Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the latest offerings from a pair of iconic franchises: The Peanuts Movie and Spectre.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First up: Hapless Charlie Brown tries to reinvent himself in The Peanuts Movie.
As animation goes, The Peanuts Movie is classically cartoonish, nothing revolutionary. If you pay to see it in 3D, you've probably wasted your money; you'd do better to put the extra two bucks towards a second 2D screening. That out of the way, The Peanuts Movie is otherwise PERFECT. The story is classic Peanuts: luckless Charlie Brown attempts to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl.
That sounds pretty thin, but the film--even including an Ice Age short--is barely longer than your average TV special, and the main storyline is spelled by chapters of the WWI Flying Ace's never-ending battle with the Red Baron, so it holds up just fine. There's nothing in the movie that requires viewers to have previous Peanuts knowledge, but if you're a fan...boy are you going to be happy.
This movie has absolutely everything a Peanuts lover could want...Vince Guaraldi's musical themes, Lucy's "Psychiatric Help" booth, Schroeder's Beethoven obsession, and "Sirs" and "Blockheads" to spare...hell, even Marcie and Franklin get a decent amount of screen time! Nostalgia is laid on good and thick, but not in a patronizing way that detracts from what's overall a delightful film for the entire family. The Peanuts Movie also bears a lesson about self-worth that's important, but never overbearing. My theatre gave the movie an enthusiastic round of applause as the end-credits rolled.
The Peanuts Movie runs 93 minutes and is rated G.
When classic properties are remade or rebooted, the Internet is fond of saying: "Childhood: ruined;" however, in the case of The Peanuts Movie, it's more like Childhood: regained.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Peanuts Movie gets eight.
Next on the agenda, James Bond's latest outing: Spectre.
Bond's past haunts his present as he tries to derail a sinister foe's dastardly plan.
Dear Internet Blurbs: Spectre is no Skyfall, we get it. It's still pretty great, though, eh? Well, at least I thought so.
Spectre is looooooong...like, almost-two-and-a-half-hours long. I'm always the first to cast the stinkeye at any runtime that exceeds two hours, but in this case it would be an unfair complaint; I'm sure the movie could have been trimmed here or there, but it never feels like it should have been.
The spectacular opening scene--beautifully set in Mexico City during a Dia de los Muertos celebration--sets the tone for what follows: a sexy, funny, sometimes cheesy (in the best way), fast-paced thriller that does the 007 franchise proud. Craig's Bond is on point as both super-spy and ladies' man, with a healthy dose of "haunted by the past" thrown in for good measure.
The supporting cast is terrific, though the always-wonderful Christoph Waltz is MIA for most of the first hour, and I'd hoped for a bit more Ben Whishaw. *sigh* Well-placed humor lightens the tone amid frenetic action sequences, all set against the backdrop of some of the world's most beautiful locations.
Spectre clocks in at 148 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality, and language."
Spectre may be a less perfect outing than its predecessor, but it's still a lot of fun.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Spectre gets seven and a half.
A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a
sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret
service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible
truth behind SPECTRE.
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph
Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris
Release Date: Nov.
6, 2015
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence,
some disturbing images, sensuality and language
Runtime: 2 hr. 28 min.
Genres: Action, Adventure
Review:
Spectre is a totally serviceable Bond film that hits all
the expected beats but rarely surprises.Coming after Skyfall, which is probably one of the best Bond films,
doesn’t help Spectre since the comparisons are unavoidable.Skyfall felt fresh and had a strong sense of
immediacy something Spectre lacks.Spectre delivers all the globe trotting set pieces and love interest
required for a Bond film.Its biggest
issue is that it feels rather paint by the numbers throughout.Even the big reveal feels kind of perfunctory
when it should be a jaw dropping moment.In lesser hands this would be a total miss but Sam Mendes is an
incredibly talented film maker. He
delivers a beautiful film that has some great moments with the opening sequence
in Mexico City and a thrilling
chase in the Austrian mountains leaving the biggest impression.For all the grumpiness during the press tour,
Daniel Craig delivers another strong performance as Bond.I’ve always enjoyed the level of intensity
that he’s brought to the role, something that’s been missing from previous
incarnations.Bond’s supporting cast
gets some slightly expanded roles with Ben Whishaw bringing some much needed to
energy to the middle portions of the film.Sadly, some of the new faces like Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, doing
her best Eva Green impression, and Monica Belluci are woefully underused.Christoph Waltz was born to play a Bond
villain but he’s left on the sidelines for the better part of the film
meandering runtime.Spectre has a steady
sense of finality for Craig’s run as Bond which is a shame on so many
levels.Sadly, Spectre stands closer to
Quantum of Solace instead of a worthy follow up to Skyfall.
Dearest Blog: Welcome to Awards Season, where every film feels vaguely like it *could* be based on a true story. Thus, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for two stories that kinda sorta seem like they maybe could be a little bit real: Our Brand is Crisis and Burnt.
First on my agenda: Our Brand is Crisis.
An American political strategist reluctantly becomes part of an unpopular Bolivian presidential candidate's team.
Our Brand is Crisis probably isn't a bad movie for any other time of year, but plunked down in October, when everything either hopes for an Oscar or hopes to scare the pants off of you, it seems an inexcusably poor offering. Crisis is hilarious at times, yet the premise is so depressing it feels wrong to laugh.
The film never really earns your full attention, and, sadly, there's no amount of humor that could buoy this all-too-real real depiction of politics with no soul. If there's any good news to be had, it's that the movie boasts uniformly strong performances. Sandra Bullock has a few bravura moments that might justify another Oscar nod, Billy Bob Thornton is an able adversary, and the delightful Anthony Mackie is solid as always. The real star of the picture, though, is Bolivian actor Reynaldo Pacheco, whose earnestness single-handedly salvages what's otherwise a depressing exercise in cynicism.
Our Brand is Crisis clocks in at 107 minutes and is rated R for "language including some sexual references."
It provides a few good laughs, but Our Brand is Crisis is a mostly-discouraging look at the political process.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Our Brand is Crisis gets five.
Next on the docket: Burnt.
Bradley Cooper stars as Adam Jones, a brilliant chef who is so messed up he does nothing but hurt the people who care for him, and you'll be too distracted by those baby-blues to really care.
Dear reader(s), I don't mean to belittle chefs, as nobody--and I mean NOBODY--has a greater regard for food than I do (as my profile photo will attest), but I am unsold on any attempt to portray a chef, even the world's greatest, as some kind of rock star worthy of a feature film. I'm something of a rock star, myself, when it comes to secretaries, and last I looked, Angelina Jolie wasn't queuing up play me on the big screen anytime soon.
Thus Burnt starts out at an insurmountable handicap: it's just not that great a story. The high-emotion, high-stakes kitchen scenarios may accurately portray behind-the-scenes action at the world's finest dining establishments, but the drama seems plain silly (is it *such* a tragedy if the scallops are a bit overdone?), and the rest of the story is so done-to-death you won't care about any of it for a single second. Bradley Cooper swaggers his way through the film like an actual rock star, and, to his credit, makes the dull exercise almost watchable.
Daniel Bruhl is terrific as Jones' supportive and long-suffering friend, and Matthew Rhys is outstanding as his top rival. Sadly, though, fantastic performances can't save a lame premise that's predictably executed.
Burnt runs 101 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout."
Much like the pretentious dishes whose preparation it depicts, Burnt is far more interested in collecting awards than it is in actually satisfying anyone.
Dearest Blog: If ever a person were worth a 90-minute drive on a Monday night, it'd be Ed Sheeran. Thus I found myself in Morgantown last night for Ed's concert movie Jumpers for Goalposts.
Spoiler level here will be...um...I dunno, really?
I wrote down the set list. Is that a spoiler?
Read on at your own risk then, I guess.
Jumpers for Goalposts kicks off with a full 45 minutes of "#edcarpet" coverage from the movie's London premiere, including a segment that features Sheeran responding to fans' Twitter questions and performing acoustic versions of Tenerife Sea, Bloodstream, and Thinking Out Loud.
The alternate versions of his hits are enjoyable, but it's otherwise an awkward exercise. Sheeran is visibly uncomfortable with the Q&A--as are many performers when they're in the public eye but not performing--and I'm thinking maybe suit-and-tie premiere attire wouldn't be his first choice.
The cute, good-natured presenter also does a bit too much buttering up, so it begins to feel fake despite the fact Sheeran *is* widely regarded as one of the nicest guys in the business. Overall, this opening act is far too drawn out; 20 minutes of it would have been more than enough.
Once the film finally gets to the Wembley residency, there are pieces from all three nights cut with behind-the-scenes footage, which may look familiar to US fans who will have seen much of it in the NBC special that aired over the summer. Sir Elton John makes a surprise appearance, joining Sheeran for a performance of his old hit Don't Go Breakin' My Heart (Ed in the Kiki Dee role!) and a bit of Afire Love.
John serves as a sort-of mentor to Sheeran, and amusingly names Ed the heir to a pop-music crown that hasn't been his to hand down for many, many years. John is not alone in his gushing praise, both of Sheeran's talent and of his kindness and loyalty. It's a recurring theme that, again, is so often raised that it starts to sound somewhat put-on. Not debating for a minute that Ed Sheeran is one hell of a nice guy, just that...well...eventually maybe they'd do better to just shut up and play another song.
As with the times I've seen Sheeran in concert, I was lucky to count my two favorites (Bloodstream and I See Fire) among the songs that made the movie's set list. The special guest was enthusiastically received, but, since the Elton John songs I like don't seem to be the Elton John songs everyone else likes, I was a bit ambivalent. Guess there's noplace for a would-be Kiki Dee in Madman Across the Water...go figure. Much camera time is devoted to crowd shots: singing and dancing fans, weeping teenagers, and two (2) marriage proposals that I counted. Having sold more than ten million units of his latest record, it's clear Sheeran's music speaks to a generation. Of course, some will always roll their eyes at any artist who moves that much product, but Sheeran is a solid singer/songwriter, and there's a fire in his live performance that doesn't begin to translate to his studio recordings. This film gives something of a feel for it--particularly an aggressive rendition of You Need Me (I Don't Need You)--but I enthusiastically encourage everyone to get out and see Ed Sheeran live for the full experience. I promise you will be impressed.
Jumpers for Goalposts full set list: I'm a Mess, Lego House, Photograph, Bloodstream, I See Fire, Don't Go Breakin' My Heart, Afire Love (partial), Thinking Out Loud, The A-Team, You Need Me (I Don't Need You), Sing.
Jumpers for Goalposts runs 150 minutes (including premiere coverage) and is unrated.
Dubious content is limited to references to drugs/drinking and a few f-bombs (some are censored; some made it into the finished product).
Jumpers for Goalposts will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray November 13th, and is now available for pre-order at edsheeran.com or your favorite online retailer.
While it's not quite on par with an actual live performance, Jumpers for Goalposts boasts some great tunes while providing an entertaining look at one of the world's biggest and most talented pop stars.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Jumpers for Goalposts gets seven.
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the
unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital
revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Katherine
Waterston, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels
Release Date: Oct
09, 2015
Rated R for Language
Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Danny Boyle’s electric biopic of Apple’s cofounder and
CEO crackles at a steady pace throughout.Aaron Sorkin’s script is excellent as expected with Michael Fassbender
and Kate Winslet excelling at the requisite walk and talk throughout the film.Boyle’s direction and his filming techniques,
he uses 3 different film stocks for each section, keeps the dialogue heavy film
moving at an impressive pace.It rarely
lags, an impressive feat for a 2 hour film that doesn’t have much going on
outside of a series of conversations.Fassbender disappears into his role especially as the film moves into
the final act.He’s magnetic for the
entire run time.Kate Winslet delivers
equally impressive work in a supporting role with Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogen
making the most of their limited screen time.Daniels and Rogen both get excellent exchanges with Fassbender that you
just have to sit back and appreciate the level of talent on display.Steve Jobs is sure to litter the awards
docket with Fassbender leading the charge with a best actor nomination.
A family that has recently moved into a new house in Palo
Alto, CA is terrorized by supernatural
entities in the fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity horror franchise.
The father Ryan (Chris J. Murray) discovers a box of video tapes left in the
house and a video camera that can record paranormal occurrences that are
invisible to the naked eye. Together with his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) and his
brother Mike (Dan Gill) they must fight protect their daughter Leila (Ivy
George), a six year old who is talking to spirits. Directed by Gregory Plotkin,
who previously served as the editor on several films in the franchise. ~
Jennifer Lackman, Rovi
Director: Gregory Plotkin
Cast: Brittany Shaw, Don McManus, Cara Pifko.
Release Date: Oct 23, 2015
Rated R for some Horror Violence and Language
Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.
Genres: Horror
Review:
If you find yourself sitting in the 6th
installment of the Paranormal Activity series, you probably have some sort of
lingering affection for the franchise or just needed someplace cool and dark to
sit down.In all seriousness, I’m the type
of person who likes to follow through and see how things end.This is supposed to be the last entry in the
series and they’ve thrown in some tweaks that kind of goes against what made
the series impressive in the first place.The ghost camera is a neat idea but it just kind of throws out any
subtly about the things that go bump in the night.Instead we get to see everything coming from
a mile away leaving very little to the imagination.A few jump scares here and there don’t really
make up for it. Doesn’t help that the
last act of the film starts mining just about every possession and creepy
little girl horror movie trope you can think of.It’s a sputtering end to the series.By the time the finale comes, you can’t help
but feel like you’ve watched this all before.
