Home Sweet Home Alone: A step up from other Home Alone sequels

Movie Review: Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) on Disney+

How many movies have there been in the Home Alone franchise? Five? Six? I've lost count. Still, the first two are the best with the others seeming like cheap rip offs. To me, anyway. And this most recent version doesn't seem much better, although it is a fresher take.

Aside from all the McAllister references, at least in Home Sweet Home Alone this story doesn't involve imbecile bad guys breaking into a home with the child defending it. No, this take has a set of down-in-their-luck parents misunderstanding the whereabouts of an antique doll and trying to break into what they think is the offending thief's home to retrieve it, the offending thief being a 10-year-old kid left at home while the imbecile family takes off for Tokyo. The 10 year old is Max (played by Archie Yates), a Brit transplant who lives with his mum Carol (played by Aisling Bea) and dad Mike (played by Andy Daly)--no reason given for why they live in a suburb of Chicago and want to visit Tokyo for Christmas. Mum is mistakenly booked on a flight separately from a load of other family members, leaving earlier the next morning, and Max leaves the commotion of the family for the quiet of the garage (in the winter?) and falls asleep in the car watching a movie, so when the unwitting family scrambles the next day to make it to the airport, and Mum isn't there to look after him, no one sees that Max isn't part of the crowd. Back to the distraught mother trying to get home from thousands of miles away on the busiest holiday travel day of the year cliché.

Meanwhile, the family who needs the antique doll to save their family home schemes to break into Max's home and Max busies himself setting up impossible obstacles. Jeff (Rob Delaney) and Pam (Ellie Kemper) McKenzie are hapless thieves, Max has way too many toys and devices, and their misunderstanding is way too convenient. 

What makes the biggest difference in Home Sweet Home Alone is the conclusion, which I won't spoil here. It's a completely different tack from the multiple previous storylines, and that's refreshing. Although they play up the financial difficulties of the McKenzies, which may be a downer for some families watching this film, the ending is much happier and more positive. And while the McKenzies do get injured, the injuries are nothing as severe as suffered by Harry and Marv in the original Home Alone and Home Alone 2. And that's another positive in my book.

So to wrap up this review, I'd rate Home Sweet Home Alone a very positive B- for Better than sequels 3 through 5.

A Boy Called Christmas: The magic of Christmas and the power of hope

Movie Review: A Boy Called Christmas on Netflix

This back-story film on the origins of Father Christmas begins with Maggie Smith in character as Aunt Ruth telling a small group of sleepy-eyed children a Christmas bedtime story. The bedtime story becomes the essence of the narration. Now, who wouldn't love the legendary Maggie Smith to tell them a delicious bedtime story? And so it ensues.

A Boy Called Christmas is about a boy called Christmas--clever, no?--who live an impoverished life alone in a Norwegian forest. His father (played by Joel Fry) is a woodsman. Young Nikolas (played by Henry Lawfull) helps his father but dreams of his late mother, who died when he was very young but gifted him with dreams of elves and the hope of a life of wonder in Elfhelm, one of the magical kingdoms of Viking lore. But Nikolas's father doesn't exactly buy into the legends and forces Henry to live a more realistic and rustic life until one day the king (played by Jim Broadbent) challenges the people to search far and wide for tangible signs of hope to encourage the people of the kingdom. His father sets off with a bunch of local men in search of Elfhelm, leaving Nikolas in the care of his self-centered sister (played by Kristen Wiig) and a red cap knit by Nikolas's mother. When Nikclas inadvertently discovers a map sewn inside the cap by Nikolas's mother, Nikolas runs off the find his father to help him in his quest. Thereafter lie mayhem and conflict. Also a pet mouse, a flying reindeer, a city of elves intent on imprisoning Nikolas, and lots of cold, snowy, mountainous terrain. 

This is your usual boy against the odds battle to survive and be understood story. It's also about the magic of Christmas and the power of hope. There are lots of interesting characters and fun settings, and children will enjoy seeing themselves in the personas of the children receiving a bedtime story by a beloved character actor and watching imaginative characters coming to life on their TV screens. It's also a story good for adults who like a little fantasy in their fiction--perhaps some hope in tough times.

A Boy Called Christmas isn't full-blown fantasy like a Babes in Toyland or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But it is fantasy an audience can suspend disbelief in long enough to enjoy the story and tag along for the journey and the warm-hearted message. I'd rate it A for admirable effort.

Power of the Dog: Well crafted visually but narratively creepy

Movie Review: Power of the Dog (2021) on Netflix

Power of the Dog is a well crafted film visually, but you never really know where the narrative is headed, you are just certain that things can't be what they seem. Phil is too uptight, without an apparent reason. His brother George is too nice about it, without a recourse. And the story proceeds with a kind of seediness to it around Phil's unkemptness and roughshodiness. 

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Phil, a manipulative cowboy picking on those weaker than himself. Only when his personal secret is endangered does he begin to show mercy, but it's too late. Someone is plotting to take him down, only no one including he and we as viewers don't see it till the end. Then we see the meaning of the title, too. I kept wondering where this story was going, and that was a weakness--it was kind of creepy.

George, played by Jesse Plemons, comes off not so much as Phil's opposite as much as the squishy soft remnant of Phil's obsessions. He has an interest in Rose (played by Kirsten Dunst), whom he marries, and brings her to the inner sanctum the brothers' loneliness. And here a battle of wills ensues between Phil and Rose for survival. Rose sends her son Peter (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) off to college, where he studies animal life and during his summer break comes to stay at the brothers' cattle ranch, there to defend his mother. 

There is a primitiveness to this film. It's probably more authentic to the life it depicts, but in its rawness it strips away any humanity and supplants it with bare naked bitterness. Any touches of decency get swallowed up and spit out. This gives Power of the Dog an edginess that begs for resolution that comes only at the end, and then without an emotional resolution. For all these reasons, I can't really rate this film more than a B for bewildering.

The Holiday: Always on my holiday-watch list

Movie Review: The Holiday (2006) on Hulu

If you're looking for light-hearted film fare over the holidays, go directly to The Holiday. We've come to rely on this rom com from 2006 for laughs and heart-tugs like we did Love Actually from 2003, only this is easily more watchable and feeling slightly less chaotic. Give it a try if you haven't already (on Hulu.com and Amazon.com). 

The Holiday has two professional women, played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, with troubled love lives skipping town (and men) for the holidays by swapping homes. Kate leaves her cozy cottage in Surrey England, Cameron gives up her luxurious layout in Los Angeles, hoping to bury their troublesome relationships behind them for the next two weeks. And after a few mix ups on first arrivals, things seem to go really well. Until Cameron meets Kate's handsome and available brother, played by Jude Law, and Kate meets Cameron's advertising jingle composer suddenly newly available, played by Jack Black. We've never seen Jack Black as a love-interest actor, but he's very likeable in this role. Add to the mix Cameron's elderly next door neighbor, played by Eli Wallach, who is retired, lonely, and just needs a little respect and love. 

This is an adorable film with no bump-your-head-on-the-ceiling-beam message, just good comedy and romantic fun that happens to take place during the Christmas to New Years holiday--like Love Actually and Die Hard and, recently, Love Hard. Honestly, I don't know how you can miss watching this film made simply to sit back and enjoy. I'd rate The Holiday A+ for Always on my holiday-movie list.

Kate: Definitely a gotta-see action film

Movie Review: Kate (2021) on Netflix

Here's another action movie you should see, just for the sheer moxie of the story. Think of John Wick but with a woman in the antihero role. Maybe a Sigourney Weaver from Aliens but taking on the Tokyo Mafia. In this case, it's Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Kate taking no prisoners and taking no sass in Tokyo. And she has Ani (played by Miku Patricia Martineau) as a sidekick. Woody Harrelson is her mentor/protector, although in many films we've come to find that Mr Harrelson rarely comes out at the end as the good guy. 

Kate is a wickedly efficient assassin, skilled in all the killer arts. But she blows an assignment to take down the leader of the yakuza syndicate in Japan. It results in her being poisoned with polonium, giving her only 24 hours to find her own assassin and complete her original assignment. Struggling to survive, she runs into the granddaughter of her target, who could help her locate the old man but at first acts more as a deterrent, until they find they have more in common than in detraction.

Lots of action, with chase scenes, gun battles, fights, and bloody melee. I'd say a notch or two below a John Wick bloodletting, but still, you will be wowed. I'd rate it an A+ for antihero wins the day. This is definitely a gotta-see action film.

tick, tick...Boom!: What a great musical

Movie Review: tick, tick...Boom! on Netflix 

I was prepared for tick, tick...Boom! to be good but not this good. Boom! What a great musical!! Based on the musical play by Jonathan Larson and writer of Rent and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it scintillates on the screen with energy while oozing with honesty and earnesty. This is really great stuff. You will be captured by it from beginning to end.

tick, tick...Boom!, written for film by Steven Levenson, is about Jonathan Larson's eight-year tussle with creativity and writer's block to finish his Broadway play before his 30th birthday--before he loses his youthful energy, his friends who have moved on with life, his friends who are dying of AIDS all around him, his girlfriend who wants to finally get her break... And the Monday before his birthday is scheduled a big working session of the play before interested parties that can make or break taking his play into production, and he has one critical song to write but not a whisper of inspiration anywhere. The pressure!

The film is shot in New York City, so it is full of character. There is tons of movement and color and energy. And there is, of course, music everywhere. Think of the energy of Lin-Manual Miranda's Hamilton. It's present here. 

The ensemble cast isn't notable, but they shine together with Andrew Garfield in the lead as Larson. I'd rate it A++ for absolutely fantastic.

Love Hard: Adorably innocent holiday rom com

Movie Review: Love Hard (2021) on Netflix

First, Love Hard is not a porn movie. It's a holiday rom com and it's adorably innocent fun. You see, it's another of those Christmas movies that isn't really about Christmas it just takes place around the holiday season, and a couple of the characters reference their favorite Christmas movies that also aren't really about Christmas they just take place around the holiday: Love Actually and Die Hard. Thus, they form this movie's title from those two titles. Get it? 

In this film, Natalie Bauer (played by Nina Dobrev) writes articles about failed dates. Her whole love life is an amalgam of failed first dates. But she has been using a new dating app and she has met this amazing new guy, Tag (played by Darren Barnet), who has amazing photos and says the most amazing things and has set Natalie's heart atwitter. Natalie lives in L.A. and Tag lives in Lake Placid, NY, but Tag mentions, wouldn't it be wonderful if she could join him for Christmas? All seems too good to be true, but maybe this is finally the first date that breaks the mold for Natalie, so she makes plans to surprise Tag and join him unannounced for the holidays.

You can imagine, when Natalie gets to Tag's house it isn't as she imagined it. Tag is actually Josh (played by Jimmy O. Yang)--Tag was Josh's best friend in high school so Josh has lots of photos and stories to fake his identity. But now Josh's family has met Natalie and everyone's expectations are very high, so to save face Natalie and Josh agree to fake their relationship through Christmas and then they will break it off. In exchange, Josh will arrange for Natalie to meet and date Tag. What could go wrong with all that? You will see.

This is ultimately about truth and honesty. Everyone's feelings are tested. Some of the writing is cliched but if you can accept the original concept and enjoy the innocence of the ploy, it's a fun holiday-themed story with a hopeful end. The final scenes are a nice touch. I would rate Love Hard a B^ for brings the love home. It would make a great way to start the Christmas/holiday movie season.

Red Notice: Just too much fun

Movie Review: Red Notice (2021) on Netflix

Red Notice, starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Godot, and Ryan Reynolds, is just too much fun. That's mostly because Ryan Reynolds is in it to add quirky humor, but also because Dwayne Johnson is kind of a cornball himself. Together, well, you're going to have a great time watching this combination of James Bond flash-bang and Indiana Jones swashbuckling adventure. Said enough?

Gal Godot is there for the sizzle, and sizzle she does. Think of her role as Wonder Woman 1984, and just change her outfit to modern femme fatal spy and you get the idea. She handles a spear and a pistol with equal ease!

This film is heavily plot driven, but the motion is accelerated by intense chase scenes, fight exchanges, and lots of quick give-and-take dialogue between the characters, which keeps the pace lively. Don't plan any bathroom breaks during the film! This is an action film.

Here's the gist of Red Notice: Good guys, bad guys, and guys in between are on the hunt for three rare eggs artistically created and gifted to Cleopatra and then mysteriously separated over time. One is in a museum, one is in a private collection, and one hasn't been seen for hundreds of years. A multi-billionaire wants to reunite them as a wedding gift for his daughter. Dwayne Johnson plays an FBI profiler who arrives on the scene aware someone is plotting to steal the museum egg. Ryan Reynolds plays the second most successful art thief, who tries to steal the museum egg and wants to move onto the privately held egg. Gal Gadot plays the first most successful art thief, who is plotting to outdo Ryan Reynolds' character and show up Dwayne Johnson, and beat them to finding the third egg. And let the thieving begin.

This is a great romp. You won't know who to trust. I would rate Red Notice an A++ for way above average.

Words and Pictures: Good writing, good cast

Movie Review: Words and Pictures (2013) on HBO Max

I've forgotten what really good writing can do to drive a good film. Recently, I was reminded watching Words and Pictures.

The whole gist of this film is a washed up old writer turned English teacher (Clive Owen) and a struggling artist (Juliette Binoche) forced to teach fine arts at a prep school battle out which is more meaningful, words or pictures. Caught in the middle are their bright, impressionable high school students. The two teachers are at first caught up in their own misery and failure to achieve insights in their individual arts and fight it out in a battle of wits highlighted by the sexual tension between them and the devotion of their brightest students. But over time, they come to circle one another until they tangle in a competition in which their honors programs will decide on a supreme art: words or pictures, and the outcome may surprise you.

This is written with great wit and conversation around language arts, with quotes from the great authors of time--in essence, Words and Pictures becomes a piece of literary art in itself. 

At the same time, we see fine art explored visually as Binoche struggles to paint as the master painter her character is known to be yet struggles because of a disabling disease. We see her grasping brushes intricately small and industrially huge in painting masterpieces, yet not able to articulate her vision and anguishing over every stroke. Her studio is awash in art and anger. 

Meanwhile, required to write new manuscripts of prose and poetry, Owen can't muster the thoughts that once came so easily to him, now absorbed in debilitating alcoholism.

Both are spiraling out of control, before our eyes. And here they are, trying to guide students as they try to apply for college entrance!

So, what the writing does for the "words" part of the film, the staging, cinematography, and acting do for the "pictures" part of Words and Pictures, and it's a brilliant choreography. Binoche, a wonderfully natural actor, flows across the screen. Owen is hefty in most of his roles, and his passion in this role comes across with vigor and life.

Words and Pictures is a thinking film but also a feeling film. And I'd rate it A^ for Above Average on all Counts! Loved it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings: Awesome Entertainment

Movie Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings (2021) on Disney+

Let me say from the outset that Sheng-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings is a great film with sweeping vistas, strong characters, great martial arts scenes magnified by magnificent artistry, and punctuated by that typical Marvel-universe humor that makes superhero movies so fun to watch. The cast is great! My only beef with it is how it was rolled out on Disney+. 

I believe the challenge is, if you watch the film in their IMAX version on Disney+ you may not see subtitles. They don't prepare you for this, and it is the recommended viewing. My nephew Rob watched it on the theatrical release widescreen and subtitles were included in the film. I went with the recommended IMAX version and it didn't. It took us three attempts to figure out how to select English subtitles on our own. Without subtitles, you don't get the backstory on the Legend of the 10 Rings, which is told in the film in Mandarin, and lots of the dialogue is in Mandarin. Many minutes into the story, when the setting switches to New York City, the dialogue switches to English. Later again it will switch back and forth between Mandarin and English. If you don't speak or read Mandarin (or English, for that matter), it's a challenge to understand the story. So be prepared, just in case.

That caution being expressed, I want to switch gears and say what a great film this is. It makes generous use of CGI and special effects to create an imaginative world with vivid characters in an incredible alternative world. 

Sang-Chi (played by Simu Liu) and his sister Xialing (played by Meng'er Zhang) unite to try to save their mother's legendary home world from attack by their villainous father Xu Wenwu (played by Tony Chiu-Wai Leung), who has been the master of the 10 Rings for hundreds of years, wielding them as tools to gain power. Shang-Chi has been living in New York City hiding in cheap urban centers with his best friend Katy (played by Awkwafina) until he is egged into battle by Xu Wenwu's minions, who force them into exposing themselves. Once brought to his father, Sheng-Chi is invited to join in his father's quest, which is to save his murdered wife who he believes is locked in a fortress in her home world. To do that, they need to get the aid of Shang-Chi's sister, who has come out of her shell and started a gang-fighting command center in Macau. But talking her into joining forces isn't easy and the father's story about where their dead mother is isn't so convincing, and Xu Wenwu's plans go awry.

Veteran martial arts film star Michelle Yeoh adds authenticity to the legend and battle scenes, not to mention the artistry of the fighting shots. Filling out the top-quality cast is Ben Kingsley, who plays a Shakespearean actor who...I don't understand the role of his character, really, but his roles in past films give him weight in any casting list, so he forms a bookend to solidify the bone fides of everyone else? Anyway, this is a great ensemble cast, who get into several major battles throughout the film, the greatest near the end, which is a battle between two mega-giant dragons. Pretty cool!

Shang-Chi becomes a solid addition to the Marvel Superheroes universe and I'd watch it again in a New York (or Macau) minute. I'd rate Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings a solid A for Awesome!

Jungle Cruise: Have you seen this somewhere before?

Movie Review: Jungle Cruise (2021) on Disney+

Have you seen Disney's Jungle Cruise, in theaters and on Disney+? You wouldn't be wrong if you thought you had seen it before. It's loosely based on Disney's theme park ride of the same name. And it brings back memories of John Huston's The African Queen (1951), although that was set in Africa and this is set in Argentina. Loose memories, because beyond the opening scenes of a jungle cruise complete with pun-spinning boat captain, faked nature attacks, and other things you might remember from your own adventure at Disneyworld, this story goes well beyond the quick romp on a controlled course. 

As the story goes, British adventurers Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and her brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) are on the hunt for a legendary arrowhead sought by Conquistadors during the conquest of South America. It is rumored to lead to a fabled tree of life that can heal all ills, which the Houghtons want to bring back to save their father. Their search also involves German Nazis who escaped Europe in the final days of World War II and headed to Argentina with a mysterious shipment. 

Arriving in South America, the Houghtons meet up with one Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), who runs the fastest tour boat and has spent his whole life scouring the tangled jungle of rivers Emily and MacGregor intend to search hunting the arrowhead. He knows the territory, they have thousands of dollars in funds to help him get his boat out of hock and save his touring company. 

This film also has a lot in common with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), too, in style, substance, and tone. Just like Indy, Frank must guide a feisty woman through the jungle, battling Nazis (or their leftover stuff) and jungle natives to find a treasure. Danger lurks everywhere. There may be a giant warehouse involved. 

Jungle Cruise borrows from The African Queen in its ramshackle boat and its battle against a German ship (here it's a submarine) and its gritty captain. There is also a very similar river-rapids scene. 

Borrowing so much from other films and a tourist attraction, what's left for a film crew to do? Well, there is plenty. The cast is pretty good, including some fun scenes with Paul Giamatti as a financier eager to extort money from Frank Wolff's business. And there's lots of special effects as centuries old Conquistadors are reanimated from death in the jungle. Oh, and a pretty good chase scene in a mining tunnel (nothing as thrilling as the one in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). If you like puns, the jungle tour at the beginning is full of them and there are a few more sprinkled toward the end, but my experience is puns are an acquired taste.

So, this film is a mixed bag. Disney decided to make more money out of its theme park ride by making a movie out of it. This isn't an original idea. They borrowed a bunch of things from other films, also not an original idea. It was fun but not something to build an evening around. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are good in it, so there's that. I'd give it a C+ for Could Do Better.

Angel Avenger: Police procedural you watch unfold before your eyes

Book Review: Angel Avenger by Tim Wickenden
Version: Free ebook from the author

Angel Avenger plays out as a police procedural in Berlin during the mid-1960s. It plays out like any period police procedural from anywhere in the world, with its similar processes, its odd characters, and its pursuits of blind justice for odd crimes committed against everyday victims. Except these victims turn out to be anything but everyday, butchers against humanity during a brutal onslaught during the late months of World War II during Russia's incursion into Nazi Germany. 

As the story unfolds, one after another four men are kidnapped, beaten, disfigured, and then left to die in open public settings to be found by the Polizie (Police). Max, Oppi, and their team of criminal detectives in the Berlin Police hunt down the perpetrators, few clues left behind, trying to figure out who the victims are, why they were murdered, and who did it. The perpetrators turn out to be two clever people with no criminal past, bent on revenge for a horrible attack years before, triggered into action by sudden discovery of the victims still alive into a visceral overreaction. They are sister and brother who while clever plotters for revenge and cognizant what they are doing is wrong, have tipped beyond reason to do the unthinkable themselves. And so, a game of cat and mouse ensues to punish the four victims for past atrocities but stay ahead of the police long enough to exact revenge before getting caught.

Angel Avenger is told in the present tense, so you get the effect of witnessing Angelika and Christian doing the crimes while watching the police investigating in real time. It's as if you're there in the 1960s, not watching from the perspective of the 21st century. Lost in the fog of time, you are immersed with them, sharing in the experiences. You watch it unfold before your eyes.

It's a well-paced, well-told crime story. The main characters are likable and believable. The bad guys are bad to their core and deserving of their fates. Being that it took place in Berlin, action was a little hard to track. If that's the worst I can say, then Angel Avenger must be a pretty solid read, right?

Reading Angel Avenger, I learned a bit about this place in that time. And so, I would rate it an A for solving crimes against humanity in a humane way. I think, like me, you might like it, too.

Luca: Adventures and dangers and amazing moments for the whole family

Movie Review: Luca (2021) on Disney +

Disney and Pixar have a fun new animated winner, Luca, bridging the undersea and above-the-sea worlds with great new energy. 

Luca is a young sea monster shepherding a herd of fish, unhappy with his lot in life. His mother and father guard him constantly, afraid he will take after his grandmother and her lust for the life ashore. He finds "treasures" dropped overboard from human fishing trawlers, simple everyday items like watches and pictures and -- a phonograph, and feels the pull of wanderlust. Eventually, Luca escapes the binding ties of his mother's apron strings--yes, his mother wears an apron--and emerges on an isolated island beach. And there he meets Alberto, who feeds his lust for human life and discovery. 

Whenever Luca or Alberto are in the water, they appear as sea monsters. However, whenever they are in the fresh air, they lose their scales and fins and become human, with arms and legs and skin with hair. To remain human, all they have to do is avoid the water. Oh, and learn what it means to live like a human, such as eat, and walk upright, and talk. Escaping the island for a mainland fishing village and the allure of humankind, they begin to succor the good life and the pursuit of their dream, owning a Vespo motor scooter. To do that, they must win the local triathlon, with the help of a newfound friend, Giulia, and defeat the local bully Ercole, who never loses. This is complicated, but it's tons of fun to watch.

A ton of great voice talent brings the story to life. Jacob Tremblay is the voice of Luca. Jack Dylan Grazer is the voice of Alberto. You'll love Emma Berman as effervescent Giulia. And Saverio Raimondo gives life to the irascible Ercole. There are lots of others, too.

There are lots of adventures and dangers and amazing moments for the whole family on Luca. I rate it A^ for Always a winner with Disney and Pixar.

Fatherhood: A hit way out of the park

Movie Review: Fatherhood (2021) on Netflix

Oh, wow! I'm loving Kevin Hart in this serious modern drama, Fatherhood. This puts him in the legions of some of the greats.

Hart plays Matt Logelin, a young husband who loses his childbearing wife Liz (Deborah Ayorinde) right after childbirth and is left to raise his new daughter Mandy (Melody Hurd) on his own. It's not as if he doesn't have offers of help, but he owes it to his wife's memory to get it right and he owes it to his own father not being there for him to be there for Mandy. Being there for Matt are a host of great role models of friends and family, including Liz's mother Marion (Alfre Woodard) and dad Mike (Frankie Faison), Matt's mother Anna (Thedra Porter), and close friends Jordan (Lil Rel Howery) and Oscar (Anthony Carrigan). Then friends try to link Matt up with an eligible single woman at a birthday party, Lizzie (DeWanda Wise), whom Matt finds fun and attractive but decides is a distraction in his relationship with Mandy. And then there's Matt's job in IT, where he's quite the up and coming success but being a new dad makes for complications. How can he do it all?

Now, there is plenty of humor in this movie. And that's been Kevin Hart's main ploy as an actor. But in Fatherhood, he gets to stretch his muscles and man, does he stretch. This is a great part for Hart! He plays perfectly opposite little Melody Hurd as his daughter and he matches beat for beat with the seasoned Alfre Woodard. Where he seems most natural is with DeWanda Wise, who is totally in tune with Hurd, too. 

Fatherhood was perfect for play on Father's Day, but it's great viewing for anytime of the year. It hits all the right emotional strings, light plinks of humor, heavy tones of sentimentality, deep melodies of sadness, and great sweeping rhythms of joy. Play it for the whole family, because everyone can get the various themes and love the characters. I'd rate Fatherhood A^^ for A hit way out of the park.

Wish Dragon: Borrows its essence from Aladdin but still interestingly vivid and lively

Movie Review: Wish Dragon (2021) on Netflix

It's fun, it's entertaining, it's colorful with interesting characters, but Wish Dragon isn't Aladdin and 1001 Nights, from which the basis of this movie richly borrows its essence--embarrassingly so. Right down to a reciting of its basic rules! C'mon guys. That said...

In this version that takes place in Singapore, main character Din (voiced in English by Jimmy Wong) discovers a magical jade teapot while pursuing his childhood friend Li Na (voiced in English by Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and out of the teapot pours the ancient dragon Long (voiced in English by John Cho but in Mandarin by Jackie Chan) who can grant three wishes. 

Long has been sequestered in the teapot by the gods until he grants the wishes of ten masters, an exercise meant to teach him valuable lifelong lessons from his masters, before he can return to heaven where he finally will be greeted by his ancestors. 

Young adult Din is Long's final master to satisfy, so he is in a hurry to grant three wishes and, of course, he offers lots of easy options from years of serving greedy masters. But Din is street wise and wants to make the most of his wishes to aid in regaining the interest of his old friend Li Na, with whom he was closest of friends as children but separated by her father's rise in fortune. The question for Din is how far he is willing to go to win Li Na's favor, to meet her new expectations after 10 years of separation but possibly compromising his own values. And this drives much of the conflict of the story. 

At the same time, while Din has the allegiance of Long to grant his wishes, someone else is trying to steal the teapot to get wishes, threatening Din's last wish.

The animation in Wish Dragon is great and the characters are vivid and lively. It really is a good film with great production values. If you can get over the in-your-face lifting of some story elements, it has enough other unique elements to allow you and your family to enjoy the film.

I rate Wish Dragon A- for Almost Great.

In the Heights: Awesome musical entertainment

Movie Review: In the Heights (2021) on HBO Max

In the Heights is out of this world entertaining, a musical that will have you tapping your feet all the way through the film.

Usnavi runs a small convenience store in Washington Heights, NYC. He doesn't make much, but he saves every penny can in the hope he can resurrect his father's old hurricane-ravaged home in the Dominican Republic. Surrounding his shoppe is the vibrant Latino community, full of hopes and fears for their own futures, and this modern-day story is set to the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda scores and lyrics in a celebration of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in Twentieth Century America. 

This film carries an amazing beat. Think Hamilton with a Latin buzz. And there is a ton of amazing dancing. All in tune with luscious storytelling. You can't help but smile through most of In the Heights, although there are delicious romance scenes, electric drama scenes, and at least one seriously emotional scene. You will make your way through all the feelings in this film, and be glad you did.

There's something for every age, the actors ranging from muchachas (children) to abuelas (grandmothers) and everyone in between. Leading the cast are Anthony Ramos as Usnavi (named for the first ship his father saw entering New York Harbor arriving in American, a ship sporting a sign saying U.S. Navy), Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny, Olga Merediz as Abuela, Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario, and Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario. There is a "cast of thousands" in extras and dancers filling the streets, the trains, the clubs, and all the urban environments that is The Heights.

This film is 2 hours and 23 minutes, so it is long. But I don't think you'll have trouble being entertained or from being bored. It's non-stop action and singing and dancing. I'd rate In the Heights A^ for Awesome!

Sweet Tooth: I'd go there if I were you

TV Series Review: Sweet Tooth (2021) on Netflix

I haven't reviewed television here much, but there's a new Netflix original series you might want to know about: Sweet Tooth.

Have you seen it? It's really quite interesting, about a surprise new species of hybrid humans that emerges during a pandemic, creating a post-apocalyptic world of survival. The main character is a young boy named Gus raised in isolation by his fearful father, and when his plans to save his hybrid son from the dangerous world go awry, Gus sets out on his own looking for his estranged mother in a faraway place. 

We're only on episode 3 and we're already mesmerized by the compelling storytelling. Each episode begins simply but then the story complicates as you realize even in a post-apocalyptic world really, nothing is simple--Gus's life, his struggle for survival, is very complicated. Episode 1 is about Gus's relationship with his father and discovering the dangers of the outside world. Episode 2 introduces Big Man, who reluctantly helps Gus on his quest to find his mother, and new characters tied up in the pandemic. Episode 3 has Big Man trying to ditch Gus and a group of hybrids coming to the rescue. There is an excellent list of the eight episodes on IMDb.

Sweet Tooth is based on a graphic novel. And by the way, Sweet Tooth is a nickname given to Gus by Big Man, because Gus loves sweets--what 10 year old doesn't?

Cast is awesome. Gus is played by Christian Convery, who has a lot to carry on his very young shoulders and does it well. Big Guy (Tommy Jepperd) is played by Nonso Anozie, who is totally badass as the reluctant hero. Pubba (the crazed father) is played by Will Forte. And James Brolin serves as the amiable all-knowing series narrator.

This series has a lot of heart and the writing is superb. If you're saying to yourself, "I don't know..." I'd go there if I were you. I dare you to watch the first episode without feeling motivated to go to the next, and the next, and the next...

A Whisker Away: Delightful story anime fans should enjoy

Movie Review: A Whisker Away (2020) on Netflix 

A Whisker Away is a delightful anime story about Miyo, a young high schooler who gushes her affections for the boy of her dreams (Hinode) but only wins their returns when she dons the genuine disguise of a cat. The disguise is assumed when she puts on a mask given to her by a large cat who encourages her to live full in the disguise, knowing once she accepts the disguise as her true identity the mask will assume her face and the cat can assume her human identity and live the longer human life. 

It turns out Hinode loves the cat, but he finds Miyo's human acts kind of strange. So he pours on the affection, feeding the cat and spending a lot of quality with it. Meanwhile, Miyo's home life isn't so swell, living with her father and step-mother, who she doesn't appreciate. It looks like life as a cat is really the ideal life for Miyo. She tells the big cat she guesses she would like to remain as a cat and he takes off with the mask, much to Miyo's surprise, and she has to chase him down to try to find it. As a result, Miyo goes missing and everyone in her life, whom she has come to assume doesn't care about her, goes searching for the missing curious girl.

As with most Japanese anime, A Whisker Away is rich in natural imagery, the story coming to life in their use of amazing lifelike art of trees and grass and flowers and clouds, and the characters and animals have a unique lifelike movement. Yet much of the story is filled with exotic fantasy elements and animals with truly fantastic abilities and attributes. This film reminds me much of the works of writer, director, producer, and artist Hayao Miyazaki, especially The Cat Returns and My Neighbor Totoro. 

If you are a fan of anime, you should enjoy this film. I would rate A Whisker Away A for Great Anime.

Raya and the Last Dragon: Great storytelling and fun viewing!

Movie Review: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Disney +

Wow! What a cinematic experience is Raya and the Last Dragon, featuring two fearless yet vulnerable women as leads in Disney's powerful animated mythological tale from the Far East.

Raya is the daughter of the aging leader who wants to unite competing clans under the power of the one gem created by the last powerful dragon. The four other clans want to break up the gem and savor the power for themselves. When a battle separates the gem and the people into factions, and begins turning people into stone--including Raya's father--it's up to Raya to put all the pieces back together, before all hope is lost. First, however, she has to win over Namaari, the strong-willed princess of one of the most powerful clans who wants to bring the gem back to her mother to rule them all.

Features an amazing cast of characters as varied as the amazing clans. And an imaginative menagerie of settings, each clan having a sumptuous land to feast your eyes upon. The music is uplifting, as well. All making for great storytelling and fun viewing.

Raya and the Last Dragon was created during the COVID pandemic, when production companies had to come up with solutions for producing films during the lockdown. This film was gorgeously designed and brought to life by 400 artists who all worked from home in an artform that requires a lot of collaboration. The results are amazing. 

Fine entertainment for the whole family, I rate Raya and the Last Dragon A^^ for Way Above Average.

Blue Miracle: Good theme, good cast, good family film

Movie Review: Blue Miracle (2021) on Netflix

Blue Miracle is a good summer-weather watching movie. Good theme, good cast, good family film.

Based on a true story. Omar and his wife run an orphanage in Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, where they care for street orphans no one else will take in. 

A hurricane has inundated their building and destroyed much of their food, and the bank is calling in their overdue loan--their only hope to retain a safe home for their kids is to join a crusty old boat captain to win the challenging tourist-town fishing competition. Omar suffers a fear of fishing from a devastating accident during childhood, and none of the orphans have ever done this kind of fishing, plus crusty old Captain Wade is really just in this for himself and wants nothing to do with the kids, so the odds of success start off pretty low. But Omar is known by the kids as Papa Omar because he is like a steadfast father figure to every one of them, and he teaches the youngest a lesson about nailing his hopes and dreams to the wall with a nail he finds on the floor, and that becomes an omen for good and the source of their Blue Miracle.

As hokey as some of this script can feel, much of it depends on your ability to suspend your disbelief long enough to build trust in the characters to carry their hopes to fruition. It's high on aspirations and if you can give them all the benefit of your patience and good will, they will reward you with good performances through an optimistic and upbeat storyline. Hey, it's based on a true story! And they signed Dennis Quaid as the crusty old captain, who gives a fine performance as a guy who'd rather not be bothered by a bunch of little kids yet who gets pulled into their humanity.

Now, this isn't Best Picture material. It isn't Best Script or Best Cinematography material, either. But it's a good story with a lot of heart, and dang it, I think in the end you'll like it if not love it. I'd rate Blue Miracle a B^ for Bright Spot of the Day. 

Fierce: A great story and a lot of fun

Movie Review: Fierce (2020) on Netflix 

Take a ride on the wild entertainment side with Fierce, a movie from Poland airing on Netflix that you can listen to in its native Polish or access excellent English dubbing. We chose the English dubbing, which features some great acting voices. Music mixes well with original lyrics. This makes for great entertainment.

Fierce is also the name of the main character, a high school teen whose mother is the jilted girlfriend of the main host of Music Race, Poland's popular singing talent TV show. Turns out Olo is also Fierce's secret father, who left them when she was a baby, leaving the two destitute. The mother, daughter, and their single grandmother watch Olo's show talking him down and when it's announced the show is doing a remote episode from their town, Fierce hatches a plot to confront Olo, first to show him up for being a louse, then to compete for the show's big prize and show him up on national TV. But she can't even sing!

O.K., some of the side characters are kind of cheesy, making them self-centered and shallow, as celebrities are often depicted. But the main characters actually have some depth and the plotline works pretty well with them. So ignore the side characters and focus on Fierce, her mother, and Olo. Also Fierce's boyfriend, who tries desperately to support her.

Then watch this movie for fun. It isn't serious cultural commentary. More, it's a look at competition shows in other cultures and how fierce that competition can get and affect people unexpectedly who aren't prepared for it. 

This film was somewhat of a revelation for my wife and me. She is second-generation Polish and visited there in 1975 and was amazed at how much it has changed physically. The main setting beyond Fierce's small hometown is Warsaw, which my wife experienced during her visit and it's been transformed dramatically since then. Yet during a birthday scene they sang a traditional Polish birthday song my wife's parents and grandparents had brought with them to America after World War II, word for word and by tune unchanged. So there was a dichotomy there!

We enjoy watching films from other countries, other cultures. It's helpful if you understand the cultures but not necessary. In this case, we knew quite a bit about Poland and its culture, but there were still surprises, and whatever you may or may not know about it, with the elements of this competition you will recognize from watching talent competitions in your own country or elsewhere, much of this should be familiar to you. You should be able to choose captions and audio to aid in understanding of the dialog, depending on where you're reading this review. 

To recap, this girl and her mother's story crosses borders and cultures. Father leaves them, chance gives them an opportunity to address the issue, opportunity also gives them a chance to become something greater than they ever dreamed. It's a great story. I'd rate Fierce A for A Lot of Fun.

The Trial of the Chicago 7: The event and personas lost in the patina of time

Movie Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) on Netflix

If you're a Boomer, you remember the summer of '68 and the chaos surrounding the Democratic National Convention, and the resulting trial of "The Chicago 7", for good or ill. As each succeeding generation lives through its own moments of turmoil, that time and the turmoil it produced likely bring back the memories of "the sixties" and "the movement" that produced the clash of civilizations that led up to The Trial of the Chicago 7. So this bit of historical drama brings it back into focus for those of us who lived in that time and those who may only have heard about it--and especially for those who are barely aware of it.

First, it's important to be aware, this drama plays out almost like a documentary, written by one of the premier political-drama fiction screenwriters of our time: Aaron Sorkin, who also directed the film. It is, of course, foremost a drama, but the feel and attention to detail is documentary-like. That's not to say it doesn't borrow from dramatic license. 

Second, we all benefit from hindsight, or "hindsight is 20-20." So it is a story that lays out with the benefit of the end in mind and can connect dots and plan for conclusions that in real-time--documentary time--would not be possible, even with editing. So Sorkin has 51+ years of experience and context to work with here.

And finally, what a cast! This film is as much about the characters as it is about historical events, and Sorkin put together an amazing ensemble of players to portray the personalities of a movement who were as transformative as the changes they sought to bring about (again, for good or ill, whatever your perspective). They had to be who the characters had been in real life, and remembering those times, these actors exuded their being. Eddie Redmayne was Tom Hayden. Alex Sharp was Rennie Davis. Jeremy Strong was Jerry Rubin. And, especially, Sasha Baron Cohen was Abbie Hoffman. Mark Rylance was William Kunstler, their attorney. Even more minor characters were so on-target for their portrayal, although they were lesser known in their time. 

I guess the takeaway I'd suggest from seeing this film is how real this film seems, feels, looks, and presents itself of the events, the times, and personalities of the time. It has a point of view, of course--all films do. But it picks up an event and personas lost in the patina of time and presents them again with the advantage of time and context and perspective, with some drama.

I would rate The Trial of the Chicago 7 A^ for Above Average in storytelling, writing, and acting. Well worth a see.

I Care a Lot: Great storytelling

Movie Review: I Care a Lot (2020) on Netflix

I Care a Lot is about a lot of things. Untwisting the plot entanglements and knots is half the fun. The other half is enjoying the actors playing the characters doing the tying and twisting (or untwisting) and knotting. And this is what makes I Care a Lot so darned watchable. 

Rosamund Pike plays Marla Grayson, an attorney for an nearly invisible legal firm that sets herself up as legal guardian for unwitting elderly wards without family and swindles them out of their assets by setting them up in a posh nursing home. It's all legal, of course, if dubious. Dianne Wiest plays Jennifer Peterson, one of Grayson's dupes, who though she isn't the brightest bulb is aware something ain't right when she's taken to the nursing home without her consent. And she's a problem for Grayson, because she's connected to Roman Lunyov (played by Peter Dinklage), a member of the Russian Mafia, as one of his assets.

Now, neither Grayson nor Lunyov like to lose, and the story becomes not just a battle to save Peterson's assets (personal or the Mafia's), but a battle of wits between two driven achievers. Who will win? The legal eagle who dots her I's and crosses her T's and leaves no loose ends? Or the brutal strategist who isn't afraid to play rough and loose with the rules to get his way? That's why we sit through to the end of the film!

Did I mention Pike won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for this movie? Need I remind you Dinklage has made a career of playing lovable rogues, none so famous as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones? Together, they make a power couple on the screen. And Wiest is just amazing as the little ol' lady who should be out of her legal league but isn't to be trifled with or counted out. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Lunyov and his merry band of Mafia thugs don't sound like Russians. This might have been something the director should have picked up on? Still, it's a minor flaw when you take into consideration the brilliance of the writing and the main acting otherwise. 

If you haven't seen I Care a Lot, it's worth a view. I rate it A^ for Above Average for great storytelling.

The White Tiger: There is so much to love about this film

Movie Review: The White Tiger (2021) on Netflix

The White Tiger is a sleeper, a great movie with huge potential that's getting little attention. Don't let that stop you from seeing it.

The white tiger is the eager opportunist who knows when to spring into action and make the most of the right moment. Balram Halwai wants to be a white tiger and make something of himself, despite being a young male in his matriarchal family in small-town India. But things aren't panning out, until one day he comes up with a plan to impress a very rich man to become his personal driver. 

Balram packs up his few meager belongings and walks the long distance to the big city and imposes himself on the rich man. It appears to be a hopeless cause, until the man's son appears. He's just returned from America with his new wife and their modern western ideas, and they want to give Balram a chance. So Balram is hired--but, as their number-two driver. 

An eager achiever, Balram connives his way into the number-one spot, pleasing his bosses but also creating adversaries and enemies. His decisions and drive for success threaten to lead to his downfall, while his creativity and eagerness to overcome roadblocks offer to lead to his salvation. But this isn't just about one man's strive to succeed.

India is still a culture intrenched its aged caste system, and that is part of Balram's problem. He was born near the bottom of the system; he strives to rise above it. Those trying to help him can only help so far. It's by sheer determination, and a bit of underhandedness, that he moves beyond it, often at the disadvantage of others. Yet in the end, that's how he ultimately triumphs. Knowing what you come to know watching him struggle, you can't help root for him.

There is so much to love about this film. Its energy, its diverse settings, its characters, its cast, and in many ways, its simple and honest vision. The White Tiger buzzes with enthusiasm, due much to its lead actor, Adarsh Gourav who portrays Balram. And there is plenty of humor in this film to get you past the some of the depressing parts about his poverty and his place in the caste system. 

Likely, The White Tiger isn't for everyone. But it's worth a try. India has a bustling film industry that offers some amazing storytelling, and this is one of them. I rate it A^ for Above Average.

Tenet: Robust, well-plotted, intelligent thriller spy movie

Movie Review: Tenet (2020) on HBO

Ready to have your mind warped? Time warped. Watch the movie Tenet.

A secret agent called simply Protagonist must unravel the mystery of the secret global program called Tenet and stop a Russian oligarch from destroying the world with it. He must work without the help of his government, with no cool toys or tools and only with his wits and what he can learn through stealth and very great care.

Protagonist runs into a number of curious characters with whom he must work to learn the nature of Tenet. One of the closest is an agent named Neil (played by Robert Pattison), who is at his side most of the way. Another is the oligarch's wife, Kat (played by Elizabeth Debicki), whom Protagonist tries to use against him. And there is the oligarch Sator (played by Kenneth Branagh), who is evil personified and intense in his pursuit of the technology behind Tenet. Protagonist is played by John David Washington as this savvy, dedicated, relentless agent. 

This film also features some amazing settings and some unbelievable stunt work through some very complex chase scenes. What makes this so amazing is the mind-bending distortions of time they put the audience (and the characters) through to make this story work. 

Basically, the concept is that Tenet is a device that can reverse entropy, causing cause and effect to reverse by running time backwards. And for this movie to work, you have to be able to accept that and effect can happen before its cause, making it hard for characters to predict what another character might do and how it might affect actions around them. It really is brilliantly handled through the heart of this story. 

If you like robust, well-plotted suspense and an intelligent thriller spy movie, Tenet likely is your movie. I rate it A^ for Above Average. 

Greenland: Good cast, good writing, and great effects.

Movie Review: Greenland (2020) on HBO

After what the world has been through with the pandemic, is this really the time to watch a movie like Greenland? Well, the circumstances are more dire. Maybe this is a good time, since many are finally emerging from the pandemic and this film paints a far grimmer picture for its characters.

In Greenland, the quintessential broken American family, struggling to mend its internal struggles, finds itself struggling even more for survival against the forces of nature as a comet bears down on Earth closer than any other in history, not one big ball of ice but a collection of interlopers threatening to strike the surface and plunge humanity into chaos and most life into extinction. Dad John (played by Gerard Butler) finds himself, a structural engineer, selected by secret government plan to survive the debacle, along with his wife Allison (played by Morena Baccarin) and son Nathan (played by Roger Dale Floyd). But first, they have to leave behind their neighbors and friends, who haven't been chosen, and legions of others clogging the roads, looting stores, and basically getting in the Garrity family's way to finding safety. Also in the way is son Nathan's type-1 diabetes, which threatens the Garritys' spot on the plane out of insanity. And there are multiple opportunities to dodge comet strikes on every large city and rural roadway the Garritys find themselves. How will they survive?

As subtext in the storyline are John and Allison trying to patch their marriage, which has been on the rocks for a couple of years. It's tested even more severely when the family is separated during their trip and John must face Allison's father at his home, which is where the threesome has arranged to meet. Her father is played by Scott Glenn, who shows all the disdain for a reckless son-in-law you can imagine, until Butler pours on the sincerity and shows his honest determination to get his family through to safety. This is well played and some of the more believable of the acting and plotting of the movie.

This film reminds me a lot of 1998's Deep Impact, which also involved a comet colliding with Earth and families struggling to survive. Greenland has that same sense of doom and despair and heroics. Although, in this film, Earth gets hit a lot more often! So if you're wondering if you're prepared for watching this kind of movie now, think of how you might have felt watching Deep Impact and go from there.

Greenland has solid production values, a good cast, good writing, and great effects. I give it an A^ for Above Average. Are you ready to rise above the pandemic?

Stowaway: Some of it is good, some is meh.

Movie Review: Stowaway (2021) on Netflix

Mixed bag to report on Stowaway. Some of this film is good. Some of it is meh.

Commander Marina, doctor Zoe, and scientist David are on their way to Mars. They're bringing along a biology experiment to filter carbon dioxide through plant life for later use when they arrive on Mars. Almost immediately, they discover a problem: blood droplets dripping from a ceiling panel of their newly launched ship. Opening the panel, a body drops down, one unconscious launch technician Michael Adams, who was unaccounted for 12 hours earlier because he was securing a part and knocked out during launch. Now he's committed to the mission with no way to return to Earth. And his bloody wound has shorted out the ship's one working carbon-dioxide filtering system. The backup emergency filter won't last the trip. What's a crew to do? 

The major conflict that will become apparent later in the film is that the company running the mission, Hyperion, had cut corners to ramp up the mission. The ship was planned for a crew of two and they stretched plans to fit a third on the assumption nothing would go wrong. Now that the carbon filtering system is waning, adding a fourth person threatens the lives of everyone. The longer the flight goes on, the worse things get. The original three keep the news from Adams, deciding they and Hyperion have 20 days before something drastic must be done and give themselves 10 days to find a solution before telling Adams and somehow killing him. They waste no energy on science on this film, it's all about the emotions of making the decision of who lives and who dies, and struggling to make the right decision.

Here's the rub: They don't do a very good job of explaining things to the audience. So, at first you don't know this ship is on its way to Mars rather than setting up on a space station. They also don't explain why the ship is spinning around a central axis, using centripetal force to create artificial gravity--there could be many logical reasons to do this but they don't give any; my suspicion is it provides logic for blood to dribble from the ceiling to the floor. Also, the gravity builds drama as the crew must use a tool to climb out of the artificial gravity well at each end of the axis to retrieve something, and the extremely long axis helps them make the movie longer. I suppose that's cynical of me, but that's all I can come up with. There are other things, too, but these are chief among them. I think this would have been much more interesting if Adams had been an evil guy sabotaging the mission and we'd spent the movie trying to figure that out. Didn't go there.

As I said, some of the film is good. There are decent effects. The cast is decent (Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, Anna Kendrick, Shamier Anderson). And the mock-up spacecraft is great--this seems where they spent most of their money on this film! 

Stowaway was supposedly Netflix's top pick over its first weekend. There were a lot of viewing choices and possibly there were better ones. I'd rate Stowaway B for Better Luck Next Time.

 

The Mitchells vs The Machines: Total fun for the whole family

Movie Review: The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021) on Netflix

Netflix has a real hit on its hands with The Mitchells vs The Machines. It's total fun for the whole family.

It's animated sci-fi at its best. Well, humorous sci-fi. Satire. Cartoonish, poke-fun-at-society sci-fi. Parody sci-fi.

Dad and teen daughter aren't seeing things eye to eye just as daughter is set to leave home for college, likely for good. Son is about to lose his best friend in his big sister, who has always been there for him. And Mom, well, she just wants everyone to get along. And then then along comes the invasion of the rogue robots from the company that's made teen daughter's whole millennial life possible. And the family's totally oblivious to it, until Mom and Dad decide they can save the family dynamic by cancelling daughter's airline tickets and take a cross-country family drive together to her college, putting them smack dab right in the middle of the attack. Can they save themselves and the world?

There are loads of fun things to see in this near homage to MAD magazine art style animation, so stay alert for Easter eggs and just craziness to splash across your screen. Many in Michigan have noticed references to life at home, including shout outs to the state and the city of Kentwood, not to mention a phonebook (ask your grand parents what that is) with a West Michigan area code (keep your eyes peeled, it's quick). 

This isn't a film about cast or cinematography or effects, this is all about plot, character, and having fun. Watch this to have an entertaining evening together. I'd rate it A^ ^ for way Above Average.

Igby Goes Down: Entertaining but not uplifting

Movie Review: Igby Goes Down (2002) on Netflix

Igby tries to grow up under the horrors of a mentally ill father, a success-obsessed mother, and a resentful brother, none of whom can seem to cope with any of the others. As a result, he cascades from one intentional failure to another seeking escape from the pressures of his life. He loves his father who he can't seem to reach, hates his mother who won't let go of him, and barely tolerates his brother who is the only one responsible enough to take care of but dominates him. As Igby nears the zenith of his growth years and entry to young adulthood, he encounters an infusion of unusual characters while visiting the one city where he can easily blend in, New York City, and there is blindsided by one questionable relationship after another. 

This is a solid character-driven story with a solid cast to go with it. Kieran Culkin is Igby, Bill Pullman is his father, Susan Sarandon is his mother, and Ryan Phillipe is his brother. Then there is the cast of important side characters: Claire Daines and Amanda Peet as love interests and Jeff Goldblum and Jared Harris as role models. For all that, it's an interesting, complex narrative you really want to see resolved by the end. It is and it isn't. Therein is the rub. Everyone is accounted for but there is no real accountability and no consequences for any of the characters. None of them! You're left feeling let down. And maybe that's the point? Maybe you're meant to feel lost as Igby does? That's not how I'd want my audience to feel if I were a writer, a director, or a producer.  

I rate Igby Goes Down B˅ for Below Average. Entertaining but don't expect to feel uplifted.

(Side note: How many Culkin movie references can you spot in the film?)

Soul: Above average family film and Oscar winner

Movie Review: Soul (2020) on Disney+

Feeling a little lost? Feel glad you're not Joe.

Music teacher Joe finally lands his dream gig as a jazz pianist in a New York City bar. His head lost "in the clouds" with excitement, Joe steps into a manhole and finds his way onto a conveyor trip to the great beyond. But before the heavenly bean counter can ensure Joe doesn't get lost, he finds his way back to his old neighborhood, looking for a way to redeem his dream. And you'll find yourself rooting he succeeds.

Soul is Disney Pixar's 2020 superb animated musical hit. Sit back and let it all seep in: the soulful jazz, the elegant graphical presentation, the whimsical art, and the thoughtful story line. Inspiring voice cast with Jamie Foxx as Joe, supported by Tina Fey and a ton of other great talent, too. This film, in my mind (and soul), skews to an older audience despite being Disney Pixar fare, but kids can enjoy it, too.

Maybe by the end of Soul you'll actually wish you were Joe.

Won Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score). I rate Soul A^ for Above Average. 

The Judge: A Highly Watchable Character Study

Movie Review: The Judge (2014)
Version: Hulu

Through the vault of time we discovered a little gem called The Judge with Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall in the leading roles. These fine actors played typical roles for their careers, so no ground breaking here. But it was a good film none the less made better by the steadfastness of their performances and backed up by Billy Bob Thornton as the main antagonist along with a few unsavory other characters.

The Judge is a story of suspense. Downey plays Chicago attorney Hank Palmer, who returns home to small-town Indiana to bury his mother. There he is confronted by his father, Joseph, played by Duvall, a down-the-fine-line judge who shows no favors and believes the rule of law strictly observed best serves the community. Old Dad doesn't see the world through the same lens as his expensive-criminal-defense-attorney son, and they battle it out through a good portion of the movie, sparring over what we don't know until the end. But things begin to smooth out over time as Hank devotes his expertise to defending his reluctant father after Joseph apparently hits a past defendant where there are no witnesses and few clues, and Joseph has a memory lapse due to the effects of chemotherapy. The suspense rides over whether the cranky old guy really did it and can Hank save his surly father -- his cancer-victim father -- from prison.

There is probably more to like in the characters than in the plotting or the pacing or the cinematography. Duval is likable as he always is as the venerable old gentleman with principles. Downey is lovable as the quick-witted scoundrel who owns all the knuckleheads. Billy Bob Thornton comes across as the scuzzy prosecuting attorney eager to convict Hank's Dad just to get even with Hank for past slights. So I would say this is more a character-driven story than anything. Even Hank's brothers, minor to the plot, add juice to this story. Vincent D'Onofrio plays older brother Glen, whose chance at sports stardom was nicked in a car accident in their youth and dad and brother have never gotten beyond it. Jeremy Strong plays youngest brother Dale, developmentally disabled and under Hank's parent's care and the family's history-caretaker through his obsession with film. There are an assortment of other lively characters to fill Hank's and Joseph's backstories, including Hank's high school girlfriend and her illegitimate daughter with deep questions of whether she might be Hank's daughter, too. A lot of resentments and misinterpretations fill in between a load of backstory mysteries.

What you have to look forward to, then, isn't just a mystery but an intense but highly watchable character study. And it's well worth watching unfold, right through the redemption scene at the end.

Chef: Another of the Great Food Movies

Movie Review: Chef (2014)
Version: Netflix

One of my favorite film writer-producers is Jon Favreau. As my wife says, "He has a real feel for people." He does. Favreau has a feel for what audiences like and for what make characters interesting. As a writer, Favreau also has a flare for the humorous and the emotional. All this came together in the making of Chef, a heavily character driven story about a successful gourmet chef in California who finds himself in a flame war on Twitter with a leading restaurant critic, which causes him to lose his job and his professional dignity in front of the whole world. 

Jon Favreau is also a terrific actor and he plays the male lead as Chef Casper in this movie that he also directs, playing opposite Sofia Vergara as his ex-wife, Inez, and Emjay Anthony as his son, Percy. There is also a particularly intense scene in the restaurant in which he plays opposite Oliver Platt as the critic Ramsey Michel and an unpleasant confrontation with the owner of the restaurant, Riva, played by a usually affable Dustin Hoffman. Favreau is his most amazing with his kitchen staff, including souse chef Martin played by John Laguizama, and in scenes with Laguizama and Anthony teaming together in a taco truck while traveling from Miami to California with many scenic stops in between, trying to save his career and his relationship with his son. You should see Favreau chop vegetables, butcher a pig, sauté in a pan, like the real thing! He's also great at plating food. As a creative director, he made Chef another of the great food movies!

There are high points and low points in this film. But the highs well overcome the lows, and the lows are the subject matter not the techniques. You will breeze through this film with the amazing cinematography and wonderful acting and what is a great script. I dare you to not like this film! It's a plain joy to watch with Favreau leading affable characters who make you like watching.