MOVIE REVIEW: CIVIL WAR

 

In a dystopian future America, a team of military-embedded journalists races against time to reach Washington, D.C., before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman

Release Date: April 12, 2024

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images, and language throughout

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

Alex Garland's Civil War is replete with stark visuals of a country tearing itself apart at the seams and strong performances from its cast but it’s surprisingly timid about engaging in its central idea.  Garland creates a series of tense and unsettling dystopian vignettes that are visually impactful and visceral echoing moments from the back half of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.  The script drops hints here and there about what led to the current situation our characters exist in but it’s frustratingly vague on causes or even details on how any of the warring factions function.  It ultimately leaves the entire story a rather toothless tour of speculative terror as nearly every character they encounter is little more than nebulous ciphers with little in the way of characterization.  The central characters are equally one note but the cast is strong enough to make it easy to overlook the scripts fallings.  Kirsten Dunst is solid as the world weary photojournalist who gains a protégé in the form of fresh faced Cailee Spaeny who looks even younger here than she did in last year's Priscilla.  Dunst nails the thousand-yard stare her character carries throughout as she does her best to provide tangible depth to the role that's missing from the script.  Spaeny, likewise, does the best she can with her underwritten role and her interactions with Dunst carry an air of authenticity in spite of how clichéd they are.  Wagner Moura is given more latitude to have fun as a thrill seeking journalist who's paired with Dunst's character for some undisclosed reason since the film never bothers to explain their connection.  Stephen McKinley Henderson serves as the elder of the group and he does fine work in a role he could probably play in his sleep.  Together they manage to elevate the material they're given it leaves you wondering why Garland didn't create something closer to Oliver Stone's Salvador if he wasn't going to thoughtfully engage in the film's central idea.  Civil War ultimately lacks the resonance to deliver the sort of gut punch it aspires to achieve.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Candy Cane Lane

My dear reader(s): If, like me, you seek a bit of cinematic Christmas cheer, but want to steer clear of holiday-themed horror and romance (some would say they're the same), it can be challenging to find anything that fits the bill. May I invite you, then, to Candy Cane Lane?

Spolier level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer.

A man obsessed with Christmas goes to imprudent lengths to win a holiday decorating contest in his neighborhood.

Candy Cane Lane is a feel-good family film that doesn't try to reinvent the starlight mint. Eddie Murphy (a favorite in our house since we wore out our VHS copy of Raw!) leads a likeable cast through an adventure that teaches the true meaning of Christmas. The movie features gorgeous and festive sets, cute animation, and some great Christmas tunes. It's more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny, and it even throws proper shade at retailers putting out Valentines before Christmas, one of my particular pet peeves! Candy Cane Lane isn't anything revolutionary, but it's easy, comfortable, and promotes that warm, fuzzy feeling that's perfect for the holiday season.

Candy Cane Lane runs 117 minutes and is rated PG for "language throughout, and some suggestive references."

If you're looking for a fun family movie to close out your holiday break, Candy Cane Lane is just the ticket. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Candy Cane Lane gets seven.

Candy Cane Lane is now streaming on Prime.

Until next time, I wish you all safe celebrations and the happiest of New Years!

MOVIE REVIEW: DUMB MONEY

 

Everyday people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy -- until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen

Release Date: September 15, 2023 

Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual material, and drug use

Runtime: 1h 44m

Craig Gillespie's Dumb Money takes the 2021 GameStop stock madness and breaks it down into an easily digestible and enjoyable annotated version of the true story.  He gives his film a chaotic energy which fits the subject matter perfectly even though the film describes the investing strategies at play.  The early exposition dump does a solid job of explaining the concepts in such a manner that any layman, myself included, can follow the ideas with general ease.  The story follows multiple angles of the story with the central focus being on Dano's Keith Gill who kick starts the events.  Additionally, we get moments with the hedge fund managers and retail investors as the stock situation explodes on the scene.  The ensemble does a solid job of making these moments engaging even if they don't offer the sort of depth that the main storyline is afforded.  Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Vincent D'Onofrio and Sebastian Stan make up the money side of the story with Rogen getting the most screen time and subsequently leaves the biggest impression. Offerman, D'Onofrio and Stan aren't asked to do much outside of looking smug or annoyed for a variety of reasons.   The rest of the ensemble played by familiar faces like America Ferrera and Anthony Ramos makes up the everyday retail investors who rally behind Gill's market play.  The characters themselves are composites of real people with the film content to use them to represent types of people as opposed to something a bit more nuanced and three dimensional.  Dano gets much more to work with his character getting more depth and texture throughout the film.  In turn he delivers a likeable, sincere performance that makes his character easy to root for from start to finish.  The film does gloss over some of the murkier details on the Reddit boards, other stocks that were part of situation and overall lasting effect of everything that went down.  There are plenty of documentaries that get into more the nitty gritty of what happened, but Dumb Money makes for a fascinating, well crafted cinematic retelling that captures the spirit of the moment.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman and the rest of their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.

Director: Mike Mitchell

Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman,Will Ferrell, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz Maya Rudolph

Release Date: February 8, 2019

Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure 

Rated PG for some rude humor

Runtime: 1h 46 min

Review:

The Lego Movie 2 The Second Part has a lot to live up to since the original was such a breath of fresh air.  The original film was a candy colored concoction that was enjoyable for children but was just as enjoyable for adults since it was an incredibly meta story that offered layers of depth.  Throw in the fact that we've had two other Lego related film's released with diminishing returns.  Thankful the sequel is just as enjoyable and thoughtful as the original even if it doesn't quiet reach the heights of the original.  The story is fun and thoughtful at the same time which speaks to the effort put into making this the best film possible.  The returning cast are all great, clearly more comfortable with their roles even if we do miss Liam Neeson's Bad Cop since there's not really a memorable villain.  The addition of Tiffany Haddish and Stephanie Beatriz help ease that loss with solid characters even if they're slightly underused.  The film does decide to embrace song and dance sequences which are mostly effective even if it take a moment to settle into them.  When it all said and done, the film's message is even more pointed and effective than the first film.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.

Director: Drew Goddard

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, Chris Hemsworth

Release Date: October 12, 2018

Genres: Mystery , Thriller

Rated R for horror violence, and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 2h 21min

Review:

Bad Times at the El Royale is a solid twisty thriller from Drew Goddard.  You’d be remiss if you didn’t feel some very strong Tarantino vibes throughout mixed together with some Agatha Christie as each individual story plays out.  The film is stylish and engrossing even if the ultimate payoff is bit of a letdown.  Goddard cast is made up of strong performers and a bevy of recognizable faces but Broadway star Cynthia Erivo really leaves an impressive mark.  Jeff Bridges centers the whole thing with a tangible sense of heart with healthy shades of grey.  Jon Hamm does solid work in a limited role and the film is lesser for taking him off the board as early as it does.  A perpetually shirtless Chris Hemsworth is clearly having a blast hamming it up as the cult leader that brings all the plot threads together.  For all the strong performances and stories, you d start to get the sense that Drew Goddard fell in love with his own creation as the film starts to meander towards the end.  There’s really no reason for the film to be nearly 2 and half hours and the film suffers since this type of pulpy fare is best in short doses.  

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of 22 Jump Street & The Purge: Anarchy + Bonus Afterthoughts on How to Train Your Dragon 2

Dearest Blog, it's Jamboree in the Hills weekend here in the upper Ohio Valley, and you know what that means: I spent BOTH days hiding out at the cinema. On tap: a second screening of How to Train Your Dragon 2, a first (very late) screening of 22 Jump Street, and the new release The Purge: Anarchy.

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

First up was a second go at How to Train Your Dragon 2. Regular reader(s) will know I was gravely disappointed in this the first time I saw it, as the original ranks among my favorite movies of all time, and this one...well...this one doesn't. While I still don't agree the sequel is better than (or even as good as) the first, I will say I definitely warmed to it upon a second viewing. I found much more to laugh about, much less to be annoyed about, and remained in awe of its visual magnificence. If you don't bother for any other reason, do see it on the biggest screen you can find just for the privilege of seeing the best-looking movie ever.

After revisiting the film, I would probably upgrade it from my original seven and a half to eight of a possible nine Weasleys. Still not as good as the first, but it probably wasn't reasonable to expect that anyway, no matter who said it nor how often.

Next up was another sequel, 22 Jump Street. I'm well aware this has already left many theatres and if you were gonna see it you probably would have done by now. I'm still reviewing it for two reasons: first, because it's worth a good word if that good word convinces anybody buy the DVD or see it in a second-run cinema, but also so I don't forget it when it comes time for my year-end top ten, which at this writing would include it.

Having succeeded in their high school undercover mission, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) move on to college.

22 Jump Street is that rare sequel that is equal to its predecessor, hilarious from beginning to end, with a couple twists that rival most mysteries and thrillers. Hill and Tatum have a genuine chemistry that sells their relationship, and a comedic fearlessness that translates to great entertainment. The supporting cast is a riot, and laugh-out-loud physical humor combines with self-aware sequel jokes to make this the summer's funniest movie thus far.

22 Jump Street runs 112 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity, and some violence."

If you're in the mood for a good laugh, this is your movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, 22 Jump Street gets seven.

Finally, today it was The Purge: Anarchy.

A small group caught out during the annual Purge teams up to try to survive the night.

Two notes: I have seen only minutes of the first Purge, in passing. It is by all accounts terrible. The sequel was only on my radar--and barely, at that--because I've had a bit of a thing for Frank Grillo since The Grey. Yeah, I know I'm late to that party, so sue me. Earlier this weekend, I saw a review comparing this new Purge to Walter Hill's The Warriors, one of my top ten movies of all time, and it became a must see.

I didn't expect much, but I'm pleased to report I was very pleasantly surprised.
Let this be the first and probably only review to note that the annual Purge takes place on Gary Oldman's birthday, March 21. How's a transplanted Brit to celebrate his special day in a country that's doing THAT with it? I strenuously object, and respectfully petition for a change of Purge date.

Okay, back to business. As mentioned, The Purge: Anarchy is much better than I expected. I figured I'd indulge my crush in a so-so movie and be done with it, but I was actually engaged from start to finish. The concept is scary as hell, but provides some interesting food for thought. There's some wonky dialogue, but the movie is smart enough not to try getting too talkey. Tension holds steady throughout, no chance to feel certain of anyone's safety. The Halloween-masked antagonists are particularly effective, and their scenes especially well staged. There's plenty of violence, but nothing overly graphic or gory. Grillo is well suited to his role. I expect I'd feel pretty safe in his charge were my life threatened...or, hell, even if it weren't. The rest of the main cast does a decent job of: a.) appearing terrified, and b.) running for their lives. So. Much. Running. It's like a World Cup game, but without the diving. Finally, the movie gets full marks for not wearing out its welcome.
The Purge: Anarchy clocks in at 103 minutes and is rated R for "strong disturbing violence and language."

It may not be what you'd call a "summer fun" movie, but it's engaging, entertaining, and worth the price of admission. Of a possible nine Weasleys, I'm happy to give The Purge: Anarchy seven.
Until next time..

Hi, I'm that guy you met on the Internet dating site!

TV SHOW REVIEW: CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS DVD

TV SHOW REVIEW: CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS DVD



Synopsis: Short parodies of medical dramas.

Cast: Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Megan Mullally, Erinn Hayes, Ken Marino, Michael Cera, Lake Bell, Henry Winkler, Malin Akerman, Zandy Hartig, Nick Offerman

Review:

Children’s Hospital is an incredibly funny rapid fire show. First season is comprised of the 4-5 minute “episodes” which shoot medical drama parody jokes at you at an amazing rate. It’s hilarious for the most part, when it doesn’t quite hit the mark it helped by its format because nothing ever lingers too much on screen. The 2nd season offers up longer 11 minute “episodes” which still have the same effect but occasionally linger a tad to long when a joke isn’t working. The cast is a collection of wonderful comedians who are all in throughout. Nothing is off-limits and they aren’t afraid to go for the cheapest laughs while setting higher concept laughs either (such as mocking every type of behinds the scenes, live shows, TV show deaths, etc..). There’s a very loosely connected overall plot but its sparse and fairly unnecessary since it’s not really the point. Satire and parody are the name of the game here and its down quite well.

B-