An epic musical fantasy about the uncensored
human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years.
Director: Dexter Fletcher Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard
Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard Release Date: May 31, 2019 Biography, Drama, Music Rated R for language throughout, some drug
use and sexual content Runtime: 2 h 1 min Review: Rocketman is a thoroughly entertaining jukebox
musical/biopic of Elton John. Director
Dexter Fletcher style and structure give the film a pulsating energy from the
get go. Fletcher’s direction gives the
film a certain type of energy that differentiates from the more paint by the
numbers feel of Bohemian Rhapsody. As
such, it’s feels like a better made film from start to finish and it’s hard not
to think about Julie Taymor’s underrated Across The Universe which had a
similar feel. At the center of the
entire thing is Taron Egerton who deserves all the accolades that are sure to
come his way during award season.
Egerton has long been doing impressive work across multiple films
outside of The Kingsman series but here he just embodies Elton John. His performance and singing are just superb
throughout the entire film. The supporting
cast is just as strong even if some of the characters feel a bit more like
types as opposed to fully formed characters.
Richard Madden is impressively enigmatic as John’s first manager and
lover while Jamie Bell performance is quieter and more subtle but just as
effective. Ultimately, your enjoyment of
the film will come down to your enjoyment of musicals and Elton John’s timeless
music, outside of those caveats, Rocketman is sure to please.
Members of the crypto-zoological agency
Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty
Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the
three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species-thought to be mere
myths-rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence
hanging in the balance.
Director: Michael Dougherty
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie
Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas
Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O'Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe,
Zhang Ziyi.
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Action, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rated PG-13 for sequences of monster action
violence and destruction, and for some language Runtime: 2 h 11 min
Review:
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a movie at
war with itself.The obvious main
attraction is the monster mayhem promised in the title and on that basis alone
it succeeds.The battle sequences are
beautifully shot even if they tend to be a bit dark in spots.Portions of the epic battle sequences almost
look like some sort of insane renaissance painting of carnage.So is that enough to make a film enjoyable if
the human portion of the film feels like it was lifted out of a bad 90s summer
blockbuster?It’s difficult to tell
since those portions are just so bland and terribly scripted.The cast assembled is incredibly strong but
they’re mostly wasted spouting hackneyed lines.Character motivations vary from act to act and the logic behind some of
the people’s actions are ludicrous.To
say that the film lags in spots would be an understatement since it’s a series
of ups and downs in terms of excitement.On the most basic level, Godzilla: King of the Monster works as a
mindless and summer blockbuster that delivers some of the best kaiju action
ever.Sadly the overstuffed run time
could have excised entire portions of the human side of the story and the film
would have been better for it.
Yesterday I abandoned my coworkers, turned my back on the best weather day of the budding summer, and hid inside a dark cinema with a monster monarch and pop music king.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from trailers and clips.
First on my agenda, Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
With Earth threatened by Titans and eco-terrorists, it's the King of the Monsters himself to the rescue.What I expect from a Godzilla movie, first and foremost, is for the monsters to be huge and impressive. Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers that in spades, and I didn't even see it on the biggest/best screen at my cinema. I can only imagine how spectacular it looks in IMAX! The CGI sleek and effective, and the light effects on various creatures add some punch to a movie that, overall, is rather dark and sometimes hard to see. The disaster and even weather effects are also a sight to behold. A cast that boasts names like Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, and Ken Watanabe might ordinarily be relied upon to elevate a movie beyond "just a monster movie," but, unfortunately, this monster movie is the equivalent of cement shoes on its actors. I was a little embarrassed to watch such quality talent utter this poorly-crafted dialogue, and I groaned out loud more than once at putrid attempts at humor. That aside, Bear McCreary's score smacks of old-school Godzilla pictures, and solid wall-to-wall action makes for a fast-moving couple hours of summer escapism.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters runs 131 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of monster action, violence, and destruction, and for some language."
It's not the best Godzilla movie ever, but King of the Monsters certainly isn't the worst. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Godzilla: King of the Monsters gets six.
Next on the docket, a movie for which it feels like I've been waiting forever: Rocketman, a musical fantasy based on the life of Elton John.
Dearest reader(s), I am utterly in love with Rocketman. I want to talk about this movie. I want to talk about this movie a LOT. If you don't care to dive right into the thousand words that will undoubtedly follow, just get off the couch, put away the laptop, and get out to the cinema now. Do it. If you *do* want to dive right into my thoughts on Rocketman, well, here ya go...
The first words I said to anyone about Rocketman were: "That's not just the best movie I've seen this year; that's the best movie I've seen in ten years." While it'd take a bit more careful consideration to see how close that statement is to actual fact (it's only been nine years since two new entries, The Social Network and How to Train Your Dragon, jumped into my all-time top ten), I'll stand by the enthusiasm. Rocketman is a truly extraordinary cinematic achievement.
Rocketman is staged like a Broadway musical, with John recounting his childhood, rise to fame, and difficulties with addictions and relationships through musical numbers. The film moves deftly from heartbreak to passion to euphoria without ever feeling disjointed or like it's lost its way. Though the real strength of the musical numbers lies in John's timeless tunes, the staging bursts with fantastic choreography and brilliant costumes. John's story is fascinating enough in its own right, but here it's brought to life with a theatrical flair reminiscent of Bob Fosse's brilliant biopic All That Jazz, another of my all-time top-ten movies, which I was disappointed to discover recently is not available for rental or streaming...if I want to watch it, I have to dig out my old DVD. How very 1998!
Rocketman features top-notch work from a delightful cast. Taron Egerton gives up every inch of himself to *become* Elton John, and if I had the whole of the Internet I couldn't say enough about his performance. Masterful, exceptional, and entirely expected of Egerton, who is unfailingly extraordinary. He does his own singing here, too, in case anyone was wondering. If Egerton perfectly captures the cacophony of Elton John, Jamie Bell's stalwart Bernie Taupin serves as the movie's quiet cornerstone. Bell has been turning in brilliant performances literally since he was a child, and this one moved me to tears more than once. The remainder of the cast, particularly Richard Madden as John's sexy, sleazy first love and manager John Reid, fantastically fleshes out the highs and lows and brights and darks of John's world, nary a weak link to be found among them; even the young kids are terrific.
Following so quickly on the heels of the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, comparisons are inevitable, so, for whatever it's worth, here's how the two films stack up for me. Throwing no shade at Bohemian Rhapsody, which I loved, Rocketman is a much better film. The most objective and therefore critically relevant reason is simple: It's just more self-aware. Bohemian Rhapsody wanted so very badly to be taken seriously, and ultimately it succeeded, but for my money it skimmed too lightly over the dark times and hard questions to earn it. Rocketman was only ever billed as a fantasy, so, though it's based on some real-life people and happenings--and not all happy ones--it could always be whatever it wanted...and it is EVERYTHING. More subjectively, though I'm a big fan of Rami Malek, I've always believed Taron Egerton could do anything, and in each and every project he proves me right. Malek was terrific as Freddie Mercury, but Egerton inhabits Elton John in a way I've seldom seen, not even from the most experienced and decorated performers. Finally, Queen made some epic, legendary music and I love all of it, but it's never moved me in the way Elton John's music does, and that's allowing for the fact that my favorite Elton John songs--Madman Across the Water and Funeral for a Friend/Love lies Bleeding--are unrepresented in this picture. So...if you're going to make the comparison, for me it's not a hard call: Rocketman is a better movie than Bohemian Rhapsody by far and in every way.
Rocketman clocks in at 121 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some drug use, and sexual content."
Rocketman will break your heart and mend your soul. I haven't stopped smiling since I saw it, and I can't wait to see it again. There aren't nearly enough Weasleys to give this movie the rating it deserves, so I'm just going to beg you: GET OUT AND SEE ROCKETMAN NOW!
Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought
keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school
peers. But on the eve of graduation, the best friends suddenly realize that
they may have missed out on the special moments of their teenage years.
Determined to make up for lost time, the girls decide to cram four years of
not-to-be missed fun into one night -- a chaotic adventure that no amount of
book smarts could prepare them for.
Director: Olivia Wilde
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Will Forte,
Lisa Kudrow, Jason Sudeikis
Release Date: May 24, 2019
Genres: Comedy
Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, drug use and
drinking - all involving teens
Runtime: 1h 42min
Review:
Booksmart can easily be written off as a female version of Superbad but
it’s actually much more than just that.Oliva Wilde directorial debut is a smart and funny even if feels
familiar.The coming of age story is
well worn and it can be difficult to bring something new to the table.Wilde brings a nice bit of visual flair along
with likable characters.The central duo
of Kaitlyn Dever & Beanie Feldstein share great chemistry and strong
comedic timing.The supporting cast is made
up of a steady stream of familiar faces who all make the film better though I
do wish we’d gotten a bit more of Jason Sudeikis.Billie Lourde does stand out as a recurring
character that’s constantly everywhere.Overall, the story has a strong sense of inclusiveness and heart at its
center adding depth to the raunchy romp.It’s likely to join the list of the great coming of age movies much like
Superbad.
What if a child from
another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind,
he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary
filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling,
subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
Director: David Yarovesky
Cast: Elizabeth Banks,
David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner
Release Date: May 24, 2019
Rated R for horror
violence/bloody images, and language.
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.
Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi
Review:
Brightburn feels like a
“what if” issue of a comic book series.
David Yarevesky plays up the Superman motif at multiple points during
his gory superhero/horror hybrid.
Jackson A. Dunn fills the creepy kid well with Elizabeth Banks and David
Denman doing strong work as his adoptive parents. The conceit is solid but even as the film
moves into darker territory you get the feeling that they don’t quite get the
most out of the idea. The film isn’t
really scary per say, just gory in parts, even though Yarovesky does set up
some genuinely tense sequences. Sadly,
there’s not a ton of surprise in store and most everything plays out exactly
like you think it would. The finale does
hint at the possibility of a sequel which could be interesting in its own right
depending how they decide to play the story.
As an origin story, it’s solid if slightly uninspired.
After gunning down a member of the High Table --
the shadowy international assassin's guild -- legendary hit man John Wick finds
himself stripped of the organization's protective services. Now stuck with a
$14 million bounty on his head, Wick must fight his way through the streets of New York as he becomes the target of the world's most
ruthless killers.
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, HalleBerry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica
Huston, Ian McShane
Release Date: May 17, 2019
Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
Rated R for pervasive strong violence, and some language
Runtime: 2 h 10min
Review:
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum somehow finds a way to up the ante on
the action franchise. It’s dance like
choreography of the action sequences are truly something to behold. Here director Chad Stahelski delivers a bevy
of action set pieces that are just as jaw dropping and as they are audacious. It’s a cornucopia of variety as well which
keeps the sequences from becoming stale or repetitive. Keanu Reeves is at the center of the whole
thing of course and in his usual Reeves way he moves the film along even with
the barebones plot. The plot itself is
strangely complicated and simplistic at the same time. The story does open up the world and
mythology but rarely gets bogged down too much keeping the focus on the action
that everyone has come to expect from the franchise. If there is a slight issue, it’s that this
entry seems slightly more tongue in cheek than the previous entries. The villain is an interesting take which may
or may not work depending on how serious you prefer your big bad. Ultimately, it’s not a major miscalculation
because the film as a whole is just a load of mindless fun. The visuals and choreography are the stuff of
popcorn fueled dreams. The door is left
open for another sequel which would have a high mile marker to surpass.
