MOVIE REVIEW: THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND

Scott has been a case of arrested development since his firefighter dad died. He spends his days smoking weed and dreaming of being a tattoo artist until events force him to grapple with his grief and take his first steps forward in life.

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Steve Buscemi, Pamela Adlon

Release Date: June 26, 2020

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language and drug use throughout, sexual content and some violence/bloody images

Runtime: 2h 16min

Review:

The King of Staten Island offers more than it looks like on its surface.  Sure it’s another Apatow exploration of a man stuck in arrested development but there is a bit more here than usual.  It’s very funny in spots and touching in others with a large part of the pathos coming from Davidson’s proximity to the subject matter.  Since the primary portion of the plot hits close to home for him, his performance is impressive and heartfelt as he avoids any moments of self parody.  It’ll come as a surprise to people who have never seen him outside of skits on SNL, it’s a pleasant surprise but it can’t mask some of the films overall issues. Apatow, after all these years, is still terribly unfocused as a director and it really shows here.  There are multiple sequences that feel like they need some strong edits and tightening overall.  Tone also tends to shift sporadically over the course of the film which lessens the impact of some moments.  Luckily for Apatow his film is stocked with excellent supporting players like Maisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Pamela Adlon and Steve Buscemi.  Together they make the film feel much breezier than you’d expect for a film that’s over 2 hours long.  This film won’t be considered a classic like Knocked Up or 40 Year Old Virgin but it’s definitely one of his better films in recent memory. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: BUMBLEBEE

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.

Director: Travis Knight

Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon,  Dylan O'Brien

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Runtime: 1h 53min

Review:

The Transformers movie series was in need of jump start since The Last Knight was easily the worst of the Michael Bay’s run.  Travis Knight takes the helm for this prequel/reboot and he does so with gusto.  Knight clearly knows the 80s cartoon and finally delivers the kind of Transformers film that we fans have been asking for all along.  Knight and his team redesign the Transformers removing a lot of the more insect like look of the Bay era with designs that look much closer to the original cartoon design.  It’s a simple change but one that makes longtime hearts feel all warm and fuzzy.  There is quite a bit of nostalgia mining going on but in doing so Knight never loses focus of what really matters, the actual characters.  Bumblebee is front and center with Hailee Steinfeld making for a likable lead.  At its base it’s a simpler story, one that isn’t overly busy which is a welcome change of pace from the hectic Bayhem we’ve come to expect from these films.  The story shares a lot with The Iron Giant which is a good thing.  The villains of the pieces are slightly underwhelming since they’re fairly non descript and unmemorable.  It’s a shame since they cast Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux.  Still, this film is just what the franchise needed in order to make fans happy, hopefully it’s a sign of better films to come.

B+