MOVIE REVIEW: THE POPE'S EXORCIST

 

Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles Satan and innocent-possessing demons. A detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime.

Director: Julius Avery

Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney

Release Date: April 14, 2023

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violent content, language, sexual references and some nudity

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

The Pope's Exorcist is a flashy, kinetic bit of mindless exorcism horror that's elevated by a particularly committed performance from Russell Crowe.  Julius Avery direction is capable and engaging as he sets up a funhouse ride through a series of clichéd exorcist tropes.  Avery and the script doesn't seem all that interested in bringing anything new to the subgenre so there aren't many surprises in store.  The film telegraphs most of the big moments but Avery does stage these sequences with an effective edge and energy that keeps the film from being boring.  Still, none of it would be as entertaining if not for Russell Crowe's fully engaged performance.  Crowe makes the film far better than it deserves be with a nuanced and surprisingly fun and layered turn as Father Gabriele Amorth.  He single handily carries the film the way only a real movie star can by making his character more interesting than what's on the actual page.  While this story is almost entirely fictional, if you are interested in the real father Amorth I'd suggest watching 2017 documentary The Devil and Father Amorth by William Friedkin, it does lay the groundwork set up an ongoing franchise similar to The Conjuring.  I'd personally love to see Crowe take another turn as the character with some slightly more inventive takes than The Pope's Exorcist.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: RENFIELD

 

Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master's prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he's ready to see if there's a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.

Director: Chris McKay

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Release Date: April 14, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

Rated R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Chris McKay's Renfield is a goofy and bloody romp that plays like a weird mash up of John Wick by way of Tim Burton.  The film has an undeniably cartoonish charm that makes it easy to enjoy from the start.  McKay film has a kinetic sort of energy with flourishes of style highlighted early on with a clever use of classic Dracula footage used to give the Cliff's Notes version of Renfied's backstory.  Nicholas Hoult as the titular star is a likable lead as the sad sack that's been in a toxic relationship for centuries.  Hoult's performance is endearing enough to make you care about his predicament which also keeps him from being totally out shone by Nicolas Cage's performance as Dracula.  Cage is entirely in his element in this role as he's given free reign to do whatever outlandish thing he wants to do.  It’s a crazy mixture of just about every iteration of the character condensed into a singular, hilarious performance.  The film works best when it focuses on Cage and Hoult's characters and the gonzo action sequences peppered throughout.  It hits some speedbumps when it falls back on its rather thin plot and romantic subplot.  Awkwafina brings a certain sort of energy which works in small bits, and it would have been more effective if the script had just cut the romantic overtones especially since she and Hoult just don't have that sort of chemistry together.  Ultimately, it keeps Renfield from maintaining its comedic energy consistently enough to make it truly memorable.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

 

With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.

Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen

Release Date: April 5, 2023

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action and mild violence.

Runtime: 1h 32m

Review:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a more than capable family film that plays it safe with the brand as it delivers a light, colorful experience.  Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic clearly have an affection for the property, something readily apparent as they deliver a game to film experience that checks all sorts of nostalgic boxes along the way.  The story is simplistic to a fault as it moves from one set piece to another as it recreates various bits of game play in what amounts to a cinematic retrospective.  Those familiar with Horvath and Jelenic previous movie, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, which lovingly skewered a variety of DC's comic properties won't find that sort of edge here.  There's a definite sense that Nintendo didn't want anything but the glossiest version of their IP on display and for the most part the duo obliges even though slivers of their sensibilities shine through exemplified by an insane, fatalistic blue Luma.  Outside of that its safe and corporate approved which probably keeps the film from being a better overall film.  As is, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a solid adaptation of the video game that sure to please younger kids and deliver enough nostalgia make to older fans happy.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMOUNG THIEVES

 

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant

Release Date: March 31, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action/violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 14m

Review:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun, if inconsistent, adventure comedy that works mostly because of the energetic charisma of its ensemble cast.  Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein do a solid job of setting up the world and its light goofy tone early on.  Chris Pine is a perfect shepherd for this fantasy romp by using his natural onscreen charisma to great effect.  Pine makes the whole thing far more accessible than it should be since the script throws a bevy names and locations which longtime fans of the game will probably appreciate but will fly over the general public's head.  The action set pieces are large impressive mostly CGI creations with a graveyard and arena sequence being the best of the bunch.  Thankfully, the story never takes itself overly serious even as we traverse the Lord of the Rings style world as the group of misfits assembles.  This allows the rest of the ensemble their moments to shine typically through a series of extended flashback which flesh out their backstories.  Michelle Rodriguez is perfectly cast as the barbarian and Pine's platonic partner.  Justice Smith is appropriately award and unsure as the less than stellar sorcerer whose hopelessly in love with Sophia Lillis shapeshifting druid.  Lillis is a fun counterpoint to Smith with her natural poise and self confidence.  Regé-Jean Page and Hugh Grant both make the most of their screen time but you get the sense that the film could have made better use of the performers and characters.  It’s a strange sort of film that's far better than it deserves to be mainly because of the cast is able to rise about the film's script with is filled plenty of clunky dialogue.  The surprising thing about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is that amongst all the goofiness it's got a good amount of heart at the center of the story.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

 

With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane

Release Date: March 24, 2023

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 49m

Review:

John Wick: Chapter 4, possibly the final entry in the main series, throws everything it has in this ludicrous but insanely entertaining entry.  It’s a rare thing to watch a director grow in real time but Chad Stahelski has shown an impressive evolution over the span of his signature series.  What started as a pulpy bit of well choregraphed gunsplotion slowly morphed into something more stylized complete with an ever expanding mythos.  Stahelski once again ups the ante by delivering three distinctive and massive action set pieces with each bringing a very specific type of kinetic energy.  The first act plays like a live action anime with the second bringing a more standard euro vibe and the third coming through as an homage to 1979's The Warriors with a Parisian demolition derby thrown in for good measure.  The sheer creativity of the bloody ballet that's played out onscreen is impressive on multiple fronts.  Even as some of the sequences start to boarder on self indulgent, there such a large variety of action that it rarely grows stale.  At the center of it is all is Keanu Reeves and his particular brand of acting which fits this series perfectly, so much so that the supporting cast match is tone and tenor.  Donnie Yen brings a fresh sense of energy as a blind frienemy assassin that echoes his Star Wars Rogue One character.  Its a fun performance that becomes more enjoyable as the film goes on.  Bill Skarsgård is the central villain for this entry, chewing up every bit of scenery with impressive aplomb even with a shaky French accent.  Shamier Anderson character is literally called Nobody and the script doesn't do him any favors by giving him very little depth outside of having a faithful German Shepard.  Rina Sawayama and Hiroyuki Sanada have some solid chemistry as father and daughter early on with hints that one might show up again in the future. Returning players like Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and Lance Reddick give the film a bit of franchise flavor even if they aren't given anything substantial to do.  John Wick is the strange kind of series that manages to overcome its light characterization and basic storytelling with truly impressive action spectacle.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

 

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren

Release Date: March 17, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller

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

Runtime:  2h 10m

Review:

David F. Sandberg's original Shazam had a sort of goofy charm captured perfectly by Zachary Levi's performance as the titular superhero.  The follow up still has that energy even though its more frenetic and unfocused than the first go around.  This film is clearly shooting for a more family friendly angle than the majority of the superhero with a lighter tone even with the assortment of action set pieces on display.  Those set pieces are decidedly bigger than the first go around which are fun, but they may turn off people who aren't fans of heavy CGI usage.  Levi is still the focus, but the story does expand a bit to include more of his adopted siblings/superhero team with Grace Caroline Currey and Asher Angel getting the biggest chunks of the spotlight.  Currey and Angel make the most of the opportunity as they flesh out their particular characters.  Sadly, the rest of the ensemble only gets a few passing moments leaving Meagan Good's fun performance  being terribly underutilized.  Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Djimon Hounsou have fun in their roles with Mirren proving more than capable of bringing back some of that classic Morgana energy from Excalibur.  Rachel Zegler is appropriately wide eyed throughout but her character is thinly written not terribly interesting which doesn't do the film or story any favors.  It doesn't help matters that the film could have used some trimming here and there to make it a more enjoyable experience.  Ultimately, Shazam! Fury of the Gods falls into the cliched sequelitis where everything is bigger and louder but it’s not as effective as the original.  

C+