A doctor specializing in neurobehavioral science is sent to a remote facility, to study the sole survivor of a space mission that went horribly wrong. Little does she or the astronaut know, that he didn't return home alone. Director Egor Abramenko delivers a suspenseful and gorrific thriller that was a great watch from start to finish.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Tesla
(I) (2020)
Not What You'd Expect
17 August 2020
What do the history books say about Nikola Tesla? I would venture a guess that most U.S. textbooks tend to sway in the direction of Thomas Edison, the father of what is now our electric system. Tesla himself an employee of Edison's revolutionized and might have ultimately changed the world with his alternating current, but due ironically, to the need for more power, his vision never came to its full potential. Director Michael Almereyda has taken his fourth-wall-breaking style and infused it with Ethan Hawkes somber performance as Tesla, in a film much like it's subject it can sometimes astound and other times perplex its viewer.
The film's narrator, Anne Morgan (played by Eve Hewson) tells Teslas story in a modern format like it was being told from a college student's presentation. While alternating to the story itself, a battle between Edison and Tesla's minds as well as their monetary leverage to see which idea lasts. Kyle MacLachlan as Edison is a good balance of the innovator we've read about in books but is able to bring out the brutal capitalist side as well. It's not until Tesla is introduced to George Westinghouse (played by Jim Gaffigan) that he can understand and witness first hand the costs that come with a visionary mind. Ethan Hawke does a wonderful job toeing the line of real and surrealism, at one point singing "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" to another where his subtlety stands out overall.
Director Micahel Almereyda is much like Tesla in his artistic choices, not cleaning up the rough parts of his film but allowing them to be as they are. You have some interesting stylistic choices that work beautifully, like using narration and fourth-wall-breaking, but then might have what could be described as lackluster green screen effects that simply look like they were outside the filmmaker's budget to have showcased. Most of the cinematography is very beautiful, his use of lighting in certain scenes involving Tesla's experiments strike like lightning. The music is also an alternating dance between contemporary to old-fashioned, which works well for the film's intention of bringing Tesla to the modern world.
For myself, the issues lie in the unfinished, rough visuals of the movie. While they don't happen at an astounding rate, when they are present I was thrown out of the film and more wondering why they chose to include green screen the likes of which I've not seen since Tommy Wiseau's "The Room". But like Tesla, innovation can be messy, and while this could be a standout to draw attention away from the creativity of Almereyda, I couldn't help but admire the ambitious take on America's unsung inventor.
Overall I would recommend checking this out if you have a weekend free. It's not the strongest film to come out of Sundance this year, but it has the heart and performances to push it over the edge and is worth watching.
The film's narrator, Anne Morgan (played by Eve Hewson) tells Teslas story in a modern format like it was being told from a college student's presentation. While alternating to the story itself, a battle between Edison and Tesla's minds as well as their monetary leverage to see which idea lasts. Kyle MacLachlan as Edison is a good balance of the innovator we've read about in books but is able to bring out the brutal capitalist side as well. It's not until Tesla is introduced to George Westinghouse (played by Jim Gaffigan) that he can understand and witness first hand the costs that come with a visionary mind. Ethan Hawke does a wonderful job toeing the line of real and surrealism, at one point singing "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" to another where his subtlety stands out overall.
Director Micahel Almereyda is much like Tesla in his artistic choices, not cleaning up the rough parts of his film but allowing them to be as they are. You have some interesting stylistic choices that work beautifully, like using narration and fourth-wall-breaking, but then might have what could be described as lackluster green screen effects that simply look like they were outside the filmmaker's budget to have showcased. Most of the cinematography is very beautiful, his use of lighting in certain scenes involving Tesla's experiments strike like lightning. The music is also an alternating dance between contemporary to old-fashioned, which works well for the film's intention of bringing Tesla to the modern world.
For myself, the issues lie in the unfinished, rough visuals of the movie. While they don't happen at an astounding rate, when they are present I was thrown out of the film and more wondering why they chose to include green screen the likes of which I've not seen since Tommy Wiseau's "The Room". But like Tesla, innovation can be messy, and while this could be a standout to draw attention away from the creativity of Almereyda, I couldn't help but admire the ambitious take on America's unsung inventor.
Overall I would recommend checking this out if you have a weekend free. It's not the strongest film to come out of Sundance this year, but it has the heart and performances to push it over the edge and is worth watching.
Bad Hair
(2020)
Fun Slasher Vibe
16 August 2020
'Bad Hair' is directed by Justin Simien and takes in 1989, as an ambitious young woman gets a weave in order to succeed in an image-based music television network. The network, now under new management, sees a bright future for the woman if she adheres to the culture. Her flourishing career may come at a great cost when she realizes her hair may have a mind of its own. This dark comedy horror film looks at African heritage, culture suppression, and workplace toxic culture with a fun slasher twist that I had a lot of fun watching!
First the acting by Elle Lorraine is fantastic. She carries the weight of the film and does it with grace. The moments where they are showing her weave being put in are some of the most disturbing and cringe inducing scenes I witnessed at the festival. The give you PTSD by randomly inserting the horror throughout the film and keeps the audience on their toes and not sure what to expect. The supporting performances are all very strong and they are all having fun in the movie.
The film is incredibly smart in its content, and maybe doesn't realize it's potential toward the end of the film. I loved when the film explored the mystery of the weave, where it came from, what it can do. But that is kinda stopped short and a random "slasher chase sequence" takes you out of the story and is a false ending. If they had shrunk that scene down and gave us the true ending sooner I think this would be the strongest horror film of the year.
Overall, 'Bad Hair' is a fun watch, with good storytelling and great horrific cinematography. There are strong performances and a unique ending, even if the lead up is more generic.
First the acting by Elle Lorraine is fantastic. She carries the weight of the film and does it with grace. The moments where they are showing her weave being put in are some of the most disturbing and cringe inducing scenes I witnessed at the festival. The give you PTSD by randomly inserting the horror throughout the film and keeps the audience on their toes and not sure what to expect. The supporting performances are all very strong and they are all having fun in the movie.
The film is incredibly smart in its content, and maybe doesn't realize it's potential toward the end of the film. I loved when the film explored the mystery of the weave, where it came from, what it can do. But that is kinda stopped short and a random "slasher chase sequence" takes you out of the story and is a false ending. If they had shrunk that scene down and gave us the true ending sooner I think this would be the strongest horror film of the year.
Overall, 'Bad Hair' is a fun watch, with good storytelling and great horrific cinematography. There are strong performances and a unique ending, even if the lead up is more generic.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
(2019)
Not How You Conclude a Saga
15 August 2020
When looking through the history books in the superhero film genre, there were a couple defining points that changed the course of how mainstream audiences viewed our spandex wearing Caped Crusaders, and X-Men was one of the biggest game-changers. In 2000, Fox/Marvel put out the first X-Men film, choosing to take their characters seriously, and in real life situations that made people not only relate and empathize, but opened up the possibilities of more hard hitting and serious storytelling in Superhero films.
This needs to stated because when going into 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix', the conclusion to this game-changing saga, it is clear that whatever spark of pushing the genre forward into new and excited avenues is dead and gone, replaced with the same old rehashed plot points that may have seemed new and fresh in 200, but in 2019 feels stale, and frustratingly mediocre.
This wouldn't be the first time Fox/Marvel have dropped the ball on this property, even worse this particular story line. Director/writer Simon Kinberg, who wrote the first attempt of the 'Dark Phoenix' story (X-Men: The Last Stand) had gone on record saying that this new vision of the story gives him the chance to fix his mistakes made on the widely not-well received predecessor. The unfortunate truth of 'Dark Phoenix' is that it neither corrects past mistakes but doubles down on many of them.
The main character in this film, Jean Grey, played by the talented Sophie Turner, does her best trying to carry the weight of this film, however it is a very difficult feat when the source material only works due in part to how much time they take to have you connect and relate to the X-Men as a whole, which a 2 hr movie simply cannot accomplish. Telling the 'Dark Phoenix' story in one film is like starting the Marvel Cinematic Universe not with Iron Man but with Avengers: Infinity War, a load of character who's names you know, however never given enough time to connect to them.
There are some characters that have been built within the X-universe over time, James McCavoy and Michael Fassbender who had entered the franchise in 'X-Men: First Class as the young Professor X and Magneto. For me the biggest crime this film committed is in the character assassination of Professor Xavier. Not only did they introduce new conflicting information regarding his character, but they unintentionally make him the villain in this film. Magneto, as well as the remaining "First Class" Cast of Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (Mystique and Beast) all do fine in their roles and the acting surprisingly stays fairly strong with them and with all of the other actors in this film. The biggest problem in this film is the inconsistent story, and an overall directing by Simon Kinberg.
As this franchise is one to do, continuity from 'Dark Phoenix' from it's direct predecessor 'Apocalypse' is already muddled, particularly when you look at the Quicksilver/Magneto relationship as well as how exactly Jean Grey obtains the super-cosmic power known as "The Phoenix Force". The film constantly undercuts it's emotional moments by adding nonsensical logic behind each characters decision. The characters don't seem to make choices on their own, rather are placed strategically on the directors chessboard to come to a 3rd act, that reportedly needed to be entirely re-shot due to being to similar to "certain Disney Marvel Properties".
To the films credit, the 3rd act does elevate the film to being at least entertaining with all of the action and fighting, but again, there are no stakes, and you feel nothing towards the characters. As for the villains, an alien race spearheaded by Jessica Chastain, they not only serve little to no significance in the overall story, but are barely even in the film until the good guys need something to punch.
Overall, 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' is a rushed and bland film, that may entertain a passive audience that may not have as much investment in the characters going into the film. But to conclude an almost 20 year in this fashion honestly leaves me disappointed, and wanting more for the characters that I grew up with and have loved for so long.
This needs to stated because when going into 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix', the conclusion to this game-changing saga, it is clear that whatever spark of pushing the genre forward into new and excited avenues is dead and gone, replaced with the same old rehashed plot points that may have seemed new and fresh in 200, but in 2019 feels stale, and frustratingly mediocre.
This wouldn't be the first time Fox/Marvel have dropped the ball on this property, even worse this particular story line. Director/writer Simon Kinberg, who wrote the first attempt of the 'Dark Phoenix' story (X-Men: The Last Stand) had gone on record saying that this new vision of the story gives him the chance to fix his mistakes made on the widely not-well received predecessor. The unfortunate truth of 'Dark Phoenix' is that it neither corrects past mistakes but doubles down on many of them.
The main character in this film, Jean Grey, played by the talented Sophie Turner, does her best trying to carry the weight of this film, however it is a very difficult feat when the source material only works due in part to how much time they take to have you connect and relate to the X-Men as a whole, which a 2 hr movie simply cannot accomplish. Telling the 'Dark Phoenix' story in one film is like starting the Marvel Cinematic Universe not with Iron Man but with Avengers: Infinity War, a load of character who's names you know, however never given enough time to connect to them.
There are some characters that have been built within the X-universe over time, James McCavoy and Michael Fassbender who had entered the franchise in 'X-Men: First Class as the young Professor X and Magneto. For me the biggest crime this film committed is in the character assassination of Professor Xavier. Not only did they introduce new conflicting information regarding his character, but they unintentionally make him the villain in this film. Magneto, as well as the remaining "First Class" Cast of Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (Mystique and Beast) all do fine in their roles and the acting surprisingly stays fairly strong with them and with all of the other actors in this film. The biggest problem in this film is the inconsistent story, and an overall directing by Simon Kinberg.
As this franchise is one to do, continuity from 'Dark Phoenix' from it's direct predecessor 'Apocalypse' is already muddled, particularly when you look at the Quicksilver/Magneto relationship as well as how exactly Jean Grey obtains the super-cosmic power known as "The Phoenix Force". The film constantly undercuts it's emotional moments by adding nonsensical logic behind each characters decision. The characters don't seem to make choices on their own, rather are placed strategically on the directors chessboard to come to a 3rd act, that reportedly needed to be entirely re-shot due to being to similar to "certain Disney Marvel Properties".
To the films credit, the 3rd act does elevate the film to being at least entertaining with all of the action and fighting, but again, there are no stakes, and you feel nothing towards the characters. As for the villains, an alien race spearheaded by Jessica Chastain, they not only serve little to no significance in the overall story, but are barely even in the film until the good guys need something to punch.
Overall, 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' is a rushed and bland film, that may entertain a passive audience that may not have as much investment in the characters going into the film. But to conclude an almost 20 year in this fashion honestly leaves me disappointed, and wanting more for the characters that I grew up with and have loved for so long.
No Guts, No Glory
15 August 2020
'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' is directed by Michael Dougherty and is the sequel to the 2014 Garreth Edwards directed 'Godzilla', and centers around a family that was split apart through a tragedy following the events of the first film. The family played by Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, and Milly Bobby Brown, are now facing a world of monsters, where they have the powers to awaken the biggest and deadliest of titans, which brings out our hero Godzilla to defend humanity one more time from titans that 'Toho Godzilla' fans will absolutely love seeing on the big screen.
Now I need to preface this review because it's important to be transparent to the die-hard fans of properties such as Godzilla. I do not have a big knowledge, if not anything but visual references of the Toho Godzilla films. I recall watching the Matthew Broderick 'Godzilla' but as a kid, you kind of just think everything's great that has monsters in them. What also should be said is I really could not connect to the 2014 Godzilla film. I felt it was far too slow, never really fulfilled on the expectations you got from the trailers, however, the visual effects and the overall scope and scale of the big lizard was absolutely mind-blowing (and though it happened far too late, I of course also cheered at the final battle sequence). Frankly, I know I am the outlier here and completely respect why people love this property, I hope you take that into consideration with my review.
With 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' I feel they attempt to overcorrect on the complaints general audiences had with the 2014 version. The action in this film is much more apparent and spread out pretty evenly throughout the film. You get a lot of POV destruction shots, and I felt the pacing of 'KOTM' was much more tuned to keep the audience engaged. The actors do fine in their roles, although they don't really have the best story arcs to expand on mainly due to the effort to steer more towards the fights and explosions. I really don't have anything bad to say on the performances the standout to me was Ken Wantanabe, he gets a really great moment with 'Godzilla' that was the heart of the film for sure.
The visual effects were absolutely astounding when it comes to creature design. Looking at the original 'Toho' series it's incredible what they're able to do. This sequel gets to use more characters from the 'Toho' universe such as King Ghidora, Mothra, and perhaps a few surprises for the die-hard fans. The Mothra reveal for me was just jaw-dropping effects wise. they still kept with the epic scale of the fights, where everything feels slowed down but you realize it's because it's two monsters the size of mountains fighting each other. But where it is good, there is bad, and the fighting, it's bad.
I had a really hard time following along with some of the fights, where the CGI effects around the monsters (fog, rain, etc) sometimes completely obstructed the view of the fight. I found myself getting really frustrated during the fights because they really never seemed to be choreographed or that there was any attention to how the fights would go down. You get a big moment much like the 2014 film, but the difference to me here is while the 2014 end fight built to the moment, 'KOTM' rushes from fight to fight, and when the emotional final battle arrives, I just felt numb and didn't feel the impact as much as I wanted to in the ending.
Also, I cannot WAIT to move past this new trope for villains to always be eco-terrorists. We've seen it with Thanos, and so many other iterations of the same idea that "humans are the problem, and that's why I can do this crazy thing". The plot revolves around this and another plot point similar to the "How to Train Your Dragon" series, however, in this case, they really didn't know how to incorporate it with Godzilla and just didn't work for me.
It's a shame because they don't do much with the story, and what they do with the action often felt sloppy and unrehearsed and while maybe some people enjoy that, I still felt pretty let down leaving the theater. Don't know if I'm ready to be put back into the finger for the upcoming 'Godzilla vs Kong', but for 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' I would say if you are a die-hard fan definitely check it out, I'm sure you'll love it!
Now I need to preface this review because it's important to be transparent to the die-hard fans of properties such as Godzilla. I do not have a big knowledge, if not anything but visual references of the Toho Godzilla films. I recall watching the Matthew Broderick 'Godzilla' but as a kid, you kind of just think everything's great that has monsters in them. What also should be said is I really could not connect to the 2014 Godzilla film. I felt it was far too slow, never really fulfilled on the expectations you got from the trailers, however, the visual effects and the overall scope and scale of the big lizard was absolutely mind-blowing (and though it happened far too late, I of course also cheered at the final battle sequence). Frankly, I know I am the outlier here and completely respect why people love this property, I hope you take that into consideration with my review.
With 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' I feel they attempt to overcorrect on the complaints general audiences had with the 2014 version. The action in this film is much more apparent and spread out pretty evenly throughout the film. You get a lot of POV destruction shots, and I felt the pacing of 'KOTM' was much more tuned to keep the audience engaged. The actors do fine in their roles, although they don't really have the best story arcs to expand on mainly due to the effort to steer more towards the fights and explosions. I really don't have anything bad to say on the performances the standout to me was Ken Wantanabe, he gets a really great moment with 'Godzilla' that was the heart of the film for sure.
The visual effects were absolutely astounding when it comes to creature design. Looking at the original 'Toho' series it's incredible what they're able to do. This sequel gets to use more characters from the 'Toho' universe such as King Ghidora, Mothra, and perhaps a few surprises for the die-hard fans. The Mothra reveal for me was just jaw-dropping effects wise. they still kept with the epic scale of the fights, where everything feels slowed down but you realize it's because it's two monsters the size of mountains fighting each other. But where it is good, there is bad, and the fighting, it's bad.
I had a really hard time following along with some of the fights, where the CGI effects around the monsters (fog, rain, etc) sometimes completely obstructed the view of the fight. I found myself getting really frustrated during the fights because they really never seemed to be choreographed or that there was any attention to how the fights would go down. You get a big moment much like the 2014 film, but the difference to me here is while the 2014 end fight built to the moment, 'KOTM' rushes from fight to fight, and when the emotional final battle arrives, I just felt numb and didn't feel the impact as much as I wanted to in the ending.
Also, I cannot WAIT to move past this new trope for villains to always be eco-terrorists. We've seen it with Thanos, and so many other iterations of the same idea that "humans are the problem, and that's why I can do this crazy thing". The plot revolves around this and another plot point similar to the "How to Train Your Dragon" series, however, in this case, they really didn't know how to incorporate it with Godzilla and just didn't work for me.
It's a shame because they don't do much with the story, and what they do with the action often felt sloppy and unrehearsed and while maybe some people enjoy that, I still felt pretty let down leaving the theater. Don't know if I'm ready to be put back into the finger for the upcoming 'Godzilla vs Kong', but for 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' I would say if you are a die-hard fan definitely check it out, I'm sure you'll love it!
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
(2019)
great Video-Game Adaptation (But Has Room For Improvement)
15 August 2020
'Pokémon Detective Pikachu' Stars Ryan Reynolds and is directed by Rob Letterman, and is an adaptation of the video game also named 'Detective Pikachu' centered around a crime mystery starring the most famous Pokémon, Pikachu.
When I first heard about Warner Bros developing a Pokémon film, I immediately had red flags. Not only due to the news around this film being released around the same time as Pokémon Go! started to catch popularity. It all seemed like a very rush to production cash grab that I was NOT looking forward to. But then the announcement that Ryan Reynolds would be voicing Pikachu 'Peeka'd' my interest (I'll see myself out, thank you.) While 'Detective Pikachu' isn't a groundbreaking film, It's arguably the best video game adaptation to come out and is actually a really fun adventure for adults and kids alike!
I loved how much care and effort was put into building the Pokémon world and all the Pokémon we were able to see. Being a kid growing up with the original Pokémon Gameboy games, it was a nostalgic blast to actually see a REAL Poke-Ball being thrown at a realistic looking Pokémon. How integrated and lived in the world felt was great, the animation and designs for all the Pokémon were very true to the games and looked great. The jokes and the interplay with the Pokémon worked great, I think Mr. Mime is a scene-stealer with a very funny scene with him Pikachu and the human character Time Goodman (played by Justice Smith), who is investigating the disappearance of his detective father.
For the most part I was pretty engaged with the story for the first half of the film, but during the second half, it tends to tip more towards pleasing the movies intended audience, kids. The story is fairly over explained, and the mystery gets to be pretty predictable but that is where I had to realize I am not this films demographic. Sure, they catered to the 27 yr white male sweaty boiis that convinced an entire studio to change the look of another mildly anticipated video game adaptation for the most part. But It won't fully satisfy a die-hard Pokémon fan, because it isn't really for them.. yet (hoping for a grittier sequel).
Ryan Reynolds did great work voicing Pikachu. He brought a lot of heart and humor to the story, and had great back and forth with Smith's character. For myself, I think this is one of if the the best video game adaptation we have seen yet, and I hope that assuming they choose to continue in this world, that they now can funny commit to a story that can be for an older crowd that grew up with the games.
When I first heard about Warner Bros developing a Pokémon film, I immediately had red flags. Not only due to the news around this film being released around the same time as Pokémon Go! started to catch popularity. It all seemed like a very rush to production cash grab that I was NOT looking forward to. But then the announcement that Ryan Reynolds would be voicing Pikachu 'Peeka'd' my interest (I'll see myself out, thank you.) While 'Detective Pikachu' isn't a groundbreaking film, It's arguably the best video game adaptation to come out and is actually a really fun adventure for adults and kids alike!
I loved how much care and effort was put into building the Pokémon world and all the Pokémon we were able to see. Being a kid growing up with the original Pokémon Gameboy games, it was a nostalgic blast to actually see a REAL Poke-Ball being thrown at a realistic looking Pokémon. How integrated and lived in the world felt was great, the animation and designs for all the Pokémon were very true to the games and looked great. The jokes and the interplay with the Pokémon worked great, I think Mr. Mime is a scene-stealer with a very funny scene with him Pikachu and the human character Time Goodman (played by Justice Smith), who is investigating the disappearance of his detective father.
For the most part I was pretty engaged with the story for the first half of the film, but during the second half, it tends to tip more towards pleasing the movies intended audience, kids. The story is fairly over explained, and the mystery gets to be pretty predictable but that is where I had to realize I am not this films demographic. Sure, they catered to the 27 yr white male sweaty boiis that convinced an entire studio to change the look of another mildly anticipated video game adaptation for the most part. But It won't fully satisfy a die-hard Pokémon fan, because it isn't really for them.. yet (hoping for a grittier sequel).
Ryan Reynolds did great work voicing Pikachu. He brought a lot of heart and humor to the story, and had great back and forth with Smith's character. For myself, I think this is one of if the the best video game adaptation we have seen yet, and I hope that assuming they choose to continue in this world, that they now can funny commit to a story that can be for an older crowd that grew up with the games.
Booksmart
(2019)
The 'Mean Girls' of the Next Generation
15 August 2020
'Booksmart' is directed by Olivia Wilde and stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein as Amy and Molly, two soon to be high school graduates that spent their entire school years focusing on academics, and forgoing the 'traditional' high school experience of partying and getting into trouble. The week before graduation they discover that all their fellow students were able to have BOTH, getting into great schools and being able to party. Now Amy and Molly decide they need to have the high school experience they missed out on all in one night, hilarity ensues, etc. While yes, this is a very similar plot to the Greg Mattola classic 'Superbad' but where 'Booksmart' stands apart is in it's lead performances and smart a clever directing by Olivia Wilde.
In the first act it's very clear they are following the same story beats as 'Superbad' and many other coming of age films where the objective of the main characters is to "get laid". I don't want to harp to much on that because really, there aren't many films that can execute a story THIS well, so even if there are parallels, they do enough with the story to make it not feel like it's trying to imitate something else.
The performances by both Dever and Feldstein come very naturally to them, you believe that these two have been friends for a really long time, and the chemistry and back and forth between them are as strong to me as a Tina Fey/Amy Poehler dynamic duo. I think their characters were explored really well, I particularly loved Devers performance as the "trying to get laid" character. It's a change of pace to not only see a lead female character be comfortable with her own sexual preferences, but to also know what they want and are willing to act on it is really empowering and I just really appreciated seeing that on screen.
There are also a few standout performances from the side characters. Jessica Williams as the 'cool' teacher 'Miss Fine' and Skyler Gisondo as the dweeby kid that shows the real side of him later on in the story. I loved their performances and thought they brought alot of the humor to the story. The MVP performance that I did not expect was from Billy Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher. I think she was absolutely hilarious in this role, she was able to just go crazy with it and I wanna see more of her in future comedic roles.
The movie is shot pretty well, utilizing some fun camera tricks and trying to give each shot a more visually pleasing look, rather than how many comedies end up looking because there isn't enough focus on the technical aspects but with this, Wilde was able to do both very well.
I had such a good time seeing 'Booksmart'. It's got heart, laughs and a great pair of leading actors. While it borrows from many of the coming of age films before it, 'Booksmart' stands apart as a very well shot, funny and entertaining film that could stand the test of time as being this generations 'Mean Girls'.
In the first act it's very clear they are following the same story beats as 'Superbad' and many other coming of age films where the objective of the main characters is to "get laid". I don't want to harp to much on that because really, there aren't many films that can execute a story THIS well, so even if there are parallels, they do enough with the story to make it not feel like it's trying to imitate something else.
The performances by both Dever and Feldstein come very naturally to them, you believe that these two have been friends for a really long time, and the chemistry and back and forth between them are as strong to me as a Tina Fey/Amy Poehler dynamic duo. I think their characters were explored really well, I particularly loved Devers performance as the "trying to get laid" character. It's a change of pace to not only see a lead female character be comfortable with her own sexual preferences, but to also know what they want and are willing to act on it is really empowering and I just really appreciated seeing that on screen.
There are also a few standout performances from the side characters. Jessica Williams as the 'cool' teacher 'Miss Fine' and Skyler Gisondo as the dweeby kid that shows the real side of him later on in the story. I loved their performances and thought they brought alot of the humor to the story. The MVP performance that I did not expect was from Billy Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher. I think she was absolutely hilarious in this role, she was able to just go crazy with it and I wanna see more of her in future comedic roles.
The movie is shot pretty well, utilizing some fun camera tricks and trying to give each shot a more visually pleasing look, rather than how many comedies end up looking because there isn't enough focus on the technical aspects but with this, Wilde was able to do both very well.
I had such a good time seeing 'Booksmart'. It's got heart, laughs and a great pair of leading actors. While it borrows from many of the coming of age films before it, 'Booksmart' stands apart as a very well shot, funny and entertaining film that could stand the test of time as being this generations 'Mean Girls'.
Brightburn
(2019)
Good Idea that isn't explored properly.
15 August 2020
Brightburn is directed by David Yarovesky produced by James Gunn and is an unofficial "Superman origin story" but with a horror twist. In a small Kansas farm-town, wife and husband Tori and Kyle Breyer (played by Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) are trying to have a kid, when a small spacecraft crash lands near them carrying a baby. As the child, named Brandon (played by Jackson A. Dunn) grows up he soon realizes where he came from, and as his powers grow so does Brandons thirst for revenge takes over in this unofficial else-world story that while delivering on what the trailer promises, doesn't do much to expand on either the superhero or the horror genre.
Firstly, I really enjoyed the concept this film presents in an evil Superman, and with an "R" rating, they make some good use of the Superman tropes you've seen, but with the realistic violence and gore that would actually happen if a boy with lasers coming from his eyes could do to someone. The gore and violence doesn't bombard the film, but does leave some pretty horrific imagery that is sure to satisfy the horror fans.
Also the acting from all of the main characters was very good, I believed the actor playing Brandon and he really was able to naturally turn to just an evil remorseless kid that ALSO has these superpowers really well for me.
Where the film kind of plateaus for me is after they've introduced the story and you get into the horror beats, it all seems very repetitive. The setups to the scares are used so often that they lost all suspense for me. For a film that has such a unique concept, you would expect them to really play with that idea but it feels more like they just wanted to tell a pretty simple by the books horror story, and decided "hey, superheros are hot, lets plug one in" but just used all the work from Superman to build their own Superhero. Shoot, even the marketing uses the same exact font style as 'Man of Steel'.
Overall if you saw the trailers for 'Brightburn' and liked what you saw, you are going to have a great time in the theaters watching this, for me it was a little bit of a letdown just because of the direction both the horror genre and the superhero genre are evolving, this seems to be a by the numbers film.
Firstly, I really enjoyed the concept this film presents in an evil Superman, and with an "R" rating, they make some good use of the Superman tropes you've seen, but with the realistic violence and gore that would actually happen if a boy with lasers coming from his eyes could do to someone. The gore and violence doesn't bombard the film, but does leave some pretty horrific imagery that is sure to satisfy the horror fans.
Also the acting from all of the main characters was very good, I believed the actor playing Brandon and he really was able to naturally turn to just an evil remorseless kid that ALSO has these superpowers really well for me.
Where the film kind of plateaus for me is after they've introduced the story and you get into the horror beats, it all seems very repetitive. The setups to the scares are used so often that they lost all suspense for me. For a film that has such a unique concept, you would expect them to really play with that idea but it feels more like they just wanted to tell a pretty simple by the books horror story, and decided "hey, superheros are hot, lets plug one in" but just used all the work from Superman to build their own Superhero. Shoot, even the marketing uses the same exact font style as 'Man of Steel'.
Overall if you saw the trailers for 'Brightburn' and liked what you saw, you are going to have a great time in the theaters watching this, for me it was a little bit of a letdown just because of the direction both the horror genre and the superhero genre are evolving, this seems to be a by the numbers film.
Aladdin
(2019)
A Diamond With Some Rough
15 August 2020
I grew up in a glorious time in respect to Disney, during the time of the classics like 'The Lion King', 'The Little Mermaid', and 'Beauty & The Beast'. I still remember taping over VHS tapes anytime one of the Disney classics came on, and none was more of my 'jam' (pun intended) than 'Aladdin'. From the beautiful animation, the story, and of course the great Robin Williams as Genie, It was a huge influence in my childhood.
Disney has been working to recapture the magic from these properties again and modernize them for a new generation of kids, some or their attempts being major hits and some just not hitting the mark (you need only look back a couple months to the Tim Burton Remake of 'Dumbo' for the latter). 'Aladdin' for me felt very much to be going in the direction of being a mess, mainly from the marketing and the jarring Blue Will Smith, that while I get them wanting to show him in the trailers, really did him no favors in the long run, because not only is 'Aladdin' on of Disney's best attempts at a live-action remake, but Will Smith brings his Genie into his own and sets himself apart from Robin Williams in smart and creative ways.
What I loved right off the bat with this film is the world it's set in and how immersive it is. The trailers kind of made the set designs and locations out to appear somewhat "Cheap" but I would suggest that it's due to director Guy Ritchies choice to play the first two acts almost like a live Broadway show. The music, the acting, the atmosphere is all very vibrant and infectious and I loved being immersed in the film.
Aladdin and Jasmine, played by Mena Massoud & Naomi Scott had great chemistry. I loved both of their performances and they both were able to sell the singing, dancing, all of it very well. Jasmines maid, played by SNL's Nasim Pedrad was terrific comedic releif, as well as a very brief but hilarious scene with 'Game Nights' Billy Magnussen. They decided on the animal characters like Abu and Raja to be completely CGI, which in the case of using a live tiger compares to CGI... I would have done the same however, with Abu sometimes it was really clear that Mena Massoud wasn't interacting with anything, when they could have maybe have had a mix of practical and CGI to give Aladdin and Abu a more tangible relationship.
Will Smith as the Genie was the absolute star of the show. Much like the Late Robin Williams, Will Smith made the perfect choice to play this character as Will Smith, and not an interpretation of Robin Williams performance. You would think from the trailers that Smiths Genie wouldn't work but with how much charisma and fun Smith puts into this role he really makes it his own. Of course, nobody can replace Williams and for me he will always be my Genie, but if anyone leaves the theater with an issue, it won't be with Will Smith.
To me the story wavered a bit when they added or deviated from the original sourcematerial. Particularly, hot Jafar, played by Marwan Kenzari. Why they decided to take away some of the more sinister and creepy parts of this character I don't really understand. They chose to take Jafar away from the more magical parts of his character and focus on him being more a behind the curtains political figure. Only until the 3rd act does the movie remember that Jafar needs to be a powerful sorcerer but to me, the 3rd act ended up being a little underwhelming because I never really felt like Aladdin or Jasmine were in danger with him.
Also the film adds a new song for Jasmines character that to me really felt out of place. Maybe it was where the reprise was placed but the lyrics to me were just not in tone with any of the other Aladdin songs, and ripped me out of the movie.
Overall though, 'Aladdin' is a genuine delightful surprise. I had a blast with the musical numbers, the dancing, it all worked so well, definitely go and check this one out in theaters!
Disney has been working to recapture the magic from these properties again and modernize them for a new generation of kids, some or their attempts being major hits and some just not hitting the mark (you need only look back a couple months to the Tim Burton Remake of 'Dumbo' for the latter). 'Aladdin' for me felt very much to be going in the direction of being a mess, mainly from the marketing and the jarring Blue Will Smith, that while I get them wanting to show him in the trailers, really did him no favors in the long run, because not only is 'Aladdin' on of Disney's best attempts at a live-action remake, but Will Smith brings his Genie into his own and sets himself apart from Robin Williams in smart and creative ways.
What I loved right off the bat with this film is the world it's set in and how immersive it is. The trailers kind of made the set designs and locations out to appear somewhat "Cheap" but I would suggest that it's due to director Guy Ritchies choice to play the first two acts almost like a live Broadway show. The music, the acting, the atmosphere is all very vibrant and infectious and I loved being immersed in the film.
Aladdin and Jasmine, played by Mena Massoud & Naomi Scott had great chemistry. I loved both of their performances and they both were able to sell the singing, dancing, all of it very well. Jasmines maid, played by SNL's Nasim Pedrad was terrific comedic releif, as well as a very brief but hilarious scene with 'Game Nights' Billy Magnussen. They decided on the animal characters like Abu and Raja to be completely CGI, which in the case of using a live tiger compares to CGI... I would have done the same however, with Abu sometimes it was really clear that Mena Massoud wasn't interacting with anything, when they could have maybe have had a mix of practical and CGI to give Aladdin and Abu a more tangible relationship.
Will Smith as the Genie was the absolute star of the show. Much like the Late Robin Williams, Will Smith made the perfect choice to play this character as Will Smith, and not an interpretation of Robin Williams performance. You would think from the trailers that Smiths Genie wouldn't work but with how much charisma and fun Smith puts into this role he really makes it his own. Of course, nobody can replace Williams and for me he will always be my Genie, but if anyone leaves the theater with an issue, it won't be with Will Smith.
To me the story wavered a bit when they added or deviated from the original sourcematerial. Particularly, hot Jafar, played by Marwan Kenzari. Why they decided to take away some of the more sinister and creepy parts of this character I don't really understand. They chose to take Jafar away from the more magical parts of his character and focus on him being more a behind the curtains political figure. Only until the 3rd act does the movie remember that Jafar needs to be a powerful sorcerer but to me, the 3rd act ended up being a little underwhelming because I never really felt like Aladdin or Jasmine were in danger with him.
Also the film adds a new song for Jasmines character that to me really felt out of place. Maybe it was where the reprise was placed but the lyrics to me were just not in tone with any of the other Aladdin songs, and ripped me out of the movie.
Overall though, 'Aladdin' is a genuine delightful surprise. I had a blast with the musical numbers, the dancing, it all worked so well, definitely go and check this one out in theaters!
Pet Sematary
(2019)
Not Good, Not Bad
15 August 2020
'Pet Semetary' Is Directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer and Stars Jason Clark as Louis Creed, an ER doctor who in order to spend more time with his family quits his hectic city life for a quieter lifestyle. When exploring the new property, his wife, played by Amy Seimetz, and their two children come across a local Pet 'Semetary' where families bury their dead animals. But there is dark magic beyond the Semetary, that lures Louis after the death of the family cat to bury it there, bringing it back to life. But Louis learns quickly that sometimes dead, is better dead.
Stephen King movie adaptations... do not do well. King has so many classic stories that we have seen adaptations for, but either they are direct to DVD quality or completely different from the source material like Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "The Shining". With the success of the newly rebooted 'IT' franchise proving incredibly profitable for WB, other studios were eager to announce their new King adaptations themselves. Pet Semetary is one of them announce shortly after 'It'. Sadly, 'Pet Semetary' proves that in a world full or reboots and reimaginings, some properties are better left dead.
The films lead performances are acted very well bu both Clark and Seimetz, and the tone overall is very consistent and eerie. I enjoyed some parts relating to the characters story arcs and the way the handle to subject of the film; death. The death part is personified by the families cat and I have to admit, the Cat/'s give great performances as just the most demonic looking thing you could see.
Where the film fails to grow is in its storytelling. The screenplay feels like it is missing crucial character points, and because they feel missing the characters actions and choices made in the film come across as very dumb. That only gets enhanced as the story and scares never shift into a higher gear than generic 'jump scares' all too common to the horror genre.
The third act changes a lot from the original source material, opting to go for their new take on the classic, however, none of the new ideas presented really find any weight in this story and arrive too late for me to relate to it completely.
In the end, I don't think 'Pet Semetary' is in the running for 'worst Stephen King adaptations' but in the end, it lacks enthusiasm for its own source material, and in the end, feels like the Cat in the film, half-alive.
Stephen King movie adaptations... do not do well. King has so many classic stories that we have seen adaptations for, but either they are direct to DVD quality or completely different from the source material like Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "The Shining". With the success of the newly rebooted 'IT' franchise proving incredibly profitable for WB, other studios were eager to announce their new King adaptations themselves. Pet Semetary is one of them announce shortly after 'It'. Sadly, 'Pet Semetary' proves that in a world full or reboots and reimaginings, some properties are better left dead.
The films lead performances are acted very well bu both Clark and Seimetz, and the tone overall is very consistent and eerie. I enjoyed some parts relating to the characters story arcs and the way the handle to subject of the film; death. The death part is personified by the families cat and I have to admit, the Cat/'s give great performances as just the most demonic looking thing you could see.
Where the film fails to grow is in its storytelling. The screenplay feels like it is missing crucial character points, and because they feel missing the characters actions and choices made in the film come across as very dumb. That only gets enhanced as the story and scares never shift into a higher gear than generic 'jump scares' all too common to the horror genre.
The third act changes a lot from the original source material, opting to go for their new take on the classic, however, none of the new ideas presented really find any weight in this story and arrive too late for me to relate to it completely.
In the end, I don't think 'Pet Semetary' is in the running for 'worst Stephen King adaptations' but in the end, it lacks enthusiasm for its own source material, and in the end, feels like the Cat in the film, half-alive.
An American Pickle
(2020)
A Decent Watch
15 August 2020
Herschel Greenbaum is a struggling ditch digger from Shtetl who, after falling in love and wanting a better life for his family, decides to find a better life in America. While working at his new job at a pickle factory, Herschel falls unnoticed into a vat of brine, perfectly preserving him for 100 years (don't question the science). His only successor in present-day is his great-grandson, Ben Greenbaum, who meets Herschel. Herschel doesn't understand Ben's lifestyle, and Ben is quick to dismiss any advice given to him by his great-grandfather. 'An American Pickle' explores the family dynamics of different generations of the same family, and while not the balls-out comedy we are used to seeing from Rogan, is a charming and entertaining watch from start to finish.
Both Herschel and Ben are played by Seth Rogan, who leads this adaptation of the book "Sell out" by Simon Rich impressively. I enjoyed watching Rogan play both a serious role as well as the fish out of water role which is both endearing and impressive to watch. The technical achievements of playing against your own character in the same scene are always magical to behold. Ever since Lindsey Lohan's 'The Parent Trap', to Paul Rudd's Netflix series 'Living With Myself', I never get tired of the camera trick that is used in a unique way in playing with the idea that your ancestors and you look alike.
I've always had an interest in family genealogical work. Tracing your roots back to where you came from eventually leads to the question; "If they saw me today, what would they think?" What "An American Pickle' does by exploring this concept as well as how would the modern-day world reacts to someone from a different time is incredibly topical. How would someone who never grew up with technology, social media, or even modern-day health regulations, learn to survive in the 21st century?
The weaker moments in 'An American Pickle' are where the film goes against it's set rules for the world you are in. In some moments it seems incredibly topical and accurate to the world we are in with consequences for actions. But when it serves the story progression forward, those rules no longer apply to the characters which kind of underminds the films established guidelines. While Rogan's performance is very impressive, there isn't a lot of characters other than Rogan's that maybe could've been interesting to explore in a b plot.
Overall, I had fun watching An American Pickle. I would recommend you watch this if you're a fan of films like 'The Disaster Artist' or '50/50, and want to see both a comedic and heartfelt performance by Seth Rogan
Both Herschel and Ben are played by Seth Rogan, who leads this adaptation of the book "Sell out" by Simon Rich impressively. I enjoyed watching Rogan play both a serious role as well as the fish out of water role which is both endearing and impressive to watch. The technical achievements of playing against your own character in the same scene are always magical to behold. Ever since Lindsey Lohan's 'The Parent Trap', to Paul Rudd's Netflix series 'Living With Myself', I never get tired of the camera trick that is used in a unique way in playing with the idea that your ancestors and you look alike.
I've always had an interest in family genealogical work. Tracing your roots back to where you came from eventually leads to the question; "If they saw me today, what would they think?" What "An American Pickle' does by exploring this concept as well as how would the modern-day world reacts to someone from a different time is incredibly topical. How would someone who never grew up with technology, social media, or even modern-day health regulations, learn to survive in the 21st century?
The weaker moments in 'An American Pickle' are where the film goes against it's set rules for the world you are in. In some moments it seems incredibly topical and accurate to the world we are in with consequences for actions. But when it serves the story progression forward, those rules no longer apply to the characters which kind of underminds the films established guidelines. While Rogan's performance is very impressive, there isn't a lot of characters other than Rogan's that maybe could've been interesting to explore in a b plot.
Overall, I had fun watching An American Pickle. I would recommend you watch this if you're a fan of films like 'The Disaster Artist' or '50/50, and want to see both a comedic and heartfelt performance by Seth Rogan
Project Power
(2020)
Harmless, But Forgettable
15 August 2020
In a world where taking a pill can grant you 5 minutes of superpowers, fighting crime has never been more difficult to do. Frank (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has resorted to working with a local drug dealer and aspiring rapper Robin (played by Dominique Fishback) to level the playing field. But when an ex-soldier Art (played by Jamie Foxx) comes to New Orleans to find his missing daughter, these three must team up to discover the hidden secrets behind this superhero pill.
As an elevator pitch, this really seems like a producer's wet dream. There's the superhero aspect that is always profitable (when done correctly or not) as well as name talent with Foxx and Gordon-Levitt being attached, it would seem like a slam dunk. While Netflix continues to invest billions into its films and is working to distance itself from the "It's a Netflix film" negative connotations, 'Project Power' is an empty attempt at enticing superhero fans and winds up leaving no lasting mark on the genre.
I mean it when I say I like this premise, it's just that the directors and writers decided to not focus on any of the fun aspects of it. You expect to see more creativity to the so-called "powers" to be able to rise above the competitive landscape of films in this genre. Instead, it's a copy-paste of any X-Men film but take out the motivations, the characters, and the entertainment value. Forced cameos from YouTube stars are painfully obvious, like opening the film with Machine Gun Kelley. The acting by Jamie Foxx and JGL is fine, they both pull off their characters albeit round the 2-dimensional arcs out more than what they could be with another star. The stand-out performance for me comes from Dominique Fishback, who could've been the heart of the film had they expanded her character to more than just "the Robin to Jamie Foxx's Batman". Her love of rap is barely focused on and could've been fleshed out in the end instead of focusing on Foxx's stale arc of a father looking for his daughter.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character has no backstory, and only serves the base purpose of being likable and on the side of the law. Every character feels like they are from their own film but forced into this superhero narrative that isn't explored enough to justify it being there. Films like "Limitless" with Bradley Cooper do a better job of showing the world-building and consequences of the object in question, a pill that enhances abilities. Yes, there is you're 'John Wick' style of lighting, some decent fight choreography, and when the effects are in play for the superheroes they don't appear to be like a Playstation 3 cutaway. But this is all things you'd expect from a titan like Netflix, but it cannot save the shallow storytelling from watering down the quality of the film significantly.
Overall, I didn't have a great time with this. It feels long, there's not a lot to cling to that's exploratory or adds to the genre. It's got great actors in it but overall what they are chewing on as far as the story goes is bland, and forgettable.
I'm giving 'Project Power' a 5/10
What did you think of the film? leave a comment down below and make sure to follow this site for all things Geeky! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you at the next review!
As an elevator pitch, this really seems like a producer's wet dream. There's the superhero aspect that is always profitable (when done correctly or not) as well as name talent with Foxx and Gordon-Levitt being attached, it would seem like a slam dunk. While Netflix continues to invest billions into its films and is working to distance itself from the "It's a Netflix film" negative connotations, 'Project Power' is an empty attempt at enticing superhero fans and winds up leaving no lasting mark on the genre.
I mean it when I say I like this premise, it's just that the directors and writers decided to not focus on any of the fun aspects of it. You expect to see more creativity to the so-called "powers" to be able to rise above the competitive landscape of films in this genre. Instead, it's a copy-paste of any X-Men film but take out the motivations, the characters, and the entertainment value. Forced cameos from YouTube stars are painfully obvious, like opening the film with Machine Gun Kelley. The acting by Jamie Foxx and JGL is fine, they both pull off their characters albeit round the 2-dimensional arcs out more than what they could be with another star. The stand-out performance for me comes from Dominique Fishback, who could've been the heart of the film had they expanded her character to more than just "the Robin to Jamie Foxx's Batman". Her love of rap is barely focused on and could've been fleshed out in the end instead of focusing on Foxx's stale arc of a father looking for his daughter.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character has no backstory, and only serves the base purpose of being likable and on the side of the law. Every character feels like they are from their own film but forced into this superhero narrative that isn't explored enough to justify it being there. Films like "Limitless" with Bradley Cooper do a better job of showing the world-building and consequences of the object in question, a pill that enhances abilities. Yes, there is you're 'John Wick' style of lighting, some decent fight choreography, and when the effects are in play for the superheroes they don't appear to be like a Playstation 3 cutaway. But this is all things you'd expect from a titan like Netflix, but it cannot save the shallow storytelling from watering down the quality of the film significantly.
Overall, I didn't have a great time with this. It feels long, there's not a lot to cling to that's exploratory or adds to the genre. It's got great actors in it but overall what they are chewing on as far as the story goes is bland, and forgettable.
I'm giving 'Project Power' a 5/10
What did you think of the film? leave a comment down below and make sure to follow this site for all things Geeky! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you at the next review!
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