Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials & Black Mass

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to the pictures for a double-feature that, if we're being honest, was only ever about Johnny Depp. On the docket: the second installment in the Maze Runner series, The Scorch Trials, and the Depp vehicle Black Mass.

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

First up: The Scorch Trials.

Having escaped the maze, Thomas and company face new threats on several fronts.

I hated the first Maze Runner so much that I was actively rooting for the maze to just go ahead and crush everyone. It was mostly the promise of Aiden Gillen, and the fact there was nothing else to round out a double-bill, that convinced me to drop seven bucks on Scorch Trials. This one's not a great movie, either, but I'm pleased to report I very much preferred it to its predecessor; at times it strangely even reminded me of one of my 80s favorites, the Lost Boys, by way of Wayward Pines.

Some welcome new faces turn up--in addition to Gillen, Barry Pepper also features--and the returning kids have settled into an easy flow that works in the movie's favor. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is always a delight, and, according to some Internet quiz, Dylan O'Brien is my celebrity boyfriend, so...well...I guess it's good to know who that guy is, then. (Celebrity boyfriend? I could be his MOTHER!!) There were a couple dramatic "impact" shots that were probably a bit hokey, but that I especially loved. Tension is well-maintained, though sadly offset by cheap haunted house jump-scares at times.

Scorch Trials is too long by a good 20-25 minutes, and many too-dark scenes with annoyingly jiggly camera work are such a jumble it's hard to even tell who's who, yet I can't pretend I was bored or I didn't enjoy the movie; on the contrary, I must grudgingly admit to liking it.

The Scorch Trials runs 131 minutes and is rated PG13 for "extended sequences of violence and action, some thematic elements, substance abuse, and language."

It's no Hunger Games, but Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Scorch Trials gets five.

Rounding out yesterday's double-header was the mobster drama Black Mass.

A violent criminal from South Boston uses his informant status to further his own agenda.

Black Mass is being touted as Johnny Depp's return to "serious" acting. For the record, let it be noted that this reviewer does not value dramatic performances over comedic ones; as a longtime Depp fan, my problem with his recent choices has been not the type of project, but the quality...and I'm one of the few who even admits to enjoying Mortdecai! Black Mass represents a fantastic turn by Johnny in a pretty solid movie, and, for Depp Devotees, it's been awhile since we've had one of those.

Black Mass is a slow burner, and I can almost understand why some folks have been impressed with the performances but underwhelmed by the whole. For myself, though, I loved it. If the movie's not in a hurry to get anywhere, it never wanders aimlessly or wastes time either. It runs a little over two hours and could probably have been trimmed a bit, but doesn't seem like it *needed* to come in shorter. The film is violent, of course, though not unnecessarily gory, and the writing is sharp and smart. The cast is uniformly excellent, but, as is ever the case, nobody compares to Johnny Depp, and I do mean nobody.

While Gary Oldman has long been my favorite actor, it's Depp who's been perched atop my Acting Holy Trinity for three decades now, for my money, the greatest actor in all the world. Depp tends to details like no other, perfect accents and mannerisms, with innumerable small touches that might overtly go unnoticed, but that add layer upon layer to every single performance. A scene early in the movie that focuses on Bulger's facial expressions, reacting to a companion's terrible table manners, is a perfect example; I happily could have watched two hours of just that, and it was only the beginning.
Black Mass clocks in at 122 minutes and is rated R for "brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references, and brief drug use."

It's not quite perfect, but Black Mass represents a definite win for Johnny Depp, an award-worthy lead in a genuinely good movie.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Black Mass gets seven and a half.

Until next time...







































No caption necessary!

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK MASS

The true story of one of America's most violent and infamous gangsters, Whitey Bulger. Johnny Depp stars as Bulger, who was the brother of a state senator and was eventually convinced to wear a wire for the FBI to bring down the Italian mafia in Boston after they invaded his territory. Scott Cooper directs, with Mark Mallouk penning the screenplay based on Dick Lehr and Gerald O'Neill's 2001 best-seller Black Mass: The True Story of An Unholy Alliance Between The FBI and The Irish Mob. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Scott Cooper

Cast: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Joel Edgerton

Release Date: Sep 18, 2015

Rated: R for brutal Violence, Language Throughout, Some Sexual References and Brief Drug Use

Runtime: 2 hr. 2 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

Review:

Black Mass is an engaging gangster film that’s gripping enough to keep your attention for most of its 2 hour run time.  Its greatest assets are it’s actors with Johnny Depp delivering some of his best work in years.  Depp is fully committed to the role, losing himself into it easily.  It’s a fascinating character study and Depp’s performance gives the audience a strong sense of what the real man was like, to a chilling degree.  Depp will be getting a lot of positive returns for his work but Joel Edgerton is just as good playing the FBI agent who partners with Bulger.  Edgerton is an incredibly talented actor who easy to overlook because he eases into his characters so well.  His turn here is fantastic giving you a strong sense of why the character’s broken logic made sense to him ultimately leading him to his downfall.  Benedict Cumberbatch is a strong supporting character even if it takes a moment for your mind to wrap around his Boston accent which is great but sounds strange coming out of his mouth.  Sadly, he’s under used and his character is underdeveloped.  Scott Cooper does solid work throughout, keeping a steady pace but he can’t quite overcome the film’s biggest drawback which is something totally out of his control.  In the end, it’s a well worn story that doesn’t deliver any surprises.  It’s a strong film all around but it’s been done countless times.

B

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of A Walk in the Woods & The Transporter Refueled

Dearest Blog, being on my deathbed last weekend, I missed out on my weekly trip to the cinema.

Hollywood very thoughtfully released only crap this weekend to give me a chance to catch up.

Thanks, Hollywood!

First on my agenda: A Walk in the Woods.

Two older men attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail.

If you take Wild, subtract annoying women who say things like, "I've never been in the driver's seat of my own life!" and add two pretty cool old dudes, you've got A Walk in the Woods. It's not normally the kind of picture I'd need to see on a big screen, but the lure of Robert Redford is strong. He shares excellent camaraderie with co-star Nick Nolte, and their banter is mostly good fun. There are a couple moments where the writing seems a bit awkward, and the movie runs maybe just a hair too long, but otherwise the men's adventure is both funny and uplifting.

A Walk in the Woods runs 104 minutes and is rated R for "language and some sexual references."

Despite its cast's pedigree, this film isn't likely to scare up any awards attention, but throw in some lovely scenery and a bit of screen time for the wonderful Emma Thompson, and it's still an entertaining couple hours.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Walk in the Woods gets six.

Next up: The Transporter Refueled.


Cars, cars, chicks, cars, cars, cars, fight scene, cars, fight scene, chicks, cars, cars, cars.

Disclaimer: I missed maybe the first five minutes of The Transporter Refueled. A lousy schedule left me the choice of slightly too little time between shows, or two hours between shows, and, frankly, I didn't care enough about either of these movies to waste two extra hours. I'm telling myself there was something in those first five minutes to keep this from being the worst movie ever made, but I don't think I believe myself.

The thing about the Transporter movies is: they're silly. Of course they're silly. But when you've got the right person at the fore (*cough* Statham *cough*) they're enough fun that you don't mind so much. The Transporter Refueled is absolutely no fun, and you'll mind the hell out of every minute.

The delightful Ray Stevenson is sadly wasted, and the everyone else is just a collection of the worst teeth you've ever seen. It's like the filmmakers went out of their way to find actors who never met a dentist. I had the room to myself for this one (shocking) and I confess I was bored enough to take a peek or two at my phone.

The Transporter Refueled clocks in at a mercifully short 96 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence and action, sexual material, some language, a drug reference, and thematic elements."

Do not, under any circumstances, waste your money on this.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Transporter Refueled gets one.

Until next time...

 Still dreamy! <3 br="">

MOVIE REVIEW: NO ESCAPE

An intense international thriller, NO ESCAPE centers on an American businessman (Wilson) as he and his family settle into their new home in Southeast Asia. Suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising, they must frantically look for a safe escape as rebels mercilessly attack the city. Directed by John Erick Dowdle and written together with his brother Drew, NO ESCAPE stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell.

Director: John E. Dowdle 

Cast: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan, Lake Bell, Sterling Jerins.

Release Date: Aug 26, 2015

Rated: R for strong Violence Throughout, and For Language

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

John E. Dowdle’s No Escape feels like a mash up of The Purge: Anarchy, The Warrior and Hostel.  It’s a tense mess of a film that really hits all the worse clichés of the dangers abroad genre.  Dowdle’s direction is fairly strong as he ratchets up the tension to insane levels particularly during the first half of the film.  Sadly, there’s little to no characterization of any of the characters and only the thinnest and cheapest of explanation about the coup that sets off the action.  Pierce Brosnan appears disappears, reappears and disappears for good from the movie remaining the most interesting character in the whole production.   Owen Wilson and Lake Bell deliver solid work hitting all the panicked notes you can think of.  They’re continually frazzled and on edge but seemingly have time for some family discussions regardless of whatever is going on.  There’s logical plot holes left and right even as the film beats its message over your head with it literally spelled out for you.  And then, just like that, it’s over since the escape route was conveniently close and far enough to keep the film rolling.  

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of American Ultra & Hitman: Agent 47

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to the pictures for a pair of shoot-em-up flicks, American Ultra and Hitman: Agent 47.

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

This week's first kudos go not to either movie, but to the schedule maker(s) at Marquee Cinemas, who receive a full nine Weasleys for two 90-minute films with 30 minutes in between. Perfection!

First up on that ideal schedule: American Ultra.

All is not as it seems with a pair of stoners in a (made-up) little West Virginia town.
American Ultra is one of those movies that has the potential to be accidentally awesome. It doesn't look like anything special, but all the pieces are there so it *could* be, you know? It isn't quite awesome, but it's still pretty solid.

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart share an awkward chemistry that serves them well as a couple pretty awkward people. Eisenberg moves effortlessly from mellow to panicked to deadpan to badass, always believable and sympathetic.

Stewart is often accused of being expressionless, but she's solid here as well. The supporting cast is uniformly decent, for as much as they need to be (what a waste of Bill Pullman!), but basically, if you don't like Eisenberg and/or Stewart, that's going to be an almost insurmountable hurdle with this movie. American Ultra has plenty of twists and turns, with fast, brutal, bloody action, and a dry wit that holds it all together.

American Ultra clocks in at 95 minutes and is rated R for "strong bloody violence, language throughout, drug use, and some sexual content."

American Ultra is missing that *something* that would have made it exceptional, but I still found it smart, exciting, and entertaining.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, American Ultra gets six and a half.

Next on the agenda, Hitman: Agent 47.

A woman reluctantly teams with a super assassin to unravel the mysteries of her past.

Dear reader(s), there's no sugar-coating it: Agent 47 is a real snooze-fest, and, if not for my mad crush on Zachary Quinto, I might have nodded off. There's not a hint of genuine emotion or excitement to be found anywhere in Agent 47. Nicely-designed stunts are blandly executed, and the leads are as dry as my lawn invariably is 'round about this time of the year. Hannah Ware has all the expression of the freshly-Botoxed, and Rupert Friend looks like a perpetually-annoyed Orlando Bloom. Ciaran Hinds gets the job done, but he doesn't turn up until it's far too late to salvage anything. It's quite a feat for a movie this short to wear out its welcome, but that seems to be the one area where Hitman: Agent 47 actually succeeds.

Hitman: Agent 47 runs 96 minutes and is rated R for "sequences of strong violence, and some language."

Agent 47 is so dull I was hardly even annoyed when the guy next to me played on his iPad the whole time.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Hitman: Agent 47 gets two.

Until next time...

Curiously, this is also how my homecooked Sunday dinners usually turn out!

MOVIE REVIEW: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Entrenched in the racial tumult of Los Angeles in the mid-1980's, a group of aspiring rappers banded together to revolutionize the global consumption of hip-hop and popular culture. NWA was born out of racial frustration and the disadvantaged economics of their South Central neighborhood. F. Gary Gray directs this biopic about the rise to stardom for the act that earned the moniker of "The World's Most Dangerous Group", featuring Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. playing the role of his father, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, and Jason Mitchell as the late Eazy-E. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast: Corey Antonio Hawkins, O'shea Jackson, Jr., Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown, Jr.

Release Date: Aug 14, 2015

Rated: R Language Throughout, Drug Use, Strong Sexuality/Nudity and Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 27 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton is a thoroughly engaging if imperfect musical biopic.  It hits all the standard notes for this type of film with some of the moments coming off as manufactured or inauthentic.  It’s not a massive flaw but noticeable.  Thankfully an impressive ensemble cast carries the film with strong performances throughout with O’Shea Jackson Jr. making the biggest mark for his uncanny impression of his father.  Paul Giamatti is saddled with the role of the shady business manager and manages to give the role a bit more depth than expected.  The story itself might be familiar to some and totally foreign to others.  Either way it’s an interesting story that’ll keep you engaged as we watch the rise of gangster rap and its evolution.  The problem the film faces is that there are so many storylines that it does occasionally feel unfocused.  In the final act, Gary doesn’t quite seem to know where to end the story as we proceed through a travelogue of the 90’s.  It would have benefited from some trimming to make it a more efficient film.  That being said Straight Outta Compton is a strong film that feels terribly timely as well.

B