MOVIE REVIEW: THE PREDATOR

From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race.

Director: Shane Black

Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Sterling K. Brown

Release Date: September 14, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Horror

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and crude sexual references

Runtime: 1h 47min

Review:

The Predators is an odd film that can never figure out what it ultimately wants to be.  Shane Black directs this 6^th screen appearance of the Predator and gives it a strange infusion of comedy.  The violent space hunters face off vs. a ragtag group of misfits who have a quip for every occasion.  The comedy is enjoyable but it feels out of place in the Predator franchise with long sequences veering incredibly close to self parody.  The actors are all fine even though some seems to be hamming it up, like Sterling K. Brown, while others are playing it straight like Boyd Holbrook. It makes for a choppy tone which makes the film just feel off.  It’s a shame because the film has potential particularly if they’d focused on the band of misfits.  The characters are all interesting enough but the film just doesn’t spend much time with them.  Instead we get Oliva Munn who just doesn’t fit in the film; it’s particularly glaring since the film also has Yvonne Strahovski but decides to use her in a throwaway role.  The Predator isn’t the return to form most fans were hoping and with the level of talent assembled you’d be remiss to think if it’s even possible at this point.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE NUN

When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

Director: Corin Hardy

Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, Charlotte Hope, Jonny CoyneIngrid, BisuAugust Maturo, Mark Steger, Sandra Rosko, Emma Appleton

Release Date: September 7, 2018

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for terror, violence, and disturbing/bloody images

Runtime: 1h 36 min

Review:

The Nun is the second spinoff from The Conjuring series and even though there is a solid set up and strong cast it’s a terribly generic entry.  Corin Hardy seem intent on hitting just about every religious horror cliché as he guides his film from one jump scare to another.  Taissa Farmiga and Demián Bichir carry the film ably even if their characters are just overused tropes we’ve all seen before.  Farmiga is solid in her role but it’s a bit distracting that she looks like a carbon copy of her sister.  A fact that the film doesn’t bother using as a plot point, even though it’s a gift wrapped bit of casting magic.  Bichir is his usual strong self but the film doesn’t really take advantage of his acting chops.  Jonas Bloquet seems out of place as a French Canadian living in Romania which is as silly as it sounds.  The Conjuring films have always had a certain level of quality which makes the films special.  Sadly, the spinoffs have been built around cheap jump scares and recycled tropes making them utterly forgettable. 

C

MOVIE REVIEW: SEARCHING

 

David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter Margot disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place that no one else has -- Margot's laptop. Hoping to trace her digital footprints, David contacts her friends and looks at photos and videos for any possible clues to her whereabouts.

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Cast: John Cho, Michelle La, Debra Messing

Release Date: August 24, 2018

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Review:

Searching is the type of film that’s based off a gimmick.  It’s not the first film to occur entirely on a computer screen but it’s one of the best.  First time director Aneesh Chaganty unfurls and impressively crafted mystery that’s entirely engrossing.  It’s hard to watch the film and not appreciate the effort and planning involved to create such a detailed and layered story using only computer screens.  John Cho is the heart of the film with his performance being the life blood that drives the entire endeavor.  Cho delivers a subtle measured performance that works perfectly for his character.  There’s an air of authenticity to his turn that grounds the film and helps you forget the gimmick quickly.  Debra Messing and Michelle La are both solid in supporting roles.  Messing is a tad robotic for my taste but it’s a small issue once the twist and turns really start unwinding in the film’s final act.  Searching is the type of film that is impressive on multiple levels and announces the arrival of Aneesh Chaganty as a fascinating director.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of An Actor Prepares

Dearest Blog: Thanks to a slow weekend at the cinema, yesterday I had the opportunity to catch up with Jack Huston's latest picture, An Actor Prepares, via XFinity On Demand.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers...if you've seen one, which I sure as heck didn't around here.

 

Declared too ill to fly from LA to New York for his "favorite" child's wedding, an aging, self-absorbed actor sets out on a cross-country road trip with his estranged son.

 

The burning questions:

 

1.) Will this film be as pretentious as its name? 

 

2.) Has Jack Huston finally found another vehicle worthy of his exceptional talent? (Been a long dry spell since Boardwalk Empire.)

 

Unfortunately, the answers are yes and no, respectively.

 

An Actor Prepares suffers a terminal case of Pilot Syndrome. You know, that very first episode of a television series, where every aspect of every character is super-sized to bring viewers up to speed as quickly as possible? Comic-book movies devote entire films to back story with their origins stories. Well-crafted movies educate with subtext so skillful as to be unnoticeable. This movie bangs you over the head again and again for the duration. The main characters not being very likable anyway, the exaggeration quickly grows old. Jeremy Irons has a gleeful ol' time as a self-centered thespian whose charisma fools all but those closest to him. For the first half of the movie, he almost fools the viewer as well, his escapades seeming hilarious to anyone not in the path of the fallout. As the obviously-NOT-favorite child, Huston does a terrific job of conveying the weariness that comes from surviving in the direct orbit of such a person, forever painted the bad guy, the buzz-kill, the wet blanket. The character is uptight and a little whiny, but layer on a troubled relationship and a failing career, and I didn't have a hard time forgiving him for it. (Your own ability to do so may rely solely on your position within your own family's pecking order.) An Actor Prepares is handicapped by poorly-written dialogue that is frequently crass just for the sake of it. "Deeper" moments are scored by dreadful emo songs as the film trudges to a predictable finale. The big screen dodged a bullet by sending this one straight to download.

 

An Actor Prepares clocks in at 97 minutes. The movie is unrated, but features adult situations, adult language, some nudity, and drug use.

 

An Actor Prepares is a slog that proves unworthy of its talented cast. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, An Actor Prepares gets four and a half.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of BlacKkKlansman

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Spike Lee's BlacKklansman, touted as one of the year's best films thus far.

 

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

 

Colorado Springs' first black police officer goes undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. (Seriously.)

 

Unarmed with knowledge of the true story, one might naturally assume a yarn as absurd as BlacKklansman to be fictional comedy. The movie does, in fact, feature several laugh-out-loud moments. These ridiculous situations that seem hilarious in fiction are decidedly less so when based in reality (especially in today's climate), but the moments of levity are well-placed and necessary in a story that's pretty hard to stomach at times. Despite deliberate pacing, BlacKkKlansman never feels slow, though the harsh, hateful language and the tension of the case itself definitely made me fidgety. Much of the picture is so surprisingly quiet that, on those occasions when Terence Blanchard's score really rears its head, it feels a little jarring and out of place, but otherwise the musical selections are choice! Outstanding leads John David Washington and Adam Driver have terrific chemistry; Washington, in particular, carries the film with the ease of an old pro, despite having just eight acting credits on his resume. Director Lee expends a great deal of quality screen time focusing on individual faces in the crowds, as if begging viewers to remember we're all just people, no matter our ethnicity or heritage. BlacKkKlansman is the kind of essential film making that makes getting out to the cinema not just something you want to do, but something you HAVE to do.

 

BlacKkKlansman clocks in at 135 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, including racial epithets, disturbing/violent material, and some sexual references."

 

BlacKkKlansman is that rare gem that truly earns the hype. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, BlacKkKlansman gets nine.

 

Fangirl points: Well, dear reader(s), this basic 70s white girl sure did enjoy hearing Emerson Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man" in digital surround sound!

 

Until next time...

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-