While working on the Avatar sequels, James Cameron took time out of his busy schedule to produce a very cool looking sci-fi film based on a Japanese graphic novel. The film has a lot of style and vision, plenty of action and is loaded with interesting characters. But what is this movie really about and who is this movie marketed for? The story is all over the place. We get a really interesting set-up, but nothing is really drawn out and I wanted to know more about some of these guys. It’s also quite violent for a PG-13 movie which I’ve seen marketed for kids. It’s not overly graphic to gain an R, but we get some pretty good kills including a guy cut in half. Appropriate for a graphic novel, however. This isn’t a bad movie, but it has lots of problems with the script and its too long. I wish the film was tighter and more contrite and you’d have a better film. I saw it in IMAX 3-D because that’s how it was marketed. You can skip the 3-D. It’s cool at times, but not really worth the extra coin. Suitable for 10 and up.
Rating (**1/2)
Category: Reviews
“The Wife” (2018)
A story about a husband (Jonathyn Pryce)who wins the Nobel Prize for literature, but he carries a secret about his body of work which his dedicated wife (Glenn Close) has continued to hold for him. Glenn Close is excellent. She’ll win her first Oscar on 2/24. She speaks in this film with very little dialogue, but her actions tell the story. Pryce is great too. This is a pretty engrossing drama. She’s married to a shit, but for some reason she stays with him. He’s never mean to her, but he does cheat and is a narcissist. He does truly loves her and he needs her a lot more than she needs him if only to continue to take care of his health by putting out his pills. She continues to stay, keep his secret and for that, we the audience kind of wonder why? Another film like this is “Big Eyes”, but I think I enjoyed this one a little better. It’s a very good drama with a couple great performances.
Rating (***1/2)
Widows (2018)
Directed by Steve McQueen, “Widows” is a pretty engrossing movie. It’s not exactly a light hearted female heist film in the same vein as Oceans 8, but it’s certainly a better film. Viola Davis is in pure serious intense bitch mode as she gathers up all the widows from a botched heist. They all owe money or in need of it pretty quickly and they set up their own heist. The cast is really good. You’ve got a lot of terrific actors in this including Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez to name a few. It takes place in Chicago and I think the city looks pretty good. Some of it resembled the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, but what do I know. You;ve got a few neat twists and turns in this and when they get to the actual heist, the film picks up even more steam. “Widows” does drag at times. It seems like the set up took way too long to get going and I could have done without all of Viola Davis’ yelling and mugging for the camera. She’s a fine actress, but I’m not a fan of hers. The story is what I enjoyed and I always like a good heist film that keeps you on the edge of your seats and this one did.
Rating (***1/2)
The Lego Movie: The Second Part (2019)
For someone who said that they’ve sworn off kiddie movies, I’ve sure seen a lot of kid shit lately. I’m seeing “Battle Angel” next weekend too. WTH. I thought the first LEGO Movie was awesome. Matter of fact, everything about that movie was awesome. Get it! This movie, not so much. I’d say that everything is pretty good, but still good enough to check out. The animation is very clever, the message is good and there is a lot of irreverence to it that I enjoyed. Most of your favorites from the first movie are back and this time they’ve added some fun newbies from the LEGO world such as the Jurassic sets. I laughed enough, but not as much as I had hoped. I think the story could’ve been a little more interesting, but because the first movie took me by such surprise, I think I may been expecting too much or the freshness was gone. I still had a good time. Tip: Rewatch the first movie because it’s a straight up continuation and it helps.
Rating (***)
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
I gave Aiden a carrot if he finished all his homework. He wanted to see this. There have been many films about the King Arthur story and recently, they’ve all sucked ass (King Arthur, Kid in King Arthur’s Court to name a couple), but this version is kind of fun. The kids are charming and despite it being too long, the story does move and you get enough action to satisfy those who like the genre. I could’ve used more laughs considering who the audience this is geared towards, but there is a nice message at the end. The lead actor is Andy Serkis’ son and he was did a nice job of carrying the film along. It’s cute.
Rating: (***) (B)
Instant Family (2018)
I gave my 12 year old a choice. Either Wreck-it Ralph 2 or this movie and he chose “Instant Family”. This one isn’t too bad, despite all its heavy handedness. Mark Wahlberg & Rose Byrne are pros at this genre and they make good chemistry as a couple who chooses to adopt a trio of foster kids to fill a gaping hole in their lives. It’s a sweet film with a very good message. It does work for the most part and the ending is very uplifting. I had issues with all the stereotypical adults, save for the 2 leads in this. They bordered on cartoonish and really tested my patience. The movie is also too long. It clocks in at 2 hours and they could’ve gotten their point across in about 90 or 100 minutes tops. We get the message, let’s move on. The trailers with all the slapstick market this as a straight comedy, but there is a lot of drama and serious topics touched on. Young children will be bored at times and should stay away. More suitable for 10-12 and up. I didn’t mind sitting through this. It’s cute, has a nice message and does the job. BTW, my 12 year old liked it too.
Rating: (**1/2)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
I don’t go to many kids films anymore. I can’t take them quite honestly. So, it has to be something special for me to go check it out at the show. This one qualifies and its pretty special. Lots of fun. They’ve made a whole bunch of Spidey films and after teetering on Spider overload, this is the first animated film to make it to the big show and it works. What sets this one apart is that because of the animation, you’re getting all kinds of new creativity and imagination that you couldn’t get with live action. The pallet is huge and the writers were able to take the origin story which has been done to death to a whole new level and make it interesting. I loved all the different Spidey’s. Quite a diverse cast of characters between an Anime, an old time noir, a gal & a cartoon pig. We even got a female Doc Ock. The movie is funny, poignant, tense, surprising and a bit emotional. I liked it a lot and I think you will too, esp. if you’re a fan of this genre.
Rating: ***1/2
Mortal Engines (2018)
We have a book club in our house and my 12 year old chose this book. The deal was after we read, we’d discuss it and then see the movie. We were the only ones in the theater and had pretty much a private screening. I’m really surprised by how poorly this film is doing at the show because it’s not too bad. The production design which may remind some of Mad Max is eye popping. There is tons to look at and the visuals are nothing short of dazzling. I loved watching it as far as the look is concerned.The story is just so-so and didn’t really follow the book that much, sometimes for the good because it kinda sucked. All the characters are interesting, but not very well drawn out and some of the action, if you weren’t familiar with the material might leave you confused at times. The movie clocks in at 2:15 and almost needed to be longer to explain some things. That being said, it is fun. For a younger viewer, say 10-16, there is enough action and cool planes, contraptions etc to keep them entertained. The violence is minimal. I enjoyed it for the most part. A mild recommendation.
Rating: **1/2
Hearts Beat Loud (2018)
I’m a sucker for these types of movies. A struggling single dad who owns a neighborhood record store wants to connect with his musically gifted teenage daughter before she goes off to UCLA to become a doctor. He loves music and he makes a point of jamming with her on a daily basis for shits & giggles. To him, its a way to connect with his daughter, for her, its a pain in the ass. When they connect on a pretty catchy song, the two of them embark on a little music fantasy when the dad puts the song on Spotify. The story is simple, good hearted and the music is sweet and delightful. There isn’t much other than that. Nick Offerman & Kiercy Clemons play the father & daughter and they have real chemistry together. They give a small concert at the end of the movie that will make you smile. As a father of a girl the same age, I felt a connection to Offerman’s character and I think that viewing this film that more special.
Rating: *** (B+)
Aquaman (2018)
If you watch closely, with the plotline, you’d think you just watched a water logged version of THOR, but I think it’s a little better than that. As far as DC films go, it’s closer to Wonder Woman than Batman vs. Superman as far as quality. Aquaman, in my childhood watching Superfriends cartoons has always been a wimp who can talk to fish and somehow gets stuck in some seaweed or a giant clam. It takes his telepathy to get himself free. Never envisioned him to be a Hells Angel, but I get it and I think I liked this version better. If anything, he’s a lot more interesting and makes for a better movie. This film is too long. It’s great to look at and the story is actually pretty good, but man, if i could just trim about 20 minutes and make it tighter. There is also no shortage of stupid dialogue straight from a Dolph Lundgren film, who happens to be in this BTW. I like Dolph, but c’mon. The costumes are neat and the cast is top notch. Nicole Kidman and Willem Dafoe play supporting roles to Jason Mamoa and Amber Heard. I enjoyed the Black Manta side story and stick around during the end credits for more about him. The movie is fun. It’s not on the top Marvel level, but it’s not joyless like many of the early DC films have been. If you like the genre, it’s worth seeing. I got into it despite its problems.
Rating (***) (B)
Eric at the Movies 