delivered a surprisingly choppy collection of performances which is disappointing considering the assembled talent.  Rudd is his usual dependable self, giving the impression that he could play this role in his sleep by this point.  Rudd and Evangeline Lilly still don't have much onscreen chemistry which keeps their story line from really carrying the sort of weight you'd expect by the third film.  Kathryn Newton joins the cast as their now grown daughter and brings a spark of youthful energy even if her character veers close to annoying is spots.  Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas sadly seem to be going through the motions even though Pfeiffer gets a decent size of the plot.  Both are never outright bad but you get the sense they aren't giving it their all.  There's a tonal imbalance throughout the whole film which shifts from quippy goofiness to drop dead serious sometime in the occurring in the same scene.  There are points were you start to feel that Majors deserved to be in a better more serious film which would have taken advantage of performance.  As is, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania does its job in setting up the future, especially with two rather important post credit scenes, and doing it in an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable film.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip "T.I." Harris, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle 
Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas

Release Date: June 8, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated PG-13 for language, drug use, and some suggestive content

Runtime: 1h 50min

Review:

Ant-man and The Wasp is an interesting pallet cleanser after Avengers Infinity War.  Its scale is markedly smaller which should come as no surprise since it’d be hard to top the scale of Infinity War.  As such, Peyton Reed delivers a fun film that’s fun but ultimately feels inconsequential.  It’s a strange juxtaposition simply because it’s an enjoyable film that’s carried by the cast’s endless charisma but it doesn’t really add up to much.  Paul Rudd does his dead pan Paul Rudd deal which is always fun but the film’s really boosted by Evangeline Lilly taking a more active role in this entry.  Lilly and her perpetually rosy cheeks give the film a nice boost of energy with her character fitting right in with Rudd’s Ant-man.  Michael Peña and Walton Goggins are both solid in supporting roles, each providing real highlights during the film.  Sadly, Michelle Pfeiffer appearance is more of a cameo than anything else.  I’d have enjoyed a bit more of her and Michael Douglas as opposed having her character essentially serve as the film’s Mcguffin.  Still, Peyton Reed directs a fun little film that’s has some inventive action sequences and laughs to boot.  It’s not one of the best Marvel films but it’s a solid entry.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MOTHER!

A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.'.

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer

Release Date: Sept 15, 2017

Genres: Drama, Horror

Rated R for strong disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language

Review:

Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! is sure to be a divisive film especially anybody who goes in expecting a straight up horror film.  It’s anything but a straight up horror film.  Aronofsky’s film is pretentious arthouse fodder that doesn’t tell a straight forward story.  If anything it’s an extended allegory, about climate change or the creative process depending on your point of view, which works more often than not once you wrap your mind around what’s going on.  It’s a visually impressive film that leads you down the rabbit holes subtly at first until it pulls the rug out from under your feet.  Jennifer Lawrence is front and center throughout and she does a fine job in the role even if it’s not her best work.  It’s not really her fault though as the film seems a bit restrictive due to its nature.  Bardem suffers a similar fate but they both give the film a strong energy that centers it’s.  Mother! is a self important piece that’s undeniably pretentious but that’s not to say it’s an impressive cinematic feat. 

B+

Cindy Prascik’s Review of The Family

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema for a little wiseguy action with The Family.

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

Relocated to a quiet town in France, a mobster rat and his family cause no end of headaches for their handlers in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

I'm not exactly sure by what criteria I'm meant to judge The Family. The trailers led me to expect a solid action comedy, but what I got was part drama as well. There's a good bit of violence--much of it up close and personal--that shouldn't be shocking in a mob movie, but since I expected something lighter, it did surprise me somewhat. Understand, none of that is intended as criticism, just laying out the facts.

The Family is blessed with an extraordinary cast. Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer are terrific in the leads. If DeNiro feels familiar in a role like this, he's the poster child for "practice makes perfect." Dianna Agron and John D'Leo and are fantastic as their children.

While not the main attraction, the wrong actors could have shredded the film's chemistry, so it's lucky they're both extremely entertaining...even if it is a bit hard to forget she's playing a high-schooler while pushing 30.

Tommy Lee Jones doesn't have a lot to do as the family's government handler, but, let's face it, no movie was ever worse for having him, right? The supporting cast is mostly a who's who of "Didn't I see that guy on The Sopranos?" and everyone is capable and well-suited to their gangster roles.

Despite clocking in under two hours, The Family does feel a bit long. The first and last acts are strong, with the middle bogging down just a little.

Overall it's very entertaining, and I can't pinpoint anything that doesn't contribute to the whole, but in the end I feel like it could have lost ten or 15 minutes somewhere and been better for it. The comedy is without a doubt the movie's highlight; the rest probably could have done with some trimming.

The Family runs 110 minutes and is rated R for "violence, language, and brief sexuality."

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Family gets seven. It's not exactly an offer you can't refuse, but it's definitely a good time for your entertainment dollar.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: DARK SHAWDOWS

IN THEATERS

DARK SHAWDOWS



Entombed for 200 years after betraying vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), 18th century vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) returns to Collinwood Manor in 1972, only to find his estate in ruins and his family plagued by macabre secrets in Tim Burton's reboot of the popular supernatural soap opera. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Moretz

Release Date: May 11, 2012

Rated PG-13 for Language, Comic Horror Violence, Sexual Content, Smoking and Some Drug Use

Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.

Genres: Comedy, Horror

Review:

Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows is an endearing film which shows his obvious affection for the source material. The script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, whose humor is most subtle than the trailer suggest, peppers the film with plenty of melodrama to fulfill several soap operas. He hits on the major points of the original series and provides a workable narrative, it’s not perfect but not the slap stick mess it could have been. While it’s more lighthearted than the original series it’s not the parody some expected. Johnny Depp, in his Burton required mime make up, chews up the screen creating an endearing take on Barnabas Collins. I can’t say it’s different enough to make it memorable but still it’s well done if not singular. Eva Green is equally vampified, showcasing an obvious on screen glee playing her character throughout. The best sequences involve interchanges between Deep and Green as they riff and joust with each other during various points in the films. Sadly, the remaining cast has to deal with thinly written caricatures. A radiant Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter get the most screen time but are given nothing to do. The rest aren’t required to do more than show up here and there and get out way. A fun finale caps off the film in fine fashion even if it leads to a totally unnecessary sequel set up. As a fan of the original series, I found Burton’s take an adequate homage to a cult classic.

C+