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Johnny English Strikes Again Movie Review

October 26, 2018 (updated October 23, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Johnny English Strikes Again” is a sequel in the “Johnny English” series, with Rowan Atkinson as an MI7 spy. He is the most bumbling and ill-prepared secret agent ever. He does little that is right, but he always thinks he is top of the line. English is similar to the inept Inspector Clouseau from the ‘Pink Panther’ movies. Peter Sellers was perfect for those movies, and Rowan Atkinson is pretty much the arrow in the bullseye for “Johnny English”. It’s just that the humor in the 60’s was fine for its time. But today, audiences do expect a little bit other than pratfalls and big-eared goofy grins.

Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is brought back into MI7 service after a technical data hack on the bureau. All current spies have been exposed and the Prime Minister (Emma Thompson) is upset. The country is undergoing several mysterious data hacks, and things are not good for the British Empire. The Prime Minister thinks that perhaps a young tech-savvy billionaire named Jason Volta (Jake Lacy) can get the country running smoothly again. English is the only retired field agent who can be called upon to investigate. He also gets an assist with his old MI7 friend named Angus Bough (Ben Miller). For some reason, English pronounces Bough as ‘Boof’. These two get sent to check out the computer hacks, first in France.

Johhny and ‘Boof’ find out that a luxury sailing yacht named the “Dot Calm” had something to do with the British data hack. They also meet up with a beautiful woman named Ophelia (Olga Kurylenko) on the yacht. She knows that boat belongs to billionaire Jason Volta, and she is looking into why he wants to make a business deal with the Prime Minister. When Johnny and Boof pretend to be waiters at a fancy French resort, there is a total disaster in the making. Ophelia heads to England to track Volta, so Johnny and Boof also go back home.

Johnny English has a feeling that Volta might be up to something very bad. But the Prime Minister is all smiles about Volta, and she will not disavow him. Johnny and Boof have a ‘Virtual Reality’ mock-up of Volta’s English country estate. Johnny uses this VR device to learn how to maneuver Volta’s estate to find evidence of his wrong-doing. However, Johnny does everything wrong (as usual) and thinks he is in the VR lab when he is actually out in the London bookstores and coffee shops – attacking people who are Volta’s “Heanchmen”. He and Boof go to estate for real, and they do find evidence that Volta is evil. They work with Ophelia to record Volta’s evil plans, but of course, Johnny messes that up when he tries to play it for the Prime Minister.

Johnny and Boof are fired and need to stay away from the big conference in Scotland, where the Prime Minister and Jason Volta will sign a big agreement. All the other European countries will also join in, because Volta promises to protect all their data. They of course do not know that Volta has been behind all of the data hacks and is leading up to taking over the various countries. If Johnny and Boof only were able to be there and effectively protect England and all of Europe. If only they could work with Ophelia, who is an undercover Russian agent, to stop Volta from being an evil jerk. If only– but wait — of course Johnny English will blunder into a situation and somehow make the ‘not the worst thing’ happen. If only — by accident…

“Johnny English Strikes Again” shows that Rowan Atkinson does not strike out, but he also does not hit any home runs. Call this one a broken-bat single. Atkinson is terrific at what he does, which is to play the unknowing fool. The rest of the cast enjoys slumming around with him, especially Emma Thompson. The story is a series of set pieces, all tied together with Atkinson basic goofy character. There is some humor to be found, but it does not sustain the entire run time. But there is nothing objectionable, so Grandmums can watch it with their wee laddie grandsons.

Mid90s Movie Review

October 26, 2018 (updated October 23, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

The movie “Mid90s” is a backward glance a time where growing up in L.A. was full of adventure and pain. Both written and directed by Jonah Hill, this is not a 1990’s celebration of nostalgia, but more a look back full of retrospection and subtle comment. The main story line is a basic ‘coming-of-age’ story, placed out in the streets of L.A. full of the skateboard wizards and loud rap music of that time. This is not a sweet replay of a bygone era, such as “American Graffiti”. It is more like a dirty, gritty review of that selected mid-decade – sort of an “L.A. Tagging”.

Stevie (Sunny Suljic) is a thirteen-year-old living in a lower middle class area in Los Angeles. His older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) often beats up on Stevie. His single mother Dabney (Katherine Waterston) is rarely around and sometimes brings home guys – but they only stay the night. Stevie thinks that his time needs to be spent outside the house, and he decides to find new friends. He finds them at a local skate shop on the main road near his home. He first meets Ruben (Gio Galicia), who is only few years older than Stevie. He later meets the other guys in that group, who are all good skaters. There is the somewhat slow guy named ‘Fourth Grade’ (Ryder McLaughlin), and the awkwardly named ‘Fuckshit’ (Olan Prenatt). But the best skater in the group is Ray (Na-kel Smith), who nicknames Stevie ‘Sunburn’.

Stevie hangs around and learns to skate (a little bit), but he mostly wants to hang out with these cool guys. They all trash talk to each other and to anyone around that they meet. It’s like locker room talk, but without the lockers. They teach Stevie to skate, but they also teach him the best places to hang out, how to smoke, how to drink, and basically how to deal with troubles at home. Ray always keeps in practice, and even when the others want to party and find liquor – Ray still practices his skating skills. Someday he wants to be a Pro, and skate in tournaments.

Stevie’s mother Dabney does not like the fact that he is spending too much time with his skating friends. Stevie is gaining too many bad habits to go along with his friendships. Stevie is now smoking, and drinking, and sometimes stealing money. He is taking risks, and he is getting some friendly time with girls. But because Stevie is feeling invincible, he even is starting to put down his best friend Ruben. One night when there are confrontations between Ray and Fuckshit, there are also troubles between Ruben and Stevie. But because too many of them are a little too drunk, there are some bad choices which lead to a terrible and tragic event.

Jonah Hill has done an excellent job at portraying a particular place and time. His eye for dialog is really spot on, and the supporting music fits in with certain flair. He has gathered a group of really new actors (who can also skate pretty well) and gotten a very meaning performance out of each one. The few ‘name’ actors are used quite well, also. The only major argument that I have with the story is that there is pretty big disastrous event right at the end, but nobody is held accountable. That strikes me as wrong…

“Mid90s” is reflective of the high ranking that many of the critics will be giving this movie. It is a work of passion for Jonah Hill, and he makes it come to life. Even for a short while, you feel that you know that decade and a few of those people.

Hunter Killer Movie Review

October 26, 2018 (updated October 25, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Hunter Killer” is a serviceable, if somewhat ludicrous, military action movie involving submarines and Russian coup attempts. The “ripped from the Cold War” plotlines do not match up as well today, seeing that cyber-warfare is the go to choice of many nations. The idea that a rogue Russian Defense Minister could take over the government’s power has a lot of potential, but it is all wasted here. With all of the prior suspenseful submarine movies (“Hunt for Red October”, Das Boot”, “Run Silent, Run Deep”, “Ice Station Zebra”), this movie is a clinker that can barely stay afloat.

Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is the new commander of the USS Omaha, an American sub of the ‘hunter killer’ class. Newly promoted, he and his crew are sent to investigate the strange disappearance of both a Russian and a US sub in waters off the Russian coast. His sub is attacked by another Russian sub, and then fighting back – the crew destroys the Russian submarine. But there is no retaliation or show of Russian military power, because the Russian Defense Minister is busy taking over the country. Glass and his crew find a survivor from the first Russian sub that was sunk. They are able to save Captain Andropov (Michael Nyqvist) and a few of his crew from his crippled sub.

Back at the Pentagon, Rear Admiral Fisk (Common) and Admiral Donnegan (Gary Oldman) get prepared for war. But an NSA operative named Norquist (Linda Cardellini) thinks that a coup might be happening. She convinces them to send some Special Ops deep into Russian territory to investigate. This team is lead by Navy SEAL Lieutenant Beaman (Toby Stephens). The Seals are able to confirm that the Russian President is being held captive by the Defense Minister.

The Seals are able to get the Russian President away from the military base where he was being held. But now they need safe passage out of there, so Joe Glass will be coming in to the rescue. But the only person who knows the Russian waters, and all the tricky underwater booby traps that wait there, is the Russian sub Captain Andropov. He is able to guide the submarine close enough to create an escape route for the President and surviving Seal operatives. But getting the sub and all the people out will be a task that might prove impossible.

The Russian Minister of Defense has been trying to trick the Americans all along. He wants the US side to fire first, so he can unleash an all-out war. He had caused the first Russian sub to go down, the one that was captained by Andropov. But his sabotage did not start a major conflict. Now he wants Joe Glass to fire first on the Destroyer class Russian ship that is chasing it down. Joe Glass plays a waiting game before releasing missiles, and he is hoping for a Russian ‘ex machina’ to save him and his crew. But will he get it?

“Hunter Killer” seems like a left over concept from a time that is gone by. Sure, there are still submarine fleets, and the sub operations can be very impressive. But the Russian Federation is not like the old USSR. And even the current military has different goals and strategies than during the Cold War. Much of this movie seems to want it both ways. They want a Hillary Clinton type US President in a Tom Clancy novel world. Many parts of that equation do not add up…

But for a decent submarine action movie, this one is all right. Gerard Butler plays a fine leader of a group of dedicated men. Michael Nyqvist is great as the frail and older Russian captain. This was his final roll before his untimely death. Gary Oldman runs around looking for more scenery to chew on. Common does a very sturdy job in his role, but poor Linda Cardellini is drowned in a sea of testosterone.

“Hunter Killer” drags on longer than it needs to, and the ending is very preposterous. However, there are some decent action scenes and some tense underwater moments. So, all in all, this movie gets a little waterlogged at times, but it never sinks to the bottom.

The Oath Movie Review

October 19, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

In ‘The Oath,’ actor and comedian, now producer, writer, and director of a feature film, Ike Barinholtz, plays Chris. Chris is the everyman and Barinholtz plays him quite well. ‘The Oath,’ is a movie that needs its audience to connect with the lead in order to have faith in its message so casting was pivotal. The message is political and very powerful but no matter how you lean politically it’s a strong movie for both sides. Through a brutal comedy, you see both sides somewhat shredded and hopefully, everyone comes out on the other side the better for it. I think that’s the central reason the film was made. One blatant and glaring spotlight is directed on the idea that the country is to fall in line with whatever the president says or wants. Nowhere in the Constitution of the United States of America does it even suggest we are to support the president, a person, but instead, the president is to support what he swore AN OATH to protect and that’s the Constitution. The Constitution, in turn, protects the country and her people.

In the film, the president is asking that people sign The Patriot’s Oath. This is an oath of loyalty to him. Not only is he asking, though you are not required to, is giving you a tax deduction if you do sign… and there’s a deadline. The movie centers around this deadline moving closer and closer. The day will be after Thanksgiving… ‘Black Friday.’

Today’s political climate is all over this movie. With midterms fast approaching us and a 2020 presidential campaign looming ever closer, the film is released at the perfect time for reflection… no doubt on purpose.

Chris is very progressive and against The Patriot’s Oath. He is continually educating his wife Kai (Tiffany Haddish), also progressive but not as dynamic as he, that what the government is asking of its citizens is wrong. He’s an angry patriot and his anger increases as he witnesses American citizens grow more hostile toward one another; dividing like at no other point in history. Racists feel free to scream statements at people such as, ‘Get out of my country!’ Arguments and talking points are used to spread lies and fear, much like they are in the news you watch today. Chris believes he’s right and you are wrong which is ultimately the problem… there must be something that brings everyone back together. It can’t be just blind loyalty to only your beliefs.

The family is coming for Thanksgiving to Chris’ house and as tension toward the Oath builds, Chris prays to a God he doesn’t believe in, that he can get through the family visit. The day is here and, unable to let it go since the deadline to sign is tomorrow, Chris asks of his family members to reveal who has signed. At this point, the film digs deeply into the human psyche, and the bonds we develop, more than at any other time. Not only do we see who is with Chris and who is not, but there are a few unwelcomed visitors from the Citizens Protection Unit known as the CPU (think Dept. of Homeland Security) there to strongly suggest to people, in this case, Chris, to sign. This is where the movie goes from being a comedy that forces us to look inward, into something darker. That said, should we be led there so we can see we’re all capable of making mistakes? Anyway, the CPU isn’t there just to ‘ask’ Chris to sign, as all the other family members, even Kai, have done, but to ‘tell’ him to. In a very cryptic way, Barinholtz may be trying to remind us all of what’s important. Family. Friends. Water. Air. Who and what are we without these? Can he continue to fight against what seems to be the popular choice or should people who are signing an oath to a person wake up and see some of his point of view?

Barinholtz is great in this. I’m impressed with his work behind and in front of the camera. Tiffany Haddish brings on the laughs but also gets to show that she’s competent enough to explore a more serious tone for her audience. Nora Dunn and the rest of the cast are exceptional in coloring the landscape that’s been created, rendering you incapable of avoiding the subject yet entertaining you at the same time. Another thing the film does is emphasize how bad things get at a moments notice and how quickly arguments can escalate out of control if cooler heads don’t prevail. See ‘The Oath’ for all the reasons I’ve listed but also look at it this way… it could serve as a warning to you to keep you from bringing up the topic of politics this year during the holidays. It comes out to today so see it as soon as possible.

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Halloween Movie Review (2018)

October 19, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

Thank you Blumhouse for helping to bring this back! This movie is terrifyingly fantastic. It has a rock solid, substantial, concrete script and it’s, I’d have to say, exactly what any horror fan, especially if they liked this franchise, is looking for. I wasn’t sure about it at first, thinking to myself, ‘Here we go again,’ as I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t have been more wrong to doubt it. The only way anyone coming out of the theatre after watching this could say that it was just ‘so-so’ or ‘meh’ either has a grudge against films of this type or they were asleep.

Not only is the story grotesquely imaginative and holds your attention the entire time but, pleasantly, I found that Danny McBride had a hand in writing it and you can feel his influence everywhere. I think his being involved made all the difference in the world. When there was some much-needed comic relief, he gave us plenty. It’s not that the comedy takes over or anything, this is a true horror film, but when it does come it fits the characters and the moment. Another thing I was appreciative of was the score. To get it right, I believed John Carpenter had to do it and it was good to see I wasn’t disappointed there.

If you’re reading this, I won’t give a lot away because you’d be rather mad at me for ruining the surprises for you. However, I do have to reveal a few things about the story. You know how the original ‘Halloween’ started, right? If not, see it before you see this when possible. In the first film, Michael, as a little boy, stabs his sister to death with a butcher knife. She had just had sex with her boyfriend and that act seemed to have upset his fragile nature. They sent him away to a mental institution after that. Then we advance to fifteen years later where it’s 1978 and Michael has turned twenty-one. He escapes the institution he’s being held in and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield. He’s on the hunt to kill again. He focuses his attention on trying to get to Laurie Strode (Curtis) but with the help of Michael’s physician at the institution, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), she manages to survive his efforts to end her life. There were several films that followed but forget those. This is the direct sequel to the first film as if all the others never happened and it works beautifully.

We meet Laurie again when she’s much older and she’s living like a hermit. To avoid another bloodbath, she built a fortress, complete with panic room, around her house and around her emotions. She’s disconnected to protect herself. Michael may not have killed her body, but he killed her spirit. It was riveting to peer into how she lives yet somewhat heartbreaking to see that she has lost the ability to get close to anyone. This is obviously due to the fact that she was so traumatized and is still afraid Michael could be around every corner. She has to be prepared at all time and is she ever!

Laurie taught her daughter Karen (Greer) to defend herself, too, and how to use weapons. Karen now holds that against her. Having to tell your mother to stop being afraid of the ‘Boogie Man’ has been difficult for Karen to overcome. Now a mother herself, she wants her daughter Allyson (Matichak), to live the normal childhood she was denied so they, for the most part, keep their distance from Laurie.

By the time Michael gets to Haddonfield, he has already slaughtered a few people and wants to continue. The cinematographer does a magnificent job of putting you on edge by giving you shadow and reflection before you see the monster in action. There are several very creative shots you don’t usually find in horror. You’ll love Michael’s prey, I mean the characters, especially young Julian (Nantambu). He’s a very wise child, with a potty mouth, who knows more about the world than the babysitter who’s watching him gives him credit for. His scene relaxes you for a moment but not for long.

Look, the film doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s just trying to entertain people who love the genre and it does. There are times when the audience laughs, yells at the screen and jumps at the brutality of the quality kills Michael often proudly displayed. There are several I haven’t quite gotten over yet! Now, doesn’t that sound like something worth watching? If you remember, I mentioned to you that there are surprises. Oh, you’re going to love those. After watching, I’m sure you’ll agree that the first ‘Halloween’ was a classic and that this one WILL BE, TOO.

Beautiful Boy Movie Review

October 14, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

This story is based on a memoir written by David and Nic Sheff. It’s about the cycle of drug abuse Nic couldn’t liberate himself from and David who tried everything he could think of to help him escape. The title, ‘Beautiful Boy’ comes from the John Lennon song that David (Carell) used to sing to Nic (Chalamet) when he couldn’t sleep at night be. He was singing it still when Nic was eighteen and laying on the bed passed out from the many drugs that were running through his system. They seized the boy, refusing to loosen their grip but there sits David, stroking his hair remembering the Nic he knew, certain that one day he’d return.

With this film director Felix Van Groeningen, who also had a hand in writing the script, is making available to you a world you’ll find frighteningly realistic and familiar or, hopefully, one you’re blissfully ignorant of yet paralyzed by. Regardless of which it is, you’ll be pleased with the presentation in every design choice he’s made to entertain and captivate you. The score is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is equally pleasing. The cinematography is such that you feel you’re experiencing how Nic feels when he’s high while concurrently reminded of what his exposure and reliance on the drugs is doing to those who love him. We’ve all seen the drug abuse movie before but not the way Van Groeningen brings it to you. David is desperate to help rescue Nic and he rummages through Nic’s things. While he does this, we watch memories of Nic in various stages of childhood run through his mind. We watch them grow close and see when Nic begins to pull away

Nic tells him that he’s tried almost every drug there is but likes methamphetamine’s the most. He goes on to say that meth makes him feel better than he has ever felt in his life. Upon hearing this, you can feel the pain ripple through David as he realizes his child prefers drugs and what they can give him to the unconditional love he has always offered.

David researches rehab facilities several times but for the most part, they’re unsuccessful, as is Nic’s lies about getting sober. David’s hopes are dashed when he’s told that Nic’s particular addictions have a success rate in the single digits. In order to get to know his son more, he takes some cocaine himself and starts talking to people who use. He does everything he can to learn not only what he can understand what Nic likes so much but about whether or not it’s time to do the inevitable and let him go.

You may not like the use of flashbacks and cuts in editing that constantly take you from one stage of Nic’s life to another; one stage of David’s discovery to the next. It sometimes gets a little hard to keep up but it’s reasonable to assume this the impression Van Groeningen wanted to leave you with is one of nervousness, restlessness and anxiety so you could understand the Sheff’s that much more.

Chalamet is flawless in his take on Nic. He was fully committed to the part even using facial tics the young child actor who played him as a little boy has when on screen. I predict right now that he’ll be walking up to the stage to accept an Academy Award or at the very least will be nominated for this outstanding performance. This is a very powerful and heartbreaking story. I recommend you see this as soon as humanly possible.

Bad Times at the El Royale Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

You absolutely must get online and get your reservations for the El Royale tonight! This Tarantino style noir or ‘black’ film has dustings of Hitchcock and early Hollywood capers and mysteries. Don’t waste another moment reading about it. Just go. The trailer does a spectacular job of keeping certain plotlines a secret which is rare these days so if you were already interested by watching them, you haven’t seen anything yet.
The opening of the film declares why a certain character is at the hotel and what he’s searching for. ‘Bad Times at the El Royale,’ like similar films before it, allows us to get to know each of her other characters one by one. Little is revealed about them but as more people and circumstances crop up, with the use of flashbacks, you’re investigating the characters yourselves and learning more. Often, you’ll be surprised at what you see. A little warning to those who are faint of heart, there are several jump-scares that will leave you unsettled and anxious for what’s to come during the rest of the film. This is something I liked about Drew Goddard’s film ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’ too. He knows how to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat and he likes it.

The film’s two hours and 21 minutes are rather long but for the most part, the cast makes each minute count. And don’t ask me to pick who, out of this magnificent assembly of actors, is best. They were all outstanding! Okay, fine. If you’re going to twist my arm, I have to admit that I couldn’t take my eyes off Jeff Bridges. The man is unbelievable in this role. But I digress. Let’s get back to the length of the movie. Though a well-orchestrated film otherwise, where Goddard could have shaved off some time would have been by not having the characters discover things the audience has already seen through the eyes of several others before. That said, I’d see it again in a heartbeat. Let me tell you some about what to expect from your bi-state stay in the El Royale. The hotel sits on both Nevada and California and is split in half by a red line painted down the middle of the lobby. The hotel has hosted many performers of the stage and screen where gambling is allowed only on the Nevada side, obviously, but plenty of boozing and canoodling have happened on both. With the band of misfits joining us now, it certainly hasn’t been and still isn’t a virtuous place to stay. The hotel is very much a central figure of the film. It reveals and has as much personality as any of the others do.

Through Goddard’s clever and inventive script and exceedingly brilliant and vivid imagination, you get involved in their stories and grow to either love or hate them. The bellboy named Miles (played by Bill Pullman’s son) Lewis, is perhaps the most compelling by movies end, something not expected upon first meeting him. I don’t really want to introduce you to them or reveal too much so I’ll not be saying much more. You need to be sitting in the theatre watching, not reading about, why you need to see this. You’ll be sucked in right away with a very impressive and striking opening. The thrills, the wit, and the outlandish situations along with the players and the music that accompanies them will take you voluntarily to the end of your stay.

First Man Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

‘First Man’ focuses on the beginnings of Nasa and invests most of its two hours and twenty minutes to Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever set foot on the moon. It’s captured beautifully with an incredibly exciting screenplay by Josh Singer, who wrote ‘The Post,’ ‘Spotlight’ and twenty-six episodes of ‘The West Wing,’ that’s filled with motivation, trepidation, elation and plenty of heartaches.
If you want to feel what Neil Armstrong felt as he flew his jet across the sky and if you want to experience the inside of a space capsule with him, as well, see this movie at the theatre but if you can, get to an IMAX theatre quickly for an enhanced adventure into space.

Director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash), obviously no novice when it comes to music and tone, had a sound department of thirty people working overtime for this one! The metal of the rocket the astronauts are jammed into before it takes off and after speaks to them. It moans and groans, shrieks and creaks, articulating its disapproval of what is being asked of it, setting your nerves on edge before you’re anywhere near the moon. Chazelle manages to make us see and feel the vibrations and each bump, jolt, quiver and jerk they are going through as they train for their mission and as they’re launched into orbit. Uncertainty is a big part of the film which is puzzling because we all know how it turns out but that’s how beautifully structured the film is and how strong the characters are. It’s so believable that even YOU aren’t sure of what’s next for them.

Though Armstrong and other astronauts were in happy marriages, Chazelle was able to catch and target in on their lives at home during the 1960’s with the Apollo missions going on. As they watched friends burn up or blow up, they tried not to show it but were a bundle of nerves inside. Armstrong kept himself at a safe distance from his wife Janet, played quite skillfully by Claire Foy. They lose a child, Karen, which Neil never seems to recover but as they continue to have more children, he pulls away emotionally, saving it for the missions, and she remains strong for their family. She understood he had to direct his attention on surviving but wasn’t about to let him kill what they had. The scene between the two of them toward the end of the film strengthens an already powerful film and cements this as one of the best movies of the year. That said, however, it’s no ‘Whiplash,’ which is a more determined Chazelle film, but this is still intense and a must-see this weekend. Don’t wait to watch it at home. The exceptional photography and superb score deserve to be seen and heard properly.

The Hate U Give Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated October 11, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“The Hate U Give” is a movie that shows while people may be Black and White, the world they live in is never just black and white. But just when the tone of the movie might start sounding preachy, it comes right up and grounds the characters in good ways. First, they are grounded in family, then grounded in friends, then grounded in the neighborhood, then finally in the community. Inner city Black areas or in gentrified, mostly White, suburbs — the story is the same.

‘The Hate U Give’ (as quoted in lyrics from a rap song) lead into the next step. That next step teaches children the wrong way. Then it all gets FUBAR, so to speak. Blacks in the ‘hood feel that Prejudice, Prosecution, Poverty and the Police are pushing them down. When you are pushed so far down, then any way out seems fine. It could be a gang, it could be drugs and alcohol, but it just might be that strength of a family’s love is enough to elevate you out.

Starr (Amandla Stenberg) is a teenage Black girl who lives in the downtrodden section of Fremont. However, she attends high school in the high-class area of the town. She feels she wears two faces, one for her home and her ‘hood, but a different face for her school friends and her White boyfriend Chris (KJ Apa). Starr attends the school with her half-brother Seven (Lamar Johnson). Her very forceful mother Lisa (Regina Hall) along with her equally tough father Maverick (Russell Hornsby) both have raised her to be proud of herself and self-assured of her race. She knows to keep on the right side of the law, and to always be non-confrontational with police.

But Starr had been very close to a guy named Khalil (Lamar Johnson), who she has known since a young girl. Starr is out at a party in the ‘hood with her half-sister (Dominique Fishback), and she runs into Khalil. There is a fight and gunshots outside, so everyone leaves. Khalil takes Starr with him and will take her home. But they are stopped by the police. There is a shooting, where the cop thinks that Khalil is going for a weapon. It turns out to be a hairbrush. Starr is devastated, and the world that she knew is now gone. She continues to try and walk gently between the two worlds that she is in.

But she does not feel that she will really belong in either one. In the ‘hood, her family is threatened by King (Anthony Mackie), who is the head of a drug ring and part of the group that Khalil was dealing for. She does not feel at home in the White high school, where the other girls always look at her as if she were an alien. Her boyfriend Chris is still in the dark about how Starr is the only witness to the shooting. But Social Justice workers flood the ‘hood, and they want Starr to work with the Grand Jury to indict the quick-draw cop.

She feels she owes it to Khalil to be the voice that must be heard in the Legal System. But her uncle is Officer Carlos (Common), and he knows that the prosecutors will find any possible way to not press charges against a cop. But will the anger and rage go from a simple simmer to then becoming a boiling pot of hatred? Will the street gang feel the need to impose their own brand of justice on Starr, if they feel that she had testified and will bring the heat down on the drug operation?

This movie takes an extremely talented cast to create a world and a situation that makes a profound impact on the viewer. The story could be taken straight out of current headlines, and it strikes a somber tone. Every idea about bias and judgment will be questioned. The director has wonderfully laid out the difficult road that everyone must choose. Will they embrace the THUG life, and lead the next generation into chaos? Or can they raise their voices to speak for those who cannot, and attempt to bring peace and justice to the world?

Every actor in this movie is amazing, but none less than Amandla Stenberg. In the mail role, she portrays a young woman who is torn by events that surround her. Yet she remains strong and works to bring hope to her family and her community.

There is a ‘message’ in “The Hate U give”, but it delivers it in a very honest and sincere way. You will be moved by the story, the events and the truth behind the emotions. Perhaps you will not agree with all the viewpoints, but you will again be reminded: world we live in is never just black and white.

Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated October 10, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

Twas the night before Halloween – and it was all going fine,
Until two kids found a manuscript written by R. L. Stine.

And now Slappy the Dummy is on the prowl in that town,
He is making an Apocalypse Nightmare come down.

With Witches and Ghosts and Goblins and Gnomes –
Slappy is bringing terror to folks in their homes.

But then Sam, and Sonny, and his sister Sarah,
Find a way to end Slappy’s Evil Reign of Terror.

Then even R. L. Stine shows up to help with that fight –
“Trick or Treat” is for all, and to all a “Fright Night”!

“Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween” is the new sequel to “Goosebumps”. If you are middle-school aged child, this probably means a great deal more to you than it does to older folks. The series of R. L. Stine books called ‘Goosebumps’ is the coin of the middle-school realm. And when a new movie comes out with that name, there will be kids a-plenty that will go to see it. And in this case, that will be a good thing. Because this is very light-hearted ‘scary’ movie, in the mold of an average Stine book.

Two young boys in the town of Wardenclyff are waiting for the fun of Halloween night. Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and his friend Sam (Caleel Harris) have started a small business where they will clean out junk. They are called to an abandoned house to remove all the debris. But hidden away in this house is a secret room. The boys don’t know that R. L. Stine once lived at the house as a boy. Stine left an unfinished manuscript, and the boys take it with them. But from nowhere, a ventriloquist dummy called Slappy (voiced by Jack Black) comes alive after Sonny reads a magic spell. Slappy wants a new family, so he comes home with them.

Sonny’s sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) finds out that Slappy is alive. They all try to get rid of the dummy, but he will always return. Slappy decides to kidnap Sonny and Sarah’s mom, named Kathy (Wendi McLendon-Covey). He will turn her into a dummy, just like Slappy. Then he will have a new Mom. But Slappy needs some allies and other scary monsters to help him out. He visits the local store and turns all the Halloween merchandise into real Ghosts, Goblins, Witches and Yeti monsters. Slappy even turns the store manager Walter (Chris Parnell) into an Igor type creature.

Sonny and Sam, with the help of Sarah, locate the Stine manuscript and find out it has the power to shut down Slappy. But they need help to get into Slappy’s new hiding place. The kids call on their neighbor Mr. Chu (Ken Jeong), who is all in for every Holiday. He has the best Halloween display in town, so he helps them get ready to go ‘undercover’ in some spooky outfits. Sarah even tries to call a number of someone who might know R.L. Stine. Maybe he can help bring the evil Slappy back in line and make him stop his evil efforts to turn their mom into a wooden dummy. Slappy and his crew are hiding out at the out Tesla power station, and he is ready to bring all the Tricks, and none of the Treats.

This movie is designed for the kids that grew up reading Stine’s spooky books. There is not too much depth to the story or the overall production. But it comes across as a very decent effort to give the audience of pretty good time. It is fun to watch the bedlam, but it is within PG limitations. There are no gory or gruesome scenes, because it’s all just for a good, scary fun. The best part of the side characters played by quality people such as Chris Parnell and Ken Jeong. Just keep your eyes peeled for a return of Jack Black, as R.L. Stine.

Category: Reviews