MOVIE REVIEW: THE FALL GUY

 

After leaving the business one year earlier, battle-scarred stuntman Colt Seavers springs back into action when the star of a big studio movie suddenly disappears. As the mystery surrounding the missing actor deepens, Colt soon finds himself ensnared in a sinister plot that pushes him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.

Director: David Leitch

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke

Release Date: May 3, 2024

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama

Rated PG-13 for action and violence, drug content and some strong language.

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

David Leitch's The Fall Guy is a breezy sort of blockbuster, packed with massive stunts and a pair of perfectly matched stars.  The film uses its madcap set up as an excuse for Leitch to lovingly show his appreciation for the stunt side of the movie business which he came from.  The plot serves as little more than an excuse to move from one action sequence to another with the central romance serving as the propulsive force behind the whole thing.  There's a heavy rom-com feel to the quieter moments that relies heavily on its two leads to carry the momentum.  Thankfully, the film is blessed with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt's inherent charm and charisma.  Gosling brings his goofy, likable energy to the lovelorn stuntman who's willing to do what it takes to get the girl.  The film noticeably perks up when he and Blunt share the screen, be it in person or by way of old school split screen.  Their interchanges possess the kind of natural ease that makes it easy to believe the two care for each other in spite of the artificial obstacles the plot presents them with.  The onscreen couple are destined to be together from the start which is sort of refreshing in its lack of contrived conflict that usually pops up in rom-coms.  It’s a fun pairing that makes the film far better than it should be since the story's twists aren't terribly surprising since they are telegraphed fairly early on.  This is a film that leans heavily on its cast with the supporting players made up of familiar faces like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu.  Johnson and Waddingham are clearly having a ball hamming up it as Hollywood stereotypes.  Winston Duke makes for a solid wingman for Gosling’s character but the film doesn't make the most of the pairs natural chemistry.  Stephanie Hsu makes the most of her limited screen time, especially in one big action sequence.  It all makes for a fun film that's never too deep or weighty which makes it the kind of disposable summer blockbuster that might not linger in your memory too long afterwards. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Marvel (Streaming) Double-Feature

My dear reader(s), last week I indulged in a rare Saturday in front of my television, allowing me to catch up on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and Ant-Man: Quantumania (2023).

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

First on my home-viewing docket: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The people of Wakanda must face new threats even as they mourn the loss of their king.

Chadwick Boseman was a singular talent, and movie fans joined the fictional residents of Wakanda in mourning the man and his alter-ego. The funeral for King T'Challa is as devastating as if it were real, and this sequel suffers greatly for having lost an irreplaceable screen presence. The franchise still has its share of engaging talent in Winston Duke (M'Baku), Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), and Danai Gurira (Okoye), but it chooses to shift focus to Letitia Wright (Shuri), whose tepid magnetism wilts under the weight of this tentpole.

Wakanda Forever retains many of the things that made the original Black Panther so special: a fantastic score, glorious costumes, and majestic sets/locations. Action sequences are well done, if overlong, and there's enough humor to keep the undercurrent of sadness from overwhelming the movie's mood. Some wonky CGI provides unintentional laughs. In the mix with Gurira, Nyong'o, and Duke, the reliably entertaining Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the magnificent Angela Bassett (chewing it up like mid-90s Gary Oldman) keep the movie mostly watchable, but ultimately it can't surmount a weak lead and an entirely insufferable run time.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever clocks in at a bloated 161 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of strong violence, action, and some language."

Overcoming the loss of Chadwick Boseman probably would be impossible for even a great movie, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not a great movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets four.

Next on last weekend's agenda: Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Scott Lang and company are dragged into the Quantum Realm, where they face a new super-villain.

Quantumania is the movie equivalent of when it's two days before payday and you have to try making a meal out of whatever's left in the 'fridge. It throws everything at the screen in hopes of making something worth consuming, but you really just wish you had something fresh. 

If Wakanda Forever suffers for the loss of Chadwick Boseman, Quantumania survives almost exclusively because it's impossible to dislike Paul Rudd. I never could imagine that many people were clamoring to bring Ant-Man to the big screen, but Rudd's charisma makes it easy to excuse the low-rent hero. Having Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer along for the ride doesn't hurt, either. Quantumania's story is a jumble, struggling with the same issue as all multi-verse/timeline stories: Why should anyone care what happens, when it's just going to UN-happen the minute it becomes inconvenient to the cinematic universe or detrimental to the studio's bottom line? Much like the Thor movies, the Ant-Man franchise is more like a comedy that's heavy on action than a super hero movie that's funny sometimes, and its humor is its salvation. Like all Marvel product, it fails to earn its runtime, but after Wakanda Forever it seems pretty doggone short. Given that the story's such a mess and the Quantum Realm looks like a high-school production of Star Wars, it's very little on which to hang one's super-hero helmet, but it'll have to do. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania runs 124 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence/action and language."

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a car crash, watchable only thanks to a terrific lead who keeps things light and entertaining. Credit where credit is due, it also features the most inspirational line I've ever heard in a film: "It's never too late to stop being a dick." Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania gets five.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

 

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast:  Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Angela Basset

Release Date: November 11, 2022

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-FiThriller

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language.

Runtime: 2h 41m

Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an emotionally charged comic book movie wake that is trying to pay tribute to its fallen star while moving the franchise forward into a new era.  Mourning is the central theme throughout the entire film even amongst the usual comic book action that the film provides in spades.  The film handles it about as well as can be expected even though the film is overstuffed with required checkboxes to mark off for the ongoing Marvel franchise.  If anything, it gives the film a very different feel than most of Marvel's entry but its never entirely removed from it either.  The comic book side of the story is surprisingly straightforward with very little in the way of surprises since it follows a predictable path from start to finish.  The big introduction of Tenoch Huerta's Namor is one of the film's strongest and intriguing story thread by delivering an antagonist with a bit more depth than the usual baddie.  Huerta effectively conveys the character's deep-rooted desire to protect his people at any cost, serving a mirror to the Wakandans.  It’s an engaging performance from start to finish which makes him the most interesting performer whenever he's onscreen. Using the Mesoamerican imagery is a masterstroke to juxtapose both cultures who have been subjugated and create something different enough from DC's Aquaman to avoid comparisons.  Replacing Chadwick Boseman was always going to be a difficult task and we end up getting more of an ensemble than a central lead.  Letitia Wright, Angela Basset, Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira all carry portions of the film which is understandable but it doesn't allow for the kind of depth you'd expect.  Letitia Wright gets a larger share of the focus but her character isn't that engaging or interesting with a late act reveal hinting a more nuanced take that might have been left on the cutting room floor.  Its shame since there's clearly some fertile ground that could have been explored as she deals with the death of her brother but the film is simply too big and busy to deliver that type of focus.  Basset, Nyong'o and Gurira all get moments to shine but the characters are surprisingly one note. Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams/Ironheart serves as fun comic relief with her introduction clearly setting up future appearances. It’s an example of the difficult tightrope that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had to walk, eulogizes its fallen star while moving forward a gargantuan franchise.

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Spenser Confidential

Well, hey there. Remember me? It's been awhile. As yet another weekend has gone by without time for a visit to my poor, neglected local cinema, I decided to give the Netflix original Spenser Confidential a try, just so I'd have something for you — yes, YOU, dearest reader(s) - to read about.

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

Upon his release from prison, a disgraced ex-cop steps right into a mystery that threatens not only his freedom, but his life.

Spenser Confidential is hardly gritty realism, but it's not quite as comical as I expected, either. Neither keeps it from being an entertaining ride, but sometimes it feels a bit tonally unsettled.

Mark Wahlberg is perfectly capable in the lead, as well he should be; this is basically the same not-as-dumb-as-he-looks tough guy he's played dozens of times before. No surprises, no complaints. Winston Duke is a treat as his more subdued sidekick, and the movie is, of course, better for having the brilliant Alan Arkin.

Spenser Confidential kicks off to the strains of Boston's Foreplay/Longtime, in what may be the most effective use of a dinosaur rock classic in a film since Kingsman's Freebird church massacre. Following are some fisticuffs, a chase scene or two, the standard troubled love affair, and a decent number of excuses for Wahlberg and Duke to appear shirtless. The movie gets funnier as it goes along, building to a ridiculous climax that starts out a little like a poor man's Fast & Furious. Ultimately, Spenser Confidential is the film equivalent of comfort food: it's pretty basic and not at all challenging, but you won't mind because it's exactly what you want and expect.

Spenser Confidential clocks in at 111 minutes and is rated R for "violence, language throughout, and sexual content."

If you're tired of worrying about everything going on in the real world right now, Netflix' Spenser Confidential is a great escape. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Spenser Confidential gets six.

Until next time...let's hope there is a next time.

MOVIE REVIEW: US

Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

Director: Jordan Peele

Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker

Release Date: March 22, 2019

Genres: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for some violence and disturbing images

Runtime: 1h 56 min

Review:


Us, Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort, is hard to classify as a horror film.  Much like Get Out, it’s a film that’s never particularly scary even though it’s filed into the horror genre.  That’s not to say that the film isn’t well done, it’s a fun thrill ride, but it’s just not a horror film.  Once we move past that point, again much like Get Out, it works best as an interesting Twilight Zone type film.  Peele’s references to other better horror films are sporadically throughout with some being more explicit while others are implicit.  On its own merits, the film moves at a fast pace playing out much like a rollercoaster ride where once it gets going it never stops.  Ultimately, even with all the references, Us ends up feeling much more like George A. Romero criminally underseen 1973 film The Crazies.  Peele delivers some beautifully composed shots and sequences that are sure to leave an impression but at the center of it all is Lupita Nyong’o.  Nyongo’o duel performance is the oil that makes this engine go here; she does wonderful work throughout even though you are left wanting more of her as her doppelganger.  The supporting cast is just as strong with Winston Duke showing some strong comedic chops.  I do wish we’d gotten a tad bit more of Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker who make the most of their limited screen time.  On it’s whole, the film is a fun ride even though it seems to find it’s last second reveal much more mind blowing that it actually is.        


B+

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK PANTHER

After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis

Release Date: Feb 16, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture

Runtime: 2h 14 min

Review:

Black Panther is a bit of a watershed moment for Marvel films for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, the cast and director are primarily people of color and it carries over on screen.  The film has a decidedly strong theme of African Heritage running throughout all within the trapping of a superhero story.  Ryan Coogler does an impressive job of giving his film a visual distinctiveness that’s missing from most of Marvel entries.  As such, Black Panther has a strong identity and it uses it to its advantage by telling an emotionally engaging and thoughtful story.  Chadwich Boseman leads the film with an easy charisma that’s hard to resist.  Boseman has an effortless way about himself all the while maintaining a sense of nobility in T’Challa.  The supporting cast is probably one of the best assembled for any of the Marvel movies.  Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright and Martin Freeman all leave lasting impressions on the film.  Their characters aren’t simply throwaway supporting players but instead feel like well rounded characters equal to the lead.  Michael B. Jordan makes for a fine villain.  He’s a strong counterpart to Boseman’s T’Challa in every manner of speaking.  The character’s motivations actually make sense and pose some interesting questions.  Unfortunately, the film doesn’t spend nearly the amount of time it should fleshing him out which could have made him iconic.  It’s a minor issue compared to the whole.  Black Panther, much like last year’s Wonder Woman, elevates the super hero genre and forces future entries to raise their game.   

A