MOVIE REVIEW: THE LITTLE MERMAID

 

The youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy

Release Date: May 26, 2023 

Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Rated PG for action/peril and some scary images

Runtime: 2h 15m

Rob Marshall's live action The Little Mermaid is a colorful and lively remake that's elevated by a strong cast and lavish visuals.  This newest entry into Disney's live action remake cash cow isn't as inventive as 2021 Cruella instead it hews closely to the original which gives it an old fashion feel throughout.  There is a matter of changes like the much talked about change in the main characters race and a larger variety of ethnic diversity all around in addition to some lyrical tweaks, song deletions and additions.  Unless you are a diehard traditionalist these changes don't really affect the central story much, if at all, and are far less distracting than the realistic versions of Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle which takes some getting used to.  Changes aside, the film doesn't take long to hit its stride with wonderfully staged versions of classic songs like Part of Your World and Under the Sea which allows Marshall to splash a kaleidoscope of color and energetic camera moves that make those moments pop.  Ursula's Poor Unfortunate Souls already has hints of Chicago's When You're Good to Mama built into the song which perfectly pairs with Marshall's repertoire.  The songs and staging are excellent, and the cast is led by luminous Halle Bailey in what is sure to be a star making role.  Bailey possesses a natural onscreen presence which makes her performance undeniably likeable, especially once she starts belting out those classic songs.  She keeps your attention throughout, even in the film's latter half which starts to drag noticeably.  Jonah Hauer-King isn't able to match Bailey's turn as he comes off as bland and forgettable even with a solo song.  Melissa McCarthy is scenery chewing machine as Ursula with the aforementioned Poor Unfortunate Souls serving as her showcase.  Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina turn in solid voice work as Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle even though the random rap added for the latter feels a little out of place.  Javier Bardem isn't tasked to do much outside of sound stern and fatherly which does with general ease.  Together the cast keeps the film entertaining even though it loses steam as it moves into its final act which makes its extended runtime even more of headscratcher.  A bit of editing would have helped this film keep its energy going from start to finish.  That being said this live action redo of The Little Mermaid stands above most of the other adaptations due in large part to a well matched director and actors.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: AIR

Sonny Vaccaro and Nike pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture.

Director: Ben Affleck

Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis

Release Date: April 5, 2023

Genre: Drama, Sport

Rated R for language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 51m

Air runs the gamut of sports underdog tropes as it dramatizes the truth story of how Michael Jordan and Nike started their legendary business relationship. Ben Affleck’s direction injects the film with a breezy, retro feel by using archival footage and music to place it firmly in a very specific place in time.  In lesser hands, this could have been a very bland and paint by the number dramatization that wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting as it is since we all know how it ends.  The film’s biggest asset though is its cast which is made up of likable actors led by Matt Damon.   The role of Sonny Vaccaro is perfectly suited for Damon’s talents since it requires an air of authentic sense of self-determination, drive, and vulnerability.   He delivers the kind of performance that makes some of the more grandiose and self-aware speeches hit with more emotional impact than they would in the hands of a lesser actor.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces like Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker and Affleck who all share the kind of lived-in chemistry which make their interactions believable.  Chris Messina is fun even though he’s jarringly over the top as legendary sports agent David Falk.  Viola Davis and her real-life husband, Julius Tennon, play Jordan’s parents with the kind of levelheaded parental energy the roles call for.  Jordan himself is only shown from behind and has very minimal dialogue with archival footage from his career and life serving as most of his presence in the film.  The script smartly focuses the story on the Nike side of this story since Jordan is such a well-known figure.  There are moments, though, where the script rushes some of the behind-the-scenes machinations and relationships a bit too much to make you believe they would take such a massive risk.  These issues are sort of baked into the genre along with the predictability of it all, but Air does an impressive job of making it all so easy and engaging to watch.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDE

 

A high-end art thief becomes trapped inside a luxury, high-tech penthouse in New York's Times Square after his heist doesn't go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

Director: Vasilis Katsoupis

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Gene Bervoets, Eliza Stuyck

Release Date: March 10, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for language, some sexual content and nude images

Runtime: 1h 45m

Vasilis Katsoupis’s Inside is a claustrophobic concept film that tests the central character and audience resiliency as the film moves into more abstract territory.  Katsoupis’s film possesses a steady rhythm that he maintains for better or worse throughout the film’s runtime.  It’s the type of film that’s more than happy to keep things vague and open to interpretation which allows for multiple interpretations of what we are seeing onscreen and whether it’s entirely literal and something more philosophical.  As such, Inside is destined to frustrate a large swath of movie goers who might have expected something a bit more immediate and intense.  Willem Dafoe is tasked with carrying the film armed with a script that’s light on characterization instead choosing to focus almost exclusively on the character’s survival response.  Dafoe weather worn face and gaunt frame works well for the roles especially as the story moves into its latter stages.  It’s a multifaceted performance that’s rather nuanced and measured which is impressive for multiple reasons especially since he’s alone for the better part of the film.  His performance echoes other turns like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, Ryan Reynolds in Buried or James Franco in 127 Hours which test the actors and audience’s endurance.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Director: James Gunn

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, Sylvester Stallone

Release Date: May 5, 2023 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements

Runtime: 2h 30m

Review:

I'm not sure if James Gunn set out to make the world's most expense Roger Corman sci-fi epic but that's what his big, messy Marvel swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, ends up being.  His trilogy capper is untethered on multiple levels as he splashes every bit of his sensibilities onscreen which boarders on self indulgent on multiple occasions.  It’s a strange, goofy and overlong conclusion to one of the few Marvel series that definitely carved out its own niche in the overall monolith of a franchise.  This entry is far more engaging and funnier than the second entry which leaned far too heavily into its daddy issues.  Here, it does feel like the director and cast are riffing on what worked in the original by delivering more team banter and emotional arches with the latter never feeling as fresh as it did in the original.  Bradley Cooper's Rocket Racoon serves as the emotional center of this entry as his character gets the spotlight as a series of flashbacks explore his backstory with surprising emotional depth even though it involves more talking animals.  Those sequences intersperse the main action, but they build to a heartbreaking moment which hits with the weight of a sledgehammer.  Unfortunately, the main action doesn't carry that sort of emotional heft as the team moves from one visually impressive action set piece to another.  The main cast of Pratt, Saldaña, Bautista and Klementieff are all solid, but the script seems content with only superficial moments of character growth.  Their familiarity with the characters makes it more enjoyable than it should be with Karen Gillan standing out as she mines more out of her performance than what’s written on the page.  Likewise, Chukwudi Iwuji's performance as The Evolutionary is bigger than what the script affords him.  It’s a Shakespearian level of maniacal evil that should have been expanded on as opposed to other moments or characters like Will Poulter's Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki's Ayesha who could have been excised entirely.  At two and half hours it’s a film that's too choppy to earn that rather lengthy runtime which make its final act feel more like an exercise in attrition even though the battles are impressively staged.  Ultimately, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn't quite stick the landing the way it should, but it still delivers the kind of quirky, emotional uniqueness that made it stand out amongst the other cookie cutter films that populate the Marvel Universe.   

B

MOVIE REVIEW: SISU

During the last days of World War II, a solitary prospector crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-Earth retreat in northern Finland. When the soldiers decide to steal his gold, they quickly discover they just tangled with no ordinary miner.

Director: Jalmari Helander

Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo, Onni Tommila

Release Date: April 28, 2023

Genre: Action, War

Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language

Runtime: 1h 31m

Review:

Jalmari Helander unabashedly ridiculous and gory grindhouse throwback, Sisu, is a bloody good time.  Helander's film takes bits and pieces from John Wick, Inglourious Basterds and Spaghetti Westerns to deliver a bare bones story with minimal dialogue propped up by gleefully designed carnage.  How much an individual will enjoy this minimalist approach will come down to individual taste.  Those that can appreciate this type of movie madness will find plenty to appreciate.  Jorma Tommila leads the films as more of a force of nature as opposed to a fully realized character.  He only utters two lines of dialogue throughout the entire film but that doesn't keep him from being incredibly engaging with his rugged weather worn face and mangled body.  He stabs, explodes and eviscerates a bevy of nameless Nazi with Aksel Hennie serving as the big bad who wants to steal his gold.  This isn't the type of film that ask for much range or depth from its actors but they both deliver solid work until their inevitable fight.  The film continues to stretches credibility as it goes on but ultimately Sisu isn't the type of film you'll enjoy if you attempt to dissect logically.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: POLITE SOCIETY

A martial artist-in-training believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, she tries to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

Director: Nida Manzoor

Cast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshaye Khanna, Jeff Mirza, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayem, Sally Ann

Release Date: April 28, 2023

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rated PG-13 for strong language, violence, sexual material, and some partial nudity

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Polite Society is a kinetic blend of genres centered around the love between two sisters.  Nida Manzoor's film plays like Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with it's over the top action sequences paired with a British sense of humor in line with The Inbetweeners.  It's inventive and fun even if it’s not consistent throughout but you appreciate the creative energy pulsating throughout the wacky adventure.  Manzoor does a fine job of balancing well staged hyper realistic kung fu action and genuine emotion between the primary pair of sisters.  Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya's performances make the film work by giving their relationship an air of authenticity even as things get progressively wackier. Kansara imbues the younger sister with a barely contained ferocity which is the beating heart of the film.  Arya is a bit more subtle and measured but her expressive energy shines through especially when the two share the screen.  Their early scenes together do a lot of the heavy lifting by setting up their emotional connection in a believable manner before the main plot gets moving.  Once it does, Nimra Bucha, the mother in law in waiting, is revealed as the villain replete with all sort of creepy Oedipal undertones.  Bucha is more than up for the task as she chews up scenery with delicious delight.  It all leads to an oddly funny reveal that touches on generational conflict in its own idiosyncratic way that makes you look forward to writer director's, Nida Manzoor, next film.  

B