MOVIE REVIEW: CHALLENGERS

 

Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, has transformed her husband from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a challenger event -- close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour. Tensions soon run high when he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend.

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling, AJ Lister, Nada Despotovich, Naheem Garcia, Hailey Gates, Jake Jensen

Release Date: April 26, 2024

Genre: Drama, Romance, Sport

Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content and graphic nudity

Runtime:  2h 11m

Review:

Luca Guadagnino's tennis set love triangle, Challengers, is sleek, sweaty, sexy journey packed with a bevy of subtext throughout carried by a strong performances from its central trio.  Guadagnino choice of sport is perfectly suited for the emotional back and forth he unfurls onscreen as the story unfolds in a series of flashback framed by a championship match between Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist.  The characters themselves are terribly deep since they're little more than clichéd types but still you feel the swings and sways of their emotional journeys as we watch them grow together and apart.  There's a palpable sense of desire, lust, envy, anger, and pity throughout the film from each of the characters which makes for a fascinating interplay between the central trio.  Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist prove to be up to the task as they all cycle between emotional ages as we follow them at different points in their lives and relationships with each.  Zendaya displays a naturalistic ease playing the focused, driven Tashi who shifts from teen phenom to wife/coach.  Zendaya brings a devious energy to her character as she pulls the strings between the friends who essentially serve as two personality extremes.  Josh O'Connor's Art is a doting lapdog who pines and angles for Tashi's attention before getting his opportunity.  Mike Faist's Patrick is far more self assured, desire driven but generally messy who serves as an excellent antithesis to Art.  They both share strong chemistry with Zendaya who ably shuffles through a series of emotions depending on the character and situation.  The exchanges ultimately drive the film even if the story on its surface doesn't go anywhere particularly surprising.  The real meat for Guadagnino is underneath the superficial storyline with his kinetic, vividly visualized during the final act set from the balls POV, exploration of wants and needs.  A few pacing issues, especially in its final act, keep it from landing with verve and energy of the film's earlier acts but Challengers still manages to leave a memorable impression.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNE PART TWO

 

Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux

Release Date: March 1, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language.

Runtime: 2h 46m

Review:

Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part Two is a sci-fi epic in every sense of the word filled with mesmerizing visuals, a stellar cast and a beefier story than you'd expect from a blockbuster of this size.  Villeneuve, now free of the first film's exposition dump, moves his film at a steadier pace delivering massive action set pieces that are impressively staged and far more engaging than the first film's offers.  Paul's first ride on a sandworm is wonderfully set up and executed to create a thrilling and visceral experience, something the battle sequences can't quite match.  Visually, you can see Villeneuve pulling inspiration from other legendary sci-fi films such as 2001 or Star Wars for Arrakis and contrasting it with the Harkonnen's which clearly draws inspiration from H.R. Giger early work from Jodorowsky’s failed attempt to bring the film to the screen in the 70's.  There are a bevy of shots that are sure to join the pantheon of the memorable shots in cinematic history.  Overall, the film and story move at a brisker pace with the full scale of the story's themes and relationships unfurling at steady pace leaving very few dead spots throughout the film’s hefty runtime.  The film's ensemble cast shines throughout with each delivering strong performances regardless of screen time.  Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya get the lion's share of the screen time with both doing fine work albeit their romantic chemistry isn't quite as strong as it should be likely due to their romance being rushed thru in the opening act.  It’s a minor issue especially with the amount of story they have to work through and both still deliver the goods on the dramatic sides.  Rebecca Ferguson gets a meatier role here as her character takes a darker more ominous tone which she's more than capable of conveying.  Javier Bardem also gets more to do this go around after his extended cameo in the first film.  Bardem is fun every time he's onscreen thanks to his general charisma which works for his character's unwavering zealotry.  Austin Butler proves he doesn't have to be Elvis in everything with an impressive about face as the psychotic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.  Florence Pugh does well in her limited screen time even though the character is mainly used for exposition dumps, but you get the sense there's more on the horizon if a third film comes to fruition.  Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin and Charlotte Rampling return from the first film with much smaller but important roles with each making those small moments far more impactful.  It’s a testament to the scale of Dune Two that these actors serve as garnish to its cinematic cornucopia which delivers on multiple fronts while leaving you wanting to see the story's final act.   

A

MOVIE REVIEW: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

 

With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei

Release Date: December 17, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments

Runtime: 2h 28m

Review:

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a crowd pleasing trilogy capper for Tom Holland's run as the webslinger.  Jon Watts film is initially chaotic and contrived as he tries to set the table for the plot.  Once the film gets moving in earnest Watts and Holland start hitting that sweet spot with the latter bringing that youthful optimism and naivety to Parker that fits the character perfectly.  Plot threads from there on out become difficult to discuss without spoiling the fan service that's doled out in copious amounts in the film's last two acts.  There's a significant story at play in the background which deals with the characters legacy and future at the same time.  It's a hefty bit of character work and Tom Holland delivers one of his best performances in the role.  His turn here is more nuanced and layered than his previous takes and the film is the better for it.  Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return as Parker's girlfriend and best friend with the script not asking much from them other than playing it light and moving the story along as needed.  Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei are in a same boat but Tomei does get a moment to really shine for the first time in this series.  Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church and Rhys Ifans return to the Spider-Man universe with varying degrees of effectiveness.  Molina who gets the most screen time early on does an impressive job of channeling his original performance.  Willem Dafoe is equally impressive bring back his Green Goblin and even builds on it as the story moves along which is sure to leave an impression.  On the opposite end of the spectrum is Jamie Foxx who decides to ham it up every time he's on screen to a distracting degree.  A minor hiccup considering the amount of effort employed to get all these characters on screen at once.  Spider-Man: No Way Home manages to balance all these story threads while zeroing in the character's heart in the finale.  That being said, it's not perfect since there's a tangible sense that the film could have been streamlined and trimmed by at least a half an hour.  It's also easy to forget that the kicking off point of the entire story is incredibly contrived and nonsensical.  Ultimately, long term fans probably won't care by the time the film ends since it ultimately delivers on multiple levels

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Spider-Man: Far from Home

Yesterday I took an (involuntary) break from back-to-back Rocketman screenings to check in with my friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

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

To no one's surprise, Peter Parker's plan to participate in a school trip like any normal teen goes awry.

Like almost all Marvel product, Spider-Man: Far from Home trades heavily on the capital of its star's charisma and real-life personality. Tom Holland is an absolute jackpot in this regard, having proved as charming off-screen as on, and--while Andrew Garfield remains my perfect Spidey--the more age-appropriate Holland carries a big franchise film with the ease of someone far more experienced. His supporting cast is fleshed out this time with the always-wonderful Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as recurring turns by Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, and Coby Smoulders. The movie's got flaws, but not a single member of this cast is among them.

Far from Home represents a sort-of torch-passing, following the events of Avengers: Endgame. The film features spectacular disaster and creature effects, yet somehow Spidey himself looks weirdly CGI-ed even when it's probably a live actor or stunt person performing. The movie is never boring, precisely, but it's too long before it even gets out of its first hour. There's a big "twist" that manages to serve its purpose while probably not being much of a surprise to most fans. Some great action sequences, an engaging cast, and spot-on humor make Far from Home a fun movie, but, ultimately, it's nothing special.

Spider-Man: Far from Home clocks in at an excessive 129 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi action violence, some language, and brief suggestive comments."

Far from Home is another fun-but-unremarkable outing from Marvel that you'll forget before the next fun-but-unremarkable outing from Marvel. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Spider-Man: Far from Home gets seven.

Fangirl points: My best boyfriend Jake (obvs.)! Martin Starr! The Ramones!

MOVIE REVIEW: SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal

Release Date: July 2, 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments

Runtime: 2 h 9 min

Review:

Spider-Man: Far from Home has the simple task of tidying up the events of Avengers: Endgame while also moving forward Spider-Man character’s story.  It’s a hefty task and the film’s only partially able to pull it off, even though it’s at the cost of other elements.  Jon Watts’ film is a light and breezy affair with nary an air of heft or weight to it. They’re never any moments where you wonder if the hero is in any real danger, which is a common occurrence is these single character films but here it feels even more obvious.  That’s not say to there isn’t plenty of superhero action to go around along with some impressively staged sequences, particularly in the third act.  Tom Holland is still excellent as Parker/Spider-Man but while he gives more angst teen drama this entry, it feels more inorganic and stilted than it did in Homecoming.  Zendaya is relegated to a more standard love interest role than she did before and no amount of snark can hide it.  Jake Gyllenhaal is an interesting addition to the film but he’s a retconned villain from Spider-man villain who could just wear a sign around his neck stating “Don’t Trust Me” during the first half.  His reveal is interesting and it’s hard not to see the screenwriters taking swipes at a certain someone in the current political zeitgeist with the villain’s primary motivation.  It’s an interesting take and something that would have been more interesting if it’d been explored more but as is it’s a solid film.  Ultimately, it does close out this “phase” of the Marvel universe but does so in a workman like function.  That being said there are 2 post credit sequences that actually have bearing on the film you’ve finished watching so it’s worth staying all the way through the credits in this one.   

B