MOVIE REVIEW: AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

 

After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction.

Director: James Wan

Cast: Jason Momoa,  Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park

Release Date: December 22, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some language.

Runtime: 2h 4m

James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a goofy, lighthearted adventure that delivers plenty of well staged, CGI infused action sequences which keeps things entertaining but the cobbled together script keeps it from being truly fun.  To his credit, Wan creates a large, expansive world as his heroes move from massive set pieces to another.  He borrows from a bevy of sources such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings which gives the proceedings a familiar feel from the start.  His visual flourishes create a rather kinetic feel to all the action which prove to be the high points of the film.  The combination of advanced tech, mysticism, villainous underlings dressed in matching uniforms and large men in garishly designed costumes might make people of a certain age think they've accidently stumbled into a Masters of the Universe film.  The whole film has a Saturday morning cartoon come to life feel which would be more fun if the script hadn't been so painfully hackneyed.  The first movie was sophomoric fun with its brotastic humor but it was smart enough to give its stars time to add a little depth to their characters.  That's all gone here as each character is stripped down its most basic, simplistic version of itself.  Jason Momoa's oversized persona and charisma are what made this character work but he's strangely muted for the majority of the runtime.  Pairing him with Patrick Wilson for a straight man/wild card pairing ala Men in Black or 48 Hours should work far better than it does.  The pair's chemistry just never works which isn't helped by an unbaked script that gives them some painfully bad comedic exchanges.  Wilson is surprisingly stiff for the better part of the film while Momoa just sort of seems happy to be there.  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who was a surprisingly engaging villain in the original, suffers a similar fate with the script asking him to look intense but little more.  The strange thing is that even with its faults, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a surprisingly breezy, easy to enjoy mindless bit of superhero fluff even with its two hours runtime but it could have been a proper send off for the Synderverse if there was more time and care  put into the characters and script.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR

 

Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton's college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.

Director: Patrick Wilson

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Hiam Abbass, Sinclair Daniel

Release Date: July 7, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references

Runtime: 1h 47m

Insidious: The Red Door is a solid, if predictable, series closer for the long running horror series.  Patrick Wilson stars and directs the film with a confident steady, hand as he sets up a series of traditional scares where something is always lurking in the background.  Wilson's director debut leans on old school horror set ups by building tension before delivering a quick shock.  He proves more than capable of setting up these sequences even though you get a sense that he's using a rinse and repeat method that dulls the overall effect.   On screen, Ty Simpkins carries the lions share of the screen time with Wilson's character playing more of a supporting role in this entry along with Rose Byrne whose appearance is more of an extended cameo.  Simpkins, who grew up in the role, is solid throughout even if the trauma slant feels rather quaint by this point after a series of other horror films have covered the same territory.  Sinclair Daniel's turn as his roommates brings some fun to the proceedings even though her character's interest in helping him even if it puts her in harms way never really makes much sense.  Still, the pair are fun together especially a couple of sequences in a frat house.  The rest of the film does serve as wrap up for the overall story set up over the last four films.  As such, Insidious: The Red Door isn't the best entry point for newcomers since you'll need some knowledge of the previous films and mythology in order to understand why everything is happening. 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: MOONFALL

 

The world stands on the brink of annihilation when a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit and sends it hurtling toward a collision course with Earth. With only weeks before impact, NASA executive Jocinda "Jo" Fowler teams up with a man from her past and a conspiracy theorist for an impossible mission into space to save humanity.

Director: Roland Emmerich

Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Michael Peña, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu, Donald Sutherland

Release Date: 2h 10m

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for violence, disaster action, strong language, and some drug use

Runtime: 2h 10m

Review:

Roland Emmerich's latest sci-fi disaster film is a campy busy mess of a film that never embraces it's overall absurdity and just have fun with it.  Emmerich's film feels more like a relic from the early 2000s with it's tired redemption arches and shoehorned product placement. Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and John Bradley do the majority of the heavy lifting with the main story thread.  Patrick Wilson does the best he can with the material but at least he doesn't phone it in like Halle Berry who looks like she's just a collecting a paycheck here.  John Bradley is likeable as the conspiracy nerd and he seems to be the only one who's having a good time.  A secondary story thread drags the entire film down with a pointless earthbound subplot dealing with the leads kids and some overly persistent thieves.  That subplot is as ludicrous as it is boring and could probably have been excised from the film altogether and streamlined the story.  A third act reveal is a goofy fun but thematically interesting even if the movie doesn't explore it in any sort of depth.  Moonfall is the type of film that will run on cable endlessly which will make for perfect background noise.  

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

 

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one of the most sensational cases of their careers after a cop stumbles upon a dazed and bloodied young man walking down the road. Accused of murder, the suspect claims demonic possession as his defense, forcing the Warrens into a supernatural inquiry unlike anything they've ever seen before.

Director: Michael Chaves

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble

Release Date: June 4, 2021

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for terror, violence and some disturbing images.

Runtime: 1 h 52 min

Review:

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is an effective if less impactful entry in the main series.  Michael Chaves does his best James Wan impression by delivering a film that has a 80s horror feel to it with an opening sequence that pay homage to a horror stalwart.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t maintain that level of intensity throughout its runtime.  There are plenty of strong set ups and jump scares but the story doesn’t ever really find its footing in a meaningful way.  As such the story never produces that sensation of dread or foreboding that top tier religious horror films elicit.  It’s still incredibly watchable due to strong work form Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.  By this point in the series both actors inhabit the skin of their characters with a palpable level of authenticity.  Outside of the scares, this series has primarily been about this couples marriage and love story.  It’s the beating heart of the story and the main reason these films work even in lesser entries like this.  The biggest issue here is that a lot of the story and tropes have all been done in better films.  It doesn’t really break any new ground and doesn’t explore a tantalizing story thread with John Noble’s character with it choosing for a more straightforward approach.  This third entry in The Conjuring franchise works but most hardcore horror fans will be left wanting for more. 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: AQUAMAN

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people -- and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm's half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.

Director: James Wan

Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman

Release Date: December 14, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

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

Runtime: 2h 23 min

Review:

Aquaman is one of those properties that could have gone off the rails fairly easily much like Marvel’s Thor.  The best thing DC did was nail the casting much like they did with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.  Jason Momoa has great screen presence and he never takes himself overly serious.  He’s had a trial run with him making an impressive debut in Justice League and he proves that he’s more than capable of carrying his own film here.  The combination of James Wan and Jason Momoa make for an incredibly fun film which has a massive scope but it never loses its focus even as it becomes more and more ridiculous.  Wan does a healthy bit of world building delivering some incredibly impressive visual set pieces and action sequences.  After a bit of a slow start the film revs up and never let’s down, its energy is palpable through out even at nearly two in half hours.  The supporting cast rounds out the film with Amber Heard leaving the biggest impression with Nichole Kidman coming in a strong second.  It’s a testament to how well crafted the film is that you can overlook a few missteps like a bland villain, Black Manta would have worked better as the primary baddie, and some formulaic story beats.  Even so Aquaman is a superhero film that’s sure to please nearly everyone especially long suffering DC fans.  

A-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Commuter & The Shape of Water

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: A heavy slate of January releases and an unusually chaotic real life (ughhhhh...real life!) have conspired to set me behind at the cinema, so yesterday I burned an afternoon's PTO to head to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of films that didn't particularly excite me: The Commuter and The Shape of Water. If you thought one was markedly better than the other, you would be mistaken.

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

 

First up: The Commuter.

 

Liam Neeson Liam-Neesons his way through the sort of crisis that seems to follow Liam Neeson, this time on a commuter train.

 

A moviegoer could be forgiven for assuming that The Commuter is merely Taken on a train...or Non-Stop on a train...or Run All Night on a train, but I'm sorry to tell you it's a whole lot worse than that. Sure, the Taken movies are getting samey, but I enjoyed all but the middle one. Non-Stop was pretty good fun, and I actually loved Run All Night. The Commuter's every turn is obvious, every character as easy to figure out as the ending of a Nicholas Sparks novel. The dialogue is pitiful, and the delivery just as bad. The fight scenes are ho-hum, and even the daring train stunts are so poorly executed as to be laughable. Sam Neill and Patrick Wilson, two pretty extraordinary actors, are wasted on small, easy-to-peg roles. If there's any good news, it's that the insufferable Vera Farmiga enjoys similarly little screen time. When I heard Liam Neeson planned to retire from action films, I felt a bit sad, but if this is what he's being offered, it's probably the right decision. 

 

The Commuter clocks in at 105 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some intense action/violence, and language."

 

One of The Commuter's early scenes shows a poster for Paddington 2 hanging on a train station wall, almost as if the movie itself were pointing you towards a better use of your time. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Commuter gets three.

 

Fangirl points: Shazad Latif! ("Yes I can hear you, Clem Fandango!) Kingsley Ben-Adir!

 

Next on the docket: awards darling The Shape of Water.

 

A laboratory cleaning lady forms a relationship with a captive creature.

 

I did not expect to love The Shape of Water. I did not expect it to be my top pick for Best Picture. I DID expect it to be a great movie that just isn't my cup of tea, but I was mistaken. 

 

The Shape of Water is extraordinary on several fronts, the first and most obvious being its performances. This movie is an acting master class! Sally Hawkins is breathtaking in the lead role, expressive and sympathetic. Michael Shannon and Richard Jenkins, on opposite ends of the likability scale, turn in layered performances. Michael Stuhlbarg is incredible as usual, and I'm delighted he continues to get such high-profile work; however, it's Octavia Spencer who is the film's highlight, sometimes serving as the movie's comic relief, other times as its foot in reality. The Shape of Water also boasts glorious visuals, carrying through the water theme in lovely, unexpected, and sometimes uncomfortable ways. It takes itself seriously, but it's also very funny at times. Part love story, part monster movie, The Shape of Water is, at least, a pretty interesting idea.

 

'Til about the midway point, I was prepared to say I didn't hate The Shape of Water as much as I thought I would. Sadly, it hit a downhill skid that culminated in the most ill-fitting movie scene since the ending of La La Land, and at that point I gave up and called it a total loss. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I make no comment on the scene itself being good or bad, happy or sad, only about how the scene felt IN the movie, which was so far off it took me out of the picture entirely, and I did nothing but check the clock from that point on. The creature doesn't appear much removed from 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon, which I imagine is meant as a sort-of love letter to old school horror, but--in 2018--it makes taking the film seriously pretty difficult. Unsubtle parallels are drawn between prejudice against the creature and other prejudices that were prevalent just a few decades ago; this is a message movie trying to hide behind a fairy tale and failing miserably.

The Shape of Water runs an interminable 123 minutes and is rated R for "sexual content, graphic nudity, violence, and language."

 

The Shape of Water is lovely music with nonsensical lyrics, aesthetically pleasing but not good for much else.  Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Shape of Water gets four.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CONJURING 2

Director James Wan brings this supernatural thriller to the screen with another real case from the files of renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren.. Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

Director: James Wan

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Frances O'Connor, Madison Wolfe, Simon Delaney

Release Date: Jun 10, 2016

Rated for terror and Horror Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 13 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

The Conjuring 2 is a strong if slightly forgettable sequel that doesn’t have the same bite as the first film.  James Wan continues to prove he’s one of the stronger directors in the horror genre as he runs through a series of tried and true horror tropes.  In the hands of lesser directors these tropes would feel tired and come off as ineffective.  Wan is capable of finding the perfect tenor of a sense to set up scares which jolts the audience even though most of them know its coming.  While its director and cast are strong, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are just as committed to their roles as the first tie around, there’s a strong sense of familiarity with the story.  The majority of the film plays out exactly as expected with few surprises in store save for a random Elvis impersonation from Patrick Wilson.  Personally, I’d love to see this franchise continue with Wilson and Farmiga but it’ll need some slightly fresher material to keep it’s bite.    

B

MOVIE REVIEW INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2

The Lambert family learn their struggle with the supernatural is far from over when a long-buried secret plunges them back into a terrifying world of darkness. Director James Wan reteams with screenwriter Leigh Whannell for this horror sequel starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Ty Simpkins. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James Wan

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Jocelin Donahue.

Release Date: Sep 13, 2013

Rated R intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

Insidious Chapter 2 continues an incredibly strong streak for director James Wan. The first Insidious was an exercise in mood and atmosphere which faltered in the last act. The sequel is incredibly similar, it’s first 2 acts are a relentless series of scares, perfectly set up to deliver jolt after jolt. In an impressive feat since he doesn’t break any new ground. Instead he just continues to perfect the process much like he did in this summer’s The Conjuring. Horror fans will find plenty of nice little nods to classic genre films like Suspiria and Poltergeist. The third act suffers a tad from some of the more outlandish elements at play. It’s not as extreme as it was in the first and Wan keeps the film on a more even keel this go around. Insidious Chapter 2 is helped by a rather smart, time bending script which will have you revisiting scenes from the original and viewing them in a new light. Additionally, it’s not as overly serious as The Conjuring. We get nice comedic breaks in the tension to give us a moment to breathe. The returning cast is strong. Rose Byrne shows us she can take her frantic level to eleven and Patrick Wilson reminds us he can be kind of creepy. The door is left wide open for another sequel but James Wan’s recent announcement that he’s leaving the horror genre kind of dulls any excitement.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CONJURING

Insidious' James Wan dips his feet into the haunted-house genre once again with this New Line Cinema production depicting the real-life tale of the Perron family, who claimed to have been terrorized by a series of ghosts. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson star as paranormal investigators who achieved notoriety from their investigation into the Perrons' house. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Joey King

Release Date: Jul 19, 2013

Rated: Sequences of disturbing violence and terror.

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

The Conjuring is a well acted, well directed horror film that takes it’s time building scares. James Wan directs his film like an homage to 70’s horror films, it borrows heavily from The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist. Like Insidious, Wan builds up the tension by setting up a chilling atmosphere that’s filled with wonderfully set up moments all done with interesting camera work. Unlike Insidious, the final act doesn’t falter with cheesy monster effects. The final reel is a goose bump inducing horror show that delivers the goods. Impressively, this is all done with very little blood or even cursing, it’s a master class in restraint. The cast is solid but the characters, the Warren’s in particular, are under written. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson shine throughout while creating a palpable and believable loving relationship. Personally, I wish we’d seen a tad more of them and their back story but since this is considered a franchise starter it maybe something we’ll see down the road. Let’s hope the quality stays just as high in future installments.

B+

[Trailer] Insidious: Chapter 2

I personally enjoyed Insidious, until that final act where the tone shifted wildly. The trailer was one of best horror movie trailer I’d ever seen and got me excited about a film I didn’t care about up till that point.

The sequel’s trailer isn’t quite as impressive but I’m still curious to see where the story goes considering the way the first one ended.

MOVIE REVIEW: YOUNG ADULT

IN THEATERS

YOUNG ADULT



Upon returning to her small Minnesota hometown to win back her high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson), now a happily-married father, divorced young adult fiction author Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) forges an unexpected bond with another former schoolmate (Patton Oswalt) who's had a particularly difficult life. Juno collaborators Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody re-team for this Paramount Pictures production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe

Release Date: Dec 09, 2011

Rated: Language and some sexual content

Runtime: 1 hr. 34 min.

Genres: Art House, Comedy, Drama

Review:

Young Adult is the kind of film that’s won’t give you tidy answers complete with a happy catch all lessons learned ending. It’s stark, occasionally dark and impressively authentic. Setting aside most of the more zingy dialogue from her previous efforts, Cody’s script feels closer to home and more personal. Reitman’s ability to make the mundane interesting is perfect to capture this woman’s constant state of arrested development. He drops clues throughout about Mavis’s state of mind and the dark comedy works well but when we dip into the further depths it gets pretty dark. Charlize Theron puts on the type of performance that just as raw and effective as her Oscar Award winning turn in 2003’s Monster. Theron has a masterful way of showing the character’s general state of entitlement and disgust while she’s in her old home town. As her character enters the abyss you expect a certain revelation to occur but it doesn’t. Patton Oswalt is perfectly cast as Mavis’s former classmate, an equally damaged but less delusional counter part. Oswalt has an effect everyman type truth to his deliver and here it works perfectly. Looking at this film as a whole, it’d be easy to feel that Reitman and Cody are making a statement about those lost Gen X-ers who seem to have a happier life but are ultimately vapid and unfulfilled.

A