Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Gringo & The Hurricane Heist

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the rowdy double-bill of Gringo and The Hurricane Heist.

 

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

 

First on my agenda, Gringo.

 

Things go south for a pharmaceutical rep when he unwittingly runs afoul of a Mexican crime lord.

Gringo is a darkly funny outing that certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. Filled with rough language, drug and sexual references, and up-close-and-personal violence, the story is a crazy one, though clever and sometimes more thoughtful than I expected. David Oyelowo (whose name I'll never learn to spell without looking) heads an excellent cast, striking a perfect tone for our confused and terrified titular gringo. The extraordinary Sharlto Copley shines in a small supporting role, but it's Charlize Theron who really steals the show with a sexy, foul-mouthed turn. Gringo is action packed, well crafted, and makes some surprise turns, building to a suitable and satisfying finale. It does suffer some sluggishness, but if sticking with it occasionally feels like work, the payout is worth it.

 

Gringo clocks in at an efficient 110 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, violence, and sexual content."

 

Gringo can be a rough ride at times, but a great cast and solid story make it worth the effort. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Gringo gets seven.

 

Fangirl points: Alan Ruck! Yul Vazquez! Harry Treadway! A weird-but-awesome flamenco version of the Cure's Just Like Heaven over the end credits!

 

Next on the docket: The Hurricane Heist.

 

Thieves plan to use a Category 5 hurricane as cover for their attempt to steal $600 million from a US Treasury vault.

 

The Hurricane Heist is that rare picture that is 100% as advertised. It is, in truth, a very stupid movie; however, if you leave disappointed, it can only be due to unreasonable expectations. While it is neither as fun as Geostorm, nor as irrefutably awesome as Den of Thieves, the Hurricane Heist is just wacky enough to get away with its implausible premise and D-list cast. The obvious selling feature for this sort of film is its disaster effects, and here the quality ranges all the way from "pretty sweet" to "stuck in 1939 with The Wizard of Oz." Suffice to say the cast isn't exactly loaded with talent, and it doesn't need to be. True Blood got me used to Aussie Ryan Kwanten speaking with a southern drawl, but I was jarred incessantly by that sound coming out of Toby Kebbell's face. "Starring Maggie Grace" usually means a hard pass from me, so it's no surprise that it was difficult for me to get past her in the lead. The action is wild and the story is as goofy as you'd expect, but--while the movie definitely doesn't take itself too seriously--it's missing a certain element of fun that its wacky premise should have guaranteed.

 

The Hurricane Heist runs 102 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of gun violence, action, destruction, language, and some suggestive material."

 

The Hurricane Heist is a passable couple hours of witless entertainment for those slow, waning weeks of winter. (Also I kept thinking of Justin Timberlake in The Social Network: “Drop the ‘the;’ just ‘Hurricane Heist.’ It’s cleaner.”) 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Hurricane Heist gets four.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: GRINGO

Mild-mannered U.S. businessman Harold Soyinka finds himself at the mercy of backstabbing colleagues, local drug lords and a black ops mercenary after traveling to Mexico. Crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal, Harold fights to survive an increasingly dangerous situation that raises the question -- is he out of his depth or two steps ahead?

Director: Nash Edgerton

Cast: David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley

Release Date: March 9, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for language throughout, violence and sexual content

Runtime: 1h 50min

Review:

Gringo is a weird mismash of knock off Tarantino films that seemed to litter the cinematic landscape after Pulp Fiction hit in the late 90s.  Nash Edgerton film is overly busy and needlessly complex.  The characters themselves are interesting and eccentric enough but none of them have any tangible depth to them to make them overly interesting.  To its credit, the film boast a stellar cast who make the film far more watch able than it deserves to be.  David Oyelowo is the main attraction since he’s clearly having a great time playing against type.  Oyelowo who’s usually a dramatic actor has some solid comedic chops and provides of the films best moments.  Charlize Theron & Joel Edgerton are terribly underused especially in the second half of the film.  The same goes for Sharlto Copley’s character who’s interesting but he’s introduced late in the film leaving you wanting more.  Gringo as a whole feels like a missed opportunity, it’s not an unenjoyable film but you can’t help but feel like there is a much better film there.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: RED SPARROW

Prima ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a bleak and uncertain future after she suffers an injury that ends her career. She soon turns to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people to use their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after completing the sadistic training process. As she comes to terms with her new abilities, Dominika meets a CIA agent who tries to convince her that he is the only person she can trust.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds

Release Date: March 2, 2018

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity

Runtime: 2h 19 min

Review:

Red Sparrow is a solid if predictable throwback to 80’s cold war spy thrillers like Gorky Park.  Those walking into this film expecting a fast movie action centric spy film will be thoroughly disappointed.  Francis Lawrence film moves at a snails pace with the cast keeping everything interesting even during some of the quieter moments.  The plot plays out in a pretty straightforward fashion so the twist and turns that inevitably occur don’t really surprise or shock that much.  Some of the graphic sequences are uncomfortable but they don’t hit the intended tone.  Thankfully, Jennifer Lawrence carries the film ably even though she’s acting through some impressive bangs an unconvincing Russian accent.  Still, she’s always interesting and engaging.  If this film had cast a lesser actress in the lead the film would have been thoroughly unbearable.  The supporting cast is rounded out with the excellent actors like Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons and Ciaran Hinds.  Sadly, Edgerton and Lawrence don’t really share much chemistry making their relationship feel forced throughout.  Jeremy Irons character could have used a bit more screen time to flesh out his motivations which are sadly passed off in single sequence late in the game.  Red Sparrow isn’t a terrible movie, it just one that feels like it could have been much better.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Death Wish & Red Sparrow

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to kiss Awards Season goodbye with Death Wish and Red Sparrow.

 

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

 

First on the docket: Death Wish.

 

A surgeon goes vigilante after his family is attacked.

 

Regular reader(s) will not be too shocked to hear I couldn't be bothered to revisit the original Death Wish (which I've seen exactly once) before checking out the the remake/reboot/whatever, so...no comparisons here, sorry.

 

2018's Death Wish is a by-the-numbers revenge thriller that holds few surprises. With Bruce Willis in the lead, it's passably entertaining, but not really dark enough to be taken seriously nor crazy enough to be much fun. Vincent D'Onofrio is wasted in a cookie-cutter sidekick role, though the silver lining is mercifully little screentime for the annoying Elisabeth Shue. Law enforcement is played as bumbling comic relief, with a standard baddie around every turn. I clocked shout-outs to two of my favorite made/set in Chicago movies, The Dark Knight and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I'm pretty sure they weren't on purpose. Ultimately, I enjoyed Death Wish because it's my kinda movie, but I in good conscience I couldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't share my affinity for witless shoot 'em ups.

 

Death Wish runs 107 minutes and is rated R for "strong bloody violence and language throughout."

Death Wish is a reasonably entertaining way to give your brain a couple hours' rest, but you'll forget it almost as soon as you exit the theater. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Death Wish gets five.

 

Next up: Red Sparrow.

 

When a Bolshoi ballerina's career is ended, she's recruited for a secret Russian intelligence service.

 

Hey you guys, remember that George Clooney movie The American? The trailers sold it as a thriller, but in actual fact it was the slowest, quietest movie in the history of movies?* (*Including silent movies and The Revenant.) Well, welcome to The American's step-sister, Red Sparrow. While Red Sparrow is neither as quiet nor as plodding as The American, it disappointed me in many of the same ways. Red Sparrow runs two hours plus and moves at a snail's pace. Criminally underusing the talents of James Newton Howard, it's often so quiet I could hear the people ten rows behind me chewing their popcorn. The movie spotlights every uncomfortable, disturbing, or just plain gross moment for the sake of it; in more skilled hands it could and should have been genuinely disturbing, but instead it's just sensationalized for shock value's sake. (It hurts me to say that, as director Francis Lawrence masterfully helmed three episodes of one of my all-time favorite TV series, NBC's short-lived Kings.) Though it's pretty tense throughout, Red Sparrow didn't once surprise me; its twists and turns are too easily anticipated. The film is a decent vehicle for showcasing the brilliance of Jennifer Lawrence, and the supporting cast is plenty solid (nice to see you, Ciaran Hinds!), but it's a shame the movie isn't half as smart as it wants to be. Red Sparrow's one real accomplishment is giving me a weird crush on Joel Edgerton, which I'm guessing won't be too rewarding for the creative team. Oh, and, hey...don't forget to make fun of me for hating this in two weeks when I tell you all how awesome Sherlock Gnomes is, m-kay?

 

Red Sparrow clocks in at 139 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, torture, sexual content, language, and some graphic nudity." (Movie fans, they're serious. This one is not for the squeamish.)

 

Red Sparrow is a coulda-shoulda-woulda been thriller that's worth seeing for Jennifer Lawrence, but not for much else. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Red Sparrow gets four.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: GAME NIGHT

Max and Annie's weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party -- complete with fake thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it's all supposed to be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start to learn that neither the game nor Brooks are what they seem to be. The friends soon find themselves in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic night.

Director: John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein 

Cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Danny Huston, Jeffrey Wright

Release Date: Feb 23, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime 

Rated R for language, sexual references and some violence 

Runtime: 1 hr 40 min

Game Night is one of those zany comedies with a simple premise that just works.  Director’s John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein craft an efficient and hilarious comedy that moves quickly enough to avoid letting any of the misfires linger very long.  Their biggest asset though is the cast who have great comic timing and chemistry.  Leading the way is Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams who bounce off each other easily throughout the film.  Bateman does his usual Bateman act which still works after all these years.  Rachel McAdams is equally funny; her comic timing is vastly underrated.  The supporting players are all funny in their own right with each given their chance to shine.  A cavalcade of familiar faces pop up as things get more out of hand.  Game Night’s is a perfect turn your brain off and just laugh type of comedy.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: ANNIHILATION

Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac

Release Date: Feb 22, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality

Runtime:  1 Hr 55 min

Review:

Annihilation, Alex Garland’s 2^nd directorial feature, is a lush, dense science fiction film that’s recalls Tarkovsky's Solaris, Kubrick’s 2001 mixed with a splash of Alien.  On its most basis level, it’s a fascinating decent into sci-fi madness.  Garland maintains a steady sense of uneasiness throughout, blending beautiful visuals with brutal and visceral moments straight out of classic creature features.  The flashbacks that pepper the film are a strong clue that Garland is after something deeper and more meaningful than a straight up science fiction film.  

Annihilation is the type of film that requires contemplation afterwards because it does not present you with easy answers.  Once you get past the trippy visuals, especially during the final act, and start dissecting what you’ve seen there’s plenty to think about and appreciate, similar to Denis Villeneuve’s The Arrival.  If there is a small draw back it’s that the characters are types and never overly developed outside of basic features and personality traits.  Still, the cast deliver strong performances across the board.  Natalie Portman is solid in the lead role, maintaining a steady sense of bewildered wonder and dogged determination. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac all turn in workman like performances servicing the film more than themselves.  Gina Rodriguez does leave a strong impression playing against type, at least to anyone familiar with her TV work, as the group’s tough girl.  As a whole, Annihilation should sate science fiction fans hunger for multi layered genre fare.

A