MOVIE REVIEW: FANTASTIC BEAST: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Director: David Yates

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law, Johnny Depp

Release Date: November 16, 2018

Genres: Adventure , Family , Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action

Runtime: 2h 14 min

Review:

I’ll start with a disclaimer; I’ve never been a die hard Harry Potter fan.  It’s a series that I warmed up too as the stories got more mature but I’d be lying if I said I loved them.  I appreciate them on multiple levels but if I never saw another film in the universe I’d be ok.  I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beast film because it was an enjoyable jaunt with some likeable characters starting with Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander.  In this entry, Redmayne has clearly nailed the character and he’s even more likeable this go around even though he’s not the primary focus.  A large cast of returning faces and new faces, like Johnny Depp’s titular Grindelwald and Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore, make this film feel much larger and busier than the first entry.  The movie is never uninteresting but it does feel like there are multiple story lines jammed into this entry with a hefty amount of exposition setting up future entries.  David Yates film clearly suffers from being a middle entry in a much larger story which leaves this feeling incomplete by design.  Still there is a lot to like and fans of the series will find plenty to like.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB

Fired from the National Security Agency, Frans Balder recruits hacker Lisbeth Salander to steal FireWall, a computer program that can access codes for nuclear weapons worldwide. The download soon draws attention from an NSA agent who traces the activity to Stockholm. Further problems arise when Russian thugs take Lisbeth's laptop and kidnap a math whiz who can make FireWall work. Now, Lisbeth and an unlikely ally must race against time to save the boy and recover the codes to avert disaster.

Director: Fede Álvarez

Cast: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, LaKeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant

Release Date: November 9, 2018

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Review:

The Girl in The Spider’s Web serves as a sort of reboot / continuation of Dragon Tattoo story with Clair Foy taking over the main role.  Claire Foy seems like she’s miscast at first glance but she’s actually more than capable to carry on the role from Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara.  Foy has a quiet intensity that fits the character perfectly even if the character has been mainstreamed a bit to make her more easily digestible to the general public.  Still, Claire Foy is able to give this iteration of Lisbeth enough of an edge to keep the spirit of the character alive.  Not fairing as well is this films version of Mikael Blomkvist.  Sverrir Gudnason is decidedly bland as the stalwart journalist who mostly just blends in with the background.  LaKeith Stanfield does give the film a nice boost with his strong on screen presence even though I wish the film would have given us a bit more of him and Foy together.  Still, Fede Álvarez and his cast deliver an interesting and engaging entry into the franchise which still shows signs of life especially with Foy in the lead.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: OVERLORD

On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to penetrate the walls of a fortified church and destroy a radio transmitter. As the soldiers approach their target, they soon begin to realize that there's more going on in the Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation. Making their way to an underground lab, the outnumbered men stumble upon a sinister experiment that forces them into a vicious battle against an army of the undead.

Director: Julius Avery

Cast: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, Bokeem Woodbine.

Release Date: November 9, 2018

Genres: Action, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content

Runtime: 1h 49 min

Review:

Overlord is a schlocky B movie that hits all the right notes.  Julius Avery directs the film with a steady hand.  The film opens with an amazing aerial sequence that will make some people think of the opening sequences in Saving Private Ryan.  As the film settles in, you get the feeling you are watching a well made World War 2 film as the film introduces us to classic war movie types.  These types could typically come off as clichéd but the performances from the cast makes them all interesting and engaging.  Avery and his cast establish an excellent sense of atmosphere and the feeling that something is just a tad bit off.  Once the film takes its right turn, which has been highlighted in the trailers, it turns into a full tilt horror film and does it quite well.  It calls to memory the reaction people had to From Dusk till Dawn, some people will go with it others will be turned off by where the film ends up.  Those that stick with it will find plenty to enjoy because as a horror film it’s an effective gory ride.  

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Girl in the Spider's Web & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the strange-bedfellows double-bill of The Girl in the Spider's Web and Dr. Seuss' The Grinch. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: The Girl in the Spider's Web. Lisbeth Salander finds herself tangled in a dangerous plot with a personal twist. Well, dear reader(s), about the nicest thing I can say about The Girl in the Spider's Web is that I had the theater to myself, but for one other couple that sat far from me, so I really enjoyed that bit.

Otherwise... The Girl in the Spider's Web is a joyless, violent exercise that fails to engage on any level. I'm not such a ninny that I expected sunshine and lollipops from the Dragon Tattoo series, but...yeeesh...almost everything about this is deeply unlikable. The plot holds no surprises, and the performances frankly aren't that interesting.

That's not to say Claire Foy doesn't do a fine job in a role that's fraught with physical and emotional challenges; it's just that there's nothing, really, to make it stand out from a dozen others who will undoubtedly compete for the big hardware come awards season. (The trailer for Nicole Kidman's Destroyer that ran beforehand only served to underline that point.) Wallander alum Sverrir Gudnason is appealingly earnest as journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and the bleak landscapes and grim, fractured score provide a perfect backdrop for the film's misery, but otherwise there's not much good to be said about this one. I struggled mightily just to stay awake. The Girl in the Spider's Web runs 117 minutes and is rated R for "violence, language, and some sexual content/nudity."

The Girl in the Spider's Web is yet another sequel that nobody wanted.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Girl in the Spider's Web gets two. Fangirl points: Stephen Merchant!

Next on the docket, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch. Benedict Cumbergrinch can come down my chimney any ol' time. The Grinch is one of those timeless holiday tales that could be made a hundred times for a hundred different generations and it'd probably always work. This current incarnation is a real joy, thanks to bright artwork, bouncy holiday tunes, and a delightful turn by Benedict Cumberbatch as the green holiday killjoy. Glorious visuals are the star of The Grinch, with cheerful holiday decorations coming alive to get viewers into the spirit LIKERIGHTNOW. Snippets of new and classic Christmas carols--while vexing to our anti-hero--pile on the cinematic cheer, culminating in a well-known, teeth-rottingly-sweet finale that hits you right in the feels no matter your age. There are some stocking stuffers for adults (note the tune Mr. Grinch is playing on the organ midway through) that willfully aspire to keep the movie from being kids-only fare, but, even minus those little winks, The Grinch is the sort of picture that should get pretty much anyone into a holiday frame of mind. Dr. Seuss' The Grinch clocks in at a quick 90 minutes and is rated PG for "brief rude humor." The Grinch has holiday magic to spare.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch gets eight.

Fangirl points: Cumbergrinch said my name. TWICE. (Christmas is the only time it pays to be named after a resident of Whoville!) Until next time...