MOVIE REVIEW: VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

 

After finding a host body in investigative reporter Eddie Brock, the alien symbiote must face a new enemy, Carnage, the alter ego of serial killer Cletus Kasady.

Director: Andy Serkis

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: October 1, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references

Runtime: 1h 30min

Review:

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the kind of sequel that takes what worked in an underwhelming original and goes all in with them.  Andy Serkis directs his film with a kinetic sort of energy that’s hard to ignore.  It works best when it focuses on Hardy’s Brock and his symbiote bickering back and forth like the world’s strangest odd couple.  It’s goofy and silly but it’s enjoyable for large chunks of its brisk runtime.  Woody Harrelson chews up scenery with impressive gusto as the film’s villain.  Harrelson seems to relish in these sort of oddball and he’s clearly having a ball it’s just a shame he doesn’t have a better script to work with.  There’s an overall sense that Harrelson is slumming here just like Michelle Williams and Naomie Harris who’s criminally underused here. Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the type of cinematic fast food that more enjoyable than it should be and probably bad for you if you have too much of t.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: VENOM

Journalist Eddie Brock is trying to take down Carlton Drake, the notorious and brilliant founder of the Life Foundation. While investigating one of Drake's experiments, Eddie's body merges with the alien Venom -- leaving him with superhuman strength and power. Twisted, dark and fueled by rage, Venom tries to control the new and dangerous abilities that Eddie finds so intoxicating.

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate, Scott Haze, Reid Scott

Release Date: October 5, 2018

 

Genres: Action , Horror , Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language

Runtime: 1h 36 min

Review:

Venom is a strange silly film that is saved by Tom Hardy’s commitment.  Ruben Fleisher’s movie is loud, tonally erratic and occasionally enjoyable.  When it works it works mostly due to Hardy who’s having a blast in the film.  He’s so incredibly watchable that it almost makes you forget the movie and its overall plot is so basic and tired.  Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams on the other hand seem to be collecting paychecks.  Neither seems to be terribly excited about their characters probably because their so simplistic and one dimensional.  Fleishcher seems to be channeling 90’s movies for some reason.  Some of the action sequences, like a motorcycle/car chase, feel like they’ve been pulled right out of Michael Bay’s The Rock.  Hardy, to his credit, keeps it from being an outright disaster and if there’s a sequel hopefully it gives him a better overall film.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Venom and A Star is Born

  

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the "strange bedfellows" double-bill of Venom and A Star is Born.

 

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

 

First on the docket: Venom.

 

A down-on-his-luck video-journalist unwittingly merges with an alien life form, turning his world upside down.

 

Venom is a disaster. It's a big miss from Marvel, a company noted for not missing even when all it has to offer is Ant-Man. If not for the supreme good fortune of having Tom Hardy in the lead, the movie would be utterly unwatchable. Thankfully, Hardy seems to be having a blast, which makes at least his performance good fun. The rest is, unfortunately, so stupid as to be no fun at all. With its horrific-looking aliens and an overload of carnage, the movie's PG13 rating feels disingenuous; maybe if they'd tossed in an extra F-word and gone full R the finished product wouldn't seem so lame. A told-to-death backstory, underwhelming effects, and idiotic humor ruin any chance of caring about the characters or what is happening to them. If the Captain Marvel trailer made me think a time is coming when comic-book movies will no longer be must-see for me, then Venom certainly drove home the point. In the immortal words of Nathan from The Full Monty, "That were crap."

Venom clocks in at 112 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language."

 

Venom ranks among the worst movies I've seen in 2018. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Venom gets two.

 

Next up, the third big-screen rendering of A Star is Born.

 

A superstar musician takes on a talented protege, and romance ensues.

 

Dear reader(s): A Star is Born forces me to offer warring disclaimers. If I'm predisposed to view romantic films with disdain, I'm (at least) equally inclined to love any movie about music or musicians. It is to this film's credit that it's so good I don't think either had much influence on my opinion of the whole.

 

There are a great many positives here, so we'll start with the most obvious: the performances of the film's leads, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I dig Bradley Cooper. Since The A-Team came out in 2010, my ringtone has been Steely Dan's Reelin' in the Years, so when the phone rings I can hope it's Bradley Cooper. (Spoiler alert: It's never Bradley Cooper.) I will watch Cooper in anything, and I think he elevates any project lucky enough to have him. At this point, it should be no surprise to anyone that he is amazing, though at times I still worry he's so ridiculously good-looking as to be sold short. Here he's no less than Oscar worthy, and (now that Gary Oldman has his!), I genuinely hope that this is Cooper's year. In his debut behind the camera, his top-notch direction may garner him additional hardware. Gaga is also terrific. She's served well by her own experiences, and I won't be at all surprised if she, too, bathes in awards love this winter. The picture's original songs are solid, though I much preferred the guitar-driven numbers performed by Cooper's band to Gaga's epic ballads. If you're still having a hard time getting over all the accolades heaped on LaLa Land's lackluster songs and middling vocals, this movie should be the cure for what ails you. The film runs a bit long, and the story is sort-of hokey at times--as love stories are--but it's well told enough and the characters so engaging that it's a petty quibble. I don't think it's spoilery to warn that A Star is Born is a tearjerker--the woman behind me was sobbing so hard I thought we were going to have to call the EMTs--so bring the Kleenex.

 

A Star is Born runs 135 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some sexuality/nudity, and substance abuse."

 

A Star is Born offers a new take on a timeless tale, showcasing some truly extraordinary performances and firing perhaps the first real shots of this awards season.

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Star is Born gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Look, there's really no need for me to say any more about Bradley Cooper, but...did I mention Bradley Cooper with long hair and a guitar? *sigh*

 

Until next time...

 

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of All the Money in the World & The Greatest Showman

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to close out the busy movie week with All the Money in the World and The Greatest Showman.

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

First up: All the Money in the World.

Inspired-by-true-events tale of the kidnapping of JP Getty, III, and his mother's desperate attempts to secure his release.

Let's see, dear reader(s), where do we start with this one? Well, I was pretty young at the time of the Getty kidnapping, so I remember enough to have known the outcome, but not enough to say how many liberties are taken along the way in this telling of the story. I'm not sure if being aware of the ending contributed to the movie's seeming rather long and slow, but long and slow it certainly does seem. It's never dull, but I was still pretty happy when it finally cruised to its conclusion. The eldest JP Getty appears, at least from this depiction, to be so loathsome an individual that it hardly would have been a disservice to him to have allowed his portrayal by a sexual predator to remain in the film, though of course it would have been a great disservice to everyone else. The movie suffers no ill effects from hasty re-shoots necessitated by the Kevin Spacey controversy; on the contrary, Christopher Plummer's solid turn as as the cantankerous old billionaire is woven seamlessly into the picture. Charlie Plummer (no relation) is also great as the young victim, but it's Michelle Williams who carries this movie with such extraordinary skill that you'll scarcely be able to take your eyes off her. Mark Wahlberg seems miscast as Getty's right-hand man/security expert (spoiler alert: putting glasses on a guy doesn't actually make him seem smart), but he's a likable enough actor that I didn't mind. As mentioned, the movie is deliberately paced and somewhat overlong, but the the kidnapping and surrounding events are nerve-wracking enough that I doubt anyone could be bored with it. There's a bit of up-close and personal violence/gore that may be a little much for some viewers.

Daniel Pemberton's subdued score and cinematography by the brilliant Dariusz Wolski set an appropriately somber tone for this sad and scary story.

All the Money in the World clocks in at 132 minutes and is rated R for "language, some violence, disturbing images, and brief drug content." I can't say it's something I'd ever watch again, but All the Money in the World is a riveting tale bolstered by exceptional performances.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, All the Money in the World gets six.

Next on the agenda: The Greatest Showman.

A heavily-fictionalized musical account of the rise of PT Barnum.

Yet again I found myself with a bit too much time between flicks yesterday, and happened upon a negative article beating up on The Greatest Showman for its rose-colored-glasses version of Barnum.

It was difficult putting it from my mind once the movie started, but movie's sunny demeanor and lively tunes ultimately won the day.

Hugh Jackman is a treasure unmatched in 2017 Hollywood. Top-notch at acting, singing, and dancing, no picture ever has to make allowances for his weaknesses; he doesn't have any. The Greatest Showman is a lightweight film that doesn't remotely tax his skills, but it's thanks to him the movie is elevated from entertaining-but-forgettable to something special. Zac Efron continues to surprise with each new role, a gifted and eminently watchable young talent. If I was dazzled by Michelle Williams in All the Money in the World, The Greatest Showman was quick to remind me why I usually loathe her; her simpering smiles and silly twirling wear thin very quickly. The "circus" players do a fine job and all seem to be having great fun with their limited screen time, and the remaining supporting cast is peppered with familiar faces that are more than up to what little the film asks of them. La La Land composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have again provided tunes lacking any real flair, but The Greatest Showman's musical numbers make an impact with interesting choreography and eye-popping costumes, hair, and makeup, along with Jackman's irrepressible charisma. The story is hokey at times, as many great old-school musicals are, but if this version of PT Barnum is an upgrade from the real deal, the film itself keeps pace with a positive, inclusive tone that is more than welcome at the end of a divisive, difficult year. The Greatest Showman is pure joy onscreen, the very definition of can't-miss cinema.

The Greatest Showman runs a quick 105 minutes and is rated PG for "thematic elements, including a brawl."

The Greatest Showman’s opening number includes the line, "All that was real is left behind," a perfect setup for the most magical bit of movie humbug I've seen all year.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Greatest Showman gets eight and a half.

Fangirl points: Will Swensen! Byron Jennings! Frederic Lehne!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL & PHANTOM

Cindy Prascik's reviews of OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL & PHANTOM

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL



A mischievous magician gains the wisdom to become a powerful ruler after being swept away to a land of magic and mystery as director Sam Raimi and screenwriters Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) explore the genesis of author L. Frank Baum's enduring tales of Oz. Shady illusionist Oscar Diggs (James Franco) enchants curious audiences at a Kansas circus. A self-professed con man, he's a fast-talking performer who aspires to follow in the footsteps of inventors like Thomas Edison. Oscar is being chased across the circus grounds by the rampaging Strongman when a tornado blows in and everyone runs for cover. Seeing a hot-air balloon as his only chance for escape, the illusionist jumps in and cuts himself free. Magically transported to the wondrous world of Oz, he soon encounters Theodora (Mila Kunis), a temperamental witch who surmises that he is the wizard named after their land (Oscar's nickname is Oz), foretold to fall from the sky, defeat a nasty witch, and ascend to the throne. Theodora takes Oscar to the Emerald City to meet her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz), a powerful witch who reveals that he cannot become the rightful ruler of Oz until he's accomplished his mission. Later, as Oscar and his new flying-monkey companion Finley (voice of Zach Braff) prepare to face their fearsome enemy, they're joined by the fragile but fearless China Girl (voice of Joey King) and benevolent witch Glinda the Good (Michelle Williams), who helps them prepare for the arduous battle ahead. Together with the brave people of Oz, Oscar draws up a plan to rid the land of evil once and for all, and become the great and powerful king who will rule from his throne in the Emerald City. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Release Date: Mar 08, 2013

Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language

Runtime: 2 hr. 10 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff.


Review by Cindy Prascik

Dearest Blog, today I braved the infamous late-winter cinema crowd, plus everyone with a sentimental attachment to the Land of Oz, to spend my Saturday at Marquee.

First on my agenda, and everyone else's, was Oz: The Great and Powerful.

Neither a remake nor a reboot, Oz looks at a familiar world from an unfamiliar vantage point. The Witch of the West has Wicked, now the Wizard has Oz.

Spoiler level here will be mild-ish.

Oz' primary selling feature is that it's a work of art, absolutely stunning from start to finish. Sets, scenery, costumes, makeup...I would run out of superlatives long before I could come close to adequately describing them. My cinema oooh-ed and ahhh-ed aloud throughout.

The cast is fine, neither good nor bad enough to be worth mentioning. Mila Kunis, the only one of the main cast who hasn't at least been nominated for an Oscar, is easily the best of the lot.

Annnnnnnnnnnd...that's about all the nice things I have to say about Oz. Clocking in at an extremely bloated two hours and ten minutes, at times it bored me so much I wished I wanted popcorn or needed to use the bathroom. Fans who see this hoping for even a shred of what makes The Wizard of Oz so very special will leave sorely disappointed. It's missing some of the good nature and innocence of its predecessor, to be sure, but I don't even fault it there; I suspect perhaps that's impossible to duplicate in this day and age. More importantly, it's just bad storytelling: Disney throwing money at the screen--all style, no substance--much like it's theatre counterpart, Wicked.
Like Avatar before it, Oz: The Great and Powerful is about as gorgeous a film as ever you're likely to see, with little else to recommend it. I've struggled mightily these last several hours debating a fair rating; clearly it deserves full marks for appearance (and, make no mistake, it's absolutely worth seeing on a big screen for that alone), but little or no credit for anything else, so, of a possible nine Weasleys, we'll set it right in the middle at four and a half.


PHANTOM


The fate of humanity rests in the hands of a Soviet submarine captain whose tragic past casts a dark shadow over the present, and whose underwater craft might be host to an otherworldly entity in this apocalyptic thriller starring David Duchovny, Ed Harris, and William Fichtner. The Cold War has enveloped the entire globe, and when a Soviet submarine targets the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet for nuclear attack, it appears that the final battle has begun. But Capt. Dmitri Zubov (Harris) has a choice -- one that could pull the world back from the brink of annihilation. Meanwhile, it seems as if other forces are at work on Zubov's submarine. Now, in the depths of the South Pacific, Capt. Zubov will fight to ensure that there will be a future for every man, woman, and child on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast: Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fichtner, Lance Henriksen, Johnathon Schaech

Release Date: Mar 01, 2013

Rated R for violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Suspense/ThrillerDirector:Todd Robinson

Review by Cindy Prascik


Next on my agenda was the Cold War thriller Phantom.


The crew of a Soviet submarine must thwart those who would to use it for a nefarious purpose.
Dear Reader(s), I gotta tell you a little story about Phantom. Two weeks ago I saw this trailer before Snitch. Last week it opened at my cinema. This week it's down to one show a day; it's not gonna see another weekend. I am not sure how a movie like this, with this cast, sails so far under the radar (see what I did there?), but this one's all but invisible.
The most noticeable thing about Phantom is that the Soviet crew is played by a thoroughly American cast, speaking unaccented American English. While committing to the choice 100% works much better than, say, 2011's Three Musketeers--where the "French" people all spoke English with a random mix of American, English, and German accents--it's an unfortunate distraction in what's actually a pretty solid little thriller.

Ed Harris is magnificent in the lead, and the always reliable William Fichtner is solid as his right-hand man. David Duchovny is effective as the film's mysterious antagonist...is his mission just secret, or is it secretly evil?? The excellent supporting cast is fleshed out by familiar faces, including Lance Henriksen, Sean Patrick Flanery, Jonathan Schaech, Jason Beghe, Derek Magyar, and Jordan Bridges.

Plenty of twists and turns, coupled with the mission's high stakes and the sub's cramped quarters, make for a tense, exciting 98 minutes; I was on the edge of my seat for the duration. The contrived ending will likely deprive the film of any love from Serious Critics, but I enjoyed even that, despite its being overly obvious.

Odds are you're gonna miss Phantom at the cinema, so don't make that mistake when it comes to DVD.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Phantom gets seven.

Until next time...



I know some people without brains who make an awful lot of movies!

MOVIE REVIEW: OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL 3D

A mischievous magician gains the wisdom to become a powerful ruler after being swept away to a land of magic and mystery as director Sam Raimi and screenwriters Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) explore the genesis of author L. Frank Baum's enduring tales of Oz. Shady illusionist Oscar Diggs (James Franco) enchants curious audiences at a Kansas circus. When he is inexplicably transported to the wondrous world of Oz, he encounters three witches named Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who pose him an awesome challenge: root out a ruinous force of evil that threatens to destroy the entire kingdom, and become the great leader that the population has been waiting for. Should Oscar succeed in summoning the necessary sorcery and creativity to deliver the land from darkness, he will forever be known as the Wizard of Oz. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Joey King

Release Date: Mar 08, 2013

Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language

Runtime: 2 hr. 10 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Let me start of by saying I’ve never been a Wizard of Oz fan. I’ve watched the film various times and it just never connected with me. I got it but the connection just never occurred. I went into this prequel expecting something akin to Tim Burton’s mess of an Alice in Wonderland prequel from a few years back. Strangely Raimi’s prequel worked so much better for me. It’s got some obvious issues but for a film that’s 2 hours long, I found myself entertained for the better part of it. Raimi’s general template is borrowed from the original film with plenty of callback to the classic film. Enough to keep any diehard fan happy. Raimi delivers a candy colored assault on the senses, especially if viewed in 3D, from the moment we enter Oz. It’s a rather rousing experience especially as the film’s quasi-fantasy epic story begins to unfold. James Franco at the lead left me feeling fairly conflicted. At times during the film I thought he was terribly miscast and at others I thought he was perfectly suited. In the end, I really couldn’t decide so it’s a mix bag at best. Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz do good work in limited and underdeveloped roles. Kunis is solid but tends to oversell her performance especially later in the film where it feels increasingly off. Weisz on the other hand is having a ball in her role, chewing up scenery with a wicked sort of determination appropriate for the character. Michelle Williams as Glinda is an angelic sight to behold; she fits the character very well. Zach Braff and Joey King voice a pair of CGI creations with impressive ease. The CGI on both of them, especially China Girl, are really impressive creations. The visual effects as a whole are wonderfully done, occasionally recreating the look from original film in some of the backgrounds. As mentioned this isn’t a perfect film. Its evil characters are underdeveloped and the crux of a certain important conflict seemed half baked at best. While I did enjoy the experience I can’t say there are plenty of spots, especially before the final act, that could have been trimmed a tad. Honesty, there no reason for this film to be over 2 hours long; still I found it thoroughly enjoyable warts and all.

B-

MOVIE REVIEWS: SHUTTER ISLAND

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

MOVIE REVIEWS: SHUTTER ISLAND

IN THEATERS

SHUTTER ISLAND

Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio team up as a pair of U.S. Marshals who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Massachusetts to search for an escaped mental patient, uncovering a web of deception along the way as they battle the forces of nature and a prison riot in this Martin Scorsese-helmed period picture. Laeta Kalogridis adapts Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, with Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures splitting production and distribution duties. Ben Kingsley co-stars as the head of the institution where the patient resided, while Michelle Williams portrays Leonardo DiCaprio's deceased wife, whose memory haunts him during the investigation. Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Earle Haley round out the supporting cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow.

Release Date: Feb 19, 2010

Rated R for disturbing violent content, some nudity and language

Runtime: 2 hr. 18 min.

Genres: Action, Thriller

Review:

Martin Scorsese’s visually stunning Shutter Island is a mind bending trek through heady themes that leave you asking yourself questions long after you’ve finished watching it. Scorsese’s visual flair is apparent from the start and his creativity truly shows during the classic dream sequences that pepper the film. He creates a visual landscape that is unsettlingly and unnerving. He accomplishes this with such flair that I’d be hard pressed to find any diehard movie fan who finds faults with its construction. Scorsese does a wonderful job of channeling Hitchcock’s style and music but making it distinctively his at the same time. The director’s go to guy, Leonardo DiCaprio, is more than up to the challenge as well. DiCaprio is appropriately intense and conflicted throughout, adding another layer to the performance as the film heads into its finale. He does a wonderful job of showing the characters inner struggle throughout without going over the top. Mark Ruffalo is engaging and steady, providing a nice anchor point for DiCaprio’s character. Ben Kingsley is stoic throughout. The remainder of the supporting players Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Earle Haley all make the most of their small but impactful parts. Shutter Island’s plot and central mystery are best left to be discovered on your own even if it’s fairly obvious from a healthy dose of Easter eggs dropped throughout the film. Admittedly, this type of story has been done before but what makes Shutter Island special is talent in front of and behind the camera.

A-