JMcNaughton, Author at tmc.io 🍿 watch movies with friends 29

Aladdin Movie Review

May 24, 2019 (updated May 22, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Aladdin” is a new Disney live-action adaptation of the original Disney 1992 animated movie. The story is the ultimate in wish fulfillment, after all – who couldn’t use a Genie that can grant you three wishes? But the very successful animated version had several things going for it. There was a great story. There were great songs. And it had the great vocal talent of Robin Williams. With the updated version, it has two of those three.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a ‘street rat’ in the desert city of Agrabah in a vague Mid-Eastern country. He is thief and a street hustler, making friends of the other poor folks in town – all while avoiding the palace guards. His little helper monkey Abu is with him everywhere. He runs into a person pretending to be just another poor beggar. But she is really Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) who can never escape from the palace to see the people in the street. She is saved by Aladdin from a dangerous situation, and he goes with her to the palace.

Later that night Aladdin sneaks in and finds Jasmine with her loyal servant Dalia (Nasim Pedrad). But he is captured by Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the trusted consultant to the royal Sultan (Navid Negahban). Jafar and his equally evil parrot Iago find that Aladdin might be the one to get a special Lamp out of the Cave of Wonders. This Magic Lamp is said to contain a Genie, one that can grant three wishes to the owner of the Lamp. Aladdin is able to get the Lamp, and it is almost stolen by Jafar.

Aladdin finds the Magic Lamp does hold a Genie (Will Smith). He is all Big and Blue and he is waiting to take Aladdin’s order. He tricks the Genie to get them all out of the Cave, including a new member of the group – a Magic Flying Carpet. Aladdin does not want much, but he does want to meet and impress Princess Jasmine. Maybe if Genie turns Aladdin into a Price, then he could have a chance. Sure thing, he becomes Prince Ali, from Ababwa. The Sultan is very impressed, as well as all the people of Agrabah. But Princess Jasmine thinks that something is a little off with this new Prince. Jafar knows it is Aladdin and he begins scheming about how to seal back that Lamp.

Dalia is impressed with Prince Ali’s man-servant, who is actually Genie. Genie also becomes smitten with Dalia, so they both want Ali and Jasmine to get something going. But Jasmine thinks Ali is holding a secret, so he takes her on the Magic Flying Carpet to see the world, a ‘Whole New World’, that is. But before Aladdin can confess who he really is, Jafar decides to eliminate him form the picture. Genie is able to save Aladdin, as another wish gets used up. Aladdin had promised to use his final third wish to set Genie free, but that might not happen.

Jafar become more evil and more powerful, as he takes over from the Sultan. Hes has grabbed the Magic Lamp and he is now in control. Genie is no longer able to help Aladdin, so Aladdin and Jasmine might as well call the whole thing off. But does Aladdin have the street smarts to convince a powerful sorcerer like Jafar that he could become even bigger and more powerful? Could that be a way out for everyone?

This version of Aladdin has a nice cast and it redoes all of the great songs from the original animated version. There is even a new song for Princess Jasmine – one that gives her a stringer voice in her situation. Will Smith seems out-of-place at first as Genie. But within 15 minutes he takes this version of the Genie and makes it fit with his charm and sassy attitude. Naomi Scott has a very soaring voice that works wonders with her Jasmine songs. Mena Massoud is also charming as Aladdin and has a good voice.

Guy Ritchie as the director and co-writer is used to movies that have a rougher edge. His family-friendly version still has a couple of his visual traits (super slo-mo camera work). But most of the dirty and gritty features of his other films are glossed over with wild and bright costumes and bazaar scenes. The big musical numbers have a wild and over the top feel, like a cross between a Vegas show and Bollywood.

Remakes are becoming a big thing at Disney Studios, but rather than getting “A Whole New World”, this one just serves up “A Whole Lotta Sameness”.

The Souvenir Movie Review

May 24, 2019 (updated May 23, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

Sometimes, a movie based on a true coming-of-age drama based, on the life of a writer or a director, can be beautiful and moving. But then could also end up like “The Souvenir”, which has a fine setup – but totally misses the execution. When the main character is there in place as a stand-in for the writer/director, you can feel that the message should be delivered thoughtfully. However, here the cast is excellent – but the story meanders and drips out so slowly and in such a convoluted manner that you might kick yourself to stay focused. The level of the actors is so high that they deserve to tell a soaring tale, yet they are given very limited story that barely keeps any interest.

Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is an English woman in her young 20’s. She is working to strike out on her own, using her skills in photography to get into film school. She has some very loving parents, including her mother Rosalind (Tilda Swinton). Julie has a boyfriend who is much older than she is. Anthony (Tom Burke) is somewhat charming and he has a broad education. But he has many woeful character traits. He works for British government in a high position. But he has left his wife, and he cheats and steals. The worst part is that he has a heroin addiction. Julie tries to see past all the bad stuff, and she accepts him with all his flaws.

They are together is a small flat in town. Anthony has strange hours for work and many times goes abroad. Julie is attending school and working on film project. She wants to make a documentary of a now defunct ship-building operation in a nearby town. How has the shutdown of the plant affected the people that remain? But when she has lunches with Anthony and diners with her parents – she is at a loss of words about how to describe her project. Mother Rosalind thinks that Julie could do much better for herself, by getting into a better school and finding a boyfriend who is not as unpredictable.

So, Julie attends school and meets with Anthony from time to time. They take a trip to Venice. But the little apartment also gets robbed one day. And then later Julie finds a shady character hanging out in the flat, waiting for Anthony. This other guy was looking to score some heroin, and he wants to get some from Anthony. Julie chases him out. But she is worried that Anthony is hooked up in something that is really bad. Anthony is defiant, but later on, he succumbs to the addition more and more. He is on a final downward spiral, and even Julie’s help will not save him. Julie works and struggles to get her documentary completed. Rosalind stops over quite often to see if there is something she can do, or if she can loan her some cash.

The resulting movie is a repetitive series of little scenes from Julie’s life. It is all well and good. But there is nothing compelling or nothing that drives any of the characters. So, the result is two hours of inaction that lead up to a non-conclusion. People pass into the Julie’s life, and people pass out of it. She does not take a hard stand much of anything. Even when Anthony is abusing his situation and taking advantage of Julie – she does not do anything. She remains a passive observer of her own life. This is far from a dramatic, edge-of-your-seat immersive experience. You just sort of see what is happening. The direction is such that the movie becomes a meandering stream of random events.

The acting of Honor Swinton Byrne (as Julie) and Tilda Swinton (as her mother Rosalind) is very believable. But of course, Tilda Swinton is the actual mother of Honor Swinton Byrne, so that is a little like typecasting. Tilda is highly respected and accomplished actor. It seems like her daughter, Honor, will be quite capable of following along that path that her mother has opened for her. Tom Burke has a very difficult role, since he is playing a charming cad who is on a downward slope. He just keeps getting worse and worse, as his character gets consumed by his addition. But it does not help that he is basically a ten-pound sack of manure out in the sun for several days…

When you participate in something meaningful, you might want to bring home a little reminder of what you accomplished. But when it comes to seeing this movie, you might pass on the chance to pick up “The Souvenir”.

In the Phoenix area, this movie will open exclusively at the Harkins Scottsdale Camelview…

A Dog’s Journey Movie Review

May 17, 2019 (updated May 16, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“A Dog’s Journey” is a new feature that is a direct relative to ‘”A Dog’s Purpose”. The central theme of both movies is a secret ability for canine companions that have a reincarnation method to take an immortal soul into the bodies of various puppies. These dogs live with their owners, but they remember the commands from prior owners. Such as, in “Purpose”, a young dog knows to find his first owner (a young boy), and he gets back to him when the little boy is now a man. In “Journey” that older man gives the old dog a final command to watch out for his granddaughter.

Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) live on a Michigan farm with their dog Ethan calls him ‘Boss Dog’ (voiced by Josh Gad), but the dog’s name is Bailey. Ethan was the young boy who turned into an older man, and a series of dog’s all held the soul of Boss Dog. And in the prior movie, Josh Gad said endless cute things when he gave the various dogs an inner voice. Now they live on the farm with their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin). Her husband was killed in an accident just before her little daughter was born. Ethan and Hannah really love their granddaughter CJ, and they want to help Gloria.

Gloria is succeeding at being the Worst Mother Ever, but she gets tired of Ethan and Hannah trying to help. She takes CJ and leaves to live in Chicago. Ethan knows that the old dog Bailey does not have any more time in this world. So he gives ‘Boss Dog’ a new command – Watch over little CJ wherever she is on the world. In a few years, ‘Boss Dog’ shows up in a little puppy named Mollie. Even a little girl dog needs to have a Josh Gad voice, ya know. Grade school aged CJ (Abby Ryder Fortson) finds Mollie and adopts her new friend. She keeps Molly from her mom, Gloria, at least for a while.

Molly does her best to help CJ growing up strong. She tries to steer CJ to be with her school chum Trent (Ian Chen) and away from away from loser boyfriends. Molly even learns a useful skill; she trains to have an ability to detect the smell of cancer in a patient. But one day Molly dies, and CJ fights with Gloria so much that she decides to move out. Now much older, CJ (Kathryn Prescott) is now out of school, and she lives in New York City. Again, she gets her share of loser boyfriends. But one day she finds that an older Trent (Henry Lau) has also moved just down the block. Boss Dog had spent some time as a large dog in Pennsylvania, but now he knows it is time to move on.

Boss Dog winds up as a little stray in New York City. He meets up with CJ all over again. But now he is a little dog named Max, so CJ has now idea that the voice of Josh Gad is floating around in Max’s head. Max knows that he know has his true purpose, to keep CJ safe in the world. But Max remembers things as his time as Molly and the things she learned. So he is worried when he discovers that Trent has that weird smell like cancer. Trent needs treatment, and his current girlfriend cannot handle the pressure. She bails and leaves CJ to take care of Trent.

Trent gets better and soon CJ hears from her distant mother Gloria. She has been getting better and wants to be a part of CJ’s life. CJ and Trent discover some old letters with the address of an old Michigan farm. Could it be that farm that CJ barely remembers? What if her grandparents, Ethan and Hannah, still are there? What would it like to go back home? Boss Dog knows, because he has done it before in the lives of multiple dogs.

“A Dog’s Journey” is wonderfully creative way to show that the bonds between a dog and its owner can become inseparable. Even if it is nothing but wild speculation, it has a nice reassuring feel to the continuity. There is no way to now what a dog might be thinking, so the goofy dialog that Josh Gad has each of the many dogs is just perfect. Sometimes the dog might be thinking back to a prior life and an important commitment. But he could just as well be thinking about bacon. The overall effect of the story could bring a few sniffles, especially if you have ever really cared for a dog – and then have a dog go out of your life.

This is very wholesome movie that should give you all the feels. All the animals are very cute and cuddly. Even when they get a big wide-eyed face with an especially goofy grin. And here I am referring to Dennis Quaid, as well as most of the dogs. This movie is almost daring you not to like it. That is one bet that I do not want to take.

So you might as well go to the movie theater. Sit. Stay.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Movie Review

May 17, 2019 (updated May 17, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” is further look into the violent and bloody world contained in the ‘Extended John Wick Universe’. This is where hand-to-hand combat is on steroids, and where beatings, stabbings and shootings have been given growth serum, and where the over-the-top violence has been ‘Turned Up to 11’ (to paraphrase “Spinal Tap”). In other words, it is a beautiful ballet of bullets, bloodshed, and battles. In the previous two movies, John Wick has delivered an action-packed and stunt-driven extravaganza of fights and chases. Based on the internal logic where a secret society of assassins live and work in our world – yet they are apart from reality. Now with Chapter 3 – the Wickian wave is cresting over the mere movies that have a few stuntmen. This is Zen Level pure action and adrenaline, perfected to its finest.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself at odds with controlling leaders of all the assassins, the group called the High Table. Wick had broken the rules, because he shot and killed a member of the Table in a place called the ‘Continental’. This is a luxury hotel and safe space in downtown New York. It is run by Winston (Ian McShane) who is an old friend of Wick’s. Winston and the concierge at the Continental – Charon (Lance Reddick) – gave Wick a head start. But Wick now has a bounty on his head of $14 million. Anyone who gives Wick any help will pay the price. Wick turns to an old mentor, the Director (Anjelica Huston). Wick has an item that he can use to trade for safe passage to Morocco.

In Casablanca, Wick finds another old partner named Sophia (Halle Berry). John Wick holds a ‘marker’ that forces the other person to help out in time of need. Sophia and Wick approach a member of the High Table. Wick asks if there is a way to get back into the good graces. He is ‘excommunicado’ and he might be able to meet with The Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui). But Sophia and her attack dogs come under attack, along with Wick, so there is a massive fight in the bazaar. Back in New York, The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) comes to anyone who helped Wick. She speaks for the High Table, and she will extract a High Price. She visits Winston at the Continental. She talks with the Director and extracts a price. She also finds the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) – who had supplied Wick with a weapon. Each one that she meets must vow a fidelity to the High Table.

The Adjudicator also finds a special assassin named Zero (Mark Dacascos). He is given the task to hunt down John Wick and apply a permanent resolution to Wick’s bounty. Wick comes back to New York, but he must personally kill Winston to earn his forgiveness. Zero and Wick find each other, and the fur begins to fly. Wick finds Winston, and Wick decides to press pause on the “Killing Winston” part of his punishment. The High Table is ready to take down Wick, Winston, Charon and Zero – who are all hanging out in the Continental. Wick has a small request (“Guns. Lots of Guns”), and Winston might be helpful in that area. So, the High Table sends a SWAT team to the hotel to take care of business…

John Wick has now had a total of three movies. All have been directed by Chad Stahelski and written (at least co-written) by Derek Kolstad. Stahelski is a former stantman himself, and he did much of the stunt work for Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix”. They have a solid core foundation to come up with the most intense sequences of fighting and mayhem that has ever been put down on film. Add to this Ian McShane and Lance Reddick (who have been in all three films) and there is an easy understanding between the actors and stunt people and the director that makes impossible action scenes come to life. The result is a mind-blowing visual overload that will not let you look away.

Naturally, a movie like this might too violent or over-the-top for many people. There are some who cringe at seeing guns and cannot stand the casual use of firearms as weapons. But should you find yourself wanting to see expertly done action and stunt-work, then “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” will be the mother’s milk of murder and mayhem. So, if you are not a sad-sack, pajama-wearing granola-munching peacenik – then grab yourself a Red Bull Slushie and put your brain and hold for couple of hours. It will be worth it…

All Is True Movie Review

May 17, 2019 (updated May 17, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“All Is True” is a love poem, neh – a Love Sonnet – to the veritable Bard of Stratford-on-Avon. Yes, William Shakespeare is in his retirement years. He is spending these years not at Sun City West playing golf, but instead puttering around in his garden bemoaning his deceased son. His long-suffering wife and his two daughters are beset with Old Will’s presence after many, many years. For all those years, he has been living in London – writing and directing at the Globe Theater. But when it burns down, his whole life is put in disarray, and he retreats back to his humble abode. It is actually a pretty nice estate, because he has spent years being the world’s most successful playwright and poet. His patrons have lavished Shakespeare with enough to make his life very comfortable in his sunset years. Now, if he could only stop driving his family crazy…

William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) has returned to his hometown, back from being a major success in London. The theater that he had founded has burnt to the ground, and he no longer has any reason to be there. He gets back to his wife Anne (Judi Dench) and his daughters. Susanna (Lydia Wilson) is married to a Puritan, so that means she is not happily married. Daughter Judith (Kathryn Wilder) is unmarried and is considered an ‘old maid’ with a tart tongue and a shrewish attitude. Will is back and he really starts to think about his son, Hamnet. He had died nearly two decades ago, while William was in London making the theater magic happen. Shakespeare did not allow himself to grieve properly, and now the loss of his son hits him hard. That was his family legacy, in his passing down of the family name to continue the Shakespeare greatness. With his daughters, they will not retain the family name, so there is a possibility that the Shakespeare line will be snuffed out.

Wife Anne has had many years to mourn her son and will not accept that hubby Will is just now getting around to it. After all, when Hamnet died, Will was consumed with the hustle and bustle of the Globe Theater. He was too busy writing “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at the time and could not get back to see Hamnet laid to rest. Now, Shakespeare has remnants of letters and poems created by Hamnet when he was younger, and alive. There was a rough but noticeable talent in his writings, and William is mourning the loss of not only a son, but the one who could have carried on the new family tradition. But Anne is stoic and steadfast, and she knows whatever secrets that Hamnet held are also dead. Judith has some shocking news for her father, and he does not know how to begin to understand what happened, and how his son died.

During this hubbub, there is a visit to the estate by an old friend and very wealthy patron of William Shakespeare. The Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen), who is a noble by birth and a scoundrel in nature, comes to meet his favorite British poet and playwright. The Earl never needed to put on airs or persuade people to respect him. It was his due by his heritage. Shakespeare, on the other hand, was humble and born into poverty. His father was involved in scandal and he was frowned upon. So, Shakespeare has worked mightily to polish the family name. But both of his daughters have brushes with bad reputation and gossip. So, the cycle starts over once more. When the Earl of Southampton finally leaves William to his situation, he wishes him well. He wants him to remain true to his recent work in London as a genius, and not wallow in the backwater tides of the local countryside.

Kenneth Branagh plays his man-crush William Shakespeare with an intensity and a ton of prosthetic makeup. He does wind up looking like the historical portraits of The Bard, so it is a fitting appearance. Branagh really loves him some Shakespeare. So much so that he lives to direct movies adapted from Shakespeare, or star in movies adapted from Shakespeare – or mostly star in and direct movies that are adapted from Shakespeare. Branagh finds a suitable match with Dame Judi Dench playing Anne Hathaway, the woman who married William Shakespeare. These two are wonderful on-screen and play well against each other. Along with the cameo role of the Earl of Southampton, Ian McKellen has a twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he builds up and berates Shakespeare. They also are great in the same scene.

In Phoenix, playing exclusively at the Harkins Scottsdale Camelview.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 8, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” is positioned to become this generation’s version of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. But that is a beautiful thing, actually – because instead of marvelous world where ‘Toons’ and humans interact, in this movie the humans and various Pokémon coexist. It makes for a movie version of “Pokémon Go”, where a rich and full array of Pokémon characters are found in the cinema world.

The colorful and exotic ‘pocket monster’ creatures are rendered as normal as traffic cones and neon signs. There are plenty of those there, also – because the movie takes place in Ryme City. This paradise of Pokémon and human interaction is threatened by some mysterious events that are taking place. There is a plot to uncover and a missing detective to locate, and who better to take on that task but Pikachu? The small furry little Pokémon Detective is in a tough spot and could use a little help. There are clues to trace and adventures to be had…

Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is a young son of a Ryme City Detective, Harry Goodman. There was an attack on Harry’s car, and he is presumed dead. Tim gave up on his dreams to be a Pokémon trainer years ago, so he goes back into Ryme City to try and get closure. He goes and meets his dad’s old boss, Detective Yoshida (Ken Watanabe). Everyone else in Ryme City has been connected to a Pokémon and has one for a friend and companion. But Tim has never found one that bonded with him. He visits is dad’s place and runs into Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds).

There is some reason that Tim and Pikachu can hear and understand each other. Pikachu has lost his memory, but soon determines that he was Harry Goodman’s partner – up to the point where he disappeared days ago. Pikachu is still aware that there is a sinister plot that is on the move, but he has forgotten all the details. The mastermind behind Ryme City is Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) who has created this perfect paradise for Pokémon. But his dedication to the task has led to a debilitating disease, and now he is bound to a wheelchair. He and his son run the media conglomerate, and there is young associate intern (that is: unpaid blogger) who sniffing out a big story.

Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) and her sidekick Pokémon Psyduck meet up with Tim and Pikachu. Together they find that some awful things are about to happen in Ryme City. Bouncing from place to place and gathering more information about a mystery drug that make Pokémon go crazy; Pikachu, Tim, Lucy and Psyduck get closer to the evildoers. But they also get deeper and deeper into trouble. They find an ancient Pokémon called Mew Too that might hold the key to the mystery or might be the top bad dude on his own. There is a connection to Mew Too and the disappearance of Harry Goodman, and a connection getting closer between Pikachu and Tim.

When there is a final confrontation, everything turns out not quite the way that it seemed before. There are some tricks that were being played, and some folks are not as clean cut as they first appeared. Tim and Pikachu find that the Pokémon who are drugged and turn violent are not doing it on their own. There was some foul play and with the group catching the bad guys, all will be put back in order. Lucy gets noticed for all of her fine work, and Detective Yoshida gets a resolution to a mysterious case of Harry Goodman’s car crash. Detective Pikachu is ready to get back to work, and Tim might have a new career. But will all the Pokémon of Ryme City still be working with all the humans in harmony?

This is a delightfully fun movie that matches a reluctant hero (Tim) with a helpful, if sarcastic, sidekick (Pikachu). Justice Smith does a compelling job as Tim, and he is curious, yet halting in his discoveries. He is unsure of himself and why he is not able to bond with a Pokémon like everyone else. But then he meets up with Pikachu and things turn magical. Ryan Reynolds is playing the voice (and the facial expressions) of Detective Pikachu – this works in a charming manner. His dialogue is witty and sometimes slapstick. Reynolds gets just the right tone for the little yellow fuzzy Detective, and he makes it shine.

The computer graphics to design and render Detective Pikachu (and really all of the Pokémon) is very sharp and clear. Each of the little (and not so little) Pokémon characters has a distinct personally and sweet goofiness of their own.The story plays second fiddle to the spectacle of scores and scores of Pokémon living a city that is a cross between “Babe: Pig in the City” and “Blade Runner”. There is a futuristic atmosphere along with large portions of whimsy and frolic. Everyone there sees no problem having a Pokémon as a guide and companion. “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” brings everyone’s favorite Pokémon to the big screen in a big way…

Tolkien Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 8, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Tolkien”, is about the famous fantasy author (who would make sure you know that the right way to pronounce his name is “Toll-keen”) and how he grew up and learned to value “fellowship”. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien has a rough start in life, with a dead father, and soon also a dead mother. He and his younger brother became wards to the Catholic Church, but because of a forward-thinking priest, Tolkien gets a classical education and gets into Oxford. But after being sidelined with World War I, he gets to marry his true love. He gains stature as a Professor at the college, and eventually writes some very large books. But ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ do not make a big dent in this movie, because it ends about the time that he starts on them…

Young J.R.R. Tolkien and his mother and brother are helped by the parish priest Father Morgan (Colm Meaney). He makes sure that they have a home after their father passes away. But soon after his mother is also gone, and the two boys are put into a nice foster home. Tolkien at first finds it hard to make friends, but he soon makes several lifelong friends. When he grows up Mr. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) is able to get into Oxford. He knows a fellow orphan in his foster home named Edith Bratt (Lily Collins) and believes that she will be the love of his life. Tolkien and his chums have raucus talks and arguments about deep subjects. They form a “fellowship” of sorts, and hold fast to be true to each other. Edith also becomes a part of his life, and when he enters college, his grades suffer.

Oxford is ready to pitch Tolkien out of school, because he is not living up to the highest of standards. But he happens to meet Professor Wright (Derek Jacobi) who is a specialist in languages. Tolkien manages to convince the Professor that he has the same love of language and for the origins of speech. He is able to impress the Professor with some made-up languages that Tolkien created for his own writing. Tolkien is able to thrive in the new class setting, and he and Edith are very happy. He feels that the world is ready for a new saga that is a great and as far-reaching as the opera Wagner created “The Ring Cycle”. But before that can happen, World War I breaks out. Tolkien and his three friends are signed up and enlisted in a short time.

Tolkien spends time at the front in Somme. In the trenches, he puts all of creative spirit on hold. The War is horrible, and he sees many people injured and killed. Tolkien is infected with trench fever, and he spends time searching for one of his friends on the front lines. With his feverish mind, he looks out on the No Man’s Land area and imagines what the fight between good and evil might look like. Shadowy black wraiths hover over the battlefield, as armored knights gallop in the dead trees out on the landscape. Dragons roar across the sky as thunderous booms rain down on the broken land. Tolkien is seeing those images that he would eventually put down onto paper in his later books.

Nicholas Hoult does a very decent job in portraying Tolkien, and he does the man justice. He shows a lot of compassion and smarts as a young brilliant writer. But he and Lily Collins do not have a lot of energy together in their scenes. The story is a bit of a see-saw back and forth from Tolkien’s war time activity, to a flashback set of sequences of his prior life.

Long Shot Movie Review

May 3, 2019 (updated May 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Long Shot” is a funny look at a couple of people with almost nothing in common except a long-ago shared high school past. The romantic comedy has an R-rated bite to it, and some political overtones that make some broad commentary on current events. The two leads are experienced actors who make an unlikely romantic attraction look realistic. The movie is bolstered by the fact that it has some secondary characters who are played by excellent people and are well cast in those roles. The movie might have an R-rated exterior, but it has some nice universal notions of true love being blind.

Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a determined, if somewhat disheveled, investigative journalist. He just found out that his weekly newspaper is being taken over by a huge media conglomerate run by a right-wing billionaire bigot. He quits and sees his long-time friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.). Lance has done quite well for himself, and he takes Fred out to a major party. It is an environmental fundraiser, and it is also attended by the current Secretary of State. She is Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who is a major Washington power player. She is also considering running for President. Her long-time aide Maggie (June Diane Raphael) is keeping Field’s public persona clean and bright. Fred and Charlotte have a history back in high school. She used to babysit for Fred a few times, and he was hot for her back then.

Charlotte is now still as beautiful and is also very powerful. She hears from the President (Bob Odenkirk) that he will not be running for another term. He wants to break into movies instead. So now he will endorse Charlotte as a candidate. When she meets Fred at the Washington party, she remembers that he was a sweet teenager. Fred has just quit from the job, because he does not want to support the new owner. He is looking for a new position, and she is looking for a speechwriter. That could be a match made in Heaven, or at least the smoky backrooms of the Washington establishment. He is a passionate idealist, who does not wince from dropping a few F-bombs in his articles. She is poised and practiced pragmatist and used to the idea of abandoning ideals to get the deal done. Not a chance these two might have issues with the other, right?

As she becomes a Candidate for the top job, Charlotte is pleased with the high level of energy that Fred can bring to her campaign. Her aide Maggie is not a fan, but she is biting her lip until a time that Fred’s wild personality will blow up. That point might bring Charlotte’s chances to a screeching halt, because even now – she is considered a ‘Long Shot’. Fred becomes a key part of her entourage, travelling with Charlotte to many world capitals. She and Fred are becoming very close and are become lovers. Fred lets his friend Lance know what is going on, and he encourages Fred to be true to his principles. But the real world makes Charlotte compromise many of her campaign goals. Fred is taken aback, and he sees that life in a political realm might not be to his liking.

This movie is a hard-R rating, but mostly for language. The relationship between the two main characters is not exactly believable. But Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron are very natural in these roles, and they can pull it off. The actors do a great job with some less than stellar material. There quite a few very funny lines, and the Fred Flarsky character is made out to be the biggest boob on the face of the Earth. But with Rogan’s sad puppy face, you just must love him. Also, there are some fine performances with the side characters, especially O’Shea Jackson Jr. and June Diane Raphael. These two more than carry their weight in the movie, and they have some good moments. The overall political attitude swings a little to the left, and the main policy initiative for Charlotte Field is to save the Environment. Never seen that before on the screen, huh?

“Long Shot” gets the most juice out it’s lead actors by getting them into the most natural situations. It is less than perfect when they are forced into a ‘fish out of water’ scene, such as Fred Flarsky at an International State Dinner event. There are few times when it seems to cross the line over good taste, but for the most part is fun watch. The ending veers over the line and it goes on a little too long. But if you like your character-driven comedy with a romantic flavor and a political edge, this beats any other movie by a “Long Shot”.

El Chicano Movie Review

May 3, 2019 (updated May 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“El Chicano” is a dark and gritty view into a Hispanic gang-run neighborhood, with an emphasis on the ‘hood’. It relates the legend of a mysterious motorcycle-riding vigilante called El Chicano. He attacks the criminals and gang-bangers and brings them to justice. He is kind of a Ghetto Ghost Rider, without the flaming skull. The drug-infested East Los Angeles area is like “Mean Streets” with Salsa beats. El Chicano targets the drug pushers and killers, the bangers and cartel leaders. He takes a magical Aztec knife and uses it to kill the baddest of the bad. He becomes a boogie man for the criminal underclass, a type of “Usual Suspects” character ‘Keyser Soze’ of the Barrio.

Three young boys grow up in the East Los area, and one night they see El Chicano in action. A local gang leader is stabbed, and the roar of the black motorcycle is heard screeching away. A local cop named Gomez is on the scene quickly, but El Chicano is gone. The young boys are grown up twenty years later, and each has gone separate ways. Detective Diego Hernandez (Raúl Castillo) is now on the right side of the law. But his twin brother Pedro has served time in prison, and now is dead. The other childhood friend is a top-level gang leader named Shotgun (David Castañeda). Most of Shotgun’s crew of thugs has been killed in a mass slaughter. Detective Hernandez is handed the case with his new partner Detective Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo). They have a day to determine what is going on, because the FBI is hot on the trail of a cartel boss. The cartel is trying to get into the Barrio, and the killings might be related. However, Diego Hernandez is worried, because all the murdered thugs have a tattoo.

This odd tattoo is the old nickname of Diego Hernandez’s twin brother Pedro, and the tattoo also has their birthday. How is his dead brother related in any way to the thugs that worked for Shotgun, and is this related to the cartel? Detective Hernandez and Detective Martinez transport the lone survivor of the killings, until they are ambushed. The last survivor is killed, and all ties to crime lord Shotgun are gone. The two Detectives report to their boss, Captain Gomez (George Lopez). The street cop from years ago is now the Police top dog. He is working to keep the FBI away, but the heat is rising. Detective Hernandez and Detective Martinez are in the middle of a stakeout to watch Shotgun and the cartel guys. But there is more violence and murder, but this time it is not aimed at a thug in the back seat.

Detective Diego Hernandez has lost a brother, and now he has lost a partner. He investigates what his brother Pedro had done when he got out of prison. He finds a secret hideaway that contains the black motorcycle that he last saw as a kid. Back then it was being ridden by El Chicano when he eliminated many bad guys. Diego is tired of having the gangs and the cartels win the street battles. So, he trains and gets in shape, so that he can carry the magical Aztec knife and go after the evil thugs. He gets his black cape and death-skull face mask. He will be ready to take back the streets as the mystical magical El Chicano. The cartel guys and Shotgun are now on the run from the avenging force of “El Chicano”…

This “El Chicano” movie has a lot going for it. There is a street-wise feel to the scenes and the story is built up organically. Diego has a slow transformation into the El Chicano character, and it feel real and earned. The moves of El Chicano when attacks and fights several thug henchman at once are swift and brutal. He would make “John Wick” proud. The movie is seeped in the Hispanic culture of respect for the dead, and ‘El Chicano’ is seen as an avenging angel. He is ready to force retribution on the cartel and drug lords. He is there to take back the streets.

There are a few times when it seems to be a low-budget movie. But for the most part, it gets the same milage for action and fight scenes as the big budget movies. The acting is low-key and many of the extras look like they come ‘Straight Outta East Los’. The cast is pretty good, but basically unknown. Only George Lopez has a high profile background. Co-writer Joe Carnahan has done some really good stuff in the past, and his efforts are well used in this script. The overall quality of this movie is very watchable, even when it did not have the richest budget.

Avengers: Endgame Movie Review

April 26, 2019 (updated April 26, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Avengers: Endgame” is a Marvel super-sized movie about Superheroes in a fragile condition. It is a big Hulked-up (so to speak) massive piñata of Marvel goodies – all built up and then broken open – for all the Marvel fans. The ‘Marvel Extended Universe’ might have seemed at first to be a pompous overselling of a marketing gimmick. But with movie it has been proven to be a very real thing. This movie is a direct tie-in to prior Avengers (Infinity War) movie, and it picks up right at the end of the prior one. So, if you have never seen a Marvel franchise movie before, you might want to catch up on some other ones first. But “Endgame” shows that Marvel knows how get the best talent to create the best movies, based on the very popular Marvel characters. Diving into the thick of it (without revealing any SPOILER items), let us dig in…

In “Avengers: Infinity War”, the Biggest of Big Bad Guys was named Thanos (Josh Brolin). A large collective team of Superheroes attempted to stop him. It included Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle). But they were also helped by the Guardians of the Galaxy – which includes Star Lord (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldanda), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), not to forget Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Oh, by the way, there were a couple of other talented Superheroes joining them, Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), and also Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). They all worked to stop him, but…

The effort failed, and Thanos gathered up six special ‘Infinity Stones’, put them into a metal gauntlet – then he snapped his fingers and half of the living universe disappeared. Many of the above-mentioned Superheroes turned to Superdust and floated away. Coming in late to the party was Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), who was first paired up recently dusted Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). She first saves Iron Man and Nebula, and wants to stick around to help. Even if they can find Thanos and eliminate him, it will not bring back the old dusted friends. Five years later, and a surprise return for Ant Man triggers some thoughts on how to retrieve the Stones. Not the band, the original Infinity Stones, prior to being collected by Thanos.

Yeah, it has to do with Quantum Realm time travel jazz, but don’t think about it too hard. After all, Professor Hulk (a new Hulkier version of Bruce Banner) is on the job. Not joining in the fun is Iron Man. Tony Stark and wife Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Stark has a young child to think about now. Oh, and if you go back into Time — you might locate people are not around today, such as Stark’s father Howard (John Slattery) and Captain America’s true love Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell).

Except that Tony Stark is a genius and cannot stop thinking about a way to harness the Quantum Realm and using it.. Using it to what end? If they can travel into the past, to certain dates and places, they will know where the Stones are and they can steal them. Yes, it has become a Galactic Heist Movie. By the way, Black Widow has also rounded up Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who is handy with a bow and arrow. They split up into teams, and each is set to obtain the Stones before Thanos can get to them. What a wonderful plan. What Could Ever Go Wrong? If you think that this might be more difficult (and more painful) than urinating onto an electric fence, then give yourself a hand.

Many good people are caught up in the savage battle between Thanos and the little pack of Superheros that will do ‘whatever it takes’ to defeat him for good this time around. After all, there are many Marvel movies to be made in the future, and they will need many of these characters back! But honestly – Marvel did such a glorious job to tie up almost every loose thread that this movie zooms right by. You never feel that there is any real bloat in the runtime, and even when the movie slows down a minute or two – it is a scene that this emotional and poignant.

There are a few shocking events, and a bit of self-sacrifice that makes the point clear. This is a Team that will do ‘whatever it takes’. The writing is well thought-out and carefully planned, so every twist and turn becomes a focal point for the next action. Also, there are quite a few flat-out really funny lines. The overall effect is a very fitting ‘Endgame’ to the first Phase of the Marvel movies. A few of the original actors/characters are due to phase out (Iron Man, Captain America, and some others) while newer ones will phase in (Spiderman, Ant Man, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, etc.).

Bravo to the team at Marvel Studios. Another decade like this past ten years, and they will have Thanos-like powers. Wait, Is that a good thing???

Author: JMcNaughton