Rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material.
World-renowned detective Hercules Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is on vacation along the Nile in Egypt, hoping to avoid any new cases. His relaxation, however, is derailed when he runs into his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman), who pulls him into the honeymoon celebration of Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Reluctantly, Poirot accepts the invitation to join their party. In reality, Linnet and Simon want Poirot to do something about Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackie), Simon’s former fiancée who has been stalking them with a jealous rage. Fearing retaliation, they attempt to continue their trip on a cruise ship named the Karnak. Unfortunately, the vacation is ruined when one of the group turns up dead. Poirot is the only one who can untangle this web of lies and jealousies and find the real killer. After taking on the classic story Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh is back to put his stamp on another Agatha Christie murder mystery. Personally, I was a big fan of what he did with his previous Christie adaptation. The film’s production design and visuals, along with his directing made for a delightfully old-fashioned thriller. I was very excited to see what he would do with another go at the character. Thankfully, his adaptation of Death on the Nile managed to live up to the high bar set by Murder on the Orient Express. Once again, Branagh delivers an adaptation that stays true to the thriller aspects of Christie’s original novel. Under any other director, they probably would’ve turned it into a generic, set piece-driven action film. It’s clear that Branagh has nothing but respect for the Poirot character and Christie’s stories. His particular take on Hercule Poirot is one of the biggest highlights of this burgeoning film series. It’s so different from other portrayals of the character. He plays him as a rather stoic man who accepts nothing but the truth from his suspects. But he also plays him with a playful self-awareness that pokes fun at the character without ever feeling like he’s just making fun of him. It gives him an irresistible charm that makes him a compelling protagonist. Also, like the previous film, Branagh assembles a perfect supporting ensemble. Everyone in the cast portray their characters in ways that make everyone feel like a suspect rather than obvious red herrings. The highlights of the cast are definitely Emma Mackey, Armie Hammer, and Russell Brand. Mackey, in particular, plays Jacqueline like a bottle of jealous rage ready to explode. She nails the wild range of emotions she’s forced to go through for the story. While the cast brings the characters to life, Branagh brings the world around them to life as well. The production design and visual effects give the film a sense of grandeur, like walking into a massive, historical cathedral. Almost every shot feels like a painting in a museum, especially one shot of the Karnak against the night sky. It’s almost too beautiful, especially when seeing it on an IMAX screen. Branagh also continues to use his directing style to build the mystery. It’s his hand behind the camera that also add to the overall opulent feeling. He utilizes a number of one-take tracking shots that make the world feel truly alive, taking us through multiple perspectives without ever cutting. He does an amazing job really immersing the audience in the world, and as a result, gets us fully invested in the mystery. Death on the Nile is another successful outing for actor/director Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, handling Agatha Christie’s classic character with nuance and respect. His unique portrayal of the detective, along with his expert direction, make this feel like so much more than just a run-of-the-mill adaptation of a well-known mystery novel. Hopefully this movie does well enough to get a third film, because I’m fully on board with a new Hercules Poirot series with Branagh behind the wheel.
0 Comments
Rated PG-13 for violence, disaster action, strong language, and some drug use.
Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) was once a celebrated astronaut. But an accident during a mission caused the death of one of his fellow astronauts. Brian claims that a strange, black swarm caused the incident, but no one believes him. Not even his partner Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) supported his claim. This caused his reputation to sour and his life to fall apart. Now, 10 years after the attack, things are about to get a lot worse. For reasons unknown, the Moon has fallen out of orbit and is heading towards Earth, threatening to bring an end to all life. With time running out, Jo has a plan to save the planet, and only Brian and a conspiracy theorists named K.C. Houseman (John Bradley) can help her. Their mission will reveal that the Moon is much more than we ever thought it was. At this point, we all know what to expect from director Roland Emmerich. With films like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, he’s established himself as a purveyor of big, dumb disaster flicks. They’re not the most well written, and he puts hardly any effort into developing characters. However, he makes up for that with spectacular action scenes that destroy portions of the planet in exciting ways. After taking a break from disaster movies to make more serious films like Anonymous and Midway, he has returned to the global destruction he knows all too well with Moonfall. For better or worse, the story of Moonfall kind of feels like a mash-up of Independence Day and 2012. It’s a story involving aliens causing a disaster that will wipe out the planet, in destruction scenes similar to the latter film. And yeah, just like those films, this one is pretty stupid and completely improbable. The moon falling out of orbit is scientifically impossible, but if it did happen, the ensuing events might be different from what happens here. The story also grows increasingly over-the-top as the bigger mysteries start to unfold. The big twist of the movie is something so out of left field that it’s easy to see why some people are off-put by it. But the film is far from being a total disaster. Emmerich once again makes up for the thin story and characters with some really exciting action sequences. For being produced as an independent film, he manages to put a lot of great detail into the action and destruction scenes. There’s always been something so satisfying about the amount of detail he puts into destroying the planet, and this movie is no different. Personally, I actually like the incredibly bonkers direction that the story took. As more secrets about the moon began to unravel, I found myself itching to know what the whole truth was. For me, I think the movie just went so over-the-top that I didn’t mind seeing it try to go even further than that. It helps that the central cast holds all this insanity together. Berry, Wilson, and Bradley seem to be aware of how crazy their situation is, but never to the point that it becomes a full-on comedy. They’re able to carry the movie and make their mission to save the Earth enjoyable. Without a good cast, this movie wouldn’t have been able to sell its implausibility. But the trio are able to make it work. Moonfall is completely bonkers in every way, but thanks to Roland Emmerich’s trademark destruction, it’s an enjoyable kind of bonkers. He once again makes up for a lack of characters and story with some great action scenes that make it a blast to watch. It’s not the most original disaster film, but I highly recommend seeing this in a theater. Big movies like this can only be properly experienced on a big screen. Rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, some language and brief sexuality.
Towards the dawn of humanity, a race of immortal, superhuman beings known as Eternals (Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, and Angelina Jolie) have protected Earth. They were originally sent there to protect humans from evil creatures known as the Deviants, who would stop at nothing to wipe out our species. After centuries of fighting them, they eventually managed to wipe them out. They then went their separate ways, finding many different ways to integrate into the society they fought to protect. Flash forward to five years after Thanos wiped out half the universe. After the Avengers managed to bring everyone back, the Deviants have somehow made a reappearance. The Eternals will have to reunite in order to save humanity from their wrath once again. This is one of the few times that Marvel seems semi-interested in trying something new. Eternals is much more ambitious than their previous films, both in story and general scale. The film attempts to tackle big subjects such as the nature of religion and the current state of human society. Unfortunately, it isn’t long into the film that the irritating truth comes out. Eternals is just another Marvel movie, despite flashes of something different. Its constant struggle between trying to be something fresh and still sticking with the franchise’s formula makes for probably the weakest and most frustrating entry in the series. It’s clear that, no matter who they get to make their movies, that they’re not going to change. It’s becoming depressing how many talented indie filmmakers are willing to abandon their personal styles just for a bit of that Marvel money. Chloé Zhao was fully deserving of best director for her work on Nomadland. She certainly has the chops to tackle massive subjects like this. However, turns out a superhero movie isn’t the right genre for her to do this. Her style suits more for dramas rather than action films. Her directing of the action scenes is very pedestrian. They also don’t go well with her particular cinematography style. She relies heavily on natural lighting, which Marvel allows her to use here. But this makes many of the film’s bigger moments really hard to see. One action scene in particular, set in the Amazon at night, just looks like a bunch of blue, CGI blurs with occasional blasts of yellow light. Other than the visual style, there’s nothing that represents Zhao’s style that makes her such a great writer and director. The screenplay is the same exposition-filled trash with many unnecessary jokes thrown in for no reason. The actors and actresses all look like they’re just collecting checks. There’s absolutely nothing remarkable about this film whatsoever, made worse by the fact that there’s pretty much nothing remarkable about any movie made by the studio, especially in this post-Endgame era. At this point, all their movies are starting to run together, and watching them feels more like the household chores you never wanted to do as a kid. They all end up being the same mediocre products over and over again. And now, with the franchise expanding into multiple TV shows and even more movies, I don’t want to devote anymore time to trying to keep up with Kevin Feige’s horribly complicated plan. That’s why Eternals will be the last of any Marvel adaptation that I will cover on this site. That’s it. Marvel, you have run me through the wringer for the last time. I’m sick and tired of trying to keep up with your overly-convoluted universe that has expanded way beyond the realm of comprehension. I no longer get any joy out of watching your movies, and I would prefer spending my time at the theater watching something I’ll actually enjoy. I’m done. Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving suicide, brief strong language and some suggestive references.
Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) has never been the most popular kid at school. Having suffered from social anxiety for most of his teenage years and been forced to take care of himself because of his single mother Heidi’s (Julianne Moore) work schedule, Evan struggles to find a real connection among his piers. As an assignment from his therapist, he attempts to write letters to himself to try and build his confidence. Things change, however, when one of his letters ends up in the hands of fellow outcast Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), who finds it and mistakes it for an insult towards him. A few days later, Evan is informed by Connor’s parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino) that he has committed suicide. In their hands is Evan’s letter, which they have mistaken as a letter written by Connor to him. Unsure of what to do and wanting to help Connor’s grieving family, including his younger sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever), Evan attempts to fabricate an entire friendship he had with Connor, making him seem like something other than what other’s thought he was. His actions spark a chain of events that spark talk about mental illness amongst their fellow classmates. But as things begin to spiral out of control, Evan will have to decide if his newfound connections are worth the lies he’s spinning. Dear Evan Hansen is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name. The stage production has grown into what is probably my favorite musical. Not only does it have great music, but it’s a story that I find truly relatable. I grew up as a shy kid, was frequently bullied, and struggled with social interactions. So long before they even announced it, I was very hopeful for a film adaptation. And what we got was everything I could’ve hoped for. This film version of Dear Evan Hansen is every bit as emotional as the stage show is. It stays true to the story, and does an amazing job translating the show’s unique musical numbers and production values to the screen. And with its original star front and center, it gives those who never saw his Broadway work a chance to see him in the role that made the character who he is. Ben Platt really is one of the biggest highlights of the film. Despite not having filled the role in a few years, he seems to slip right back into Evan’s shoes. He does an amazing job capturing the struggles that anyone with social anxieties would face. His mannerisms allow the audience to identify why he’s doing what he’s doing, and get you to feel for him when things start threatening to fall apart for him. The rest of the cast also turn in great performances, with members like Kaitlyn Dever, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, and Amandla Stenberg successfully bringing their respective characters to life while adding their own unique flare to them. Probably the biggest highlight performance is Julianne Moore, who absolutely nails a role I didn’t think she would be able to handle. Seriously, her performance of the song So Big/So Small will bring tears to your eyes. Under the direction of Stephen Chbosky, the maker of Wonder and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film contains some of the best musical numbers I’ve seen in a musical film. All of the numbers fit with their respective songs, never being too slow for the bigger songs and never being too bombastic for the smaller ones. Despite never having directed a musical before, Chbosky shows that he has the chops to handle something like this. This is most apparent in the numbers for the songs Sincerely, Me and You Will Be Found. While the latter is the most reminiscent of how the song was performed on the stage, the former is a brilliant mix of peppy music, infectious dancing, and a dash of slapstick that actually make the lyrics land their intended comedic beats better than on the stage. I would be surprised if it didn’t get you dancing in your seat. Dear Evan Hansen is a true musical masterpiece, staying true to what made its stage-based source material so great while successfully adding an effective cinematic flare. With the expert work of director Stephen Chbosky and the emotional effort of the pitch perfect cast, anyone who is a fan of the musical, or a fan of musicals in general, will be swept away by this wonderful adaptation, and may even get you thinking about how you treat others in the process. Rated PG-13 for strong violence, disturbing images, suggestive content, partial nudity and brief strong language.
At a luxurious resort on a tropical island, the Cappa family, husband Guy (Gael García Bernal), wife Prisca (Vicky Krieps), and their two children Trent and Maddox, are enjoying a fun vacation even as their family is crumbling to pieces. Per a recommendation from the resort’s director, they are led to a secluded beach, along with some other guests, for some much needed relaxation. But their peace is disrupted when a dead body washes up on shore. This is only the beginning, as they realize that the children of the group are suddenly much older than when they arrived. Something about the beach is causing anyone and anything that enters it to age rapidly, and all their attempts to leave result in them blacking out. There’s something bigger going on involving them, and they’ll have to figure out what it is if they want to make it out alive. Old is the latest film from director M. Night Shyamalan. After 14 movies of varying sub-genres and overall quality, he seems to have found his niche in low-budget supernatural thrillers with mystery elements that often end with a plot twist. Yes, he has made some truly terrible movies in his career, but in my opinion, his good movies (like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable) are so good that they make up for the major missteps. While his movies all have faults like terrible dialogue and shaky performances from their sometimes veteran casts, his good films are often defined by how good his storytelling is. This is where he typically succeeds. He’s able to craft a genuinely compelling and imaginative narrative, even when his characters typically don’t act or talk like normal human beings. I mean, there’s one character in this film who’s out-of-place lines about The Missouri Breaks are almost on par with a character’s random praise of hot dogs in The Happening. These strengths and faults are all present in Old, which may very well be his best film since The Visit. It certainly ranks among his best, and it feels like the appropriate next level for his filmmaking craft. A lot of this comes from the setting. Most of his movies are set in and around his home city of Philadelphia. This is one of his few films that doesn’t, and it adds a fresh new flavor to his style. He also manages to get some great performances out of his ensemble cast. Even if their behavior and dialogue aren’t always normal, the cast all get their moments to shine. They are all able to embody their roles in ways that make us care for them and hope that they make it out of the situation alive. I have to give major credit to the various actors and actresses that play the characters Trent and Maddox. Since they are kids aging up rapidly to adults throughout the story, they all do a good job standing in for their respective ages while still maintaining the mentality of the ages they started at. This is especially true for Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie, who are continuing to prove how talented they are after film’s like Hereditary and Jojo Rabbit respectively. This also has to be one of Shyamalan’s most terrifying films yet. He’s always been able to wring effective tension out of the simplest of situations. Terror is one of his biggest strengths, and there are multiple moments that are genuinely frightening. The movie uses digital and practical effects, as well as the film’s picturesque setting, to create effect scenes that may get you watching between your fingers. If there’s one fault I can find with the movie, it’s that Shyamalan’s signature twist doesn’t quite stick the landing. While it does feel unexpected, the way the movie executes it doesn’t make it feel like a shocking subversion of what we’ve seen. It’s more like a dull, “that’s just how it is.” As a result, the ending feels a bit underwhelming, especially when the conclusion tends to over-explain how it all comes together. With a new setting that adds a fresh layer to his signature formula, Old ranks among M. Night Shyamalan’s best films. He once again shows that, despite still being unable to write great character dialogue, his ability to tell a story, build a believable world, and create tense/terrifying sequences far surpass any faults his film’s might have. At least when he has a good enough story to tell, and this is certainly one of them. Rated PG-13 for strong violence, drug material throughout, sexual content and some strong language.
Now Playing In Theaters and Streaming on HBO Max Until September 19 In a near future Miami, climate change has caused half the city to become submerged under the ocean and the populace to become nocturnal due to the high temperatures. Because of how grim things look, society has chosen to look back at the past rather than look towards the future. Nostalgia is a booming industry, and that’s where former scientist Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) makes his living. Nick, along with his assistant Watts (Thandiwe Newton), run a business where clients are put into a machine that transports them into memories, while what they see is projected for Nick to witness as he guides them through their minds. It’s a rather mundane job for them until a new client comes in the door, a mysterious woman named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson). A simple job for her ends up sparking a relationship between her and Nick. But just as quickly as their love begin, it came to an end. Nick is obsessed with finding Mae, truly believing she loved him while Watts believes she was just playing him. He makes it his mission to find out what happened to her. However, the more he digs up, the more he finds Mae imbedded in the local crime ring. He starts to wonder if he really knew Mae, and his quest will lead him to discover a mind-bending truth. Reminiscence, the feature directorial debut of Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy, works off a lot of familiar ingredients. It’s setting of a world ravaged by climate, poverty, and corporate greed is noting new and clearly making a statement about how the world is today. It’s also trying to make a statement about our current obsession with nostalgia and how addictive the past can be. It’s not very novel, and if the last few years have taught us anything, very few are really going to take these messages to heart. But despite these familiar elements, Reminiscence deserves to be judged on its own merits. On its own, it’s a near-perfect modern reinvention of the film-noir that’s visually stunning, packed with great performances, and has a mystery that literally had me on the edge of my seat by the end. For someone like me who loves old fashioned noir mysteries, this movie did a great job updating the style for modern audiences. Lisa Joy nails every element that is synonymous with the classic genre, from the mysterious femme-fatale that sends the detective on his mission, to the internal monologue that Jackman’s character gives throughout, and even the musical score. Many aspects of the film feel right out of the era of noir despite being set in a dystopian future. It feels very much like a classic detective story in line with films like The Maltese Falcon. It’s all headlined by a great cast, led by a typically fantastic Hugh Jackman. At this point, it’s not to surprising that, even if the movie isn’t the greatest, Jackman gives a gripping performance in his role. Like the film himself, his portrayal of Nick Bannister feels reminiscent of the brooding detectives of classic noir while putting a fresh, modern spin on it, and he really nails it. He’s just so perfect for the material. Joy also brings her world to life with some amazing visual details that also combine looks of the past with looks of the future. The production design makes the future Miami look more like an alternate 1930s. This really helps to establish the film’s intention of being a modern noir. There’s also just loads of little details and fun easter eggs that show how society has changed in keeping with the world’s new challenges. This is definitely one to see in IMAX while you have the chance. This is the kind of film where the details require as big a screen as possible to let yourself get lost. The more you watch, the more the world around you gets washed away and all you see is the immense and gorgeous world of the film. Movies like this are meant to be immersive. That’s what the theater experience is all about, and this movie is made to be seen in a theater. Reminiscence takes a classic, bygone film genre and successfully updates it for a more modern audience, while still staying in touch with what made it work in the first place. It’s a great mystery that really keeps you guessing, and even if it does sometimes play out in predictable ways, Joy’s screenplay has enough surprises to keep it sufficiently thrilling. Hopefully this sparks a new wave of noir films, because this shows that the genre still has places to go even after existing for nearly a century. Rated PG-13 for violence, terror/peril and strong language.
Zoey (Taylor Russell) and Ben (Logan Miller) were lucky to escape the hands of the sinister corporation Minos, who creates elaborate and deadly escape rooms for unsuspecting victims to fight for their lives in for the amusement of ultra-rich patrons. While Ben is just happy to be alive and wants to move on, Zoey is determined to enact justice for the innocent people who died alongside them. Having tracked down a possible location for the Minos headquarters, the two arrive in the heart of Manhattan. Though they think they have the upper hand, it isn’t long before they are tricked into entering another series of deathtraps. But this time, their fellow players are all people who have survived the company’s escape rooms before. They’ll all have to use their skills to find their way out of this new maze and try to end Minos’s reign of terror once and for all. The first Escape Room, released in 2019, wasn’t anything original. It was basically just Sony’s attempt to create a Saw-like franchise, only open to a wider audience with a PG-13 rating. Though the film itself was nothing groundbreaking, its use of the escape room trend made for some really thrilling sequences. If you can get past the characters being nothing more than a means of up the body count, it’s fun if disposable horror fun. So I wasn’t exactly expecting much when it came to this sequel. There isn’t really a way to expand on the concept, only to bring in new victims and come up with new death puzzles. It’s actually surprising that they decided to make a direct sequel and bring some characters back rather than just giving us an entirely new group of one-dimensional victims. They at least tried to offer some development. But despite the returning characters, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is basically more of the same. Even with the twist that all the players are returning champions, it’s still the same formula used by the first film; putting more effort into the puzzle rooms than the people forced to survive them. However, while it may be more of the same, I actually found myself enjoying more than the first film. A lot of this comes from the new collection of escape rooms our characters are forced to face. They are much more elaborate than the puzzles from the first film, and are a lot more thrilling to explore. Even when some aspects defy the laws of physics, they do a good job at twisting our perceptions and keeping us on the edge of our seats. The film does still suffer from the same problems as the first, mostly due to the characters. They may share the same trait of having dealt with Minos before, but that doesn’t mean they’re fully fleshed out as human beings. The new players really are just there to up the body count. While Zoey and Ben do get their moments to develop, we are never given any reason to connect with the newbies. It’s hard to tell if Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is an improvement over the first film, but it is more fun than its predecessor. Taking what worked from before and giving us more of it, the film has more suspenseful sequences that make it more thrilling overall, even when it fails to improve on much of what little lies underneath its elaborate surface. While it still seems to be finding its footing as a franchise, it’ll be interesting to see where the series goes from here. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, some language and thematic material.
Now Playing In Theaters and Streaming on Disney+ for $30 Premium Access After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is on the run for violating the Sokovia Accords. Attempting to live a solitary life in Norway, it isn’t long before her past comes back in a violent way. She’s become a target of a masked hunter named Taskmaster, who is linked to the mysterious Red Room, where women like her are trained to be merciless spies. Natasha now must find a way to shut down the program once and for all. But she knows she won’t be able to do it alone. She’ll have to bring together those who acted as her fake family from her childhood, her “sister” Yelena (Florence Pugh), their “mother” Melina (Rachel Weisz), and their “father” and Russian super-soldier Alexei, a.k.a. the Red Guardian (David Harbour). They have to work together to bring an end to the evil organization that has defined their entire lives. Black Widow is the first Marvel movie to come out in about two years after several pandemic-induced delays. Now 24 films in, the franchise has crafted a particular formula that they never veer too far from. So when the trailers first dropped for this latest film, it really seemed like they were trying something new. It gave off more of a Red Sparrow vibe rather than that of a normal MCU film. Unfortunately, this potential change in style only amounted to clever marketing. Black Widow merely hints at some new directions, but never does anything with them and falls back on the same tired clichés as every other film in the franchise. And even when it’s not being a generic Marvel movie, it’s being a generic Russian spy film. There are no surprises to be found at any point in the film. At this point, Marvel’s constant teasing of new styles without ever following through is starting to feel less like consistent mediocrity and more like cheating the audience. Fans of the franchise will certainly get, and probably enjoy, what they’re expecting, and it’s clear that those are the people Disney cares about. But for people like me, who are tired of sitting through the same movie over and over again, we’re most likely going to get left in the dust. Along with the same style, the film also fails to do anything with its deeper themes. Much like Cruella just over a month ago, Black Widow attempts to confront social themes like free will and others, but never incorporates them into the narrative. They feel more like talking points designed to push certain buttons in viewers with limited perspectives. In the end, the film cares more about the action and easter eggs rather than its grander ideas. The film also suffers from Disney’s classic “Rise of Skywalker effect.” Various elements of the script never happen due to natural story progression, but because they are forced to happen at certain moments. Many feel shoehorned in, while others just make no sense. It’s becoming infuriating how telegraphed Marvel movies, and really Disney movies in general, are starting to be. The performances of the cast also feel average. While no one is generally bad, none of them are all that compelling either. Pugh, Weisz, and Harbour sound more like Americans doing Russian accents rather than truly sounding Russian. They never really nail their accents, and the more we’re forced to listen to them, the more annoying they sound. As for Johansson, even she seems bored in her role after doing it for so long. They way she and the story portray the character never make her appear as her own individual superhero. She just seems like any given character in the franchise, never charismatic enough to really engage. There’s really no reason to root for her because we know she’s perfectly fine no matter what kind of deadly situation she’s in. Black Widow is nothing but the same rusty formula that Marvel has been following from the very beginning, with nothing to really justify its own existence other than to be a belated cash grab on a popular character. It’s getting harder to forgive Marvel for constantly teasing possible new directions only to fall back on the same things we’ve seen too many times before. Hopefully someday they’ll reinvent themselves, but let’s face it, with billions of dollars from people who love watching the same stuff over and over again, they probably won’t. Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements.
Now Playing In Theaters and Streaming on Disney+ for $30 Premium Access In 1970s London, young Estella (Emma Stone) dreams of being a fashion designer. Right from birth, she’s stood out from the crowd, always doing or saying things that the system never wanted to hear. When this causes her to get kicked out of school, a series of unfortunate events ensue that result in her losing her mother and ending up on the streets as an orphan. Though left on her own, she does come across two street urchins, Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser). As they grow into young adults, the trio are successful thieves. But Estella longs to fulfill her dream of being a world-famous fashion designer. She does eventually catch the eye of London’s richest designer, known only as the Baroness (Emma Thompson), and her rebellious spirit lands her the job she’s been working towards. At first, it seems like her dreams are finally coming true. However, she soon discovers the Baroness’s true colors, and finds herself constantly swept to the side thanks to her boss’s selfish desires. Finally tired of being treated as the butt of society, Estella decides to put her in her place by designing her own dresses and crash various events under a new persona, the bad but brilliant Cruella. Well, here we are at not only another Disney live action reimagining, but their second attempt to reframe a classic villain as a modern anti-hero after 2014’s Maleficent. This time, it’s the memorable villain Cruella de Vill from 101 Dalmatians. Probably the biggest question with this was how the film was going to give us a reason to care for someone who’s only motivation was to kill and skin Dalmatian puppies. Unfortunately, Disney’s attempt to answer that question seems to be to reframe her as someone who lives in the punk era 70s, but has the mind of a modern rebellious spirit. The result changes her from a memorable villain to a despicable protagonist, and I don’t mean that in a good way. She, and the movie she headlines, end up being rather unpleasant and quite possibly the worst live action remake from Disney yet. It’s really hard for me to say if Emma Stone gave a good performance because her portrayal of Cruella is so unlikable. Everything she does paints her as someone who’s less worth rooting for than the animated character she shares her name with. Though she tries to give good energy and looks like she’s enjoying herself, I can’t give sympathy to a character who’s arch is solely to prove why she’s deserving of being the center of attention. Same goes for Emma Thompson. It seems another one of Disney’s ideas to make Cruella sympathetic is to pit her against someone who more evil by comparison. But as a result, the Baroness is such a one-dimensional, mustache twirling villain that there’s absolutely nothing for us to connect to. She’s a monster, and that’s about it. You could say that was intentional so we could root for Cruella, but that doesn’t make up for was is still bad characterization. Aside from the insufferable characters, the movie as a whole gives off an air of obnoxiousness that very nearly drove me out of the theater. Between Craig Gillespis’s overly stylized direction and the constant presence of counter-culture rock and punk songs, it made me feel like the black sheep in a crowd getting pointed at for being different. It’s not so often that a movie rubs me the wrong way like that. It’s not helped by how poorly the story is constructed. As a whole, Cruella’s origin is at times hard to follow and other times just makes no sense. There are several instances where things happen not because of natural story progression, but because the script needed it to happen at that specific time. It makes the whole thing feel exactly what it is; a piece of telegraphed corporate product designed to tap specific buttons in the audience. It’s also hilarious how much of the film feels like a rip-off of 2019’s Joker. Just by watching the film’s trailer, you can easily make the comparison. But upon watching it, there are some story elements that feel copied beat for beat from that much better movie. It’s almost like Disney saw how Joker made over a billion dollars and said, “we want that money. Let’s make our own Joker.” And with that comparison comes my biggest warning for my readers. Despite being produced by Disney and based on a character from a kids cartoon, this is NOT a kids movie. There are many depictions of alcohol and criminal activity that never feel appropriate for the little ones. For example, Cruella gets her dream fashion job by breaking into her boss’s office, downing his liquor, then trashing a window display in a way that the Baroness loves. What kind of message is Disney sending to kids by saying you’ll get what you want by getting hammered and committing vandalism. Then there’s the cherry on top. The final grievance that elevated the film from just being bad to being the insufferable experience that it is; the mid-credit scene. Without spoiling what it is, I’ll say that it’s a contrived scene that stupidly attempts to connect this film with 101 Dalmatians. After it was over, I was left slack-jawed. I almost couldn’t believe what I had seen, but definitely new that it was terrible. Even if there are things to be admired in Cruella, they are far overshadowed by the film’s many, many flaws. It amounts to little more than an unnecessary, mean-spirited piece of corporate trash, attempting to create an origin for the classic villain while simultaneously undoing what made her great in the name of repositioning her as modern icon of counter-culture. It’s certainly not worth the $30 premium access fee on Disney+, and hardly feels worth the price of a regular ticket. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language.
Following their last adventure, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are living off-the-grid with their son Brian. Their peace and quite, however, is soon interrupted when friends Tej (Ludacris), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) arrive with a message from their boss Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) that seems to imply the return of their old enemy Cipher (Charlize Theron). This sends them on a global adventure to find and retrieve a mysterious device that threatens the entire world. As they travel from one country to the next, they cross paths with Dom’s criminal brother Jakob (John Cena), who is also trying to obtain the device in an attempt to conquer the world. Dom and his family will have to reach new heights, both figuratively and literally, to confront their pasts and save the world. Though it could have had a sincere send-off with 2015’s Furious 7, that film’s larger than expected box office gross showed that the franchise wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. The funny thing is, since that installment, the series has never been better. With a variety of new directors and an increase in physics defying action scenes, the later films stand as the best of them all. Now we’re at the latest installment, simply titled F9. The team’s newest adventure reaches new levels of absurdity, with action and mayhem created using powerful magnets and a sequence that takes our heroes to space itself. Yep, you heard me right. We literally get to see them shoot themselves into Earth orbit using a car outfitted with rocket engines. It’s probably the most insane stunt the series has attempted yet. And yet, these improbable sequences never stop the movie from being any less amazing to watch. Let’s be clear, the Fast & Furious movies were never high cinematic art. They’re blockbuster action films designed to fulfill audience fantasies of performing death-defying stunts with fast, fancy cars. But if a movie is able to get me to laughing and cheering at the screen like people in showings of Avengers: Endgame, then it qualifies as a great movie. Even though the action scenes defy all known laws of physics, they’re probably the best in the series. Part of the appeal is the fact that the action defies physics. They’re something that we know can’t actually be done, but it’s really cool to see what they could possibly look like. There’s no way a car can use a rope from a jungle bridge to swing across a chasm, or magnets can be used to grab a car with a car and throw it at a bad guy, but there’s no denying that they look totally awesome. It’s also the immense chemistry of the central cast that helps the film stay highly enjoyable. At this point, you know that even if the movie falters, the interactions between the cast members will always keep it afloat. This time around, they’ve added John Cena into the mix. It’s been fun watching him stretch his acting chops over the last few years, proving that he’s just as talented as fellow wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson. Cena fits almost perfectly into the role of Dom’s previously unmentioned brother Jakob. He plays the villain role of the movie very well, and forms a convincing rivalry with Vin Diesel. The familial hurt between the two feels genuine, and you get the sense that they really don’t want to hurt each other despite being on opposite sides of the central conflict. Hopefully he becomes a regular character in future films. F9 keeps the Fast & Furious franchise hurtling further towards being a flat-out cartoon, and it’s an absolute joy to behold. Logic need not apply in the series’s latest parade of insane action set-pieces, proving that the filmmakers are willing to do anything to one-up themselves with every new entry. It will be interesting to see how the next film pushes the characters even further. But if it involves a full-on rocket car chase in Earth’s orbit, that would be amazing. |