MOVIE REVIEW: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

 

Abandoned as a girl, Kya raised herself in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the marsh girl haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, she opens herself to a new and startling world.

Director: Olivia Newman

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr., David Strathairn

Release Date: July 13, 2022

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault.

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Where the Crawdads Sing, based on the bestselling novel, is the type of film adaptation that's desperately aspiring to land a deep and emotion punch.  Unfortunately, Olivia Newman's film never reaches those heights instead it lands like a strange low rent To Kill a Mockingbird/The Notebook hybrid.  Newman, directing her first film, shoots plenty of lovely vistas establishing the swampy marsh as a main character of the film but its all terribly sanitized which robs it of any sense of grounded authenticity.  It hampers the film's emotional impact since the entire thing feels more romanticized than gritty.  The script itself doesn't help the matter much since the majority of secondary characters are written as types with very little depth.  Daisy Edgar-Jones delivers a workmanlike performance that serves as the driving force of the entire film.  Jones is able to pull every bit of emotional resonance out of the script which is an impressive feat since it features a hefty amount of cheese.  Taylor John Smith does what he can as the film's requisite good guy and he does have passable chemistry with Jones which makes their early sequences more effective.  On the other end of the spectrum, Harris Dickinson channels a sort of 80's jerk energy which makes his and Jones scenes improbable at best.  Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr. and David Strathairn serve as the Kya's caretakers with the latter perfectly suited for the southern lawyer role.  As the film moves, slowly, towards its finale you get the sense there is a better version of this story somewhere which would make it easier to overlook some of the more non sensical and downright illogical portions of the story.  

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

 

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman

Release Date: July 8, 2022

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Music, Romance, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity.

Runtime:1h 59m

Review:

Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder, his follow up to Thor: Ragnarok, is a chaotic unfocused kaleidoscope that struggles to find the consistent fun and charm that made the previous film so enjoyable.  Waititi's delivers some truly impressive set pieces the majority of which are colorfully opulent but one monochromatic fight sequence is likely to leave the biggest impact.  You get the sense that he's poured his mind onto the screen like a visual trek through his stream of conscience.  It works in spots, but it never finds its footing consistently due to sizable tonal shifts throughout the film which makes for some noticeable dead spots.  The script, written by Waitit, tries to include some heftier emotional depth to the whole thing but it never connects the way it should.  Additionally, the humor here never feels as organic as it did in the previous entry making for more chuckles than laugh out loud moments.  The film relies heavily on Chris Hemsworth's charm, and he carries the film with relative ease that shouldn't come as a surprise since the character is like a second skin by now.  He's clearly having a great time and that energy is the driving force for the film. Natalie Portman returns to the fold but there is a strange lack of chemistry between her and Hemsworth.  Her bulked up frame makes for a great visual when she's in her Thor attire but her performance is noticeably stiff reminiscent of her turns in the Star Wars prequels.  Their relationship is the central part of the story but there is a disconnect which hurts the film overall.  Tessa Thompson returns but isn't given all that much to do outside of a few quips and action sequences.  Likewise, Christian Bale's villain is underutilized for the better part of the film which is a shame because the character's story is intriguing.  There are moments where you get the sense that Bale is trying to give his character more depth but the film never gives him enough time to fully realized it.  It's an issue with the film overall, there are plenty of solid ideas but very few of them are allowed to blossom organically due to its frantic and scattershot approach.  As such, Thor: Love and Thunder is all candy colored empty calories with very little actual substance.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

 

In the 1970s, young Gru tries to join a group of supervillains called the Vicious 6 after they oust their leader -- the legendary fighter Wild Knuckles. When the interview turns disastrous, Gru and his Minions go on the run with the Vicious 6 hot on their tails. Luckily, he finds an unlikely source for guidance -- Wild Knuckles himself -- and soon discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Director: Kyle Balda

Cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin

Release Date: July 1, 2022

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor

Runtime:1h 27m

Review:

Your enjoyment of Minions: The Rise of Gru will depend heavily on whether you still find the yellow denim clad underlings adorable or grating.  The target audience is sure to be delighted by the colorful hijinks and adults will appreciate the bevy of 70s references thrown on screen in rapid succession.  Kyle Balda directs the film with energetic ease in this unapologetically light and breeze children's film.  Sure there is a message ingrained through the film's story but none of it is overly heavy or heart wrenching and for this franchise it works.  The three central Minions, voiced again by Pierre Coffin, are the central focus of the film regardless of the film's title and their adventures deliver the biggest laughs.  Their training with Michelle Yeoh's Master Chow is a particularly fun sequence especially since you get the feeling she's really enjoying herself.  Taraji P. Henson's Belle Bottom is set up as the primary villain and she's fun when she's onscreen but the film doesn't take advantage of her or her crew which are voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.  Alan Arkin gets a bit more time to shine as Wild Knuckles who is Gru's idol and ultimately his mentor.  If you are still in business with this franchise by the fifth entry,  Minions: The Rise of Gru will offer an fun easy going family film.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BLACK PHONE

 

Finney Shaw is a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who's being held in a soundproof basement by a sadistic, masked killer. When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he soon discovers that he can hear the voices of the murderer's previous victims -- and they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

Director: Scott Derrickson

Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Ethan Hawke

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genre: Horror 

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone is a solid throwback of a thriller which makes efficient use of it's setting and cast.  Derrickson's film uses it's 70's setting to great effect while avoiding the usual nostalgia overload may productions like to wallow end.  There is a certain authenticity to the way he shoots his film resulting in some striking and memorable visuals.  The story, based on Joe Hill's short story, is simple and fairly straightforward making for lean storytelling which keeps all the action laser focused.  This all wouldn't matter if the younger cast members weren't up for the task.  Thankfully, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are more than up for the task.  Thames has the kind of authenticity and naturalism that's hard to find in most younger actors.  He's able to carry the film ably with relative ease which does wonders for the film.  Madeleine McGraw steals every scene she in and is ultimately the beating heart of the entire film.  Ethan Hawke makes for an intriguing villain by giving him a tangible sense of unpredictability and ferocity.  His character's appearances are unnerving but the film doesn't provide much depth to him making him a cypher.  A more fleshed out character would have made him a more memorable film villain.  As is, The Black Phone is the kind of easily enjoyable thriller that sets out to provide some classic scares in a tight bit of filmmaking.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: ELVIS

 

From his rise to fame to his unprecedented superstardom, rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley maintains a complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, over the course of 20 years. Central to Presley's journey and happiness is one of the most influential people in his life -- Priscilla.

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Olivia DeJonge, Luke Bracey, Natasha Bassett, David Wenham, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Samuel, and Kodi Smit-McPhee

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking

Runtime: 2h 39m

Review:

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis is a frenetic carnival ride of a biopic that shakes up the formula enough to make the genre feel fresh.  Luhrmann's garish style is perfectly suited for Elvis, something that shines through during the film's energetic and meticulously crafted stage sequences.  These moments pulsate with an engaging sense of verve that's hard to resist.  The opening introduction is masterfully played as Luhrmann slowly reveals the fresh faced star in the form of an electric Austin Butler.  Butler simply dissolves into the role, capturing the soulfulness and playfulness of his real life counter part.  Its a fascinating turn for multiple reasons especially since Elvis' persona has been parodied and mimicked excessively by now but he manages to play him with a tangible sense of humanity in the film's quieter moments.  The film uses Colonel Tom Parker deathbed memories as the film’s framing device but it keeps the audience at arm’s length from Elvis’ state of mind especially in his later days which seems like a missed opportunity.  Tom Hanks, under heavy make up, plays Parker like a carnival conman opportunist who latches onto Elvis.  Its a solid performance but you get the sense that Hanks is limited by the prosthetics and cartoonish accent leaving the character as more of a caricature than a fully formed person.  That being said, Hanks and Butler do share some strong sequences together where the script lays bare how the conman kept his grips on the star.  Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner penned the script and its less interested with factual accuracy than it is in capturing those singular moments in his life.  It smartly engages on the issues of musical appropriation never shying away from pointing out where Elvis' inspiration came from.  It would have been easy to gloss over that and focus solely on the spectacle which Luhrmann still does in spades.  There is a sense that Baz cares deeply about his central subject even though he still can't help himself and over indulge in his showmanship, particularly in the final act where attrition starts to dull the effect, but he still manages to deliver a Elvis biopic that will leave plenty of people happy.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: LIGHTYEAR

 

Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure with a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion.

Director: Angus MacLane

Cast: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Release Date: June 17, 2022

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action/peril

Runtime: 1h 40m

Review:

If we are being honest there is no good reason for a Lightyear film to exist outside of cashing in on a well known property.  We're told with a quick line of text to open the film that this is the movie that makes Andy want the Buzz action figure in the original Toy Story.  Outside of that bit of crossbreeding, director Angus MacLane goes about delivering a visually impressive sci-fi origin story that pays homage to classic films like Star War, Trek with bits of Aliens and 2001 sprinkled in for good measure.  MacLane keeps the action moving at a steady pace while managing to deliver an emotional montage that echoes the opening sequence from Pixar's Up.  On its surface the script plays like a light fairly straightforward sci-fi adventure at first but it reveals a deeper emotional core as the story moves on even if not as revelatory as some of Pixar's other films.  Chris Evans voice work leads the film even if it takes a minute to get used to him voicing the role.  Evans finds a tenor in his voice that echoes Tim Allen voicework but with enough of that Captain America sound to make it his own. It’s a fun performance played a bit more seriously which fits in with the movie.  The supporting cast of Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules and Uzo Aduba all deliver solid performances even if the characters are slightly underwritten to the point where they don't make the impression they should.  The real standout is Peter Sohn who voices Sox, Buzz's robotic cat assistant, who manages to bring an engaging but fun voice to his character.  Sohn's character gets some of the best comedic moments in the film and will probably be the most memorable of supporting cast.  Lightyear is a crowd-pleasing film that delivers enough fun Toy Story Easter Eggs to keep longtime fans happy and enough action to keep younger kids entertained even if it's not in the top tier of Pixar's catalogue.

B+