MOVIE REVIEW: WRATH OF MAN

 

Mysterious and wild-eyed, a new security guard for a cash truck surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman's ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Laz Alonso, Chris Reilly, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei, Eddie Marsan, Scott Eastwood

Release Date: May 7, 2021

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexual references

Runtime: 1 h 58 min

Review:

Wrath of Man, Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham forth film together is a bit of a mixed bag of a crime drama.  Ritchie style is less flashy and more focused here but it only partially works since there seem to be a strange disconnect between him and the actors.  The style is slick but each of the actors delivers their lines in the stiffest and most wooden manner possible.  This works for Statham since it’s pretty similar to his usual delivery but it doesn’t quiet work for the rest of the cast.  To his credit, Statham performance is appropriately steely and determined throughout even though he disappears off screen for a big chunk of the film after it’s opening act as the story adopts a Rashomon style of storytelling.  While a solid choice for the story’s plot but none of the other characters are quiet as interesting or engaging as Statham’s H since the other characters are fairly one dimensional.  The story itself is nearly as clever as it thinks it is as all the reveals are fairly predictable from the start.  The impressive part of the film that it overcomes it’s shortcomings by being continually watchable and engaging, so much so that you can ignore some of its massive plot holes and paper thin characters. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES

 

Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school. But their plans to bond as a family soon get interrupted when the world's electronic devices come to life to stage an uprising. With help from two friendly robots, the Mitchells must now come together to save one another -- and the planet -- from the new technological revolution.

Director: Michael Rianda

Cast: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Rianda, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Blake Griffin, Conan O'Brien

Release Date: April 30, 2021

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for action and some language

Runtime: 1 h 53 min

Review:

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is a light breezy animated family film that has heart to spare.  Michael Rianda’s film has a bright and appealing visual style that’s distinctive enough to separate it from other animated films.  The story is a nice hybrid of a standard family film and a fun sci-fi story.  Neither is particularly groundbreaking but it hits the sweet spot where it finds a meaningful story to tell with engaging characters.  The primary family play off standard tropes but the script is smart enough to give them enough depth to make them engaging and interesting.  The entire thing wouldn’t work if the voice cast didn’t deliver strong performances, thankfully they do in spades.  Danny McBride delivers one of the more restrained performances of his career and it works well for this role.  McBride’s performance is sincere and heartfelt throughout which is a great change of pace for him.  McBride and Abbi Jacobson have believable chemistry as the father daughter duo who are at the heart of the story, as such they are the driving force of the film.  The supporting cast is rounded out with Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda, Eric Andre and Olivia Colman with each getting their time to shine.  Colman in particular seems to be having a ball as diabolical AI who can’t deal with rejection.  The Mitchells vs. The Machines also delivers a hefty amount of laugh out loud moments that are sure to keep young and old entertained for the better part of its runtime.  There are portions of the film that feel like they could have been trimmed because there really no reason for the film to be nearly 2 hours long, regardless it’s strong family film that works on multiple levels.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: MORTAL KOMBAT

 

Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced fighters Liu Kang, Kung Lao and the rogue mercenary Kano, Cole prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions to take on the enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Release Date: April 23, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

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

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Mortal Kombat is a ridiculous movie on multiple levels which somehow works as goofy mindless entertainment.  The film’s opening sequence feels like a bit of misdirection as it plays like a straight laced old school samurai film.  It’s a slick, impressive opening however once Simon McQuoid’s film starts in earnest it pivots heavily into absurdism.  The plot is razor thin with just a string of a idea holding the whole thing together.  None of it makes much sense and neither the director or cast seem to care so there’s a bevy of things that happen simply because they have to.  Once it embraces it overall goofiness, the movie starts delivering over the top action filled with the kind of gory bloodshed fans have come to expect from the video game franchise.  The cast is made with fresh faces and some more established character actors who slumming it for a paycheck.  Everybody makes it out mostly unscathed with Josh Lawson’s Kano being the real standout and ultimately the most memorable character in the whole thing.  While this Mortal Kombat doesn’t have the endearing campiness of the 1995, the new entry could use some Christopher Lambert, it’s still fun video adaptation that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Monday

 

My dear reader(s): The weekend just passed brought me what inevitably turns out to be my favorite mistake: a new Sebastian Stan movie.

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

Following a drunken hookup, a pair of American expats tries to fashion a life together in Greece.

If you've come to my reviews over the last, say, 12-18 months, you could be forgiven for wondering why I bother with movies at all, when I don't seem to like any of them. I can assure you that, in the past, I've been almost too easy to please (cinematically speaking), but the limited releases of the past year, coupled with my decreasing tolerance for wasting my time, has turned my reviews a bit...cranky. I'll apologize in advance for where I have to call out Monday as the combination of vanity project and porno that I expected. It gets some things right, too.

Monday's problems start with the fact that its leads have zero chemistry. We're meant to believe their passion is the catalyst for some life-altering choices, and it it's essentially a flatline. If you struggle to tolerate chaotic people (as I do), you'll never get behind these two as a couple, either. The movie tries so hard to make them sympathetic, but I not-so-secretly felt they'd be better off if they gave up and tried pairing off with actual functioning adults. (Echoing a complaint I also had about Stan's 2019 movie Endings, Beginnings.) Watching them try to fashion a real relationship from a hot one-night-stand is exhausting and never very moving or entertaining. Monday held my full attention for exactly 16 minutes before I started playing with my phone (I clocked it), but there are some positives. First, both leads turn in brave, solid performances. The movie pushes Denise Gogh and Sebastian Stan to the very limits of what I imagine would be anyone's comfort zone, sharing intimate scenes, heated battles, and a penchant for public nudity. Some of the scenery is lovely,  both stunning Greek locations and a frequently-unclothed Sebastian Stan. The movie takes a sadly predictable path, but arrives at (without spoiling specifics) a destination I would not have expected. I'm willing to give it some points for surprising me; I wouldn't have thought it was capable of that.

Monday clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated R for "sexual content, nudity/graphic nudity, drug use, and pervasive language." (Nudity is mentioned twice in the content warnings. They mean it. It's ALL out there, so if you're twitchy about that, maybe take a pass on this one.)

Monday continues Sebastian Stan's unfortunate track record of wasting his exceptional talent on unexceptional projects, but almost redeems itself by turning from the beaten path late in the game. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Monday gets four.

Fangirl points: Seb. (Obvs.)

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: IN THE EARTH

 

As the world searches for a cure to a devastating virus, a scientist and a park scout venture deep into the woods. As night falls, their journey becomes a terrifying voyage through the heart of darkness as the forest comes to life around them.

Director: Ben Wheatley

Cast: Joel Fry, Reece Shearsmith, Hayley Squires, Ellora Torchia, John Hollingworth, Mark Monero

Release Date: April 16, 2021

Genre: Horror

Rated R for strong violent content, grisly images, and language

Runtime: 1 h 40 min

Review:

Ben Wheatley’s In The Earth can best be described as a earthbound take on 2001: A Space Odyssey crossed with Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.  It’s the type of horror film that aims to make you uncomfortable to the point where some of the more extreme moments start coming off as a funny as the film moves on.  Those adverse to body horror sequences will probably be better off skipping this feature since it makes heavy use of it.  The story itself feels like a hodgepodge of ideas which used pandemic fears as a starting off point then got progressively stranger as it goes on.  That’s not to say that Wheatley, who also wrote the script, doesn’t have something to say but it’s not a coherent whole.  The latter seems to intentional on Wheatley’s part as he assaults the sense on multiple front’s.  The primary duo of Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia aren’t required to do much except react to what is happening to them.  Reece Shearsmith and Hayley Squires do most of the heavy lifting on the creepy factor but the film isn’t ever scary.  Wheately’s In The Earth is type of film that’ll leave you wondering what you just watched the moments the lights go up, it’s bound to elicit divisive reactions.   

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: VOYAGERS

 

Set in the near future, the film chronicles the odyssey of 30 young men and women who are sent deep into space on a multi-generational mission in search of a new home. The mission descends into madness, as the crew reverts to its most primal state, not knowing if the real threat they face is what's outside the ship or who they're becoming inside it.

Director: Neil Burger

Cast: Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Archie Renaux, Archie Madekwe, Quintessa Swindel

Release Date: April 9, 2021

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence, some strong sexuality, bloody images, a sexual assault and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Voyagers is a glossy looking film that uses a variety of cinematic inspirations to deliver a paint by the numbers plot with no surprises or innovations.  Neil Burger film, doused in electric blue, has plenty of promise with an interesting set up.  Burger moves his film at a steady pace from the start as we are introduced to Colin Farrell's protector figure and a quick expositional opening which lays out the groundwork for the premise.  Farrell is there simply to set off the plot which leads to him having rather limited screen time.  Once the film gets rolling, plenty of intriguing themes and mysteries are set up but none of them really payoff in a meaningful or thought-provoking way.   Burger, who also wrote the script, doesn't seem interested or capable of delving deeper into any of the fertile thematic elements presented from male aggression, gaslighting, social structures amongst others.  As a result, you are left feeling there is a better story and film in there somewhere had it been handled by somebody else.  What we are left with is a fairly straight forward Lord of the Flies riff that hits nearly all the same beats as the classic book.  The cast is populated by a fairly diverse group of upcoming actors and actresses but Burger manages to use his POC in the worse possible way. Tye Sheridan, whose face is set to forever pout, leads the film along with Lily-Rose Depp with Fionn Whitehead playing the primary villain.  Sheridan & Depp are both rather bland and emotionally distant since neither has the type of screen presence to carry a film.  Whitehead has manic flashes here and there but it's never sustained so the conflict never hits the way it should.  Instead, it all feels perfunctory with a climax that feels like it's ripped from Alien. 

C