Cindy Prascik's Review of Yesterday

Last night I was fortunate to catch an an early screening of Danny Boyle's Yesterday.

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

During a freakish worldwide blackout, a young musician is hit by a bus and wakes to find no one else remembers the Beatles.

Dear Reader(s), a disclaimer: Yesterday is not a science fiction film. It does not get into the hows and whys of the blackout or the items subsequently missing from memory. The story simply moves forward on the premise that it happened, and it expects viewers to do the same.

Yesterday presents an interesting quandary: What if you were the only person who remembered something as previously well-known and well-loved as the music of the Beatles? What if you could return to the world a wonderful thing it was suddenly missing? What if you stood to gain from doing so? These questions weigh heavily on Jack Malik, portrayed with humble charm by Himesh Patel, and his struggle gives anchor to what otherwise might seem a flighty premise. Lily James is endearing as Jack's stalwart manager/number-one fan, and Ed Sheeran is terrific playing Ed Sheeran With a Bigger Ego. Ed gets full marks for being a good sport here, and as a fan I am excited that what I expected to be a cameo is actually a significant role, complete with a new song! Kate McKinnon is a little too much (as she often is) as the brash Big Deal Music Manager, but she's a small misstep in what's otherwise a pretty perfect movie.

Yesterday tells its unique tale in flawless fashion, with nary an instant where your attention might stray. The Beatles' music is as magical as ever, and Patel sings their songs as if he were born for it. The film's humor is self-deprecating and well placed, offering laugh-out-loud moments as well as sympathetic chuckles. If you are a Beatles fan, there's a gut-punch in the final act that hurts like hell, but, objectively speaking, it adds yet another layer to an already well-crafted story and the movie is better for it.

Yesterday clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "suggestive content and language."

Yesterday takes a horrifying idea--a world without the Beatles--and turns it into an uplifting story about the power of music, truth, and love.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Yesterday gets nine. Fangirl points: I mean, Ed, obviously.

Also great to see Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sarah Lancashire!

Until next time, as Sir Ringo would say, "Peace and love!"

MOVIE REVIEW: TOY STORY 4

Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy named Forky. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody's slight detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo discuss the old days, they soon start to realize that they're worlds apart when it comes to what they want from life as a toy.Director: Dexter Fletcher

Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves

Release Date: June 20, 2019

Biography, Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated G

Runtime: 1 h 40 min

Review:

Toy Story 3 really felt like a proper and fitting send off for the venerable franchise while leaving fans an emotional wreck.  This fourth entry had some work to do to explain its reason for existing besides an obvious money grab.  Thankful this fourth entry is a fitting epilogue to the franchise that ties up storylines while maintaining the high level of layered storytelling that’s always been a calling card of the franchise.  The story isn’t going to level your emotions the way part 3 did but it’s still got a solid bit of bite in spots particularly in the final frames.  Thematically it’s got some heady issues at play, particularly finding your personal worth and self actualization which is hefty stuff for a kid’s movie.  That’s not to say kids won’t enjoy it because they will, it’s probably one of the most vibrantly animated entries in the series.  The setting like the antique shop and carnival are visual cornucopias of colors and details that you’re liable to need a few views to see everything they put in.  The cast delivers across the board like they always do even though some of the characters are regulated to the 2^nd or 3^rd tier.  The new additions of Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele make that easier to deal with but I would have liked a bit more of a spotlight on some of the established characters. Tom Hanks’ Woody is the primary focus here with most of the story serving his character arch.  Adding Annie Pott’s Bo Peep back into the mix as a strong self realized female character makes for an interesting dynamic that really adds to the overall impact of the story.  If this truly is the end of the series, it’s a fitting bittersweet send off. 


A-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Murder Mystery

Having zero interest in sleeping through the latest Men in Black installment, this weekend I enjoyed another double-shot of Rocketman at the cinema while turning to Netflix for something new. On the docket, the suspenseful comedy Murder Mystery.

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

Americans on a belated honeymoon accept an invitation from a mysterious stranger, only to find themselves at the center of a murder mystery.

Of late, Netflix originals have done a fine job of competing with the big studios. It comes as something of a surprise, then, that Murder Mystery feels more like an old-school network Movie of the Week.

Murder Mystery moves quickly through a by-the-numbers, "Clue"-like plot. It's amusing enough, and a stable of reasonably-famous faces keeps it from feeling *too* low-rent, despite the fact there's very little mystery in the murder. None of the leads plays against type: Jennifer Aniston is the girl-next-door, Adam Sandler her over-earnest husband, and Luke Evans the dashing and mysterious stranger. Netflix won't be hanging its hat on this one come awards season, but it's decent fun nonetheless.

Murder Mystery clocks in at 97 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence/bloody images, crude sexual content, and language."

Murder Mystery is unmemorable, but if you're looking to shut off your brain with a bit of entertainment that doesn't challenge, it's just the ticket. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Murder Mystery gets five.

Fangirl points: Luke Evans! Gemma Arterton!

Until next time...

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-