MOVIE REVIEW: STRAYS

Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.

Director: Josh Greenbaum

Cast: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Brett Gelman, Jamie Demetriou, Sofía Vergara

Release Date: August 2, 2023

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and drug use.

Runtime: 1h 33m

There's a pretty long history of talking animals family films from The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey to more recent entries like A Dog's Purpose which are generally wholesome affairs.  Strays takes the general concept and delivers a raunchy comedy which leans heavily on gross out humor with uneven results.  Josh Greenbaum's film delivers some laughs throughout its brisk runtime but it never really finds a consistent groove since some set ups work better than others.  When it works, there are some genuinely funny moments but when they don't they fall noticeably flat which is a shame since the main foursome is made up of strong comedic talents.  Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park deliver fun performances as the motley crew that embarks on the journey.  The four of them deliver lines with a snappy ease that you'd expect with experienced performers with Foxx delivering the most consistent turn.  Ferrell's role seems perfectly suited for his style but the script doesn't let his character let loose as much as you'd expect which keeps him reined in from his classic freak out mode.  Isa Fisher and Randall Park are fun in supporting roles with Fisher proving to be the film's secret weapon.  The four share solid chemistry together but they never really hit their stride because the script uses gross out humor way too much for my taste.  Its a shame because there's plenty to satirize about the genre, something do in passing with a recurring bit about a narrating dog and a very specific cameo.  That's not to say there aren't laughs to be had in Strays but a bit of variety in the comedy would have made it more memorable overall. 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM

 

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. Their new friend, April O'Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

Director: Jeff Rowe

Cast: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph

Release Date: August 2, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Sci-fi, Animation 

Rated PG sequences of violence and action, language and impolite material

Runtime: 1h 39m

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an energetic reboot that breathes new life into the long running franchise.  Jeff Rowe's film has a kinetic energy from the start and he manages to maintain that level throughout.  The animation style and characters designs are beautifully rendered with a grungy style that makes each scene pop.  They're inventively done to give them a fresh new vibe while staying true to their classic designs.  Using real teenagers to voice the titular trio pays dividends since Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon all have great chemistry together.  Their youthful energy comes through as they bounce off each other naturally.  It helps that the script is snappily written even if its not terribly deep, light and straightforward but genuinely funny.  Ayo Edebiri makes for a fun April O'Neal who still a stalwart report but just can't handle her nerves on screen.  The rest of the supporting cast is made up of stars clearly having a ball voicing the slew of mutants that pop up on screen.  Jackie Chan and Ice Cube get the largest play with both delivering hilarious turns as the mentor and villain.  The cast provides a fun dynamic which works throughout making Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem a fun lighthearted animated ride that's sure to make long time fans happy and make new ones at the same time.  

 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: TALK TO ME

 

When a group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits by using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill -- until one of them unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

Cast:  Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen

Release Date: July 28, 2023

Genre: Horror Thriller

Rated R for strong/bloody violent content, some sexual material and language throughout

Runtime: 1h 35m

Talk to Me is slick enough to make for an entertaining thrill ride but its only sporadically scary and hampered by predictable turns and characters who make the worst possible decisions.  Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou direct their debut film with a surprisingly confident hand as they deliver an efficient film that sets up its scares with an energetic verve that's impressive.  They don't waste much time setting the table before they move into the general premise of the story which is effectively dumb kids keep messing with a Ouija Board type deal.  They make strong use of sound design and camera moves to give each sequence a disorienting feel with each moment capped off with shocks or brutality.  This isn't the kind of horror film that's subtle or nuanced instead it's more interested in old school approaches to make you jump or squirm.  The brothers touch on interesting concepts throughout like possession going viral or reality bending moments but they never lean into them enough to make the most of those moments.  The script suffers from a similarly scattered approach as it switches its thematic focus from one theme to another which feels like a missed opportunity.  The film moves at such a steady pace that it's easy to overlook these faults especially since the cast is fully committed especially Sophie Wilde in the lead role.  Wilde's large expressive eyes work perfectly for the role as she gives her a character a simmering unresolved pain that feel authentic.  The supporting cast isn't asked to do much but Miranda Otto makes the most of her moments onscreen by giving her character a nice bit of depth.  Ultimately, Talk to Me is the kind of film that wears its inspirations on its sleeve for better or worse since it makes for some solid moments but not very many surprises.

 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THEY CLONED TYRONE

 

A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.

Director: Juel Taylor

Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx,  David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland

Release Date: July 14, 2023 

Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive language, violence, some sexual material and drug use

Runtime: 2h 2m

Juel Taylor's directorial debut is a surprisingly funny and effective amalgam of some tried and true sci-fi tropes paired with an old school blaxploitation feel.  Its gritty look and feel immediately echo those 70s films as it starts out as a fairly straight forward urban crime drama before it reveals something more insidious lurking underneath.  John Boyega plays the titular drug dealer with a steely hardened facade with hints of emotional depth scattered throughout his journey.  He's the straight man to Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris bigger more cartoonish roles which makes for a fun dynamic once the trio start their investigation into craziness of their situation.  Foxx is in rare form here as he unleashes his comedic talents onscreen with the sort of unrestrained energy were his trademark of his early career.  Parris is having just as much fun as the Nancy Drew loving, soon to be retired proustite.  Their Motley Scooby Doo crew make the film work far better than it should since the reveals are fairly predictable.  That's not to say the script doesn't have a lot to say, it does, but the messaging gets a bit jumbled in its messy final act which borrows bits from Black Dynamite, Dark City and Westworld.  While it doesn't stick the landing, They Clone Tyrone does so much right that you can't help but appreciate this initial effort from Taylor and his cast, enough to make the tease at the end all the more intriguing.

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Oppenheimer

 

My dear reader(s), if you have been with me for any length of time, you will know that I’ve gone from a twice-a-week movie-goer to a twice-a-year movie-goer, and my reviews these days are mostly limited to streaming options. If ever there were a person who could get me to face the talkers, the seat-kickers, the popcorn-bag-rattlers, and the straw-slurpers at the cinema again, that person is Christopher Nolan, who last week presented us with yet another masterpiece, Oppenheimer.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn’t know from the trailers, possibly from real life, and from the paragraph above, wherein I pretty much spoiled my entire review. D’oh!

Yes, Oppenheimer is a masterpiece, among Christopher Nolan’s best work, and that’s a very high bar. It’s early goings yet, but people are already throwing around the “O” word (no, not *that* O-word, though Florence Pugh is pretty hot), and, with half the year behind us, I’d say that’s probably going to stick. Nolan makes a three-hour movie seem like three minutes, with mesmerizing storytelling, sharp dialogue, and a glorious visual landscape. Robert Oppenheimer is painted neither hero nor villain, but rather a man so consumed by whether a thing *could* be done, he failed to consider whether it *should* be done…until it was too late. While there are some gruesome images in Oppenheimer, there’s nothing over-the-top or gratuitous, and the movie never takes lightly the grave ramifications of the choices it depicts.

Cillian Murphy, of course, is brilliant in the title role. He’s never been less, and if anyone didn’t know that by now, this is their education. The whole cast really couldn’t be more perfect, and it’s a testament to the Power of Nolan how many big people took little roles just to be part of this project. Expect awards season to be lucrative for at least Murphy, Robert Downey, Jr., Emily Blunt, and (depending on the field) Ms. Flo, although her role is comparatively small. Exceptional work to a person, Oppenheimer left me breathless.

Oppenheimer clocks in at 180 minutes and is rated R for “some sexuality, nudity, and language.”

Oppenheimer is a masterclass in storytelling and performing, making fascinating work of a grim tale. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Oppenheimer gets all nine.

Oppenheimer is now playing in theaters worldwide.

Until next time…

MOVIE REVIEW: OPPENHEIMER

A feature biography from director Christopher Nolan, explores how one man's brilliance, hubris, and relentless drive changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and unleashed mass hysteria. 

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh

Release Date: July 21, 2023

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Rated R for some sexuality, nudity and language

Runtime: 3h 0m

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a heady, engrossing biopic that makes a series of conversations feel just as thrilling as any large scale action set piece.  Nolan's meticulous eye is laser focused throughout as he unveils a bendy narrative that jumps from two separate time periods and view points.  His sweeping visual style is more focused here, taking plenty of time on faces and subtle ruminations from the main characters as they tackle some truly world changing concepts and the repercussions they bring.  Cillian Murphy leads the film with a nuanced measured performance that maybe the best of his career.  Murphy's hundred yard stare conveys a bevy of emotions as the character carries the weight of the world as his mind juggles through the countless challenges and ultimate ramifications of what his work creates after the fact   Nolan uses his faces and expressions on more than a few occasions to communicate a slew of information occasionally without a single line of dialogue being uttered.  He's the driving force in the film but he benefits from some truly impressive turns from a stellar supporting cast.  Robert Downey Jr. gets the meatiest role as Oppenheimer's post war rival who is trying to secure a cabinet position.  Downey Jr. sinks his teeth into the role with impressive ease as he reveals the character's duplicitous nature.  His scenes play well in contrast against Murphy's more subdued, internalized sequences.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have smaller supporting roles with each doing the most with their screen time with the latter playing against time with great effect.  Florence Pugh is equally solid as Oppenheimer's mistress even if she is a bit young for the role.  A slew of other familiar faces pepper the film giving it a rich textured quality, Tom Conti, in particular, is fascinating in his limited screen time as Albert Einstein.  Their conversation revealed near the end of the film is particularly revelatory and devastating in its implications.  Its these kind of moments that Oppenheimer revels and delivers in a steady stream throughout with the cast and crew all working in top form.

A