MOVIE REVIEW: BLACKKKLANSMAN

From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. 

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace

Release Date: August 10, 2018

Genres: Biography, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for language throughout, including racial epithets, and for disturbing/violent material and some sexual references

Runtime: 2h 15 min

Review:

Blackkklansman is one of Spike Lee’s best films in a while.  It’s funny, uncomfortable and incredibly timely.  Spike Lee isn’t shy about being fairly vocal and direct on his message and it fits perfectly for this stranger than fiction true tale.  John David Washington, Denzel’s son, has a strong screen presence which translates well to the big screen.  Washington is the driving force to the film and he handles it with an experienced ease that’s rare to find.  He and Adam Driver share a strong chemistry with both delivering strong performances.  I’m usually not the biggest fan of Driver but he fits the role well.  The supporting cast is made up of strong character actors like Topher Grace and Jasper Pääkkönen who really shine in their roles.  If there’s a small complaint its that Lee’s film could use a tad bit of trimming since the romantic subplot feels oddly forced.  It’s a minor complaint since the film is fairly enjoyable for the majority of its runtime.  It’s a rare kind of message movie that’s as funny as it’s impactful.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

In the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, two clashing detectives -- one human and the other a puppet -- must work together to solve the brutal murders of former cast members of a beloved puppet TV show.

Director: Brian Henson

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Bill Barretta, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale,  Elizabeth Banks

Release Date: August 24, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime 

Rated R for strong crude and sexual content and language throughout, and some drug material

Runtime: 1h 31min

Review:

Your enjoyment of The Happytime Murders will depend on how “cutting edge” you consider the conceit.  If you think it’s the first time felt puppets have gone R rated raunchy then it’ll be a more enjoyable experience than those are familiar with an old Peter Jackson film.  The Happytime Murders isn’t Meet The Feebles.  It’s raunchy and vulgar but it’s never as offensive as it thinks it is.  To its credit, the film does hold some solid laughs for people who came to see R rated hijinks on the puppet side of life.  Melissa McCarthy seems to be enjoying herself while partnering with her puppet partner.  McCarthy and Bill Barretta share some solid chemistry even if his character is just a 40’s noir detective.  The biggest drawback of Brian Henson’s film is that once you get past the puppet sex, drugs and vulgarity your left with a pretty standard film noir complete with a femme fatale.  It plays along those beats predictably throughout making it’s 90-minute runtime feel longer than it actually is.  It’s a shame that they didn’t take some more risk with their story and go for something truly outrageous.  Instead it plays it safe and starts to overstay it’s welcome as it heads toward the finale.  The Happytime Murders is one of those high concept films that has a great idea but doesn’t take advantage of its full potential.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: CHRISTOPHER ROBIN

Christopher Robin -- now a family man living in London -- receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal, Winnie-the-Pooh. With Christopher's help, Pooh embarks on a journey to find his friends -- Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. Once reunited, the lovable bear and the gang travel to the big city to help Christopher rediscover the joy of life.

Director: Marc Forster

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cumming, Brad Garrett, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss

Release Date: August 3, 2018

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for some action

Runtime: 1h 44 min

Review:

Christopher Robin is a saccharine sweet bit of nostalgia that’s enjoyable and entertaining even though it’s an uneven tone.  Marc Forster’s film is well crafted from start to finish with a strong cast and impressive CGI.  Ewan McGregor turns in a charming performance even though character seems eerily similar to Georrge Banks from Mary Poppins.  The character is a bit more complex than expected and probably could have been explored a bit more.  Hayley Atwell makes for an equally charming wife to match McGregor.  The voice work turned in by Jim Cummings and Brad Garrett really stands out for Pooh and Eeyore, giving the film its sweet center.  The film does have a tinge of melancholy running through the entire film which makes for a strange tone for a children’s film. Christopher Robin never seems to decide if it wants to be a straight forward children’s film or a most measured meditation on rediscovering your youth. 

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Meg

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for The Meg.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or if you've seen one of these kinds of monster movies before...ever.

 

It's Statham vs. giant shark, and the winner is the box office!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, there's not a lot in this world that gets me more wound up than a new Jason Statham movie, and while sometimes he seems to go out of his way to prove I'll watch him in absolutely anything, this one's not so bad.

 

Let's get the negatives out of the way first: The Meg has its tense moments, but it's not super exciting. Part of the problem is the film is utterly lacking in surprises; every minute plays out exactly how you'd expect, making it feel longer than it is. The cast does the best it can with some truly awful dialogue, and, while my crowd seemed to enjoy the cheap laughs, I rolled my eyes so hard I'm surprised I'm not typing out the back of my head today. Finally, a giant, prehistoric shark should be about the most imposing thing you ever could see, yet somehow it never really earns a 50-foot screen; in fact, it seemed positively puny compared to the Bumblebee trailer that ran before.

 

Now the good news: Obviously: Jason Statham. I was afraid the large-ish cast would mean not enough Statham, but even if he's sharing the screen he's still on the screen most of the time. Win! The rest of the cast is pretty good and does what it can with the material; the fact that sometimes it's not much is never their fault. Regular reader(s) will know I'm no great fan of kids or kid actors, but flat-out adorable Shuya Sophia Cai steals this show right out from under its adult ensemble. The scramble for a PG13 rating kept blood and gore well within reason, too. (Yes, I know some would have put that in the "negatives" paragraph!) The Meg is a decent bit of fun buoyed by a good cast and some pretty scenery, even if it's too silly and drags on a bit at times.

 

The Meg clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated PG13 for "action/peril, bloody images, and some language." The Meg is just the sort of unremarkable brain candy you'd expect from Hollywood this time of year. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Meg gets six. 

 

Oh, and, for the record: "You should put on some clothes," is never, EVER the correct thing to say to Jason Statham.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Retro Review: Flashback Cinema Presents Big Trouble in Little China

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Flashback Cinemas' presentation of Big Trouble in Little China.

This film celebrated its 32 birthday on July 2nd, so if a review still manages to spoil something for you, at this point I feel like that's kinda on you.

Truck driver Jack Burton and his friend Wang Chi face the dark magic of the Motherland to rescue Wang's fiance, the elusive girl with green eyes, when she disappears in San Francisco Chinatown.
Big Trouble in Little China is one of those movies that, if it's running on any channel, it's probably on at my house, so it's a familiar old favorite that we watch without really watching sometimes.

Revisiting such classics on the big screen is a great way to ensure they get the undivided attention they deserve.

From its synth-heavy score to its hero's mullet and lace-up boots, there's no mistaking Big Trouble in Little China's 1980s vintage. The picture's indelible time-stamp and campy nature make dated effects and clumsy animatronics seem quaint. Kurt Russell ticks all the boxes as Jack Burton: he’s dashing enough for the action hero, charming enough for the romantic lead, and just bumbling enough to generate good comedy, but it's  Dennis Dun who steals the show as Wang Chi, Burton's friend who frequently is the real hero of the day. Kim Cattrall and Kate Burton are entertaining as gung-ho attorney Gracie Law and earnest reporter Margo Litzenberger, and James Hong’s David Lo Pan is nothing short of iconic. Impressive fight scenes with a martial arts flair never drag on too long (are you listening, 2018 Hollywood?), and, though the fashions may be dated, some of the cultural costumes are lovely. Finally, kids, if you *can* see the Three Storms come out of the sky on a big screen, you absolutely *should* see the Three Storms come out of the sky on a big screen.

Big Trouble in Little China runs a quick 99 minutes and is rated PG13 for “adult situations, language, and violence.”

Action, comedy, romance...Big Trouble in Little China has it all, and that is, in the immortal words of Wang Chi himself, “no horsesh**t.”

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Big Trouble in Little China gets nine.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SPY THAT DUMPED ME

The Spy Who Dumped Me tells the story of Audrey (Kunis) and Morgan (McKinnon), two best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.

Director: Susanna Fogel

Cast: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux, Sam Heughan

Release Date: August 3, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy

Rated R for violence, language throughout, some crude sexual material and graphic nudity

Runtime: 1h 57min

Review:

The Spy That Dumped Me is one of those goofy comedies that light and easy but fairly forgettable.  It’s a shame because the two leads have strong comedic talents but the film never fully takes advantage of them.  Susanna Fogel directs her film with a zany energy which starts to lose steam towards then end.  Fogel switches from zany antics to hardcore spy action throughout the film making for a slightly choppy feel.  The movie just doesn’t find a steady groove even though there are plenty of laughs to be found.   Big chunk of the gags work mostly due to the Kunis and Mckinnon’s talents, in the hands of lesser actresses the film wouldn’t be nearly as funny.  Even they can’t keep the film from dragging in the last act.  These types of films should be quick and easy, a 2 hour runtime needs to be earned.  The Spy That Dumped Me could have used some editing which could have shaved off a good 20 minutes, making it a more effective comedy in the long run.

C+