Cindy Prascik's Review of Bill & Ted Face the Music

Dearest reader(s), yesterday marked the day I knew would arrive: I had the choice of seeing a brand new release at the cinema, or paying more to watch it at home. I thought it would be a hard call, but ultimately it was pretty easy to choose staying home. I'll be interested to see if it remains so once the health threat is removed. If you were presented with the same choice, I'd be curious to hear what you decided and why.

At any rate, on the docket this weekend was the long-awaited three-quel Bill & Ted Face the Music.

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

Bill S. Preston and Ted "Theodore" Logan still struggle to fulfill the prophecy that said their music one day would save the world.

Face the Music finds our middle-aged heroes with wives, children, and suspiciously nice homes for guys who don't appear to do anything besides jam in their garages. Alas, they are yet to fulfill or move on from the long-ago prophecy that a song they've written will somehow unite and save the world. When a messenger from the future informs them that they have less than a day before time and space are destroyed, the most excellent friends embark on more time travels in the hope that their future selves have the song.

At a certain age, most things come with a whiff of nostalgia. Face the Music works not necessarily because it's the epitome of stellar filmmaking, but because it gives us characters we love in a story we need right now. The movie is sweet enough that its predictably dopey plot is easy to forgive, and — while there are some faces fans will be happy to see among supporting players — it is markedly less entertaining when Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are absent from the screen. The big finish offers few surprises, but the movie's optimism is such a delightful light in this dark year that it hardly matters.

Bill & Ted Face the Music clocks in at a quick 88 minutes and is rated PG13 for some language.

Bill & Ted Face the Music isn't a movie that'll change the world, but I can't help thinking we'd be better off if it could. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Bill & Ted Face the Music gets seven and a half.

Until next time, friends, be excellent to each other.

MOVIE REVIEW: UNHINGED

Unhinged is a 2020 American thriller film directed by Derrick Borte, from a screenplay by Carl Ellsworth. The film stars Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson and Austin P. McKenzie. The film follows a young woman who is harassed by a seemingly unstable stranger following a road rage incident.

Director: Derrick Borte

Cast: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson, Austin P. McKenzie

Release Date: August 21, 2019

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1 h 30min

Review:

Unhinged is best explained as a good bad movie.  Derrick Borte’s mallet punch to the face of film is thoroughly entertaining for the duration of its runtime.  It’s a brutal trip into madness that makes this film feel more like a horror film than a straightforward thriller.  At its center is Russell Crowe who bulked up considerably around the waist to play an embodiment of white male rage.  His performance is far better than the film deserves, so much so that you’d wish that the script had taken a more nuanced approach to his character.  Instead it’s a grotesque caricature that Crowe makes intriguing as we watch his sweaty terror bear rampage throughout the film.  Caren Pistoruis is saddled with a character that isn’t terribly fleshed out or intelligent.  Pistoruis main goal is to react to the terror unfolding upon her.  There are plenty of ham fisted attempts a social allegory but are about as blunt as they come.  It’s a shame that the story and characters are so simplistic because you get the feeling that there is plenty of themes that cold have been explored to make a truly thought provoking film.    


C+

MOVIE REVIEW: PROJECT POWER

A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers.

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, Allen Maldonado

Release Date: August 14, 2019

Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violence, bloody images, drug content and some language

Runtime: 1 h 51 min

Review:

Project Power is the type of film that instantly feels dated even though it’s trying so hard to be edgy and kinetic.  Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman direct this film like they are trying to emulate early 2000 era Michael Bay.  It’s not as garish or stylized as those films but it gets really close.  The weird part is that Bay’s bombastic style typically elicits some sort of reaction whether it be enjoyment or revulsion.  Project Power though doesn’t do that, instead it leaves you generally disinterested.  The conceit is basically a superhero movie mixed with the same general idea from Limitless.  The film’s logic is spotty at best and the actual plot feels generic and tired.  There’s not a single moment during this nearly 2 hour mess that feels fresh or new.  It’s all been done before and typically much better than presented here.  The film’s saving grace is Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who dive into the film and roles with noticeable gusto plus a strong supporting turn from Dominique Fishback keeps it from being a total mess.  It’s a shame because Project Power could have been a much more fun movie than what’s on the screen. 


C-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE WRETCHED

A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parent's imminent divorce, faces off with an old witch who has possessed the neighbour next door.

Director: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce

Cast: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Zarah Mahler, Kevin Bigley, Gabriela Quezada Bloomgarden, Richard Ellis, Blane Crockarell, Jamison Jones, and Azie Tesfai

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Genre: Horror 

Rated R for sexual content and some nudity 

Runtime: 1h 36min

Review:

The Wretched is the type of film that feels familiar right from the start with The sheer number is "witch next door" stories it's nearly impossible fit not to be instantly recognizable    This entry is never terrifying but directors Brett & Drew Pierce do set up a handful of effective jump scares throughout.  Outside of those moments, the film feels more like a love letter to those type of films with a decent sense of self awareness.  Seasoned horror fans will likely find plenty of familiar beats throughout, but it’s all shot and performed effectively which makes it an easy watch.  On the downside, the majority of the characters are about as one dimensional as they come.  John-Paul Howard does decent work in the lead but he's decidedly bland which works against the film's insistence that his character is a bad boy.  Piper Curda suffers from the same fate but they do what they can with neither being bad or boring enough to be distracting.  Zarah Mahler does the heaviest lifting as the central vessel for the villainous witch.  She’s creepy enough but you are kind of left wishing the movie had used her a bit more to make her character more formidable and memorable.  The Wretched is an easily disposable horror film that gets high marks for solid direction and performances, it'll likely never end up on any top ten list, but it doesn't really aspire to.


C+

MOVIE REVIEW: YES, GOD, YES

A Catholic girl finds herself having tempting thoughts after an AOL chat turns unexpectedly racy.

Director: Karen Maine

Cast: Natalia Dyer, Parker Wierling, Susan Blackwell, Timothy Simons, Wolfgang Novogratz, Alisha Boe, Donna Lynne Champlin, Francesca Reale 

Release Date: July 24, 2019

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for sexual content and some nudity 

Runtime: 1h 18min

Review:

The biggest thing that Karen Maine's newest film has going for it is its tangible sense of authenticity that seeps through the story and performances.  The film itself is a study in subtly with every directorial choice being measured and tempered.  Coming of age films, especially those dealing with adolescent sexuality, tend to lean more towards hyperbole or caricature.  Maine's film goes the opposite direction, opting to keep the entire proceedings honest and relatable.  This approach makes the laughs and awkward situations land with much more punch.  Natalia Dyer is perfectly cast in the lead role, she never overplays her scenes, delivering a performance that communicated through reactions more so than dialogue.  The script is lean but it's savvy enough to critique hypocrisies and contradictions involved while coming to terms with the protagonist's burgeoning sexuality.  The supporting actors each have small moments to shine but it's mostly Dyer's vehicle to drive and she's more than capable in the lead.  Yes, God, Yes isn't breaking any new ground per say as traverses over some well-worn themes and topics, but it does so with a level of authenticity that makes you care about the personal journey the main character is going through.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: AN AMERICAN PICKLE

An immigrant worker falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly, and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn't aged a day.

Director: Brandon Trost

Cast: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen

Release Date: August 6, 2019

Genre: Comedy

Rated PG-13 for some language and rude humor

Runtime: 1 h 28 min

Review:

An American Pickle is a fun farce that’s a bit more nuanced than it deserves to be.  The film has a light tone that makes it easier to overlook some of the choppiness in the story.  Brandon Trost skill’s as a director are still a bit raw and it shows in the uneven flow which leaves some dead spots here and there.  That being said Seth Rogen seems far more engaged than usual here playing the dual roles.  His two roles aren’t going to win any awards for subtleness but they are fun caricatures which work well for the film.  The film veers into various themes which hint at bigger ideas but sadly they aren’t explored in any sort of real depth.  What is surprising is its central theme of family and respecting your past gives the movie some real heart.  It gives the film a bit more depth than you’d except and is likely to leave a smile on your face once this brisk film is over. 


B-