Cindy Prascik's The Hitman’s Bodyguard & Logan Lucky

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the promising pair of The Hitman's Bodyguard and Logan Lucky.

 

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

 

First up: The Hitman's Bodyguard.

 

When a former assassin's testimony is needed at the International Criminal Court, it's up to a disgraced personal security expert to get him there safely.

 

The Hitman's Bodyguard is exactly as advertised, a thrilling and wildly funny action-comedy. Co-stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson have as much chemistry as the best buddy-comedy pairs, easily playing off one another in hilarious fashion. Gary Oldman digs his cartoonish bad-guy schtick out of storage for a broad, accented turn reminiscent of his mid-90s meat and potatoes. He's not really in the movie as much as I'd have liked, but, as always, he puts his screen time to good use. Action is almost non-stop, though the story beneath never feels underdone. Pretty European locales and a multi-cultural cast give the film a nice international flavor. Only the final chase scene seems to drag on just a bit too long; otherwise, the movie is a perfect balance of well-crafted action and foul-mouthed comedy.

 

The Hitman's Bodyguard clocks in at 118 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout."

 

The Hitman's Bodyguard is a rollicking end-of-summer blast. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hitman's Bodyguard gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: GARY! (Duh.)

 

Next on the docket: Logan Lucky.

 

A pair of small-town brothers attempts to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

Dear reader(s), I'll consider it more a warning than a spoiler to tell you one thing about Logan Lucky that you probably didn't guess from the trailer: It's not really a comedy. It's amusing at times, and the overall tone certainly isn't heavy, but it is not the laugh-riot promised by the trailer.

 

Logan Lucky IS a clever, well-acted yarn about a down-on-his-luck West Virginia boy (Channing Tatum) who conscripts his brother (Adam Driver) into a wild plot to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway. The brothers enlist an "in-car-cer-rated" felon (Daniel Craig, playing delightfully against type) to assist with the scheme, which obviously doesn't go entirely as planned, or there'd be no movie. The terrific cast is rounded out by Katie Holmes, Riley Keough, Seth McFarlane, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, and Sebastian Stan in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it turn. When Logan Lucky is funny, it's really funny, but unfortunately you've already seen most of what's really funny in the trailer. The twists and turns along our would-be robbers' path are well-plotted and certainly not boring, but the movie is so unlike its advertising that the whole can't help feeling kinda dull.

 

Logan Lucky runs 119 minutes and is rated PG13 for "language and some crude comments."

 

Logan Lucky is a smartly-crafted heist picture whose impact is sadly diminished by misleading advertising. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Logan Lucky gets six.

 

Fangirl points: Sebastian Stan! 

 

Also, however much it may have been intended to make fun of us, a roomful of people singing Country Roads will always put a teardrop in my eye.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: ANNABELLE: CREATION

A couple still grieving the death of their daughter take in children from a local orphanage, but the family are soon terrorized by a demented doll known as Annabelle. Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto, Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, and Lulu Wilson star in this horror sequel from director David F. Sandberg (David F. Sandberg). ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Lulu Wilson, Grace Fulton, Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto

Release Date: Aug 11, 2017

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Rated R for horror violence and terror

Review:

Annabelle: Creation is a better film than it deserves to be.  Horror clichés run amok in a script that seem more interested in moving from set up to set up than telling a coherent story.  Director David F. Sandberg doesn’t seem to know the meaning of efficiency as his movie is a bloated overlong hodgepodge of things we’ve seen before.  Again, it’s a decent horror film, there are far worse films in the genre that’s for sure, but it’s slightly frustrating because it feels like there is a better film in there somewhere.  The decision to cast Anthony LaPaglia & Miranda Otto seemed like it’d give the film a bit of credibility but the script moves them to the sidelines and barely uses them at all.  What we’re left with is an ensemble film with kid actors who do the best they can but it’s never terribly interesting or engaging.  Annabelle: Creation is the very definition of a wait for cable type of film.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: DETROIT

A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centered around the Algiers Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women. 

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, John Krasinski, Jack Reynor, Jason Mitchell, Hanna Murray

Release Date: Aug 4 2017

Genres: Crime, Drama, History

Rated R for strong violence and pervasive language

Review:

Detroit is a tense, uncomfortable and incredibly timely film.  Kathryn Bigelow’s style of filmmaking is perfectly suited for the story being told.  Bigelow’s immersive style leaves like a fly on the wall during the entire ordeal.  It’s an intense film that’s anchored by a strong ensemble cast.  John Boyega and Will Poulter really shine throughout the film, with some of the films best moments are watching their character’s process and think through situations.  Poulter though is the real surprise here since he’s been mostly a comedic actor.  Poulter provides the character an unsettling detachment and coldness that’s deeply unsettling.  The film loses a little steam after it moves on to the aftermath with the court proceedings and post event stories.  I was personally more interested in what happened to John Boyega’s character but the film chose a different direction.  It’s a small issue on an otherwise strong film that really shines a light on a dark portion of American history.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Dark Tower & Detroit

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Detroit and The Dark Tower.

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

 

First on the docket, Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit.

 

During the Detroit Rebellion of 1967, a handful of city cops terrorize young people staying at the Algiers Hotel.

 

Dear reader(s), you know when I call a movie "must-see," it's usually gonna be some big, dumb actioner with a current obsession not *quite* getting enough screen time for my liking. Evidence: that latest Transformers movie that everybody hates? Yeah, that'll be skirting my Top Ten come year's end. However, here I must break with tradition to suggest emphatically that everyone get out and see Detroit. It is a very, very important movie and a timely reminder of what happens when we allow some people to be treated as less than others.

 

Detroit opens with a clever sequence that brings viewers who might not be familiar with this event up to speed, and from there it's a slow burn into chaos. The movie is never in a hurry to get where it's going, yet there are millions of things happening all at once. Point of view is personal rather than general, with dialogue so natural as to seem unscripted. I'm no fan of Bigelow's jiggly camera work, but I couldn't look away from the terrifying events playing out onscreen. There is no sugar-coating, there are no cookie-cutter characters, and the performances are uniformly extraordinary. Of special note, as usual, is John Boyega in a smart, sympathetic turn. The violence and torment are up close and personal, at times nearly impossible to watch. The movie builds to its unsettling climax with such tension you might not even realize you're holding your breath. This is no fun summer flick; it's challenging and exhausting. (For the record, I ran straight to the ladies' room and threw up when it ended, and it's had me in tears more than a few times since.) Detroit is smart enough not to leave it to viewers to distinguish between "based on a true story" and "inspired by actual events;" it freely acknowledges that its account relies on the recollections of people who were under not-a-little duress during these events. No fun summer movie, Detroit will stay on your mind long after you exit the theatre. 

 

Detroit clocks in at 143 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and pervasive language."

 

A headline I saw earlier this morning said, "Detroit is going to hurt, but it's worth it," and that's about the best way to sum up this brilliant but difficult movie. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Detroit gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Not to take away from the seriousness of this picture, but I can't imagine a more beautiful human than Anthony Mackie exists anywhere in the universe. *le sigh*

 

Next on my agenda was the first big-screen shot at Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

 

The Last Gunslinger hopes to stop the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, which protects the world from evil...or something like that. (I'm pretty close, right?)

 

Not having read this book series from Stephen King, and having heard nothing good about this adaptation prior to seeing it, I was prepared to state that--while I understood it might not meet the expectations of book fans--the movie is perfectly passable entertainment for the rest of us. 

 

Sadly, after nearly nodding off twice in just an hour and a half, I had to rethink that opening.

 

The Dark Tower is just a bad movie, and that's without even being able to speak to its failings by comparison to the books. It feels like, at some point very early in its making, all the Stephen King forces in the universe decided to focus their positive energy on the remake of It and deserted this entirely. (I guess the good news is my pretty busy cinema seemed to soil its collective drawers at the It trailer that preceded Dark Tower, so King may be redeemed rather quickly.) The Dark Tower's characters are so broadly drawn you'll only care what happens to any of them if you have a vested interest in the actor(s). Shallow storytelling provides very few answers, but leaves lots of question marks, for anyone unfamiliar with the source material. Clearly this was meant to set up a franchise, but if it's to do so with any success it'll need serious retooling. Man in Black Matthew McConaughey is as bland as ever (can't spell "McConaughey" without "ugh!") as a paper-doll baddie who's about as menacing as my little Cockapoo. Idris Elba is smokin'--and I mean SMOKIN'--hot as the Gunslinger, but the role is so poorly fleshed out it scarcely taxes his ability or charisma. Effects are pedestrian at best, and the action (such as it is) is accented by a comically-melodramatic score.

 

The Dark Tower runs the slowest 95 minutes ev-ah and is rated PG13 for "thematic material, including sequences of gun violence and action."

 

I truly had hoped to buck the trend and declare the Dark Tower passable entertainment for a summer afternoon, but, sadly, it can't meet even that low bar. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Dark Tower gets two.

 

Fangirl points: OMG you guys...Idris Elba! (Teeny-weeny spoiler alert: When a boy says to the Gunslinger, "I dreamt about you!" I'm pretty sure I said out loud to the screen, "Me too!")

 

Until next time...

 

MOVIE REVIEW: ATOMIC BLONDE

Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.

Director: David Leitch 

Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Sofia Boutella, Til Schweiger

Release Date: Jul 28, 2017

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Rated R for for sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some 
sexuality/nudity

Review:

Atomic Blonde is a stylish spy thriller that’s a great vehicle for a kick ass Charlize Theron.  That’s really the main attraction here, watching Charlize Theron repeatedly beat up anyone and everyone in a variety of fashions.  The film’s action sequences are impressive works of art that really highlight the director’s strengths.  The two major sequences, one involving a rope and lots of police and the finale which is one of the most brutal fight sequences in a long time, are when the film hits its peak.  The plot though is a slight weakness, the spy plot is pretty basic, missing microfilm, and there aren’t nearly as many twist and turns as you’d expect.  Still it’s got enough style blended with a strong 80s soundtrack to make it memorable.     

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Atomic Blonde

Dearest Blog: Thanks to a half-day closing at the office, I was able to avoid the weekend rush and catch a Friday-afternoon screening of Atomic Blonde.

 

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

 

Against a backdrop of the tumultuous days leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall, agents from several nations race to claim a stolen piece of valuable intelligence.

 

Regular reader(s) will have heard me say time and again that I haven't much interest in movies about women, but apparently my interest can be piqued when said women are beating the ever-lovin' crap out of everyone. Take note, Hollywood.

 

If we're being honest, Atomic Blonde is mostly a bunch of wild action sequences strung together with a thin of bit spy-thriller thread. The plot is compelling, with a few great twists, but it can't steal the spotlight from the movie's fight and chase scenes. It is a testament to how great the action is that you won't mind that a bit. It's a testament to the rest that the movie still has a few surprises up its sleeve. 

 

The lovely Charlize Theron is...well...lovely, ceaselessly making fashion statements while knocking people's lights out. (Note to self: Anyone dressed too nicely is probably a spy.) Theron is mesmerizing, carrying the movie as effortlessly as her character puts down the bad guys. James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, Eddie Marsan, John Goodman, and Toby Jones round out an excellent supporting cast. Atomic Blonde features terrific graffiti-style graphics on the titles and credits, some beautiful scenery, and the best fight choreography I've seen in many a day. Full marks for all of the above, but if I told you any of that was the movie's high point, I'd be lying. No, the best thing about Atomic Blond is its wonderful soundtrack, featuring a couple-dozen of the 80s best nuggets, including the original German versions of two of my favorites: Peter Schilling's Major Tom (Coming Home) and Nena's 99 Luftballons. As most of the film's brutality is set to music, a final face-off is all the more effective for being backed by nothing but the sound of punches landing and people getting the wind knocked out of them.

 

Atomic Blonde clocks in at 115 minutes and is rated R for "sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity."

 

These days people talk a lot about the importance of representation in film. I'm not sure anyone will be calling Atomic Blonde an "important representation for girls," but if, like me, you're a girl who would rather jump off a cliff than sit through Wild or its ilk again, it's certainly a step in the right direction. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Atomic Blonde gets eight.

 

Until next time...