2021 Movies
Bad TripDirector: Kitao Sakurai
Star: Kitao Sakurai Bad Trip shows us that Borat does not have a monopoly on this type of movie, whereby there is the loosest of fictional through-line but the purpose is pranks and human reactions. Sure, this one has no real social commentary, except for a few racially sensitive pranks, but I laughed a LOT throughout this movie. Eric Andre is a guy who runs into a girl he historically has a crush on, and she says if he is in New York, they should get together. Thats enough to get Andre to head North...and hijinks ensue. I won't spoil any of the gimmicks...but the movie White Chicks plays a part. B |
Barb & Star Go to Vista del MarDirector: Josh Greenbaum
Star: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo, Jamie Dornan What a RIDICULOUS movie. It has been quite a while since we had a comedy like this in the vain of Austin Powers and Anchorman. Nothing in this movie exists in the real life, and it is extreme comedy in the sense that the funny parts are uproarious, and the unfunny parts are cringeworthy. Wiig & Mumolo, the geniuses behind Bridesmaids, play the titular characters as ageless weridoes enjoying the sun and surf of coastal Florida. And there Wiig's version of Dr. Evil trying to kill everyone. I laughed...for sure...and I don't want to be friends with people that don't laugh at this silliness. So it is effortlessly enjoyable is what I am saying. B Digital |
Black WidowDirector: Cate Shortland
Star: Scarlett Johanssen, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz Sure...it is about time that the original female Avenger got her own movie...but it is a shame that she is the least interesting part about it. This is standard Marvel faire, and follows Natasha in the events leading up to Civil War. Harbour and Weisz are a hoot, and Florence Pugh steals the movie RIGHT out from under Johanssen. The action is fun...as always. The main villain is boring and obvious, but the way he is taken down was pretty cool. And the Taskmaster was fantastic. Overall...it is a Marvel movie...so you know you will get quality...even if the stakes are always predictably low. B |
BlissDirector: Mike Cahill
Star: Owen Wilson, Salma Hayek For most of Bliss, my mind was racing, flip-flopping, and trying to fit the film into a genre. It's hard. That is not to say it is not effective, because Wilson and Hayek are very good in this film. When I GOT the movie, and everything started to make sense (it takes a bit longer than it should), I found it near-brilliant. I will go into no details because it will spoil it. But the sci-fi angle and the drama angle are very important, and the scales keep tipping back and forth. Upfront vagaries and confusion pays off in the best of ways. B+ |
Blithe SpiritDirector: Edward Hall
Star: Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Judi Dench Dan Stevens is a star. It is pretty much that simple. This is a story about a writer, with writer's block, who visits a medium (Dench) that contacts his dead wife (Mann) who is quite jealous of the new wife (Fisher). And thoroughly, hijinks ensue. This is a bubbly, goofy, 1940s-style madcap comedy that hinges on how much you enjoy Stevens. He carries it. Fisher is kind of left behind. Mann lacks a bit of charm or necessary edge. Dench is a good sport., I enjoyed myself and laughed. It isn't high art but you can certainly do worse. B |
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, & GreedDirector: Joshua Rofe
This was quite an enjoyable documentary. It had a two-pronged approach. The first half...the better half...showed how Bob Ross became such a household name an international celebrity by just painting for 30 minutes. I loved watching that journey. Then the story turns to his sickness, his death, and the way his business partners took over his brand. The documentary seemed to be trying WAY too hard to be like the true crime podcasts that are saturating the podcast world. It was a little weird and forced. Still...it is a compelling story. B |
Bo Burnham: InsideDirector: Bo Burnham
Star: Bo Burnham I am a huge fan of Bo Burnham. I need to say that up front...as it goes a LONG way to my absolute affection for this special. His stand-ups are hysterical, his Eighth Grade is wonderful, and he shined in Promising Young Woman. What we have here is a COVID-time special where Burnham wrote, directed, starred, and everything else imaginable, in one room, singing and waxing about COVID, turning 30, the internet, and all sorts of other topics. It is just brilliant and really exhibits what a unique talent the man is. Not only is it hysterical...but there is a bit of a mental deterioration going on that is quite poignant. It may be a put on...but it is no less effective. I have watched this several times, and added all the music to my playlists. I really can't get enough and have not admired a piece of comedy so thoroughly in a very long time. A |
Boss LevelDirector: Joe Carnahan
Star: Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Will Sasso Here we go...another time-loop, Groundhog Day-esque actioner. Does it give us something different? Sure! Frank Grillo is all swagger and charisma as a guy that is woken up every day with a machete swinging toward his head and a helicopter shooting up his apartment. No matter what he does, there is an army of assassins out to kill him and they keep succeeding. Guess what, his ex-wife is working all secretly on a timey-wimey project. The title indicates the feel of this high-octane, gory action. It is like a typical side-scroller video game where the level is always the same, the villains are all the same, and as you repeatedly play...you get further and further until you ultimately make it too the boss level. Very fun! B |
A Classic Horror StoryDirector: Roberto de Feo & Paolo Strippoli
Tricia and I chose this movie because we were in the mood for a horror movie...and this trailer looked decent. What we got was quite surprising. At the risk of being too spoilery, the film is a little meta like The Cabin in the Woods, but it is a far inferior film. Still, when vehicles disappear, when creatures and cultists arrive, and the bodies begin to pile up, I found myself invested. Maybe it was the amateurish feel of the film? Maybe...but that is kind of the point as well. My guy puts it at around a B-. Interesting horror. B- |
Coming 2 AmericaDirector: Craig Brewer
Star: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Wesley Snipes It was a lot of fun to see Akeem and Semi back on the big screen. Obviously, most people are watching this movie for the nostalgia and to revisit characters from one of the greatest comedies of all time. In that regard, it succeeds. Then there is the story. Akeem is king, he has three daughters, but he needs a male heir...of which he has back in America. With that information, you 100% know what this film is. I had some major issues though. Why on EARTH is this PG-13. It is so blatantly without and edge that it feels like a Disney movie...and that is not what Coming to America was at ALL. Also...making Akeem's defining characteristic in this sequel being pathetic naivete, instead of charming idealism in the original...was borderline disastrous. B- |
CruellaDirector: Craig Gillespie
Star: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser It is sop refreshing to watch a movie like Cruella, where every actor is firing on all cylinders and the filmmakers seem to be doing EXACTLY what they set out to do. Emma Stone is truly a star...and she commands the screen better than any other actress this year. the second best? Her costar Thompson...who is a FANTASTIC villain...on par with who could go up against the woman who is fated to be Cruella de Vil. Throw in some great supporting turns by Fry and Hauser...and you have one of the very best live-action Disney movies the studio has put out in years. A- |
Don't Breathe 2Director: Rodo Sayagues
Star: Stephen Lang Director Rodo Sayagues had quite a feat when he took the reigns over for this sequel to the solid thriller, Don't Breathe. Lang is the OBVIOUS villain in the first film...no doubt about it...and he is a horrible monster. The sequel has the balls to actually, at one level, to make him a sympathetic protagonist. Basically...some hoodlums steal his daughter...and he is out for revenge. There is so much more to it...and when you learn of the purpose of the kidnapping...it is hard not to throw in with the Blind Man. It is expertly handled...and the violence is top notch. I had a great time...and I felt a bit icky about cheering for this monstrous psychopath. B |
Escape Room: Tournament of ChampionsDirector: Adam Robitel
Star: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller I liked the first Escape Room movie. It was ridiculous, but it was fun, the deaths were entertaining and the creativity behind the rooms were a lot of fun. Same goes for this movie...in the exact same way. It pretty much fails at its attempt at expanding the world of MINOS and their games, but it does make you want to watch the 3rd installation. I definitely liked the Bank game and the NYC game...but the constant countdowns and dangers had me excited most of the time. B- |
F9: The Fast SagaDirector: Justin Lin
Star: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Charlize Theron At this point, The Fast and the Furious franchise is a comedy franchise. It has to be. To its credit...a lot of creativity and a lot of money go into making one of the most ridiculously bombastic movies of the year. However...it is SO outrageously and unbelievably stupid, I found myself laughing out loud. That makes it entertaining. These movies are definitely their own thing, and there is nothing else like it. It is even starting to be meta-aware where Tyrese thinks they are all superheroes. Also...at this point, they thought, why not just fucking go to space? F10 will probably involve Time Travel the way this has been going. I'll still watch it. B- |
Fear Street: 1666Director: Leigh Janiak
In this final film in the Fear Street experiment, we go all the way back to 1666 and the origin story of Sarah Fier and her terrorization of Shadyside. Its moody, its scary, and it is surprising. Then the final act, bringing us back to 1994 and wrapping everything up...is great! It is Halloween season...pick a night for a mini-marathon. Fear Street will do perfectly! B |
Fear Street: 1978Director: Leigh Janiak
After the fun 90s romp and the mythology building killers of Part 1, we are brought back to 1978 to do some more universe building. The horror story this time around is classic...owing nearly all of its scares and atmosphere to Friday the 13th, but after such a solid first entry...I found myself quite invested. Lots of fun again. B |
Fear Street: 1994Director: Leigh Janiak
What a cool idea for a film series. It is a rich story, told in three different horror movies, taking place in 3 different time periods, and released a week apart on Netflix. This first story takes place in 1994, so the nostalgia is great, and it tells an effective, gory, story where a town, who has a VERY bloody past, is having people knocked off one by one. There is a history here, and a mythology, that makes the romp a lot of fun. It is a great start to the trilogy and sets a campy, fun stage. B |
The Forever PurgeDirector: Everardo Gout
Star: Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera It is quite cool that such a simple, annual franchise seems to get better and better, simply because it doesn't try to do anything fancy. The first Purge movie was awful...because the filmmakers forgot to treat the characters like characters that live in a world where the Purge is a thing. As the franchise has evolved...they have figured it out. The Forever Purge has landed where the logical progression of this world would be. After an administration has been voted out of office, the new Founding Fathers reinstate the Purge, which has become an obvious cull of the weak and impoverished. With this film, the constituency gets out of hand and the government can't protect them. I was riveted and actually cared. So much better than I expected. B |
Free GuyDirector: Shawn Levy
Star: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi I was looking forward to this film more than any other the entire year. It just felt like a movie, like Deadpool, that is engineered for Ryan Reynolds. And Reynolds is at his most Ryan Reynolds-ey. The idea surrounding the movie is that an NPC becomes self-aware inside of the MMORPG game he is stuck in. Fine! A lot of this I saw in Ready Player One (though this is funnier), and it was done so much better. The "humans" in the game are portrayed as living in the game, and it is odd because they are still in front of a screen. But my BIGGEST problem is the use of intellectual property. There is a one-two punch, in the third act, where the movie brings identifiable pop-culture objects into the game...and it was OUTSTANDING. The high point of the film. Why on EARTH was this not happening throughout the movie, I have no idea. B Digital |
FunhouseDirector: Jason William Lee
Star: Valter Skarsgard What a neat little horror movie this is. On the surface, it feels like a million other movies. A handful of internet stars, or different sexes, races, and attitudes, are thrust into a house and forced to compete for internet votes to stay and win a shit-ton of money. I don't know what it was. The fact that the main villain is seen and heard eary on. The fact that this is microbudgetted and looks outstanding? The fact that I was introduced to another Skarsgard brother? This movie had a certain je ne sais quoi and I found myself cheering during the games and applauding its audacity and gore. I may still be on a Squid Game high...but I dug it completely. B+ |
A Glitch in the MatrixDirector: Rodney Ascher
I was quite excited for this documentary. Rodney Ascher's Room 237 was batshit insane, but a LOT of fun. This documentary? Trash. I love waxing poetic about the philosophical idea of solipsism, and beyond that, that we are living in a simulation. There are a lot of intriguing arguments and evidences supporting such a concept...and it can be fascinatingly terrifying. But, this film, does three things and they are all garbage. First, all of the talking heads are computer animated avatars, and they all look TERRIBLE, and the gimmick gets old by the first avatar. Second, the movie just strokes Philip K. Dick because he is a great Sci-Fi author and he gave a talk once about this concept. Third, the biggest idea in the movie is that The Matrix kicks ass. Ugh...it was terrible. D |
Godzilla vs. KongDirector: Adam Wingard
Star: Alexander Sarsgaard, Rebecca Hall, Millie Bobby Brown What a complete mess this movie is. It just seems like this monsterverse just keeps getting worse and worse. This time around, all human POV is completely abandoned, all fear and tension is thrown out the window, all scientific law is ignored...because these filmmakers think CGI monsters wailing on each other is ALL we want in our movie. Sure...it LOOKED good...but I could not have been less interested. My human comment? Try to explain to me why we were EVER focused on Brian Tyree Henry, Millie Bobby Brown, and Julian Denison? I have no idea. Cut them out completely and NOTHING changes. Cut out ALL the humans...and the movie barely changes. I hated it. D |
Gunpowder MilkshakeDirector: Navot Papushado
Star: Karen Gillen, Lena Heady, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Paul Giamatti This film is quite obviously, a female-centric John Wick ripoff. This is a world where assassins are a dime a dozen, the lead assassin breaks the rules and is therefore the target. It is all very familiar. Still..Karen Gillen fits this role to a tee....and the rest of the ladies that are here are all given their great times to shine. Sure...some of the action seems to be a half-a-step too slow, but that doesn't mean it is not creative (even moreso than Wick). Also...that scene in the diner toward the end is FANTASTIC. All being said...it is a lot of fun. B |
Halloween KillsDirector: David Gordon Green
Star: Anthony Michael Hall, Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis What a complete waste of my time. Rebooting the Halloween franchise with Lori Strode after 40 years was a fine idea. Now, this is just a killer's rampage...and that is it. There is no story, no tension, and no point. Jamie Lee Curtis is 100% irrelevant to the movie...and that was really annoying. The kills are great! I give it credit for that. But everyone acts SO stupidly that I didn't feel ANY sympathy whatsoever. Girl with gun exits car, Michael has time to fight and kill two characters. Then girl has time to aim her gun and...well...whatever. I was too angry at these people to enjoy myself. D+ |
I Care a LotDirector: J Blakeson
Star: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Dianne Wiest Rosamund Pike is quite remarkable at what she does. This is a story about a shark of a woman who is granted stewardship of old people when they are determined to be unable to take care of themselves. Then she wrings them dry. When she targets Dianne Wiest, she realizes she targeted the WRONG woman. You can feel the venom dripping from the lips of Pike during every speech and every interaction. She commands the screen like no one else I have seen in quite a while. The hubris within the film is so heavy that I NEEDED the movie to end in a certain way. Look at my grade. I was satisfied. B+ |
JoltDirector: Tanya Wexler
Star: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney, Stanley Tucci Kate Beckinsale has proven, in the past, that she can carry an actioner. She is near-iconic as Selene in the Underworld franchise. Combine that with the fact that she is otherworldly attractive at 5o years old, and you get a serviceable movie called Jolt. Made by filmmakers that were obviously fans of Crank, the story surroiunds a woman with a genetic trait that when she confronts unpleasantness, she becomes a hyper-violent superhero. Through the help of her psychiatrist...she wears an uber-elaborate mechanism that she can shock herself back to normalcy when the urges start bubbling up. Sure. Right when she tries to start living a normal life, with a normal life...the shit obviously hits the fan. Ok I guess. C+ |
Jungle CruiseDirector: Jaume Collett-Serra
Star: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez Without Pirates of the Caribbean or 1999's The Mummy, this movie would not exist. It almost smacks you in the face with the similarities...but there is a reason...because those story beats made those movies successful...and they work here as well. Johnson and Blunt are a lot of fun and they really carry this movie. The plot has something to do with dead conquistadors and some mythic flower, but it really doesn't matter that much. The production design is absolutely top notch. The comedy is decent, and Jesse Plemons' villain is a hoot. The dialog shoehorns the Disney Ride's quips, and they are fun, but this entire endeavor did not really need the ride's name slapped on it. Still a lot of fun. Worth $30 on Disney+?...hard to say. B Digital |
The Kissing Booth 3Director: Vince Marcello
Star: Joey King Yeah...I've watched all 3 Kissing Booth movies...so what? All I can really say about these movies is that Joey King is a very good actress and is a shining beacon in these silly movies. Last time, the movies was chock full of plot of Elle applying to both Harvard (to follow her boyfriend) and Berkley (to follow her best friend, her boyfriend's brother). Then there was a lot of Dance Dance Revolution competition stuff. Well...now Elle has to make a decision, and there is more DDR, and another boy who loves her for no reason other than DDR. Everyone fights because no one talks to each other. Everyone makes up because...its a movie called Kissing Booth...even though Kissing Booths are nowhere to be found. Forget it...its impossible. You wont see this. C |
Last Night in SohoDirector: Edgar Wright
Star: Thomasin McKensie, Anna-Taylor Joy, Matt Smith This is quite a strange film. Being a film directed by Edgar Wright, it is exquisitely well shot, blocked, and composed. McKensie is wonderful as a young woman who is seemingly living vicariously through a another young woman from the past. But...I don't know what it is...but I could NOT get invested in this film. I found myself spending so much time trying to "figure it out" only to ultimately be given a simple explanation, out of left field, that doesn't really work. My expectations for Wright films are always through the roof, because the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim are some of my absolute favorites of this Millenium. I find his newest films to be more mature, as creative, but a LOT less fun. B- |
The Little ThingsDirector: John Lee Hancock
Star: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto This ENITRE film is a disappointing tease. I like the director, the cast is top notch, it is full of attitude and atmosphere...but it is ultimately pointless. One goes into this movie hoping for a thrilling crime drama. It's KIND of that, but it is not what it ultimately is. Without revealing spoilers...its simply about a cop that is too focused on a case...and THATS it. I wanted so much more. Denzel seems bored, Malik is decent, and Leto is fantastic but irrelevant. It left a bad taste in my mouth. D+ |
Locked DownDirector: Doug Liman
Star: Anne Hathaway, Chiwetel Ejiofor What a mess this movie is. It is ALL set-up and no payoff. Imagine Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story was entirely about planning a heist. And an incredibly boring heist at that. It is a shame because Hathaway and Ejiofor were perfectly fine. But Doug Liman brought NOTHING to the table, and he is a great, dynamic director. Being stuck in our houses in 2020 was very boring. A movie about being stuck in our houses shouldn't be MORE boring than that. D+ |
MalignantDirector: James Wan
Star: Annabelle Wallis James Wan has come quite a long way since his fantastic debut with Saw. A bunch of good horror movies and the creation of the Conjuring universe. He steps away from that universe here with Malignant. A clever, atmospheric horror film that has a LOT of balls going where it goes. Madison was always a troubled girl, talking with her imaginary friend. Now...ever since she was a victim of domestic abuse, she seems to be dreaming premonitions of violent acts that wind up being true. I know that sounds run-of-the-mill...but I 100% assure you that it is not. Wan once again proves he one of our current horror maestros. B+ |
MeanderDirector: Mathieu Turi
Star: Gaia Weiss Director Mathieu Turi is very obviously a fan of Cube and set out to make his own version of it. Cube excelled in its simple design and lack of explanation or purpose. Meander, which is equally fun and claustrophobic, seems to WANT to have purpose and explanation...but it fails at that. This film involves a woman stuck in some kind of a maze, full of deathly traps, and with a countdown clock on her attached bracelet. Its just that simple....but some of the drama is so forced and still lacks any logic or sense. Still...it is fun! B- |
MoxieDirector: Amy Poehler
Star: Hadley Robinson, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz, Marcia Gay Harden I will start by saying, yes, I am a man, so my point of view toward the themes in this movie are, at best, is a bit ignorant. At worst, irrelevant. Still...Amy Poehler's high school comedy just isn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It follows an introverted girl who is inspired her mother's activist past to start a feminist "zine" in her school. I had two serious problems with this film. (Again...I may be ignorant), but the society in which this high school resides is a hyperbolic example, and therefore almost silly. I'm sorry, but any asshole acting the way the main jock does would absolutely get his ass kicked (even 20+ years ago in my HS). Second, Robinson's character started great, as a meek girl who is the catalyst for a movement. Then in one scene, she is suddenly a violent feminist. It was so jarring. C+ |
Muppets Haunted MansionDirector: Kirk R. Thatcher
Star: Will Arnett, Taraj P Henson, Darren Criss Here it is! The absolute worst Muppets movie ever made. There is so little effort put forth from this movie it really depressed me. I LOVE the muppets...but here...they are just plugged into the Haunted Mansion attraction...and thats it. Fozzie is the Hatbox Ghost, Henson is the bride. Criss is the groundskeeper. Piggy is Leota. Will Arnett spouts lines from the Ghost Host. There are barely ANY jokes outside of the attraction. Why oh why would they all waste their efforts on such garbage. Who would have thought this would be one of the absolute worst films of the year? D- |
NobodyDirector: Ilya Naishuller
Star: Bob Odenkirk What a fantastic, fun, exciting action/comedy. It is a perfect mashup of the director whose imagination birthed the exciting Hardcore Harry and the mind behind John Wick. Sure...it really is a pedigree of John Wick, where the situation has awakened a sleeping giant of a man, But Bob Odenkirk is so perfectly cast as a man who has put his violent past behind him for decades but is forced to reignite his former life. I liked this so much more than John Wick. The punches are deliberate and heavy, the gunshots are purposeful and frightening, and the creativity behind the camera is brilliant. Constantly, I was gasping, cheering, and surprisingly laughing where appropriate. I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a along time. A- |
OldDirector: M. Night Shyamalan
Star: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie Love him or hate him, M. Night Shyamalan is an adventurous, interesting filmmaker. He makes missteps here and there, for sure, but he is rarely boring (except Glass). In his new outing, he puts a bunch of vacationers on a beach, and upon their arrival, they all start aging incredibly fast. I will leave it at that. I don't consider this movie scary, at all. But it IS interesting. Credit to Shyamalan, but he provides us all sorts of clever scenarios, given the gimmick, surrounding kids, adults, injuries, and diseases. That was the success of the film...the mystery behind what is going on and how it affects the victims. Pretty cool. B |
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the StarDirector: Mike Rohl
Star: Vanessa Hudgens Shut up! So what that I saw this movie. I figured I would complete the trilogy. This time, these identical looking women are staging a theft to steal back a Vatican Relic the kingdom needs for their Christmas celebrations...or something. It doesn't matter. This thing is so toothless and saccharine...but it isn't necessarily BAD because Hudgens is quite charming. Still...come on. C- |
Prisoners of the GhostlandDirector: Sion Sono
Star: Nicholas Cage, Sophia Boutella, Bill Moseley WTF is this movie? I thought it had promise. It is some odd samurai/cowboy post-apocalyptic dystopia where the main guy hires Cage, for some reason, to find his daughter after she was kidnapped. But its not that simple. He straps an explosive suit that will blow off his head if he tries to escape, blow off his arm if he raises his hand to hurt the daughter, and blow off his balls if he has sexual thoughts about her. Whatever. The director made Tokyo Tribe, and that movie was gloriously eccentric and weird. this is just stupid and disjointed. I had no sense of time or place....nor did I understand the need for this suit...or how it worked...or how Nicholas Cage is walking around with a blown-off testicle. D |
Psycho GormanDirector: Steven Kostanski
What a fantastic idea for a movie. It is a shame that it was so poorly executed. This ultra-cheap, fantasy-horror is a about a harbinger of ultimate death and destruction, who has been imprisoned on Earth for millenia, is unearthed by a brother and sister duo. The sister, the WORST part of this movie (overacted and over-characterized as callous and terrible), obtains a jewel that allows her to command this creature. It is silly, it is gory, and it has some of the most outrageous creature designs (albeit absurdly unprofessionally cheap) this side of Doctor Who. But...the film can't quite overcome the main actress and the micro-budget. I kind of liked it but couldn't get over its amateurism. C |
A Quiet Place: Part IIDirector: John Krasinski
Star: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds If there is anything wrong with this film, it is that the silence gimmick is no longer novel. However...that does not mean it is any less frightening. John Krasinski is back directing his wife in this follow-up. Emily Blunt stars, new baby in tow, and these creatures are still stalking and killing anything that makes a sound. This sequel does what it should, buy showing us the world outside of the Abbott farm and how they deal with these creatures. I jumped, my heart pounded, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Murphy is a nice addition to the world. Can't wait for the next one! B+ |
ReminiscenceDirector: Lisa Joy
Star: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandie Newton, Cliff Curtis What a shame. Look at the talent around this sci-fi noir mystery! It is as if the premise and the tech story just got away from everyone. Hugh Jackman is a man that created a technology where people can plug in and relive their fondest memories. How...it is not quite ever explained. He observes what they see through some odd, cascading filament screen whose only purpose MUST be to look good on camera. Ferguson enters his life and throws it for a loop, and the twists and turns begin. Some of it is intriguing, but I kept finding myself bored and incredulous, especially when the 3rd or 4th plot revealed itself. It looks great...as the director cut her teeth on Westworld...but it is all just window-dressing. The ending is so patently absurd that I was furious. C- |
Shadow in the CloudDirector: Roseanne Liang
Star: Chloe Grace Moretz What a riot of a movie. This is one of the only full-blown, popcorn movies I have seen in a long time. It is 1943 New Zealand. Young woman boards a supply ship, with high end orders, and a confidential package. The captain doesn't have time to figure it out, so he stows her in the turret in the bottom of the plane. Good stuff...especially the first 30 minutes. There is WAY too much plot and the movie slips comfortably into preposterousness....but it is 100% fun. What's in the package? What's that on the wing? Was that an enemy plane I see? Do women belong in the army? The movie has a LOT going on, but you will NOT be bored. B |
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsDirector: Destin Daniel Cretton
Star: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh It has been a very long time, almost twenty years, since I was so enamored by a martial arts movie. In the early 2000s, I was treated to masterpieces such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers. Watching those films were like being caught in a dream. This new MCU entry has a LOT of that magic in it, and I watched the film with an enormous smile the entire time. Many people will consider this average Marvel...but it is definitely top tier for me. A few sequences here are some of the best of the year. Sure...we get the obligatory CGI finale...but by that point...I had bought in to the story 100%. Best in show goes to Tony Leung though. He absolutely crushes the film and easily adds an entire letter grade to my review all by himself. A- |
Spider-Man: No Way HomeDirector: Jon Watts
Star: Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau The last time we were with Spider-Man, Mysterio revealed his identity to the world...and it essentially destroyed Peter's life. In No Way Home, he enlists Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget that he is Spider-Man. The spell goes wrong and rips a tear into the fabric of the multiverse. It is kind of unclear how, but villains from previous Spider-Man iterations come spilling through....and the movie that follows is EVERYTHING you would hope for. This is the mature Spider-Man movie. It is intense, funny, exciting, and sad. I cried several times. I will not reveal any spoilers...but the movie opens up SO many possibilities that the MCU fans will be completely giddy. I loved every moment of it. The ending does not QUITE work...but I get it...and it really transforms what we can expect from Peter Parker(s) moving forward. ;) A- |
The Suicide SquadDirector: James Gunn
Star: Idris Elba, John Cena, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis I enjoyed the first Suicide Squad more than most. Sure...the Enchantress was atrocious, but it was fun and Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis were solid. Well...James Gunn decided he wanted a crack at it and threw the franchise upside down. The comedy is turned up to 11, and the absurdity is turned up even further. I kind of felt it was on par for fun and quality with the previous installment. Robbie is still just perfect as Harley Quinn, and Joel Kinnaman is given a lot more depth in this film. The rest of the cast is fun and silly...but has basically no dimensionality. King Shark is a vast improvement over Killer Croc. Overall...it is a tried and true formula...and you could do worse. B |
There's Someone Inside Your HouseDirector: Patrick Brice
First of all...whomever picked this title should be fired. It is as stupid a thriller title that I have ever seen. That being said...this is not half bad. It is a simple premise...high-schoolers are being killed whilst their deepest secrets are being revealed. The killer shows up in a 3D printed mask of the victim. Cool! Yep...that's it. Decent tension, good cross-section of characters, good deaths, and a satisfying mystery as to who is doing the killing. It doesn't do anything original...but it settles into the genre's cliches quite nicely. B- |
Thunder ForceDirector: Ben Falcone
Star: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale, Jason Bateman Why would I think the result would be ANY different. Ben Falcone is once again directing his wife, and McCarthy is never worse than in this situation. This movie contains a world where supervillains are a dime a dozen, and Spencer accidentally imbues her estranged friend with superpowers. Whatever. It is just NOT FUNNY. Why can't Falcone tell his wife that a particular take or joke is not good. Just watch the Urkel scene, and how long it is, and how unfunny it is. The only reason this is not an F? Jason Bateman. He is at his Jason Bateman-est...and he gets several laughs. But that's it. D |
Till DeathDirector: S.K. Dale
Star: Megan Fox Credit to Megan Fox for doing a decent job in Till Death. The story surrounds a woman, whose overbearing husband has led her to cheat, who finds herself handcuffed to him upon his death. She isn't immobilized...but getting around is NOT easy for her. The gore is great, and the frustration and fear Fox exudes is palpable...but I found myself wishing I understood what the thugs were there for, and why the husband was dead. The movie is not well made enough for its simplicity to carry it through to the end. I was over the gimmick about an hour in, and was hoping for a BIT more. C+ |
Vacation FriendsDirector: Clay Tarver
Star: John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner If you have been following John Cena's career...you know he has a sense of humor. Vacation Friends is a bit of an easy, fish-in-a-barrel comedy. What elevates it is that there are a handful of VERY funny jokes in the movie....like spit-take, piss-your-pants funny. Otherwise, everything else is a bit lazy and obvious. Also, the post-vacation denouement felt like it came WAY too early. Still...those huge laughs made the movie for me. It was enough to bring the movie up an entire letter grade. B |
Venom: Let There Be CarnageDirector: Andy Serkis
Star: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Harris, Michelle Williams Tom Hardy is still all-in in the absurdity of Venom. This time around...we are quite quickly thrown into a Venom vs. Carnage scenario with barely any time for backstory. I found myself wondering where was Francis and who else might be caged up in there? It felt like interesting and borderline universe-building (though the filmmakers show they might not be THAT interested in this universe). I dug it when Venom explained his fear of "a red one". I would have loved to see more of THAT mythology. Still...the movie is a merciful 90 minutes or fun nonsense. B- |
WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion UnicornDirector: Jed Rothstein
The story of WeWork is a fascinating one...but it is familiar. Just like The Inventor and the Fyre Festival documentaries...the film is about Adam Neumann and how he built a multi-billion dollar empire out of cards. However interesting the "What " & "How" is surrounding the WeWork idea and philosophy, I was aching for the "Why". Watching WeWork rise and fall is interesting. But "Why was Neumann so persuasive and manipulative?" is what the movie needed...and it is oddly absent. C+ |