It has been several weeks since Midway came out and I have been unable to see it.  It was not that I did not want to see it, but it was not fitting into my schedule and facing other movies that I wanted to see more.

However, the Roland Emmerich directed film stuck around for a few weeks and I was able to see it today.

Because I knew that the score for Midway on Rotten Tomatoes was in the 40% range, I entered the theater with low expectations.

In the end, Midway was okay.  I enjoyed it enough.

This was the story of one of the most vital battles in the Pacific that helped turn the tide of World War II to the United States over the Japanese forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The film contained a group of real people who were involved in the battle, providing a level of realness to the epic tale.

However, and this is the biggest problem of the movie, Midway never takes the time to really get to know these people.  The characters are sorely underdeveloped and the audience does not necessarily even know who was who outside of one or two characters.

I saw one character as Woody Harrelson with a blonde wig because that is who played him.  Patrick Wilson got a little focus, mainly because he tried to tell the people in charge about the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The codebreakers that he was in charge of were probably the most interesting part of the film, but were really delegated to the back seat.  In truth, these people, who in their few moments were shown as quirky, were the real heroes of this story.

The pilots were great and the CGI looked pretty solid, but many of these characters were interchangeable.  Ed Skrein’s character, Dick Best, was the lead of the pilots and had the most screen time.  Almost all of the others were just people.  When they would die, I felt nothing for them because they were just cannon fodder.

The action was good, but I had trouble telling the difference between planes and some of the air fights were hard to follow.  I did like how the film would go into the Japanese soldiers for the thoughts of their leaders.  It gave a face to the other side that you usually do not get in a war movie.

I’m not a huge fan of Roland Emmerich films, but this one is one of the better ones. Midway is not a perfect film by any stretch, but it was a good example of a war film where the most important aspect is the battle.

3.4 stars

I was watching Collider Live’s Thanksgiving episode and Roxy Striar, one of the co-hosts of the YouTube show, said that she was thankful for her chance to be in a movie this year with Stan Lee.  I had no idea what that was.

So I went to IMDB so see what movie Roxy was in this year.  It told me that it was Madness in the Method.  It was directed by and starred Jason Mewes, the “Jay” in the Jay and Silent Bob pairing from Kevin Smith movies.

It was on Amazon Prime so I gave it a chance because I love Roxy and, of course, Stan Lee.

As this movie started, I hated what I saw.  I found this really dumb and idiotic. It was heading toward my worst list of the year.

And then, strangely, I started to find some of the film oddly funny.  There were a bunch of cameos and guest stars that were fun. Where the film seemed to take a bit of a twist was when Dean Cain arrived in a cameo.  He was really funny and it changed my perception of the film.

The story, based on Mewes finding a book on Method acting that causes him to change who he is, becomes very dark.  It was ridiculous but I was not hating it any more.

Mewes, playing himself, as he followed the evil Method, was becoming darker and more wicked with each second and the more darkness he showed, the film got better.   Don’t misunderstand me, it was not good, but it was no longer going to be the horrid film that it looked like the direction it was heading.

Vinnie Jones was great too, as was his eventual fate.  I enjoyed Kevin Smith too.

The movie was not great.  In fact, I can’t recommend it, but if you want a silly stupid movie, this could give you some fun.

Loved seeing Roxy.

2.1 stars

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the new Netflix film, The Irishman, over the last several months from word-of-mouth from the limited theaters that had hosted screenings to the film’s director’s battle of words with Marvel films and fans.  In the end, The Irishman was released on Thanksgiving and lived up to the hype, mostly.

Martin Scorsese assembled a group of actors who have become synonymous with him and told an epic tale of mob life and crime.  Based on the novel I Heard You Pain Houses by Charles Brandt, The Irishman follows truck driver turned hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert DeNiro) as he ingratiated himself into the world of organized crime.  Frank became very close to Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), head of the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family.

Soon, Frank meets Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and becomes close with him as well.

Hoffa, of course, is the infamous Union head who disappeared in 1975 and was never found.  There have been countless of theories over the years of what has happened to Jimmy Hoffa and this film is one of the more recent ones.

I have to say that the de-aging technology done on this movie was utterly brilliant. There was almost none of the tells that you some times see in other movies that try to de-age its actors.  The only scene that was obvious was the “hand-breaking” scene and that was because Robert DeNiro had to physically assault someone and it clearly looked like an old man moving and kicking at his victim.  That was the only time that the CGI pulled me out of the story and I wished they had used a body double for that one scene.  Otherwise, the de-aging process was flawless.

And, without saying, the cast was unbeleivable.  Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci (who came out of semi-retirement to do this role), Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Anna Paquin, Steven Graham, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale lead the massive ensemble.  DeNiro was exceptional in the role, leading us through the narrative, first as an old man in a nursing home and then into flashbacks to tell the story.  I enjoyed the structure of the film as well.

It was incredibly long but I did not feel it as much as I might had I been sitting in a theater.  I paused it several times as I watched it on Netflix for lunch or restroom breaks etc.  The film was a definite slow burn as it moved the story along at a snail pace, but the moments were filled with great story telling or character development.

I suppose the one major issue I had with The Irishman was that it lacked an emotional pay off.  I was not deeply connected emotionally to the characters so when I discovered what the film said their fates were, it was like, yeah, okay, what is next.  I think the storytelling, production and performances were masterful, it is just lacking that wallop of an emotional beat.

It does give a very clear message to how deadly the mob was.  Every time we came across a minor character, we would learn at what point he would die and in what manner, whether it is shot in the head or whatever.  That was very effective.

This is one of my favorite Martin Scorsese movies.  It is one of the most Martin Scorsese movie in a long time.  It was a really great film.

4.5 stars

I have heard this movie being referred to as a “black Bonnie & Clyde.”  That reference is even made in the film itself, but that does not feel very accurate.

Bonnie & Clyde were criminals and made their decision to do so.  In the film Queen & Slim, Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) and Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) wind up in trouble because of fate and they really had little to no choice.

On a first date, Slim and Queen wind up pulled over by a cop who clearly had racially inspired intentions and, in a struggle with him, kill the police officer.  They go on the run, sparking a nation-wide manhunt and inspiring African-Americans with their plight.

Slim and Queen had a case of self-defense with the cop, and it feels as if the cop’s camera would have supported the argument, but it was obvious that neither of them believed that they would get a fair shake.  Queen was even a lawyer, but she was the first of them to insist that they run.

These thoughts are thoughts that I cannot relate to because I have never had someone look at me and pre-judge me as black people are.  A police officer approaching my car is an entire different situation than it would be for an African-American, and it is a situation that I will never be in, thankfully.

So their decisions are understandable, even though I cannot necessarily relate to them.

The rest of the film is a road trip movie as the two characters attempt to flee from the authorities.

The performances of the two lead actors are great.  Daniel Kaluuya is exceptional as Slim, and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith shows that she has a bright future.  How this relationship develops across the movie is fascinating considering that they went from first date via Tinder to crossing the country as fugitives.  The strains on the couple show early and, as they continue to grow closer, the romantic aspect of being on the run seem to draw them closer.

I am not sure this would be a relationship that would last forever because being thrust together in such a violent and sudden manner may not create the deepest connection.

One of the more controversial aspects of the film is how the killing of the cop by Slim resonates with the black community of the country, so much so that there are black people along Slim & Queen’s path that go out of their way to aid them and prevent their capture, despite there being a heavy bounty on their heads.  The film is showing how that powder keg of racial instability is still alive in the US and how it does not take much to ignite it once again.

The film did feel a little long, but it is beautifully shot and the length allows the audience to get to know our two characters deeper.  I think that you could shave off maybe ten minutes and the film would be tighter, but it is a minor critique.

By the way, the character of Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine) stole every scene he was in and was one of the most fascinating characters on the docket.  I would have loved to have seen more with him.

Queen & Slim was a provocative movie that had a message about racial divisiveness and life for black people.  It does not simply portray anyone in one manner, as both sides are seen as problematic.  It is a strong film, directed well by Melina Matsoukas.  You’ll come out thinking.

3.9 stars

Netflix continues to provide a manner of movies on their streaming service and there are some big name ones coming very soon (The Irishman, Marriage Story etc).  Before these come out though, I wanted to finish up one I started this past weekend.

The Knight Before Christmas is a silly Christmas story that has some charm and is actually fairly easy to watch.  I expected it to be really bad, and if surely is not a great movie, but for what it is, The Knight Before Christmas is a decent holiday film.

A knight from the 14th century named Sir Cole (John Whitehouse) is magically transported into the future where he meets a woman Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens) in an effort to find his true Knight’s quest.

The “fish out of water” theme is in full display in this movie as Cole attempts to find his quest among the modern day conveniences of the 21st century.  He handles the changes remarkably well… even the magic box (TV) and “Lady Alexa Play” (Alexa).

Both John Whitehouse and Vanessa Hudgens are likable enough for the roles that they are playing here.  This is absolutely just a feel good Christmas movie, but there are times for films like that.

If you are looking for a nice little rom com about a knight around Christmas time, The Knight Before Christmas is a harmless way to spend an hour and a half.

3 stars

“By Grabthar’s hammer, by the Sons of Warvan, you shall be avenged!”

I was watching Screen Junkies one day and they wound up talking about their upcoming documentary through Fandom about one of the great movies of the late 1990s, Galaxy Quest.  They spoke about a one-night presentation with the people at Fathom Events.

I have always enjoyed the Screen Junkies.  In particular, I am a fan of Dan Murrell, who I got to know through Movie Fights and the Schmoedown. And I loved the movie Galaxy Quest, arguably a better Star Trek movie than many of the Star Trek movies that have been released.  I immediately went and purchased my ticket.

That was around a month ago and tonight was the night for the documentary to be shown.  I made my way to the theater, ready to be informed and entertained.

Murrell, along with producer Roth Cornet, writers Joe Starr and Spencer Gilbert, started the doc off with the Honest Trailer for Galaxy Quest.  Honest Trailer is the online weekly show where they create a trailer of a popular or famous movie and poke fun at it.  They have been nominated for several Emmy Awards for Honest Trailers.  The bit at the beginning was funny and showed some of the personality that this group of people have.

Then the actual documentary started and the film remained entertaining and engaging.

Of course, the subject matter was not earth shaking, but a light-weight romp through the making of a movie, told through interviews with the creators and actors of Galaxy Quest, highlighting the pratfalls and challenges along the way.

Many of the stories told by director Dean Parisot where very funny and insightful.  We got interviews with stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Enrico Colantoni, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell.  There was conversations with Greg Berlanti (Flash/Arrow), Damon Lindelof (LOST) and Mark Johnson (Rain Man, Narnia) as well as other iconic sci-fi stars such as Wil Wheaton and Brent Spiner.

The stories were all funny or filled with a joy that showed just how much this project meant to the creators.

They also spent some time on the importance of treating the fans with respect. In Galaxy Quest, some of the obsessive fans wind up helping save the day and the message is that everyone has value.  It is a very positive message to take from the toxicity of the Internet these days.

One of the most poignant moments was when the cast was discussing the lasting effects of having the late, great Alan Rickman in the cast.  Playing the hoity-toity actor who was tired of his role as Dr. Lazarus, Rickman displayed his dry British wit and it was so apparent that his fellow actors loved him.  This was one of the most emotional sections of the doc and might be the best sequence in the film.  Parisot delivered perhaps the best line of the documentary in recalling a story with Alan Rickman and his feelings towards co-star Tim Allen.

Yes, the documentary may not be the hardest hitting doc you will ever see, but I was entertained by it through the full run time.

“Never give up.  Never surrender.”

3.85 stars 

Netflix continues to release content on a regular basis and it is difficult to keep up with it.  So, while waiting for The Irishman, I watched Between Two Ferns: The Movie, a mockumentary about a local public access show hosted by Zach Galifianakis.  The idea came originally from Zach Galifianakis uploading some shorts to Funny or Die.

The film has some laughs to it, that is sure.  However, the problem to this movie is clear.  Trying to stretch a short comedic bit into a feature length movie is usually a bad idea, and this is no exception.  The concept is strained and gets old quickly.

There are a lot of celebrities involved here.  Will Farrell is here, and I never liked him.  His performance here makes me dislike him even more.  I enjoyed the bit with David Letterman as his dry wit really helped to make this feel more important.

There is a mean spiritedness to the film that gets old after awhile.

The list of the celebs involved in the film is quite impressive.

In the end, I just did not enjoy the film that much.  There are some laughs but there are many more that fall flat.  This should stick to short bits.

2 stars 

There are good and bad things about 21 Bridges.

One major good thing… Chadwick Boseman is a star.  He is the lead of this movie and you can see the confidence and the energy he brings.  Boseman is one of the young guns in movies today.

The bad things… most of the rest.

Chadwick Boseman is brought in to capture or kill two cop killers loose in Manhattan.  After they lock down the island, he realizes that there is more to this story than he has seen.

The film is obvious.  Predictable as can be.  Every twist was painfully obvious and were absolutely no surprise.  J.K. Simmons was underused.

In the end, I do not have much more to say.  Chadwick Boseman deserves more than this.

2 stars

I have had few emotional responses to movies like I had with last year’s documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” about the American icon Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  It was not like I was a huge Mr. Rogers fan either.  I watched it, but I was much more of an Electric Company guy (with Spider-man) and a Sesame Street fan (for the Muppets).  So the tears at that documentary was a major surprise.

Hearing that they were doing a Mr. Rogers biopic starring Tom Hanks made me very happy and I anticipated more emotions.

There were some differences for this film.  First, it actually was not a biopic about Mr. Rogers.  Fred Rogers was really a supporting player in a story about a reporter for Esquire magazine Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) who had been assigned to write a puff piece on Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks).  Lloyd and his family dynamic was the emphasis of the movie and Mr. Rogers played a part.  This was inspired by a true story and was based on the book, “Can You Say…Hero.”

Then, while this movie did have some good emotional feels to it, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood did not have the wallop that the documentary had.

That is not saying that this movie was bad because I enjoyed it a great deal.  It just felt as if the advertising made this out to be a Mr. Rogers movie where the main focus was on Lloyd.

Lloyd had all kinds of problems in his life including dealing with a new baby, an estranged father who had returned into his life, and an editor who gave him the interview with Fred Rogers because no one else on the list would agree to talk to him.  His reputation for hatchet jobs was becoming known and Lloyd went into his interview with Mr. Rogers with the idea of finding if he was “real” or not.

Matthew Rhys does a very solid job here, which is made even more compelling since he is sharing scenes with one of my generation’s greatest actors in Tom Hanks.  Hanks, one of the nicest people around, is the perfect choice to portray Mr. Rogers.  Hanks does not try to imitate Rogers, but instead encompasses the spirit of the man.  I never found myself thinking, “Oh, that is Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers” which is a complement for Tom Hanks’ ability.

Chris Cooper has an impactful role as Lloyd’s father Jerry.  Lloyd and Jerry had been estranged for years after Jerry left the children with his sick wife.  Cooper brings a lot of energy and life into the man attempting to reconnect with his family.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is heartfelt and enjoyable.  The scene they showed in the trailer of the children serenading Mr. Rogers on the subway is as charming and warm as any scene you’ll see this year.  I kind of wish they hadn’t shown it to us in the trailer.  The film is well written and brilliantly acted.  This world today would really use a man like Fred Rogers.

4.4 stars 

I was not a fan of the first Frozen film from Disney.  I did not hate it like some did, but I found it to be a movie that I had trouble connecting with.  It had a great song in “Let it Go” no matter what you think.  Frozen was a massive hit though and it was clear that it was going to receive a sequel.  Would the second film be a better film or would I like it even less?

I am happy to report that I found Frozen II to be a much better movie than the original.  I am not sure if there is a song in the film as good as “Let it Go” but “Lost in the Woods” comes close.

Frozen II brings the audience back to the sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) as the days continue on in Arendelle.  However, trouble strikes again after Elsa begins to hear a strange voice singing from the Enchanted Forest.  The crew of heroes started off in search of the source of the voice and trying to discover how it was connected to Elsa.

Frozen II has utterly beautiful animated scenery that could be real, actual images.  There are some times when I am not sure if the background were actually real images or if it were indeed animated.  Frozen II was a special movie when it came to the pictures on the screen.

The characters are more interesting this time around because we knew more about them and we have already developed our connections with them.  While Olaf (Josh Gad) is still hit and miss for me, he does a Frozen plot recap that is hilarious and one of the highlights of the sequel.

There are some good action involved here as well as our heroes moved into the Enchanted Forest to discover the truth behind the elements.  There are some creative character designs in these characters that fir very well with the rest of the crew.

However, the lack of a real villain does hurt the film and the ending was okay, if not a tad anti-climatic.

Above all else, I enjoyed this one more than I did the first one and the animation is as gorgeous as it can get.  It should be another huge hit for Disney.

4 stars

I got the opportunity to see an early showing of Rian Johnson’s newest film, the whodunnit murder mystery called Knives Out, which debuted at Toronto Film Festival in early September.  I had been anticipating this movie for awhile as I  enjoyed the trailers so I jumped at the chance to see the film about a week early.

It was so worth it. I loved this movie.

This will be a full NON-spoiler review, which means that I won’t be able to talk much about it, but I loved what Rian Johnson did with the murder mystery genre and the way that he played with the tropes.  Knives Out is a brilliantly plotted and extremely entertaining film that messed with my expectations throughout.

This has a sensational cast featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Katherine Langford, Jaedon Martell, and Frank Oz.  The film is highlighted by the off-the-wall performance from Daniel Craig as a southern detective Benoit Blanc.

Craig is utterly perfect in this movie, which is to say he is hamming it up, chewing every last bit of scenery that he could.  The accent that he used for this character was something you just don’t hear much outside of Looney Tunes cartoons.  Somehow, though, it works and that credit must go to Craig.

However, Daniel Craig is not our protagonist of this film.  That honor goes to the young Ana de Armas, who plays Marta, a nurse who was taking care of Christopher Plummer’s patriarch character, Harlan Thrombey.  Ana de Armas has not had a ton of films to her credit, most notably being Blade Runner 2049 so it makes one wonder how she, in a cast like this, is the main character.  However, she is just tremendous and this character is well developed with a character trait that I have never seen before.  You’ll know it when you see it.

I should also single out Chris Evans.  Captain America himself looks to be having a blast playing a character unlike his heroic alter ego.

All of the members of the Thrombey family are just rotten people but, most of them, are real people and not caricatures.  They interact with each other in such a funny and real way that you forget some of them are so over the top.

Knives Out is laugh out loud funny, with biting dialogue and a wonderfully organized plot.  There will be some who will complain about a section of the film dealing with today’s political scene, but if that is what derails this movie for you, then I’m sorry for you.

I cannot recommend this movie enough.  It is due to come out nationwide Thanksgiving.  Do yourself a favor and go see it.  It is charming and funny,  an old fashion whodunnit featuring a ton of oddball characters played by iconic actors having the time of their lives.

5 stars

When you are enjoying your subscription to Disney Plus, don’t forget about Netflix, because Netflix just dropped one of the best animated movies of the year, just in time for the Christmas holiday (well…okay, Thanksgiving, but you get the idea.)

Klaus is a re-imagining of the Santa Claus mythos that is as charming and heart felt as any film I have seen in a long time.

A simple act of kindness always sparks another.

Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) was a spoiled brat of a man who exploited his family’s money to live a pampered and lazy life.  His lack of interest in the family job as a postman worried his father so he banished his son to an island called Smeerensburg with the near impossible task of sending 6000 letters in one year.  If he failed, he would be cast out and stripped of his inheritance.

Once in Smeerensburg, Jesper met an old woodsman named Klaus (J.K. Simmons) who was isolated and depressed.  Jesper discovered Klaus’s shed full of handmade toys and he formulated a plan to get the local kids to write letters to Klaus asking for toys in return.  Little did Jesper know how this would strike a positive note into the conflict-laden island.

Smeerensburg had a long time feud between the Krum and the Ellingboe families and the hatred between them had fueled the tone of the land for generations.  Joan Cusack and Will Sasso voiced the respective heads of the two warring families.  These two factions did not like seeing the positivity that had started to sweep through Smeerensburg causing the two families to form a tentative truce to face against a common enemy.

This film is extremely clever and provides a new explanation for many of the Santa Claus iconography such as the cookies and milk, the chimney and the flying reindeer.

The first act of this movie, however, has its share of scary images and moments.  The introduction of a lot of the story is surprisingly dark and even a little twisted.  Yet, by the end of the movie, it is full of warmth and heart and would be a fantastic holiday film that the entire family would enjoy.  The ending has all the feels too as the emotional beats are used prominently.

I also found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the run of Klaus.  It brings every bit of emotion into the film and succeeds in glorious fashion way more than it does not.

The animation is beautiful too, with the character designs standing out above everything else.  SPA Studios and Aniventure create the film, an English language Spanish animated film written and directed by Sergio Pablos.

Klaus was a genuine surprise and watching this made me feel such a range of emotions.  It could develop into one of those classic Christmas movies that you enjoy every year.  It is a triumph.  It is available on Netflix right now.

4.75 stars