MOVIE REVIEW: MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL

The Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe but so have the villains of the universe. To keep everyone safe, decorated Agent H and determined rookie M join forces -- an unlikely pairing that just might work. When aliens that can take the form of any human arrive on Earth, H and M embark on a globe-trotting adventure to save the agency -- and ultimately the world -- from their mischievous plans.

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, Liam Neeson, along with Emma Thompson

Release Date: June 14, 2019

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material.

Runtime: 1h 54min

Review:

Men in Black: International is a half hearted reboot that does boast a pair of a game stars that almost makes the film memorable.  F. Gary Gray captures some of the feel from the original but its never maintained for a consistent amount of time.  As such, the film is better in parts than it is as a whole.  The scripting doesn’t help much with it playing to the most basic and predictable story beats.  So ultimately it’s up Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson to make the whole thing watchable, luckily their chemistry makes the whole thing an enjoyable romp even if it’s ultimately forgettable.  The Men In Black series has always had trouble nailing the original’s feel in the sequels.  The third entry in the film came close and is an underrated entry in the series, International will probably fall just short of that entry.  It did take on the gargantuan task of replacing the Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones dynamic and it does reasonably well even if the story is generic and ultimately mundane.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that's about to erupt. They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.

Director: J. A. Bayona

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, B. D. Wong, Jeff Goldblum, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, Geraldine Chaplin

Release Date: June 22, 2018

 

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril

Runtime: 2h 8min

Review:

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a fun if forgettable sequel in a franchise that seems to be losing anything new to say.  J. A. Boyona does a fine job directing the film, infusing it with some of his horror sensibilities.  The film is a collection of big set pieces, at times it feels like the film’s plot is merely an excuse to move from one set piece to another.  The story itself is rather silly and the more you think about it the dumber it is.  The new characters and villains are all about as paper thin and clichéd as they come.  Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard continue to share strong chemistry which is a strong point of the film.  They both have plenty to do this go around so they’re fully engaged even though it’s a bit of a shame that the movie wasn’t slightly better.  The supporting cast is made of strong name actors but the film doesn’t seem interested is using them for anything substantial.  Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is one of those sequels that is easily forgettable because it lacks anything memorable about itself which is a shame because there’s clearly talent on hand. 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: LIFE OF PI 3D

Yann Martel's ponderous adventure novel gets the big-screen treatment with this Fox 2000 adaptation helmed by director Ang Lee. The coming-of-age story surrounds the son of a zookeeper who survives a shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker. Suraj Sharma heads up the cast as the young boy, with Gérard Depardieu, Adil Hussain, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, and Bollywood actress Tabu also starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Ang Lee

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu

Release Date: Nov 21, 2012

Rated PG for peril emotional Thematic Content and Some Scary Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Ang Lee’s wonderfully epic and visually stunning parable on life religion and survival is dense but still fairly accessible. The film’s plots starts grounded but gets more mystical existential as we move along. Along the way we are treating to a visually stunning and utterly engrossing parable that borrows from many a religious source. There are big topics at play here but it’s done, with the help of some truly stunning 3D, in an intimate and personal way which makes the entire easier to digest without losing much of the sentiment. At its center is Hollywood newcomer Suraj Sharma who performance impresses throughout. He’s given the Herculean task of carrying the film while working on a green screen mostly by himself. Sharma conveys a bevy of emotions throughout the span of the film, his face and eyes expressing heartbreak and hope while he traverses a Job like set of trials. His shipmate, a meticulously created CGI tiger is a marvel of technological achievement. If there is a fault to be found here it’s the film’s insistence on making sure we don’t miss the point by restating it various points throughout especially near its finale.

B+