MOVIE REVIEW: SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW

Working in the shadow of his father, Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks and his rookie partner take charge of an investigation into grisly murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city's gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer's morbid game.

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Cast: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Samuel L. Jackson, Ali Johnson, Zoie Palmer

Release Date: May 14, 2021

Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery 

Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, pervasive language, some sexual references and brief drug use

Runtime: 1h 33min

Review:

The Saw franchise, now 9 films in with this most recent entry, has always been a low rent Se7en knock off.  It was gorier but the first few films were mildly clever but they fell into more extreme and nonsensical plots something that happens to most horror franchises that are long in the tooth.  Spiral: From The Book of Saw is a soft reboot of the series which explores some interesting concepts but doesn't really explore them, leaving the whole thing feel predictable and half baked.  Darren Lynn Bousman, who is well versed in the Saw universe, returns behind that camera and delivers grungy look that feels like it borrow from Se7en and Predator 2, it's kinetic and sweaty in spurts.  The film's biggest asset is Chris Rock and  Samuel L. Jackson who inject some life into the lackadaisical by screaming most of their lines, early on in the film it almost feels like some of Rock's stand up was ported into the script.  At the very least they both keep the proceedings interesting while you move from one inventive and gruesome trap to another.  The biggest issue is that the central mystery isn't all that difficult to figure out, the film telegraphs it very early on.  As a result, everything feels perfunctory and predictable not to mention that Max Minghella is wasted for the majority of the film.  The films' biggest fault is that the story could have taken a more interesting thematic turn but it never delves into it with any serious effort.  It's a shame that Spiral ends up being another a non descript gorehound sequel instead of the promised reinvigoration of the series.  

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Wrath of Man

My dear reader(s), this week it was back to the cinema (yay!) for one thing that always gets me there: Jason Statham. On the docket: Wrath of Man.

Mystery surrounds an armored vehicle guard in Los Angeles.

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

Honestly being the best policy and all that, I shall go on record as saying Wrath of Man is just the sort of testosterone-fueled bloodbath I want to see when I go to the pictures. I'm a woman of simple tastes, and watching Jason Statham beat the crap out of people is one of my favorite things.

Wrath of Man is directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie, and - while it is not incapable of surprising - its general nature is reasonably predictable if you like Guy Ritchie. (I like Guy Ritchie.) The non-linear plot seems muddled at times, some of the dialogue is cringey, and the whole is a bit humorless, but Wrath of Man is still exciting and entertaining.

Statham is in top form, a strong, mostly silent type who carries the film easily. It's always a pleasure to see Holt McCallany in anything, and the rest of the supporting cast is fine for what's asked of them. (If we're being honest, I probably would think Josh Hartnett and Scott Eastwood were the same person if one of them hadn't made out with Reeve Carney for the TV cameras some years back.) The film is well paced, it doesn't outstay its welcome, and a menacing score by Christopher Benstead perfectly accentuates its dark tone. It's not a game-changer, but Wrath of Man is more than enough reason to get on out to the movies.

Wrath of Man clocks in at 118 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexual references."

A strong lead, maximum carnage, and a twisty plot make Wrath of Man a thrilling yarn. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Wrath of Man gets seven.

Until next time...

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...