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Arctic Movie Review

February 8, 2019 (updated February 8, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

Think ‘All is Lost’ with less water and think ‘Castaway’ with a substantial amount of snow. Now hold that image and you have, ‘Arctic.’ The best way to describe it is by saying it’s the survival picture of all survival pictures. And the way Joe Penna shot the film made it feel incredibly realistic. In fact, allow me to pass on a word of warning… you’ll get chills watching it. This being the case, if you see it this weekend, bring an extra sweater. It helps. On more than one occasion you might feel the urge to cuddle up to something for warmth and for strength.

The survivor we’re getting to know in this film carves ‘SOS’ in the snow every day. He makes it large enough so his message might be seen by a plane passing over… if one ever does. We see that this man is named, Overgård (Mikkelsen). At least that’s what we assume his name is since that’s what the jacket he wears (provided it’s his) tells us.

There are no other survivors with him from what was obviously a plane crash but an indication he wasn’t alone when it went down. The poor man is freezing and he’s hungry. In one scene he manages to make Ramen noodles look like first-rate cuisine.

Overgård’s been alone for what looks to be about a month or two. Having escaped death so far, he definitely knows how to take advantage of all tools available to him. These are probably skills he’s learned in Scouts, his training at work or both. He seems optimistic and to be holding onto hope that he’ll be found but his eyes say that his spirit is starting to fade. The weather isn’t such that he would attempt to try and walk North and possibly to safety. Instead, he’s content to stay in the valley that he’s grown accustomed to until someone comes to his rescue. He has been innovative when it comes to catching fish and out of what’s left of the body of the plane, he’s made a little home. For what that might look like, think of the film ‘Alive.’ Better yet, don’t think of that one. Hopefully, he didn’t have to eat anyone at this point.

Once you get to know Overgård, you begin to wonder what led him to this moment. What has he already endured? Why hasn’t he been found? How long has it been? Does he have someone looking for him or is it possible there’s nothing for him to go back to? All of this is left to the imagination of the viewer and one of the reasons you’ll admire the film and the performance Mikkelsen (The Three Musketeers, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) gives. What he does with little to no dialogue is a noteworthy achievement. Overgård is tough but tender. He’s intelligent and innocent. He’s every hero you can perceive him to be while at the same time he’ll have you wanting to leap onto the screen and help shoulder some of his burdens in the hopes you see him saved. That moment finally comes. He has a chance to be rescued. One day a helicopter flies over and sees him. For this, you will be gleeful.

Hold on! You didn’t think you were going to get off that easily, did you?? No way. Due to a strong draft of wind, the helicopter is forced down. After seeing him so hopeful, it’s difficult to witness Overgård so crushed. Thankfully, this doesn’t last long because his training kicks into gear and he runs to the helicopter to see if he can help. The pilot is dead, but the female co-pilot is still alive. He gets the young woman (Smáradóttir) out and to his plane where he begins to nurse her back to health. She’s so severely injured that she’s barely hanging on but as he has had to for himself, he decides to be her rock. The helicopter proves to be a treasure of goodies. He retrieves a sled to pull her and a lighter and fuel for warmth. Desperate for company and delighted with his stash, he’s now sanguine toward making it until another helicopter shows. Surely someone will be coming after her, right? The supply from the wreckage should buy him more time until that help arrives. He finds a picture his nearly comatose patient has. From this, he learns she’s a mother. As time ticks by, he begins to realize how dire the situation is for his new charge. So far, he’s been willing to brave the cold, the polar bears and possible death for himself. But through her returning to her family, he finds a new reason to fight and decides he’ll make the trek to an outpost on foot.

As he pulls her along in the snow and ice, ‘Arctic’ gets more and more intense and unforgiving. Every possible danger there is to encounter, he manages to find. His struggle to get help will have you struggling in your seat. He’s located an outpost on a map and has established how long it’ll take to get there. He chooses a certain route but when it proves impossible with his haul, he resolves to take the longer, windier and more precarious path. With what he’s being exposed to, he begins to look like death but refuses to give up. I’ll leave you to wonder what happens next.

Don’t wait for cable to see this movie. It’s thoroughly entertaining. The big screen lends help to the mood so see this at the theatre. Sound, as well as the soundtrack, are used to influence and manipulate you. You’ll respect what writers Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison have in store for you but rejoice in the fact that they didn’t stretch ‘Arctic’ out to two full hours as most films do today. This journey is hard to watch as it is, without it being stretched to the breaking point for no reason. ‘Arctic’ is a brilliant adventure so bundle up and see it tonight.

The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part

February 8, 2019 Published by Shari K. Green

This is the best sequel I’ve seen in a long time. It’s perfect. Written very skillfully and playfully by Phil Lord (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Chris Miller (Cloudy Chance of Meatballs) makes it an automatic win. They were the perfect team for this project and their years on this earth researching and studying the material used in this film pays off for their audience in the sheer amount of laughter that’ll be coming out of their mouths. This film is slick, smart and a whole lot of fun.

‘The Lego Movie’ was exceptional and was followed by several other films but ‘The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part’ assembles again the original heroes of Bricksburg in a yarn you won’t see coming. The adventure they take us on is as magical. It’s not only magical for the children sitting in the theatre viewing the beautiful animation and the enlightening story accompanying it, but it’s entertaining for adults, as well. If you didn’t see the first one, don’t worry. You don’t necessarily have to see it to get what’s going on here, however, for more hilarity I suggest you do.

So, we’re taken inside the town of Bricksburg. All safe were the citizens who believed their lives were comfy and cozy. A Fool’s dream. Their simple lives suddenly become anything but awesome. A very real and BIG challenge confronts them in the form of LEGO DUPLO® blocks. At first, these strangers are thought cute and sweet; anything but dangerous. Their adorable voices, baby doll eyes, and innocent faces leave the town defenseless. Bricksburg is caught off guard when the true aim of Duplo’s destruction and dominance is identified. After a horrific attack, the town tries to rebuild. They’ve learned how to keep Duplo from hurting them by not doing or having anything cute. By not showing weakness of any kind.

This doesn’t work for long… they’re back. However, this time, they make contact with General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz). Though he still often goes about singing his ‘Awesome’ mantra, Emmet (Pratt) has just had a dream about the end of times. He and a group he forms must stop this from becoming a reality when everything from his dream starts to come true. The film gets very sophisticated from here. Emmet, Lucy (Banks) and their team are now on their way to meet mysterious Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi, who’s played by the incredibly talented and hysterical Tiffany Haddish. The queen has a sinister plan, involving a song that will get stuck in your head, that they must prevent. By the way, this song will get stuck in your head before the movie ends. It drove me crazy for days.

Having hatched a plan on how to destroy the queen, Emmet meets Rex Dangervest who lends a hand in their quest to stop their new enemy, but Emmet sees that one by one the members of the gang gives in to her mysterious power. They now doubt the entire mission… especially when Batman (Arnett) explores his softer side and decides that Alfred might not be the only company he wants for the rest of his life. Superman with glitter in his hair is another giveaway that this strange new world might be one to accept. There are even several different versions of Wonder Woman and each of them is fine with her body type. They listen to and enjoy the strange song which Emmet and Rex refuse to do. They’re staying on course.

When the movie first starts, Will Ferrell’s live-action character of dad is with his son and daughter who are playing Lego’s. He’s insisting that brother share with his sister. This becomes the theme of the film. Duplo and Lego. Boy and Girl. Dark and Light. Destruction of all things.

Enter the message.

I flipped out over this movie but before I tell you everything that happens, I’ll cut to the chase. See this and on the big screen preferably. You’ll never forget seeing scenes recreated from popular films such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and characters such as Bruce Willis from ‘Die Hard’ crawling around in air ducts in his white t-shirt. The adorably destructive Duplo is a must-see. In fact, every one of the characters in this film are amusing and imaginative. Spoiler… you won’t see this one coming but RBG makes an appearance. And why not? She’s everywhere right now! For that alone, you cannot miss, ‘The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part.’

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Cold Pursuit Movie Review

February 8, 2019 (updated February 8, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

In this film, director Hans Petter Moland has remade his original film called ‘In Order of Disappearance’ that starred Stellan Skarsgård for the American audience. Since I liked this film but found Liam Neeson’s ability to carry the role a bit difficult to accept, I’ll be seeing if the original were something American audiences needed to discover sooner. If you like your action mixed with comedy this will satiate the pallet. The action is good, and the comedy is dark. My point about Neeson is that if you were curious about and or looking for the sign that it’s time for Liam Neeson to call it quits on the tough guy roles, look no further than his performance in ‘Cold Pursuit,’ or as I thought of the movie the entire time I was watching it, a strangely comedic take on ‘Taken.’ I’m sorry but it has to be said. No longer can he be taken that seriously as a badass fighter or even as menacing. As Nels in ‘Cold Pursuit,’ Neeson looks weak and thin and seems in no way capable of physically pulling off what is asked of him… nor is it explained where he would have procured his ‘particular set of skills.’

To be fair, ‘Cold Pursuit’ has an interest in meeting more than just the expectation of the ‘Taken’ fans. With the humorous elements woven through the script, it speaks to Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri) and even Guy Ritchie (Snatch) devotees, as well. That said, you absolutely do not want to miss the dark comedy here for which the film is loaded. Neeson was hard to swallow but Nels does have a reason for being ruthless which is the murder of his son, Kyle. In case you come across this question in a trivia game someday, Kyle is played by his real-life son, Micheál Richardson.

Nels is an ordinary, everyday family man who owns his own snow plowing business. He resides high in the bitter cold of the resort town of Kehoe, Colorado where he clears the roads for those traveler’s brave enough to chance the trip to ski in the demanding weather. I must mention that the cinematography is breathtaking. Nels has a cabin outside of the tourist trap with his wife Grace (Dern). Grace isn’t in the picture long. She’s distraught and… outta here. When they find out he was killed, Nels vows to hunt the killers down and wreak havoc upon them. This leads to my biggest beef with the film which is Tom Bateman as drug lord Trevor ‘Viking’ Calcote. He the man who Nels hunts but is not at all a convincing bad guy. And not because he’s a vegan! Bateman does look like a weasel in the film which works in his favor to a degree. And I know the bully, or the alpha, is usually the weak one but this is another casting choice I would have reconsidered. The performance wasn’t strong enough to convince me he wouldn’t turn tail and run at the slightest inclination there might be some sort of confrontation, let alone lead others to do anything malicious. His ten-year-old son Ryan (Nicholas Holmes) is a far more interesting character. And I sincerely mean that.

In a brilliant turn of events, Viking draws the attention of the Native American elder White Bull (Tom Jackson), who’s the head of his own gang. A turf war starts. This is the last thing our gangster wannabe needs. Nels and Natives? Now it’s getting good. Members of these rival gangs start dropping like flies.

William Forsythe enters the picture and you finally accept that this might be where Nels received some of his skills. Anyway, Forsythe always adds to a film, an asset no matter how he’s used and playing brother to Nels, he helps the story immeasurably. There are two local cops played by Emma Rossum and John Doman who do the same. By the end, justice is served, and you’ll walk away having enjoyed the hell out of this movie. Parts are unbelievable, yes, but what about going to a movie isn’t fantasy? You’ll like the scenery, the score, the characters, and the vengeance. You’ll begin to see the bigger picture playing out and how insane it’s all becoming. And just maybe, you won’t be ready to say to Neeson’s agent that it’s time he hangs up his punching bags. There still might be a few more action pictures left in him? I’ll leave that to you to decide.

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Miss Bala Movie Review

February 1, 2019 (updated January 31, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Miss Bala” is actually a remake of an earlier Spanish-language version. But this new one is bigger on the action, violence and explosions, because – wwll – because it is a Hollywood remake. The story gets into cross-border action between the United States and Mexico, specifically in Tijuana and San Diego. The Mexican drug cartels, crooked local Mexican cops, crooked Mexican Federales, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and even the CIA get thrown into the mix. The story uses the local Tijuana beauty pageant as a vehicle to jump start a tense action thriller with a long and winding resolution.

Gloria Meyer (Gina Rodriguez) works as makeup artist in the Los Angeles area. She was born in the US, but has spent much of her childhood in Tijuana, Mexico. Her best friend there is named Suzu (Cristina Rodlo), and Suzu is planning on being in the Miss Baja California beauty contest. Gloria is with Suzu when she registers, and that night they decide to celebrate at the hot local club. However, the place is way too hot. The local Federale general, who is also a crooked drug kingpin, is scheduled to attend. So a group of actual drug cartel members break in to assassinate him. This group is led by Lino (Ismael Cruz Córdova). Lino finds Gloria hiding in a bathroom, and tells her to leave quietly. The shooting starts and people scatter everywhere. Gloria looses track of Suzu, and vows to find her. The next day she goes to a local cop to get help.

Instead, she is kidnapped by Lido and his henchmen. She is unwittingly brought into a plan to blow up a Mexican DEA safe house. She is terrified, and feels there is no way to escape. But when Lido make Gloria sign up for the beauty contest, she finds a way to ditch the cartel. But she is found by DEA Agent named Brian (Matt Lauria). He forces Gloria to go undercover and report to him. Or else, she will be prosecuted for the deaths at the DEA safe house. Gloria goes back to Lido and his gang of thugs. However, Lido has a new plan for Gloria. She is sent across the border with a secret stash of cash and drugs. Since she has a valid American passport, they do not question her. She meets up with another cartel henchman named Jimmy (Anthony Mackie). He tells Gloria to send a message to Lido – he has a mole in his outfit.

DEA Agent Brian is told about a big transfer of weapons to happen in Tijuana. Gloria lets him know about it and they plan an ambush. A major shootout occurs in a parking lot, and all hell breaks loose. Lido and the cartel members are under fire from the DEA and from Mexican police. Gloria is told to find her own way out, so she decides to instead stay with Lido. They escape and the bad guys find their way to a new safe house far away. Gloria finds that the beauty contest will be rigged, and the judges have been bought off. Gloria will win the contest, and that will give her private ‘access’ to the local Federale general. This means that Lido has a new assignation plot in the works.

Gloria finds that she has the power, in the end, to find her friend Suzu and to take out some really bad guys. Oh yes, all of this while looking really hot in a tight red dress and wearing heals. The people who told Gloria one thing were hiding information, or were telling flat out lies. She had to come up with ways to escape all sorts of deadly situations. She was caught in automatic round crossfire, and she was still walking tall, never hit or even scratched. Man, that woman needs to buy a lottery ticket – NOW!

Unlike other recent movies, “Miss Bala” gets about inch deep into the reality of drug smuggling and cartel operations. “Traffic” was crystal clear in showing how destructive illegal drugs can be. The movie “Sicario” gets into details about the cross-border drug smuggling operations. Even a movie the “The Mule” showed the heinous nature of the cartel methods of distributing drugs. This movie only uses cartels and Mexican Federale and DEA agents as devices to push and manipulate Gloria around the way they want. Even at the end, when it opens up a slight potential for Gloria as a continuing franchise character, someone who just be willing to do this same thing for the CIA, it is not of her free will.

Director Catherine Hardwicke takes a very pedestrian approach to the movie, by setting up selected trigger events that push the story forward. It looks really good, and there is a lot of up-beat music, even during the periods where there is great danger. Gina Rodriguez is quite good, but the role gives her limited room to create a full character. She is consistently reacting to things done by other people. Her character is led around to do this and that, but she never indicates that she would do something totally different. Also playing Lino is Ismael Cruz Córdova, and he play quite a charming sociopath. He is sometimes low-key and charming, and in the next minute he can blow away a traitor in the group. He is very convincing in this role.

“Miss Bala” is a remake of the original Spanish-language version, but something was lost in the translation.

They Shall Not Grow Old Movie review

February 1, 2019 (updated January 31, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“They Shall Not Grow Old” is a film-making marvel and a technological achievement. But much, much more than that: this movie is a tribute and a salute of honor to the many British soldiers who went off to fight in World War I. Many of these brave lads never returned, and ‘they shall not grow old’. Director Peter Jackson has taken actual movie footage from the historical era and transformed it to a documentary that explores the horrors of trench warfare. He has taken hundreds of hours of old footage, along with hundreds of hours of audio interviews – and with this raw material, he has created a fully immersive look at what the average ‘doughboy’ actually experienced at the Front. Working with The Imperial War Museum and the BBC, Jackson has taken and then digitized, colorized and did a 3-D conversion a whole lot of rough grainy badly-shot movie footage. The result is a very informative and in engaging peek into what happened over one hundred years ago.

The original movie cameras back at time produced some very poor quality footage. The film in the camera was over cranked, meaning the speed when projected back later was too fast and jerky. The film was not meant to last forever, so there are many places where it has faded and has accumulated dust particles. Even with this as a starting point, Peter Jackson has gotten some of the most talented film restoration and production people involved in restoring hours of film – frame by frame. His final result becomes a slow build up to the central part – the reconstructed view of the Front Line in World War I.

The beginning is shown in the overly fast-speed and poor quality images of London prior to WWI. When war comes, it is publicized in every way that England needs to fight to exist, and to keep Europe free. With the soundtrack repeating story after story of many under aged fellows getting into the service, it shows how they trained to be a fighting force. Soon, they are over in Belgium and France, and it is obvious that the bombing and shelling has taken a toll. At one point, the black and white image turns into a colorized version. The troops meet their new home in the trenches. They know there are German soldier only dozens of yards away. There is a deadly bog of twisted barbed wire and mines that make up a dreaded “No Man’s Land” between the two sides. Enemy snipers are always ready to take out a soldier who might peek over the side of the trench at the wrong time. There are massive bombardments of mortars and grenades, and these things make for an unpleasant place to be.

It is very odd to see images from over one hundred years ago with this level of sharpness and clarity. The extra added color in many of the scenes add to the depth of experience that you are watching recent newsreel footage. Some of the stories told by the men who served there are stark and full of vivid detail. Most of them contain terrible descriptions of the conditions and the results of the battles fought. Many people died, on both sides. The loss of life was staggering, but almost all the British soldiers did what they know how to do. They carried on. They ate and drank tea, and they would sing bawdy songs, such as “Mademoiselle from Armentières”. But mostly they fought in the “Great War”, because this was the “War to End All Wars”. Little did they know…

But just as the First World War came to an end, this movie also shows that the surviving troops returned home. They were greet as heroes, but promptly were forgotten. The world economy was in shambles, and unemployment was high. When the large influx of soldiers came back to England, there were not as many jobs there as when they left. But each of the men who served at the Front came back with a changed outlook on life. Each one knew at any time, the fragile thread of life could be snapped by the cruel hand of Death. They had seen that up close way too many times. Some retreated into a bottle to combat their own demons. Yet a majority of them stood up straight and became leaders and fathers and the backbone of British society.

Peter Jackson has dedicated this movie to Sgt. William Jackson, his grandfather who served in World War I. So it shows the depth of commitment that he had to make everything about this documentary something very special. He has accomplished this goal.

Per the press release, the producers note that this year marks the 100-year anniversary of the “Great War” coming to an end:

“With this being the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I can’t imagine a more appropriate time to honor the courage of the soldiers who fought in WWI — what was then ‘the war to end all wars’ — many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Peter has made history come alive through the medium of film, and we are so pleased to be a part of bringing his vision to today’s audiences.”

Serenity Movie Review

January 25, 2019 (updated January 25, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

The word serenity means the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness. It conjures up peace of mind that, in many cases, one can only dream of as we live our daily lives. We strive for it but might only catch moments here and there. Can you imagine a serene world where everyone in the world lives on a beautiful, perfect island? An island where everyone is happy and no one grows old? Believe it or not, it exists. In the film ‘Serenity’ it does anyway. Baker Dill (Academy Award®-winner Matthew McConaughey) lives on this tropical heaven. This paradise is called Plymouth island and it’s where Dill has everything he needs when he needs it. He barely gets by but he’s completely content with fishing for just one certain tuna that always escapes him. He has never questioned his existence until now.

What brings him to start is the re-emergence of his ex-wife, Karen Zariakas (Academy Award®-winner Anne Hathaway), who finds him on Plymouth. Karen, knowing he needs the money, offers him a golden opportunity. She uses Dill’s son Patrick (Sayegh) as bait to lure him in. She tells him that her husband, Frank Zariakas (Clarke) is extremely abusive to her and Patrick and asks if he’ll consider helping her escape his clutches. She wants Dill to take Frank out on a late tuna run and, essentially, toss him overboard to fend for himself… preferably in shark-infested waters. The offer, the mention of Partick and seeing her face again bring about feelings that Dill has suppressed. He now questions his life, whereabouts, and reality itself. Beautifully shot, you can see how if someone lived a life such as Dills’, he’d accept anything not to penetrate it. Why would he want to open up a doorway into the past that might bring him out of this utopia? This may sound like an intriguing film but, unfortunately, how it’s cut might have stopped it from being as good as it could have been.

The film has intense moments and the cinematography is gorgeous. Had it been put together differently; the story might have had a chance. Halfway through watching it, I thought to myself that it made a lot of sense that it, originally slated to come out in October of last year, was changed to January where it’ll be forgotten if ever seen. This might be better for all involved. Hathaway is stunning but not in a good way. Her damsel in distress character is vapid and mousy and McConaughey’s performance is straight up uncomfortable to watch… especially as he sweats all over the camera lens. It’s perplexing why they’d accept the roles, unless, as I suggested, the film was cut in such a way that it ruined the original intent. The world writer/director Steven Knight (Locke) was trying to convey simply doesn’t come through with the dialogue coming out of his actors’ mouths, the way they behaved and the structure of the film itself. That said, it’s just a bad movie. The more story revealed, the less sense it makes… and then there’s the music. The serious music trying to sell you on a sincerely divine plan of some sort makes the film more laughable as it goes on. If its stars interest you, wait for cable to see ‘Serenity.’ I can’t suggest you see this at the theatre.

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The Kid Who Would be King Movie Review

January 25, 2019 (updated January 23, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

Retelling the tale of King Arthur is as common as giant turkey legs at a Renaissance Faire. But in the movie “The Kid Who Would Be King” the ‘Once and Future King’ is a little on the young side. The Sword Excalibur is meant only for the hands of the King. But when a young kid pulls out the sword in a modern-day England – that schoolboy’s life gets turned around. Good thing he has help of an ancient and mighty sorcerer named Merlin. However, he is also portrayed as another young boy, just more eccentric. There is an evil presence from King Arthur’s day ready to return and destroy all of England, so the new Kid King has his work cut out for him.

Alex Elloit (Louis Serkis) is getting a rough time at school in a small town outside of London. He and his best pal Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) get picked on everyday. Two older kids named Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye (Rhianna Doris) are very cruel to Alex and Bedders. One night, while hiding from the two, Alex ducks into a construction site. He finds an unusual site – there is a sword in a stone. He’s is able to remove and take it home. Little does he know that an evil sorceress named Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) has been imprisoned and knows the sword is active. She is the half-sister of King Arthur and she is held by a powerful spell from the Ancient Merlin (Patrick Stewart). She vows to escape and lead her undead evil minions to destroy the Kingdom.

Alex learns that a young version of Merlin (Angus Imrie) has come back to assist him. Merlin seems to be just an oddball at school, but he shows Alex, Bedders, Lance and Kaye some very powerful magic. In four days, during a solar eclipse, Morgana plans to rise from the prison of darkness and overtake the world. Alex does not know how to be a leader. Bedders is basically scared of everything. Lance is bully who puts himself first, and Kaye is not interested in helping other people. But with a lot of effort, this ragtag group travels across the country to seek out the truth, a Quest for the future of England.

Alex and his crew finally get to the place where Morgana is entrapped. They think they have defeated her, but there is another – and a much larger – battle to come. The solar eclipse releases Morgana and some terrible forces from the Earth. But Alex and gotten his entire school ready to fight. There is a huge CGI battle-fest, with undead minions on black horses and Morgana returned as a female bat-dragon type of thing. It is only because of the ‘Earth in darkness but not in night’ that allows Alex to have so many people join his crusade against evil. It is non-descript battle, seeing that it is to prevent the downfall of all humanity…

There are a handful of clever and creative ideas in this movie. But mostly it is a just a rehash of better movies on the same subject. Even Disney’s animated “The Sword and the Stone” covered much of this same ground. The bright spots are Angus Imrie playing Merlin, and when he gets swapped out occasionally for the older and wiser version – played by Patrick Stewart. Most of the child actors are pretty fun to watch, and they get the point across. The movie moves at an odd pace, with some sections dragged out for a quest going here and there in the English countryside. The internal logic of the movie is fuzzy, and there is one major scientific error that I cannot dismiss. There is supposed to be a solar eclipse in a few days, and right before that – the kids are out at night under a full moon. Ask your science teacher why that is wrong…

Joe Cornish has another movie under his belt where he wrote and directed (“Attack the Block”). That movie also starred mostly young kids, and he did a fantastic job with that one. He also wrote (or co-wrote) some great movies, “Adventures of Tin-Tin”, “Baby Driver”, and “Ant Man”. But he seems to have taken a few days of during this movie. “The Kid Who Would Be King” could be a very engaging movie, with a lot going for it. But the final results with this movie, it does not rise to the Throne. Cornish has pulled and pulled, but this time the sword stayed in the stone…

Glass Movie Review

January 18, 2019 Published by Shari K. Green

M. Night Shyamalan brings his two hit films ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’ together after nineteen years to celebrate an almost perfect sci-fi, thriller marriage in ‘Glass.’
Within the story of ‘Glass,’ the main characters from the two previous pictures are unwillingly united for reasons they’re unaware of, however, once they see each other again, it’s agreed upon that fate has brought them together again to continue where they left off.
Samuel L. Jackson is, once again, Elijah Price or ‘Mr. Glass’ as he prefers to be called. He’s a comic book enthusiast who’s convinced that Superheroes truly exist and proves so by using his incredibly gifted brain to be a Supervillain. At the moment he’s in a mental hospital being helped by his doting mother. Mrs. Glass is played by, Charlayne Woodard, who returns after ‘Unbreakable.’ Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn, the security guard now business owner, who helps catch criminals by touching people and receiving telepathically a crime that has been committed. The business David owns is in something he knows well and that is security. His son, Joseph, who’s played by Spencer Treat Clark who played the part originally all those years ago, helps him capture a criminal post vision.

Then there’s James McAvoy. Let’s talk about James McAvoy. He joins them as Kevin Wendell Crumb and, of course, ‘The Horde’ which means we’ll also see Patricia, Dennis, The Beast, Barry, Heinrich, Jade, Ian, Mary Reynolds, Norma, Jalin, Kat, B.T., Mr. Pritchard, Hedwig etc., the personalities who live within Kevin’s brain and take over his body when they have the light that Kevin so desperately avoids. To them, holding the light is being the personality able to control the body completely and make their presence known to the outside world. Whichever one has or keeps the light has all the power. The Beast wants this power but can be controlled… for now. Casey Cooke, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, was the only person to survive The Beast and decides maybe she can help control him again. Look for her to step in at some point and give it a try.

Sarah Paulson makes her entrance as Dr. Ellie Staple. She’s convinced that these humans are delusional. She captures them and tells them they have three days to accept that reality, using their weaknesses to control the narrative. She keeps Glass heavily sedated, uses hypnotic strobe lights to control ‘The Horde’ and keeps David in a room that will fill with water and drown him if he tries anything stupid. These safeguards make it impossible for them to escape. Or do they? Kevin’s personalities, one by one, try to break the barrier. Here’s my small soapbox moment. I must say that it was wrong to see James McAvoy’s performance ignored after ‘Split.’ This time, with the way he goes in and out of characters continually, it would be a travesty if he were to be overlooked. To this film, he was an absolute godsend. Little by little, more is divulged and you grow more curious as to what the big reveal will be. You know it’s coming.

I believe that ‘Glass’ was the perfect way to advance the story. Without revealing too much, I want to make it known that I think you should avoid listening to any negative press the film might be getting and say to you, ‘Just go and see for yourself.’ Sure there will be things to question, some quite obvious, but they’re harmless issues and don’t take anything from your belief in what’s going on before you. The fascinating twists that Shyamalan once again delivers to you in this plot keeps you riveted and will leave you fulfilled. The cinematography, score, and intensity of the script are reason enough to see this but the acting by McAvoy is extraordinary. That said if you can’t enjoy a sci-fi without using it as an opportunity to search for and find every mistake that renders it incapable of being real, maybe this isn’t for you. However, if you want to see an excellent sci-fi film that thrills the hell out of you and captures what you so loved about M. Night Shyamalan in the first place, you will not be disappointed.

Cold War Movie Review

January 18, 2019 (updated December 28, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

If you’re looking for reasons to see ‘Cold War’ I’ll give you a few. One is that it’s said to have received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. After seeing it, I can believe this. Another is that Rotten Tomatoes has certified it as 93% Fresh. On to my reasons as to why you should make a trek to the theatre to watch this movie. Yes. I said it. There’s no waiting for home viewing with a movie this alluring. Its beauty is sophisticated, profound and slight. It doesn’t scream directly in your face but rather hits you when you revive the entity the film was to you from your memory. The black and white cinematography will look clean and quiet while whispers of genius glide across the screen and entices you to watch this lovely heartbreaking story of love. I promise you that you’ll not be able to look away. It’s a real treasure to observe. Part of why was the 4:3 aspect ratio used that allows the viewer to examine the picture as a piece of photographic art. By shrinking its scale, it’s also possible for the audience to see themselves in the characters or better relate to what they’re going through.

In the story, we have two main characters named Zula and Wiktor. She is a student and he’s her teacher at a school that advocates for Polish folk music and dance. ‘Cold War’ recounts the tale of Zula (Kulig), who’s a gifted singer, and Wiktor (Kot), her teacher and interestingly enough, a songwriter. When they meet, they fall instantly in love. Set in Poland in 1949, the lovers, who dream of being together once and for all, have not only their station in life but communism to worry about. Sadly, for the next fifteen years, this perfect pairing must perform a dance of hiding their relationship from everyone, while at the same time trying not to have the torch they carry for one another extinguished by their circumstances. They secretly meet one another whenever and wherever they can until they can stand it no longer and finally decide to leave and be together once and for all. Best laid plans, right? He leaves for the border where he waits for her to join him. However, afraid of what could happen to them, she doesn’t meet him. Realizing she’s not coming, he decides not to go back and goes on with her. Several years go by and during this time, she struggles deeply. Oh, if only she could find him aga… wait! Look! Here comes Wiktor who can always put a smile on her face. Well, not really. Though they do find one another, it isn’t long before they’re separated again. This storyline is repeated over and over. They’re doomed to a life of searching which is good for their art but terrible for their hearts.

She’s married when they meet once again in Paris. These scenes are the most rewarding. The music, and her performance, in particular, is outstanding. During this period, she’s drunk all the time and they’re both miserable but with so much working against them, how could anyone truly be happy? What’s most provocative about this ‘love story,’ is that when they find themselves together, it never works out. It’s as if they have longed for it so deeply, that’s all they know how to do. Wanting is one thing… having what you reach for is quite another. Who are Wiktor and Zula if not the two seeking one another? The ending, that I’m not revealing to you here, is superb. It couldn’t have been improved upon. All of that said, describing this film does nothing for what it essentially is. It’s magnificent. See it before Oscar season. It’ll most likely be everywhere.

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Destroyer Movie Review

January 18, 2019 (updated January 17, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Destroyer” is a wild fever dream of a long awaited time to avenge a wrong done to the main character. It involves a woman undercover detective in LA, sent into a deep-cover operation with a man who becomes her lover. There are circumstances that cause several deaths, and she suffers a tragic loss of her lover. He had become the father of a soon-to-be born child, and the agents’ life is turned upside down. There was a bank-robbery gang that she and the other agent were imbedded into. During an ill-conceived heist, there is hell to be paid. Even if that retribution needs to wait 17 years…

Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) is currently considered a joke in the LA police detective office. She is hard-drinking and impertinent. She does not work well with others. She has a daughter, and the girl is contently in trouble. She has an ex-husband Ethan (Scoot McNairy), but is now divorced – mostly because Erin Bell pushes way everyone in her life. She is a total hot mess and under duress. She knows and waits for only one thing. She craves to get back the person who had ruined her life 17 years ago.

Back 17 years, and Erin was teamed with Chris (Sebastian Stan) in an undercover operation to get in with a gang of outcasts. They are led by a strange but charismatic guy named Silas (Toby Kebbell). People in the gang were under control of Silas, to the point of playing Russian roulette for his amusement. He would plan bank robberies and other things to prove the loyalty of his crew. After many months, Erin Bell and Chris became full ingrained into the gang. They become lovers and Erin is pregnant. But there is a fateful day with a robbery gone very badly. Erin’s child will never meet her true father.

Erin Bell has survived her life since that day, and has not dreamed of anything but getting revenge. One day, she hears of some recent clues about the return of Silas to the scene in LA. There are some ex-gang members that she finds, and she finds DiFranco (Bradley Whitford). DiFranco is a successful lawyer who has side jobs from criminal clients. One of his contacts is Silas, and he has been laundering money from the old bank robberies. This leads Erin to Petra (Tatiana Maslany), one of the old members. She is getting new members to work for Silas to commit new robberies. Erin finds one in progress and becomes an on-the-spot security force. She first captures and gets more information from Petra, so that she can confront Silas for a final time.

Nicole Kidman has created a character that is so deep into her hatred and despair that she has ruined her life. Kidman put 100% into this role, and she looks so unlike any other character that Nicole Kidman has ever played – that you might gasp. Her life spirit has been drained, and she wants nothing but revenge. But she will not give up or quit, until she can undo the damage done by Silas. This is a role for which Kidman deserves to be recognized and awarded many honors.

Karyn Kusama has directed a very wonderful little film. It tracks back and forth in time, to show Erin Bell’s tragic story. It takes the typical ideas from detective stories and turns them slightly askew. It captures the struggle for a normal life by a character that is haunted by her past life. It takes a clear-eyed view of how an obsessive need for revenge can be a Destroyer of a person’s life.

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Category: Reviews