MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

 

Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre: Action,Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi,Thriller, War

Rated PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.

Runtime: 2h 37m

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a pleasant surprise on multiple levels from the quality of the direction and impressive performances from its cast.  This prequel avoids multiple pitfall that franchise expansion packs usually fall into by taking time and care with the story and characters presented.  Francis Lawrence delivers a wonderfully shot film which is aided by familiarity with the franchise and setting as he leans more into the art deco design.  He delivers some big sweeping moments even if some shoddy CGI kills the effect of a few action set pieces but the film works best when it focuses on its character.  Luckily, the film is blessed with an inspired cast that makes the film far more engaging than it should be.  English actor Tom Blyth takes on the role of a nascent Coriolanus Snow years before he becomes a dictator.  Blyth turns in a nuanced performance which is engaging enough to draw you in before he reveals bits of simmer rage and anger as the film moves on.  His committed performance makes it easier to overlook some of the more bombastic and melodramatic bits of dialogue that the script throws at him.  The chemistry he shares with Rachel Zegler is the engine that keeps the whole thing moving even during some of the lulls in the pacing during the film's runtime.  Zegler is just as committed throughout as the film takes full advantage of the multi talented artist which includes her singing talents, who knew there were so many hootenannies going in Panem, on top of her acting skills.  They are blessed with wonderful supporting cast made up of established stars whose characters give the film a sense of respectability.  Peter Dinklage is appropriately mournful as the accidental co creator of the Hunger Games while Jason Schwartzman is a perfectly preening predecessor to Stanley Tucci's character but Viola Davis leaves the biggest impression with a deliciously twisted turn which has her manically chewing up scenery to great effect.  The film though isn't without some issues with pacing being the most glaring.  There are noticeable lulls that pop up throughout the film's runtime making it feel far longer than it's 2 hour and 37 minutes length.  While there are plenty of moments in the first two acts that could use some trimming, the final act is strangely overstuffed and rushed so much so that you get the sense this story could have been broken up into two films.  Those issues aside, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, manages to be one of the more carefully crafted and enjoyable prequels in recent memory.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS

 

Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals to save Earth.

Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Cast:  Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Peter Cullen, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov

Release Date: June 9, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

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

Runtime: 2h 7m

Transformers: Rise of the Beast, the seventh installment in the franchise, is an admirable attempt to bring the original cartoon to life.  Its story is significantly larger in scope than 2018's Bumblebee which delivered a much-needed reset from Michael Bay's orgy of metallic explosions, undercooked characters and plots which rarely focused on the titular robots.  This film expands on the groundwork Bumblebee in just about every way and it gives some of the Transformers, Prime and Mirage in particular, real character arches to work with. Those story arches aren't incredibly nuanced, but they do give the characters even footing with their human counterparts something that Bay only gave passing consideration.  As a result, this is the first film that allows Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime to come to the screen with some noticeable depth.  Pete Davidson is surprisingly good as the voice of Mirage, who plays more like a hybrid of Jazz and Cliffjumper from the original series than his namesake aside from his ability to project holograms.  Davidson's performance is fun but also heartfelt in parts which makes the character more likable than if he was solely used for comic relief.  Michelle Yeoh manages to add some gravitas to her character even if it is a bit funny to hear her voice coming out of a giant robot hawk.  Sadly, the rest of voice cast isn't given much to do outside of deliver exposition.  

Ron Perlman and Peter Dinklage in particular get the short end of the stick with paper thin characters that could have been much more memorable.  Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback make up the human side of the cast with mixed results.  Ramos seems perfectly at ease working with the greenscreen madness as he's clearly having a ball throughout which makes him a likable lead.  Fishback on the other hand comes off a bit more lost and plays her character a bit too broad in spots.  That being said, they are fun together especially in a Peru set action set piece as they chase the movie's McGuffin which leads to the final act.  Steven Caple Jr. energetic direction keeps everything moving at a steady pace and delivers some well choregraphed and coherent action sequences even if they still rely on a bit too much slow motion for my taste. He smartly uses the 90's setting to his advantage with a fun soundtrack that sure to make people of a certain age smile.  The overall plot does set up a major villain and possible crossover which gives you the impression that this film is setting up an even larger follow up.  Transformers: Rise of the Beast does plenty right especially for people who grew up with the cartoon and it works well as a big budget blockbuster that the whole family can enjoy.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CROODS: A NEW AGE

 

Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans -- a family that's a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.

Director: Joel Crawford

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, Kelly Marie Tran

Release Date: November 25, 2020

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for peril, action and rude humor.

Runtime: 1 h 35 min

Review:

The Croods: A New Age which randomly appears 7 years after the original is more unfocused than the first film but still a fun family film.  The story in this sequel is more straightforward but it allows Joel Crawford to move the story into weird and surprisingly psychedelic areas.  Crawford moves the story along a steady pace getting into the story fairly quickly introducing the new characters/cast.  The returning cast easily gets back into their characters and have great chemistry with newcomers Peter Dinklage and Leslie Mann.  Dinklage and Mann play great foils to the Croods as the hipster Bettermans who are slightly more evolved.  Dinklage and Cage in particular seem to be having a ball throughout the film with it all climaxing with a great Punch Monkey finale.  Stone, Keener, Leachman, Mann & Tran also get their time to shine with a strong girl power story thread that has them all saving the day.  Its message is sweet but it’s not anything revelatory like some of the prestige Pixar films.  This sequel isn’t as consistent as the original but it’s still a lot of fun in parts but be warned some sequences might be a bit too intense or scary for very small children. 

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Jungle Book, The Angry Birds Movie, Now You See Me 2

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Now You See Me 2 and Warcraft...except I couldn't bring myself to face Warcraft and ended up catching up on The Jungle Book and Angry Birds instead. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. (I'm assuming everyone knows Warcraft is terrible from the trailers?) 

 

First on the docket: The Jungle Book. When the vicious tiger Shere-Khan threatens his life, Mowgli, a boy raised by a wolf pack, is forced to flee his jungle home. 

 

The Jungle Book is a gorgeous film, and a vote of confidence for CGI at a time when, let's face it, even the biggest-budget CGI is starting to look a little dodgy. The movie is probably eighty-percent jungle and jungle animals, and the only time you can tell most of it is fake is when the bear starts singing. I've never seen a real one sing. 

 

Then again, my experience with bears is somewhat limited. Outside its technical virtures, the movie's main plus is some great voice work from the likes of Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, and Scarlett Johanssn. 

 

Unfortunately, it's merely a silver lining on what's ultimately a pretty boring picture. The movie tiptoes around its brutality, with most of it played out off screen. It would have served no one's purpose for a kids' film to be a total bloodbath, but the impact of losses is certainly diminished. There are chases and plenty of other action, but the movie is plain dull in its execution. 

 

The second half, in particular, seems to drag on forever. The Jungle Book clocks in at 106 minutes and is rated PG for "some sequences of scary action and peril." Worth a look for its technical prowess alone, 2016's Jungle Book sadly falls short of the animated feature on which it's based. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Jungle Book gets five. Fangirl points: Giancarlo Esposito. Again! 

 

Next up: The Angry Birds Movie. An island of peaceful, (mostly) happy, flightless birds faces a threat from neighboring green pigs. 

 

Whoa. Trippiest. Synopsis. Ever. Dear Reader(s), I have not even a passing familiarity with video games. 

 

Luckily, The Angry Birds Movie is pretty cute, and I don't think I missed out on anything for not having spent hours with my nose in my phone, playing the Angry Birds game. Angry Birds is a great-looking picture, full of gorgeous animation and bright colors. The film boasts an impressive array of voice talent, including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, and Sean Penn. 

 

The plot is pretty thin, but the film keeps moving and doesn't bog down. There's some charming humor alongside some that's truly disgusting...at least for grownups...as well as a lovely score by Heitor Pereira. The Angry Birds Movie runs 97 minutes and is rated PG for "rude humor and action." It's no game-changer, but Angry Birds is a bright, colorful, quick-moving film that's fun for the whole family. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Angry Birds Movie gets six. 

Fangirl points: Angry Birds was created in Finland. This movie kicks off with a Black Sabbath song. (I'm not joking.) 

 

Finally, the closer on yesterday's agenda: Now You See Me 2. After hiding out for 18 months, the Horsemen resurface to perform their greatest heist yet. 

 

When the first Now You See Me was released into a summer of prequels, sequels, and reboots, I recall lauding it as a breath of fresh air in a sea of franchise installments. Of course, then Hollywood had to go and commission a sequel because...Hollywood. 

 

The good news is, if the sequel wasn't entirely necessary, it is a great time nonetheless. NYSM2 raises the stakes from the Horsmen's first outing, meaning even more incredible stunts that require even more suspension of disbelief. 

 

I mean, faking one's death can't possibly be as easy as depicted here (more than once) or everyone who has a crazy ex or owes on a credit card would be doing it! Still, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, so playing along isn't a problem. Some of the illusions are spectacular, in particular, the rain-manipulation trick hinted at in the trailers, and the plot has plenty of twists and turns to hold your attention. 

 

The cast is terrific from top to bottom, with Jesse Eisenberg again the standout. Lizzy Caplan's character is a somewhat brash replacement for Isla Fisher, but she's great fun and will grow on you quickly. Daniel Radcliffe continues to distance himself from his Potter past with a funny, quirky performance as the film's baddie. 

 

The movie gets a bit preachy here and there, but it's mostly a thrilling, layered ride. Now You See Me 2 clocks in at 129 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and some language." That rare sequel that is as good as, and perhaps even better than, the original, 

 

Now You See Me 2 is great fun and (still) something a little different for the summer blockbuster season. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Now You See Me 2 gets seven. Fangirl points: DanRad in *another* movie about magic! 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BOSS

Academy Award®-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines The Boss as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.McCarthy is joined in The Boss by an all-star cast led by Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates. Directed by Ben Falcone (Tammy), the comedy is based on an original character created by McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Falcone alongside their Groundlings collaborator, Steve Mallory. The film is produced by McCarthy and Falcone through their On the Day productions and Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy through their Gary Sanchez Productions.

Director: Ben Falcone

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kristen Schaal, Kathy Bates.

Release Date: Apr 08, 2016

Rated R for Sexual content, language and brief drug use.

Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

The Boss is a comedy that’s sporadically funny and consistently uneven through out.    It’s not nearly as bad as Tammy, also directed by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone, but it does feel like a missed opportunity.  The supporting cast is made up of an excellent collection of comedic actors like Tyler Labine, Cecily Strong and Kristen Schaal but proceeds to give them nothing to do.  Kathy Bates passes through and doesn’t really add much to the film which is a shame because it does seem like there’s a much funnier movie in there but it just never hit’s the sweet spot.  Melissa McCarthy, to her credit, is committed as always and she delivers some of the films funniest lines.  Peter Dinklage seems incredibly at home on the comedic side, I just wished his character was a bit more fleshed out.  Overall it’s a forgettable comedy that’ll probably end up on a late Saturday afternoon double header with Identity Crisis.

C

TV SHOW REVIEW: GAME OF THRONES SEASON 1

Synopsis: Kings, queens, knights and renegades use schemes and swords to battle for the The Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms.

Cast: Lena Headey, Jack Gleeson, Sean Bean, Michelle Fairley, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Mark Addy, Jason Momoa

I’ve never been much of a fantasy fan so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that I’d never heard of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy book series. In all honesty I came to Game of Thrones, the HBO series, as green as you could possibly come. I was aware of it simply because I’d heard other people talking about but never quite knew what it was actually about. I watched the first episode and I was still fairly confused as to what it was all about, not to mention being bombarded with family names, locations and story mythology. If you come to this series as green as I did then don’t be surprised if you feel like you are already trying to catch up with what’s going on right from the start. That being said, once you get a better handle of story’s dynamics, 2 to 3 episodes in for me, Game of Thrones just drags you into it’s gritty devilishly delicious story of intrigue and backstabbing. It’s the type of series that wonderfully produced, acted and executed. The plot contains enough twist and turns to leave you in knots after major events; this is especially true in the final episodes of season 1. The cast is filled with top notch actors and actress working off strong scripts that really pack some punch. Multiple intertwined storyline create an epic scope that’s incredibly engrossing. As I mentioned earlier the cast is top notch, so much so that attempting to explain how each actor impresses would read like some sort of shipping manifest. Sean Bean stars and he’s more than capable as the honor bound Ned Stark. Other truly impressive performances are turned in by Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Aidan Gillen and Mark Addy. Peter Dinklage truly shines as Tyrion “The Imp” Lannister, he’s simply magnetic anytime he’s on screen. As a whole, the first season is a perfect hook and one that’s sure to leave you wanting more after you watch the open ended season finale.

A