Cindy Prascik' s Reviews of The Infiltrator & Ghostbusters

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of strange bedfellows: The Infiltrator and Ghostbusters. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on the docket: The Infiltrator. 

 

A US Customs officer launches a dangerous undercover mission to catch one of the world's top drug kingpins. 

 

It is both a blessing and a curse that The Infiltrator is good, but not special. In an age where the Internet has no problem convincing people they hate films they haven't even seen yet, being neither great nor terrible enough to be buzzworthy isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

 

Still, structured as it is around a decorated actor (Bryan Cranston) in a role tailor-made to earn him more hardware, the tense tale ultimately can't help feeling a little disappointing. Cranston is solid in the lead, but it's John Leguizamo who steals the show as his loose-cannon partner. Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, and Joseph Gilgun are also terrific in supporting roles. 

 

Characters are well fleshed out, so that even the worst earn a bit of sympathy. Focusing on the money side of the illegal narcotics trade, The Infiltrator is less sensational than movies that detail the gorier realities of drug running, but the intense plot has no trouble holding your attention. Sadly, if it's details that elevate a good movie to great, that's where The Infiltrator fails. 

 

Some of the direction is decidedly amateurish, with too-obvious foreshadowing and lingering frames that almost stray into comic territory. Hairstyles, fashions, and music are sometimes not correct for the picture's 1985 setting. There's no obvious filler, but the movie runs a hair too long and drags noticeably in the second act. 

 

The Infiltrator clocks in at 127 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language throughout, some sexual content, and drug material." The Infiltrator boasts strong performances and well-definted characters, offering solid "grown-up" counterprogramming on a blockbuster family-release weekend. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Infiltrator gets six and a half. Fangirl points: Jason Isaacs! 

 

Next up: the poliarizing reboot of Ghostbusters, a.k.a. why it's best to ignore Internet trolls. Three scientists, an MTA employee, and the world's best-looking receptionist team up to quash a ghost infestation in New York. 

 

Dear Reader(s): We all have things we love enough to drive us past the point of reason. I am no stranger to this phenomenon, and, thus, in my presence it is best not to speak of that unfunny, unholy, disrespectful dumpster fire that is 2004's Starsky & Hutch. Herein I shall attempt to give even the staunchest fan of the original Ghostbusters a few reasons why 2016's Ghostbusters is NOT 2004's Starsky & Hutch. 

Ghostbusters is a well-and-truly funny comedy, with laugh-out-loud moments throughout. Rather than bastardizing beloved characters, it reboots with new ones. Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are delightful as estranged friends reunited by the spirit crisis; their chemistry is fantastic. Leslie Jones' wisecracks and physical comedy provide the movie's funniest moments, and Chris Hemsworth is perfect as the dopey but ridiculously-hot office assistant. 

 

There's nostalgia aplenty for those who want it, in faces both living and undead, the recurring Ghostbusters theme, and that very familiar logo. 

 

Though rarer than laughs, there are a fair few proper scares to be had as well. The movie boasts super effects and 3D that is not just worthwhile, but great! Ghosts run the gamut from pretty terrifying to pretty hilarious. The comedy slows up a bit in the movie's second act, displaced by some fun, well-executed action sequences. 

 

Only Kate McKinnon's character, Jillian Holtzman, is a weak link, so jarringly off that every appearance becomes an unfortunate distraction. Writers and actress must share blame for bringing to life possibly the most irritating character I've ever seen on the silver screen (and, yes, I'm including Jar-Jar Binks in that equation). 

 

Ghostbusters runs 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "supernatural action and some crude humor." Ghostbusters is a uniformly funny movie with a great cast and terrific effects. Only that rare individual who strongly feels Chris Hemsworth is better used in something like Black Hat wouldn't find something to enjoy here. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ghostbusters gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Michael Kenneth Williams and one teeny glimpse of my beloved Shubert Theatre! 

 

Until next time...

 

MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS

Director: Paul Feig 

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth

Release Date: Jul 15, 2016

Rated PG-13 for supernatural action and some crude humor.

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters isn’t the disaster many predicted but it’s not good enough on it’s own to prove it was necessary either.  I’m one of the few people who always liked Ghostbusters but was never in love with it even though I grew up with it.  There’s a definite fondness for the original film but I never really thought it was sacrilegious to remake it with women.  The director and cast do the best with what they have but it’s clear that there’s an issue with the story.  The overall plot hits a lot of the same notes that the original did but with a more generic punch.  As the film goes on, it does feel like everybody is reigning it in a bit, making me wish they’d decided to go for a full on R rated comedy.  I think that would have been a better choice for this director and cast.  As is, the cast is solid throughout with Chris Hemsworth leaving the biggest impression by displaying some strong comedic chops.  The film is a tad overlong by about 20 minutes or with some noticeable dead spots that could have been easily excised.  The Ghostbusters’ remake isn’t a train wreck but it’s not as good as it should have been to justify its existence. 

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Secret Life of Pets

Dearest Blog: yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas, with a dear friend and approximately eight million kids, to see the weekend's blockbuster animated release, The Secret Life of Pets. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

The adventures of domesticated and non-domesticated animals in New York City. Well, dear reader(s), first stating the obvious: If you have pets, you're gonna enjoy this movie a LOT more than if you don't. 

 

The main storyline, about a pair of pups who have to find their way home after mistakenly being collared by animal control, is solid enough for the film's quick runtime, but the most fun bits by far are the devoted doggy sitting at the door awaiting his owner's return, or the disdaining cat knocking a lovingly-offered bowl of food across the room. 

 

Kevin Hart, as a psychotic rabbit, completely steals the show from a uniformly great voice cast. Pets' art and animation are bright, colorful, and thorougly pedestrian, nothing state of the art here. The movie is pretty funny throughout and only occasionally so crass as to appeal exclusively to ten-year-old boys. The Secret Life of Pets clocks in at 90 minutes, which includes a laugh-out-loud Minions short, and is rated PG for "action and some rude humor." It won't give Dory a run for her money come Oscar time, but The Secret Life of Pets is a cute, fun story with all-ages appeal. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Secret Life of Pets gets six and a half. 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

Director: Jake Szymanski

Cast: Adam Devine, Zak Efron, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root

Release Date: Jul 08, 2016    

Rated R for crude sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some graphic nudity.    

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.    

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a breezy R rated comedy that hits most of the right beat even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.  Its cast is loaded with excellent comedic actors.  Adam Devine and Zac Efron’s on screen chemistry is readily apparent which really helps the film along.  Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza are just as funny even if they aren’t quite believable as the characters.  Kendrick in particular seems to have to a hard time taking to the role but she’s still pretty funny through out the film.  There aren’t many surprises throughout the whole thing since it follows a pretty predictable path but you shouldn’t be expecting some massive innovation in the genre.  Still it does it’s main job and makes you laugh during most of it’s economical run time.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR

It’s been two years since Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from a regrettable act of revenge on Purge Night. Now serving as head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), his mission is to protect her in a run for president and survive the annual ritual that targets the poor and innocent. But when a betrayal forces them onto the streets of D.C. on the one night when no help is available, they must stay alive until dawn…or both be sacrificed for their sins against the state.

Director: James DeMonaco 

Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Edwin Hodge, Mykelti Williamson, Joseph Julian Soria

Release Date: Jul 01, 2016

Rated R for Disturbing bloody violence and strong language.

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Purge series has always had a kind of 70’s 80’s exploitation vibe to it, reminiscent of classic John Carpenter.  This series has always had a better concept than execution.  Even the sequel which surpassed the original film in many ways is a flawed film.  The Purge: Election Year is a mixed bag as well.  It’s got some heady ideas which are thrown about in the least subtle way possible.  There are a few moments were the film takes an artistic slant for an exploitation film but it never really achieves a solid flow.  The cast of characters always play more as types than living breathing characters.  Sadly, Frank Grillo’s returning character is more of a secondary character this go around, mainly due to the expanded roster of superfluous characters.  Some of the new characters are interesting or fun but a handful seem redundant.  Mykelti Williamson does the best work he can with the clunky script and leaves the biggest impression.  The Purge: Election Year wasn’t ever going to be an Oscar worthy film but it still doesn’t excuse it’s overall clumsiness. 

C

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Legend of Tarzan & The Purge: Election Year

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a tale of the jungle and a tale of the concrete jungle: The Legend of Tarzan and The Purge: Election Year. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on my agenda: The Legend of Tarzan. An English Lord raised in the jungle is forced to return there. 

 

Tarzan is one of those stories I've always found exceedingly cheesy, even in its best incarnations. The latest big-screen adaptation is no different, but there's good fun to be had with its hilarious awfulness.

 

Wise moves on the part of Tarzan's filmmakers to: a.) not give Alexander Skarsgard too many lines, despite his being the titular legend; and b.) have Skarsgard spend most of the movie half-dressed. If The Legend of Tarzan is the poster child of summer popcorn movies, Skarsgard's stunning physique must be the (eye) candy that goes along with it. His accent is terrible and his performance worse than wooden, but...wait...what was I saying? 

 

Co-star Margot Robbie is equally fetching, with an equally-sketchy accent. Robbie is handicapped by having to deliver some of the worst lines in a picture that's riddled with embarrassingly-bad dialogue, but she still fares better than double-Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, slumming it as a villain so broadly-drawn he might as well walk around twirling the ends of his moustache, and Samuel L. Jackson, shoehorned in as sidekick/comic relief. 

 

I had a 3D showtime forced on me by the schedule (thanks for nothing, schedule!), and, with no basis for comparison, I'd guess 3D exacerbates the bad CGI. There's some pretty scenery, but overall things look pretty fake. 

 

Top it all off with uniformly-unfunny cracks at humor and an old-school melodramatic score, and you've got a pretty underwhelming summer blockbuster. The Legend of Tarzan clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of action and violence, some sensuality, and brief rude dialogue." 

 

Legendary it is not, but, if you aren't too particular about where you spend your movie dollars, it's good for a laugh. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Legend of Tarzan gets four. 

 

Next up: The Purge: Election Year. Having narrowly avoided taking regrettable actions an an earlier Purge, Leo Barnes works security for a US Senator determined to end the annual crime spree. 

 

Dear reader(s): I'm pleased to report another Purge sequel lives up to a promise the original didn't half make. 

 

Frank Grillo is commanding in the lead, a role tailor-made for his tough demeanor and rugged good looks. The abundance of screen time for Grillo is more than welcome after his being so criminally underused in the latest Captain America outing, too! 

 

Election Year is intense, leaving viewers holding their breath and crossing their fingers as the "good guys" try to survive the night. The movie lightens its grim topic with a graveyard humor that mostly hits the mark, and it is beautifully filmed, making stunning visuals of brutal violence and terrifying masks and costumes. That's the good news. 

 

The bad news: Elizabeth Mitchell is ridiculous as the do-good Senator and Presidential candidate, and the Mom jeans and oversized glasses don't remotely provide her any gravitas. 

 

As a wise comedian once said: "I didn't go to Harvard; I went to Lens Crafters!" Election Year is a movie fashioned with a hammer rather than a chisel, and characters of color fare worst in the Stereotype Sweepstakes, despite the movie's sincere attempt to comment on race and station in the ol' US of A. It's easy to see why today's America better relates to the "us and them" themes of Election Year than to the chest-thumping patriotism of last week's notable box office flop, Independence Day: Resurgence. 

 

The Purge: Election Year runs 105 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing bloody violence and strong language." Its social commentary is clumsy, but The Purge: Election Year is a tense thriller that's perfectly suited to today's cynical audiences. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Purge: Election Year gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Kyle Secor a.k.a. Homicide's Detective Tim Bayliss! 

 

Until next time...