Cindy Prascik's Reviews of We Have Always Lived in the Castle & John Wick, Chapter 3: Parabellum

This weekend offered a home/cinema split double-bill of We Have Always Lived in the Castle and John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum.

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

First on my agenda, a Friday-night home screening of We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

The reclusive life of two sisters and their uncle is disrupted when a mysterious cousin turns up on their doorstep.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an atmospheric thriller that should be properly creepy but, sadly, it's just rather dull. The story crawls along at a snail's pace, sabotaging any hope of achieving a menacing tone, and dropping its big reveal like an Acme anvil on Wile E. Coyote's head. There are some nice performances from Taissa Farmiga, Alexandra Daddario, Crispin Glover, and especially Sebastian Stan, and the film looks absolutely stunning, but that can't save it from being a bore.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle runs 90 minutes and is unrated. (The movie features adult themes and some violence.)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a thriller that's just not very thrilling. Of a possible nine Weasleys, We Have Always Lived in the Castle gets three.

Fangirl points: Sebastian, darling, please stop making crap movies.

Next up, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum. Having been "excommunicated" for violating the sanctity of the Continental, John Wick finds himself on the run for his life, minus his support network.

When it comes to entertainment, a project being self-aware and being more than it has to be can be mutually-exclusive. Under normal circumstances, the best you can hope for is one or the other, but the John Wick franchise somehow manages to be both.

On the surface, John Wick is your garden-variety action series with a one-note lead, and you know what? It absolutely knows it's that. It is not pretentious in any way. It lets Keanu Reeves be Keanu Reeves. More than that, it absolutely *needs* Keanu Reeves to be Keanu Reeves. BUT...these films also boast some of the most exquisite production values you'll see on a big screen, masterful fight choreography, and crafty turns that almost never fail to surprise.

After taking out an enemy on the sacred ground of the Continental in Chapter 2, Chapter 3 finds John Wick in mortal peril and minus the network that, in the past, has provided his weapons, gadgets, intel, and safe haven. Amidst almost non-stop action, he finds exotic locales and new allies and adversaries in familiar faces such as Halle Berry and Jerome Flynn. Reeves is genuinely fantastic in the lead, perhaps not the best actor in the world, but the ONLY actor for this role. The movie finds its dry wit mostly in his deadpan reactions to extraordinary circumstances, and it always fits like a key in a lock, never forced or out of place. Parabellum maintains a terrific air of tension from beginning to end, though, if I have one small quibble this time around it's that some of the fight scenes do drag on a bit. They are beautifully and uniquely choreographed, but, with the movie running well clear of two hours, a trim here and there might have done it a favor. However, it's a very small complaint with a picture that otherwise is clever, engaging, and utterly glorious to behold.

John Wick, Chapter 3: Parabellum clocks in at 130 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive strong violence and some language."

Parabellum is another strong installment in a series that I truly hope goes on forever.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, John Wick, Chapter 3: Parabellum gets all nine.

Fangirl points: Ian McShane! Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Tolkien & Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

This weekend it was off to the cinema for the disparate duo of Tolkien and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

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

First up: Tolkien, chronicling the early years of one of the world's most celebrated and beloved authors. Regular reader(s) will know I make a point of not reading reviews until I write my own, but headlines I've seen in passing tell me most folks, including the Tolkien family themselves, don't like this movie.

Since the Tolkien family isn't noted for liking much of anything, I suggest putting that aside and giving the picture a fair shake. It's really not bad at all.

First we have a likable cast, fronted by Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. The material won't win anyone an Oscar, but the performances are quite enjoyable. There are plenty of nods to the things Tolkien fans will want to see...Balrogs and Nazgul and of course very powerful rings. These come mostly in the form of Tolkien's fevered battlefield imagination. Other influences come from Tolkien's real world, most obviously three close friendships formed in his school days. The references aren't exactly subtle, but the movie doesn't constantly beat you over the head with them either. Tolkien does not follow a linear timeline, but rather jumps back and forth between the author's school days to his World War II experiences and beyond. (It's worth noting that some of the war sequences do get a bit gruesome.) The film's meandering pace makes two hours seem a bit long, but it's an engaging enough story that it never lost my attention.

Tolkien clocks in at 112 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some sequences of war violence." If Tolkien isn't an especially memorable movie, it's a serviceable biopic that won't bore you, either. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Tolkien gets six.

Next on the docket, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

After his detective father is killed in an apparent accident, a young man happens upon the father's Pokemon partner and a mystery involving the two.

If Pokemon: Detective Pikachu were the worst movie ever, it would have every right.

The concept feels pretty thin, and little--if anything--I've seen at the cinema lately has been as jarring as Deadpool's voice coming out of that adorable little Pokemon. Curiously, though, each trailer got funnier and funnier, and, as it turns out, the finished product isn't half bad.

Let's start with Ryan Reynolds. Yeah...that voice probably still wouldn't be what I imagine for Pikachu, but this version of Pikachu is all Reynolds, and it's pretty hilarious. Justice Smith capably plays the straight man to Reynolds' wisecracking yellow cutie. Ryme City is loud and colorful and looks every bit the sort of bustling, progressive burgh where humans and Pokemon would live and work side by side. Action sequences are well choreographed and don't run on too long. The movie is great for kids, but there's a fair bit of grownup humor to entertain adults as well. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu runs 104 minutes and is rated PG for "action/peril, some rude and suggestive humor, and thematic elements."

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a fun movie that's a lot better than it should be.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu gets six and a half.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of I’m Not Here & Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

 

 

My frustration with the cinema experience ever-growing and the week's offerings being less than impressive, this weekend I again threw myself on the mercy of streaming services.

 

First up was 2017's I'm Not Here, a dull tale of a sickly older man reflecting on his past.

 

I'm Not Here is blessed with a couple of extraordinary leads in J.K. Simmons and Sebastian Stan, playing older and younger versions of the sad-sack main character, and it doesn't really seem to know what to do with either of them. Simmons speaks not one word of dialogue and spends most of the film staring sadly at himself in the mirror and blankly at everything else, an artistic choice that serves only to make his scenes--the bulk of the movie--seem interminable. Playing the man in his younger days, Stan at least gets to work a few different acting muscles, but the character is so broadly-drawn that there isn't much he can do with it. Both actors deserve better.

 

To say this picture is slow would be the understatement of the decade. In more deft hands the story might be moving, the lead character sympathetic. Under director Michelle Schumacher, it's a bad film school project, its emotional heft seemingly outside her ability to wrangle and its every turn so obvious you'll see it coming a mile away. While the tale is unquestionably sad, the telling lacks any ability to make the viewer sympathize.

 

I'm Not Here clocks in at an impossibly long 81 minutes and is unrated. It contains adult themes, drinking, and brief nudity.

 

I'm Not Here is a pitiful waste of two exceptionally gifted actors. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, I'm Not Here gets three.

 

I'm Not Here is available for streaming and digital download via various platforms.

 

Fangirl points: Of *course* I only watched it because Sebastian Stan is in it!

 

Next up, Netflix' Ted Bundy biopic, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

 

This most recent version of the oft-recounted tale of terror is based on a book by Bundy's longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall. Its wordy name is lifted directly from court transcripts from the day Bundy's death sentence was handed down.

 

While lately Netflix is keeping pace (and sometimes outpacing) so-called "proper" cinema, this offering feels more like a Lifetime movie than anything you'd enjoy on a fifty-foot screen with a ten-dollar bucket of popcorn. Zac Efron, always better than I expect, is spot-on as Bundy, but the performance and the movie itself are somehow less chilling than they should be; there's just no grit. The supporting cast is filled with familiar faces, all of whom have proved more than competent, but--perhaps because the story and its outcome are so well known--it's difficult to invest in the proceedings. Well before the film's halfway point, my attention had wandered far from Ted Bundy, and the only reason I didn't turn it off was in hopes of more "Officer James Hetfield!"

 

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile runs 110 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing/violent content, some sexuality, nudity, and language."

 

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a lukewarm take on a story that's already been told too often. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile gets two.

 

Fangirl points:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M-hmm. Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: LONG SHOT

Fred Flarsky is a gifted and free-spirited journalist who has a knack for getting into trouble. Charlotte Field is one of the most influential women in the world -- a smart, sophisticated and accomplished politician. When Fred unexpectedly runs into Charlotte, he soon realizes that she was his former baby sitter and childhood crush. When Charlotte decides to make a run for the presidency, she impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter -- much to the dismay of her trusted advisers.

Director: Jonathan Levine

Cast: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgård

Release Date: May 3, 2019

Genres: Comedy, Romance

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

Runtime: 2 h 5min

Review:

Every once in a while a romantic comedy manages to bust out of that genre’s general mediocrity.  Long Shot isn’t one of the best but it is a funny film that overcomes its short coming.  Once you get over the clearly outlandish premises, the script and cast really make the material shine.  The film ends up coming off as softer kinder version of Veep melded with a gender reversed Pretty Woman.  Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen have surprisingly solid chemistry, on paper it shouldn’t work but it does thanks to both of them.  Theron, in particular, continues to show an amazing ability to work in any role and genre.  Rogen is in his wheelhouse, of course, so it’s an easy fit for him.  O'Shea Jackson and June Diane Raphael fill in as the leads respective sidekicks which each making the most of their screen time.  The plotting hits on all usual rom-com mile markers, making everything fairly predictable.  It does start to overstay its welcome in the final act and could have used a tad bit of trimming.  Regardless, it’s a fun raunchy comedy that’s enjoyable enough to keep most people laughing.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers -- Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner -- must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos -- the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin

Release Date: April 24, 2019

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language

Runtime: 3 h 2min

Review:

Avengers Endgame is the final chapters of the first season of Marvel long running superhero show.  It’s been a bit of an issue that I’ve had with Marvel mainly because very few of the movies have ever just wowed me, that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed them but they’ve never been the type of films that have blown my mind.  The episodic nature of them always reminded me more of a TV show than movies.  The Russo Brothers do have a nailed down their ability to manage all the various character and plotlines and this culmination does feel like a bit of a victory lap through the last 10 years of films. There are plenty of moments where fan service seems more important than actual plot but it works because the film is ultimately entertaining.  The first hour plays out like a Marvel version of the under watched HBO series The Leftovers with the 2^nd hour pushing into something very reminiscent of the classic series finale of Star Trek The Next Generation.  Much like that series finale the story focuses on the characters we’ve come to know over years as opposed massive action.  Sure it all leads to a climatic showdown but it’s smart to keep the focus on the main 6 characters since they’ve always been the focus of the entire endeavor.  Once the big show down comes it’s a massive spectacle that delivers some incredibly satisfying moments.  The only small drawback is that some of it feels fairly familiar with one moment seemingly channeling an iconic shot from Game of Thrones legendary Battle of the Bastards episode.  I’ll throw in the fact that if anyone whose familiar with another long seeded collection of superhero stories from DC animated universe will get a sense of déjà vu since that series ended with a very similar final battle.  Once the battle is over there are a few more lingering issues because there are plot holes aplenty if you think about many of the choices made, a few are particularly glaring,  It’s really a testament to the work of the cast and directors that film works because in lesser hands it could have been a real mess.  The film is a fitting end to this chapter even if the finality of it doesn’t quiet resonate much like that cliffhanger at the end of Infinity War. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Avengers Endgame

Yesterday I, along with three-quarters of the world's population, hit the cinema for Avengers: Endgame.

An important note on spoilers: The vast majority of movie-goers, and plenty of people who don't usually bother with the cinema, too, will see this movie. A smaller number wouldn't see it if it were the best film ever made; it's just not their thing. A movie like this is probably the only time that literally NOBODY needs someone else's input to decide whether or not to watch. Couple that with the fact that people are so twitchy about spoilers that I barely understand what constitutes one in some people's eyes, well, best not to risk it, I suppose. So...rather than a review, we'll call this a conversation. I'm starting with my thoughts, and--after you've seen the movie--I hope you'll revisit this and join me in the comments. In other words: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. Also, this is gonna get long, as is only fitting for a three-plus-hour movie. Forewarned is forearmed on both counts.

Endgame marks the culmination of the Avengers Infinity Saga, and is the next-to-last film in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's all about the endings as the remaining Avengers attempt to undo the damage done by a snap of Thanos' fingers in Infinity War.

As I've noted time and again, I am not really a Marvel Person. I enjoy most of Marvel's films, but I don't find them to be anything special and I always have plenty of complaints, both legit and nitpicky. I'd read some spoilers for Endgame that left me thinking I wouldn't like it even as much as I do the average Marvel flick, but I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I well and truly enjoy the picture, but many of the recurring beefs I have with Marvel product proved to be non-factors.

Endgame kicks off with Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy in glorious surround-sound. That right there is good for a whole lot of Weasleys, before I put even half an eyeball on the other two hours and 59 minutes. Epic.

The first hour of Endgame is not just good, it's excellent. The people who embody these heroes are decorated actors and adept at emotional as well as physical heavy lifting. Watching the survivors cope with the aftermath of Infinity War, interacting among themselves and with others, is a real treat. Robert Downey, Jr. is especially effective and, for the first time since maybe Tropic Thunder, it doesn't seem like he's playing an exaggerated version of himself. Sure, Tony Stark is still Tony Stark, but this performance is--dare I say it?--even a little understated, setting a perfect tone. Helping matters is the fact that the usual shoehorned one-liners are in short supply here. There is some unfortunate comedy (more on that later), but this go-round it's not Iron Man's fault.

Come the middle hour, Endgame starts to bog down a bit. I wasn't clock-watching (except for purposes of wanting to know when this or that happens), but it definitely didn't hold my attention like hour one. The third act has the big action, and--while it isn't as pointlessly bloated as Captain America: Civil War or Avengers: Infinity War--it probably could have used a trim. Having said all that, at no point in this three hours did it feel like I'd been sitting for 12 (a welcome change for me with Marvel) and, truly, through the end, the only times I looked at the clock were those times I wanted to mark at what point a certain scene happened or a character turned up. Performances: RDJ isn't the only one doing great work in Avengers: Endgame. Bradley Cooper continues to mesmerize as Rocket; he is extraordinary. Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner are magical when they share the screen, reminding me very much of Eva Green and Rory Kinnear's all-too-infrequent scenes together in Penny Dreadful. Paul Rudd...seriously, who doesn't love Paul Rudd? While most of the film is comparatively somber, Scott Lang gives us those lighter moments that--when done well and timely placed--provide important relief in such a grim tale. Tom Holland shows, again, that he's become the heart of the MCU, and Sebastian Stan--reminiscent of "...but I knew him..." in Captain America: the Winter Soldier--proves he needs only his two eyes and 15 seconds on camera to outshine a veritable gaggle of award-winning actors. The movie does a fair job of shaking out screen time among the principals, but the previously-dusted characters turn up late and don't get much to do. The bulk of the attention is (rightly) on the original Avengers, whose time with Marvel allegedly ends with this film. *cough cough* It remains Marvel's greatest strength that they've been able to find just the right people to inhabit their much-loved characters, which, for me, is what makes even their worst movies pretty enjoyable.

A couple quibbles, and let none of these be mistaken for reasons not to see this on a big screen: Wow is the God of Thunder ill-used here. Sure, the Thor movies are probably the lightest of Marvel's offerings (and also my favorites, for the record), but here he's straight-up comic relief, and it seems very unfair, especially as the character is visibly dealing with PTSD. Iron Man gets a scene straight out of a Best Picture nominee, but Thor's just a boozed-up fat joke? I call shenanigans! Thor's handling in Endgame is almost totally missed opportunities and dubious humor, very unfortunate for such a great character and an actor who deserves better. I also feel like Endgame craps on Steve Rogers a bit. Steve's friendship with Bucky is the cornerstone of his story, so it seems implausible that he would abandon Bucky to his (horrible) fate to stay in the past with Peggy. Steve being Steve, it's also unlikely he'd have upended Peggy's life in such a way, when she'd gotten married, had a family, and (as far as we know) been happy. Considering Peggy passed--what, three movies ago?--of natural causes, it felt very forced that half of Steve's close-ups in Endgame were of him mooning over that photo of her in the locket. I knew all that was coming and I honestly thought it would make me hate the movie, but...well...on down the line here I'll explain why it didn't.

As I said 18 years ago at the beginning of this dissertation, Avengers: Endgame is a climax, a torch-passing, an ending. As such, there are significant deaths and impending disappearances of long-loved characters. Tony Stark's passing hit me harder than expected, given how uninvested I've been in the character, but losing Nat? Well...that one about murdered me. Romanoff is a great character and ScarJo an even better actor; the movie feels her absence immediately and consistently once she's gone, despite the fact there are some super-badass female warriors carrying the girl-power mantle going forward. (Can Shuri have her own movie now, please and thank you?) Given the weight and volume the deaths, you'd think I might have shed a tear or two, but...nope. I, who ran right over two cinema employees on my way out of Saving Mr. Banks because I didn't see them through the veil of my tears...I, who had to be consoled by a stranger over the end credits of American Sniper...I couldn't muster so much as a sniffle here, and therein lies a big problem not only for Marvel, but for fantasy entertainment in general: "Death" has no real consequence, especially once the universe starts fiddling with time travel. If RDJ's next couple movies are flops? No worries, we'll just go back in time and un-kill him for Iron Man 12. Yes, I know they've stressed "dead means dead." I know this installment very specifically brings back only the characters who were dusted by Thanos, and not those who were killed otherwise. And I know everybody and their brother's Marvel contract is up. BUT...yeah, I'm still not buying it. If the demand is there and the principals are willing, any or all of them could pop back up at any time, and some of them seem quite likely to. (Lookin' at you, Loki!) The silver lining--and what allows me to not hate what they did with Steve Rogers--is I don't believe that was really Steve Rogers, or at least not the only Steve Rogers. Somewhere, there's a Steve Rogers who meant "'til the end of the line" when he said it. The way the scene played out, Bucky standing back, seemingly knowing what was happening and allowing Steve to choose his own happiness for once, also made it less horrible than it could have been, though, far as I'm concerned, still not the sendoff Steve Rogers deserved. (And may I mention again the quiet, heartbreaking genius of Sebastian Stan, which makes the scene?)

Moments: I'm nobody's feminist--or at least I stand so accused because I don't like Captain Marvel--but there's a bit where all the female heroes charge together against Thanos and...oh my...the chills! I loved the Cap vs. Cap fight, and the "America's ass" joke was genuinely funny and not over-used. It was great that Hot Tub Time Machine (probably not Sebastian Stan's proudest cinematic moment?) was name-checked, and the call-back to the elevator fight in CATWS--for my money, Marvel's greatest film--was terrific. Timeline tomfoolery often becomes muddled and, as mentioned, can result in a lack of investment in the proceedings (who cares what happens if they can just make it un-happen?), but I can't pretend I wasn't happy to see some familiar faces who have passed on or simply disappeared from the MCU. (Huzzah, Brock Rumlow!) Finally, though there are no mid- or post-credits scenes at the end of Endgame, the first credits sequence--which ends with a sort-of curtain call for Cap, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye--is quite epic in and of itself and entirely worth sticking around for. After that, it's okay to take off like a person who's consumed a bathtub-sized Diet Coke and has been waiting three and a half hours to pee. I see you. You're good.

Avengers: Endgame runs 182 minutes (yikes!) and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language."

Avengers: Endgame is one of Marvel's best offerings, and definitely finishes the Infinity Saga on an uptick. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Avengers: Endgame gets eight.

Fangirl points: I mean, you noticed I really, really like Sebastian Stan, right?

Until next time...