Toy Story 4
Director: Josh Cooley
Cast Headliners: Tom Hanks , Tim Allen, Annie Ports , Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, all of your old favorites
Original Release Date: June 21st ,2019
On one hand this shouldn't exist . The Toy Story trilogy is perhaps the only perfect or nearso amazing trilogies of not just animated films but ant film or media in general. It has reached it's perfect stellar end with treat memories. However, on the other hand there's nothing quite as amazing and special in Pixar's pantheon as these films. It's with great fortunes and smiles that Toy Story 4 definitely lives up to the legacy of the past. Consider it an epilogue and also get another ending in ways ...with simple colorful fun along the way.
An exhilarating,funny, and at times emotional opening sequence / montage starts things that feels just like it's back in the 90s and 00s again . However the plot proper smartly is just two years after the last film instead of taking into account real time. With Andy long gone the toys are under the ownership of Bonnie ( Madeleine McGraw). There's alot of familiar faces but of course the biggest too are in the old friends Woody(Tom Hanks) the sheriff and Buzz Lightyear( Tim Allen ). They're joined by iconic favorites like Jessie(Joan Cusack), Rex(Wallace Shawn), Hamm(John Ratzenberger ), and Mr.Potato Head(the late Don Rickles).
This is very much a Woody film. One could argue that all of them are up to their best t this one more than ever with some important new character growths gone in. Hanks does an incredible job like anything in this film filled with laughter and warmth. Allen is great ( more silly quips this time again ) and so on. Some classic characters are a bit lost in the shuffle but that's understandable in the ensemble effect of things.
There's some great totally new characters of course. Ducky(Keegan Michael-Key) and Bunny(Jordan Peele) are slapstick gold amongst a lavish carnival backdrop. A big part of things is Forky(Tony Hale) a bewildered spoon toy made from trash by Bonnie ( even if the joke is slightly repeated ...but like many things even the tenth time it causes a chuckle). Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her creepy ventriloquists and cat nearby bring a villianous angle with some surprising nuances sympathy. Somewhere between it all there's Duke Caboom(Keanu Reeves) who's so humorously Canadian one can taste the Tim Horton's and maple syrup. Don't forget the toy short connecting Combat Carl (Carl Wearhers) or miniature Giggle McDimples(Ally Maki) either .
Through old and new there's actually a bit of a great fusion. Bo Peep ( Annie Potts) sat the last one out but is very much a main important character this time. The film effectively closes all loops and has her do some great things with her heroic "lost toy " angle. The epic story of the lost lovers of her and Woody is a great part of the tale with many feels and twists and turns with some great heroics by her.
There's really nothing wrong with the film at all. The CGI visuals are incredible with some of the most realistic colorful looks to date. The script is on point for characters old and new. The action and shots ( perhaps aided by director Cooley) are fun and funny. Everything is perfect ...and beautiful. It scratches that Pixar touch.
That's what Pixar is...art . A fine craftsmens touch in the best of times which is what this is. While the story ended perfectly in the past this is a worthy of a bit arubpt and simple adventure. Fans have to see because it just about belongs with the best of them. This may be the end if so so long pardner and if not or no matter what....you got a friend in me (always ). 9 out of 10.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Men In Black International Review
Men In Black International
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast Headliners: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani
Original Release Date: June 14th, 2019
First of all it's a bit of a miracle we even have this film being released. The original MIB trilogy was filled with wacky creatures and even wackier time. With the departure of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones one might wonder if it could never work again. Men In Black International attempts to answer that question with the same world but new heroes and situations that lands with some mixed results.
Some flashback sequences show us both leads but in the end events lead to Agent H (Chris Hemsworth ) and Agent M(Tessa Thompson) under the direction of High T(Liam Neeson) as they attempt to track down some insidious shapeshifters of The Hive's The Twins (Les Twins).
It's a simple set up for a simple film. There's some interesting twists in the plot but they're seen a mile away. There's some interesting action in a bit of abundance (credit to some crisp direction by Gary Gray ) but it's a film that will be remembered for it's moments , more than any in it's past , than the bigger picture itself.
There's some token classic haracters like the coffee aliens , Frank the pug, and Agent O(Emma Thompson) but they don't make much impact especially compared to their past (sometimes fleeting moments only in appearance ).
Luckily however , there's the new duo. As was seen in Thor Ragnarok and Avengers Endgame Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson make quite a comedic pair. Hemsworth is being his generic Thor self with some silly attempts at nuance but many great attempts at slapstick. Thompson is a bit of a different take ..more realist unlucky commoner but has her humor too. There's some dumb banter but the two work well together. No one else really makes an impact (even a sleek Riza arma dealing alien in Rebecca Ferguson or a comedy quips dealing sidekick Pawnie Kumail ) but there's some chuckles. Neeson is as generic as can be..
The creatures in themselves are cool at times. There's some impressive incentive variety in the aliens seen but once again it's been done before. Some of them are menacing or some are charming but nothing quite blows the mind as it once did.
That's what this film is....more of the same just more Men In Black. Yet however while it has some promising leads it lacks it's great original stars and vibe even if it does come close. Simple dumb cheesy fun ...7 out of 10
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast Headliners: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani
Original Release Date: June 14th, 2019
First of all it's a bit of a miracle we even have this film being released. The original MIB trilogy was filled with wacky creatures and even wackier time. With the departure of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones one might wonder if it could never work again. Men In Black International attempts to answer that question with the same world but new heroes and situations that lands with some mixed results.
Some flashback sequences show us both leads but in the end events lead to Agent H (Chris Hemsworth ) and Agent M(Tessa Thompson) under the direction of High T(Liam Neeson) as they attempt to track down some insidious shapeshifters of The Hive's The Twins (Les Twins).
It's a simple set up for a simple film. There's some interesting twists in the plot but they're seen a mile away. There's some interesting action in a bit of abundance (credit to some crisp direction by Gary Gray ) but it's a film that will be remembered for it's moments , more than any in it's past , than the bigger picture itself.
There's some token classic haracters like the coffee aliens , Frank the pug, and Agent O(Emma Thompson) but they don't make much impact especially compared to their past (sometimes fleeting moments only in appearance ).
Luckily however , there's the new duo. As was seen in Thor Ragnarok and Avengers Endgame Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson make quite a comedic pair. Hemsworth is being his generic Thor self with some silly attempts at nuance but many great attempts at slapstick. Thompson is a bit of a different take ..more realist unlucky commoner but has her humor too. There's some dumb banter but the two work well together. No one else really makes an impact (even a sleek Riza arma dealing alien in Rebecca Ferguson or a comedy quips dealing sidekick Pawnie Kumail ) but there's some chuckles. Neeson is as generic as can be..
The creatures in themselves are cool at times. There's some impressive incentive variety in the aliens seen but once again it's been done before. Some of them are menacing or some are charming but nothing quite blows the mind as it once did.
That's what this film is....more of the same just more Men In Black. Yet however while it has some promising leads it lacks it's great original stars and vibe even if it does come close. Simple dumb cheesy fun ...7 out of 10
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
The Dead Don't Die Review
The Dead Don't Die
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast Headliners: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, some many others
Original Release Date: June 14th, 2019
Let this one be prefaced that this reviewer had not really heard of Jim Jarmusch before writing on this The Dead Don't Die. Apparently he has a distinct directorial style (more on that below) which only looking up surrounding information gave some recollection of a couple other works previously unknown here but recognizable within the scene. What's attractive about this film is its cast and premise: Bill Murray (Zombieland much?) and Adam Driver as small town cops amongst some many others in a comedy versus zombies?... that's great potential. It definitely lives up to some of that potential but one has to really know what kind of film it is to enjoy it(Shaun Of The Dead or Zombieland this is not).
In the anywhere town of Centerville USA policemen Chief Cliff Robertson(Bill Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson(Adam Driver) start by dealing with a chicken stealing situation between the unfriendly outdoorsman Hermit Bob(a great and seldom seen Tom Waits) and then even moreso paranoid unfriendly Farmer Miller(Steve Buscemi). One can quickly tell that this is a different kind of movie when the character's quickly break the 4th wall and see that the film's own theme song is playing on the radio. It definitely does not get less weird from there.
What one has to realize that, especially in the first two thirds, this is more of a film about the weird wacky characters in this town than the zombie action. It does an intriguing job being a slow burning buildup to the horror that awaits(and there's definitely some scary bloody guts-filled action at times). However this is often interspersed with very dry Wes Anderson-y shots and humor (apparently a trademark of director Jim Jarmusch).
These characters range in quality and oddity. In addition to who's mentioned there's other unique locals in fellow down to Earth cop Officer Minnie Morrison(Chloe Sevigny), store owners of hardware in friendly Hank Thompson(Danny Glover) and pop horror culture/gas shy Bobby Wiggins(Caleb Landry Jones), and bizarre samurai sword using Scottish coroner Zelda Winston(Tilda Swinton). There's several sets of youths more on the periphery including those in a troubled youth home trio of Stella(Maya Delmont), Olivia(Taliyah Whitaker), and Geronimo(Jahi Winston) or the visiting teens of Zoe(Selena Gomez), Jack(Austin Butler), and Zach(Luka Sabbat). Others only show up for even less of moments but one has to appreciate the small momentary chuckles of more meta / 4th wall breaking elements like reporter Posie Juarez(Rosie Perez), “Wu-Ps” driver Dean(RZA), and of course the first unnamed zombie seen(Iggy Pop).
That's what this film is.... momentary chuckles and momentary standouts without leaving a lasting impression. The script is alright but surreal and meta as mentioned with some humor around simple repeating itself or “oh gee this small town isn't reacting that fearfully to the situation”. However there is some contrast between the idyllic and the gore which works alright. The zombies(and perhaps a bit of the film) have a more old school George Romero or even 1950s approach to them than most things recently. They're very “the moon turned evil one day and its cosmic rays raised the living dead” than a virus with them handled a bit comically shambling (And with some 1800s or earlier corpses amongst those raised) however with menace. This is also added to goofily with them being able to wield some human objects and even having some simple speech of what they want or last wanted in life. Music by Jarmusch's own band SQURL helps add to the kooky goofy spooky ambience. However it also makes things very slow and at times cheesy.
Performance wise one would have high hopes of those involved and they deliver...in part. Bill Murray is about the most Bill Murray to ever Bill Murray in awhile with some dry sarcastic retorts although this time with a slightly more toughened angle but only to a small town extent. Adam Driver is some kind of amazing as ever. This further shows the actor's range here going for very subdued and purposefully dull with some nice quips. Sevigny's Minnie has some alright banter with them but nothing too impressive. Really of all the cast mentioned the only one that makes much of an impact is Swinton's Zelda. She's the most bizarre of anyone and carries both mysterious secrets and badassery with her katana sword. This leads to some of the film's other laughs when she's doing...what she's doing. Things really ramp up in both laughs and action excitement in the last 1/3 but as many things only to an extent.
As a whole this film is just about what it looks like at a glance. It's some bumbling townsfolk dealing with some stumbling zombies with some blood and chuckles along the way. If one understands its dry approach they may like it for the cast involved however one should really bear in mind its slow burn...and that it isn't much they haven't seen before. 7.7 out of 10
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast Headliners: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, some many others
Original Release Date: June 14th, 2019
Let this one be prefaced that this reviewer had not really heard of Jim Jarmusch before writing on this The Dead Don't Die. Apparently he has a distinct directorial style (more on that below) which only looking up surrounding information gave some recollection of a couple other works previously unknown here but recognizable within the scene. What's attractive about this film is its cast and premise: Bill Murray (Zombieland much?) and Adam Driver as small town cops amongst some many others in a comedy versus zombies?... that's great potential. It definitely lives up to some of that potential but one has to really know what kind of film it is to enjoy it(Shaun Of The Dead or Zombieland this is not).
In the anywhere town of Centerville USA policemen Chief Cliff Robertson(Bill Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson(Adam Driver) start by dealing with a chicken stealing situation between the unfriendly outdoorsman Hermit Bob(a great and seldom seen Tom Waits) and then even moreso paranoid unfriendly Farmer Miller(Steve Buscemi). One can quickly tell that this is a different kind of movie when the character's quickly break the 4th wall and see that the film's own theme song is playing on the radio. It definitely does not get less weird from there.
What one has to realize that, especially in the first two thirds, this is more of a film about the weird wacky characters in this town than the zombie action. It does an intriguing job being a slow burning buildup to the horror that awaits(and there's definitely some scary bloody guts-filled action at times). However this is often interspersed with very dry Wes Anderson-y shots and humor (apparently a trademark of director Jim Jarmusch).
These characters range in quality and oddity. In addition to who's mentioned there's other unique locals in fellow down to Earth cop Officer Minnie Morrison(Chloe Sevigny), store owners of hardware in friendly Hank Thompson(Danny Glover) and pop horror culture/gas shy Bobby Wiggins(Caleb Landry Jones), and bizarre samurai sword using Scottish coroner Zelda Winston(Tilda Swinton). There's several sets of youths more on the periphery including those in a troubled youth home trio of Stella(Maya Delmont), Olivia(Taliyah Whitaker), and Geronimo(Jahi Winston) or the visiting teens of Zoe(Selena Gomez), Jack(Austin Butler), and Zach(Luka Sabbat). Others only show up for even less of moments but one has to appreciate the small momentary chuckles of more meta / 4th wall breaking elements like reporter Posie Juarez(Rosie Perez), “Wu-Ps” driver Dean(RZA), and of course the first unnamed zombie seen(Iggy Pop).
That's what this film is.... momentary chuckles and momentary standouts without leaving a lasting impression. The script is alright but surreal and meta as mentioned with some humor around simple repeating itself or “oh gee this small town isn't reacting that fearfully to the situation”. However there is some contrast between the idyllic and the gore which works alright. The zombies(and perhaps a bit of the film) have a more old school George Romero or even 1950s approach to them than most things recently. They're very “the moon turned evil one day and its cosmic rays raised the living dead” than a virus with them handled a bit comically shambling (And with some 1800s or earlier corpses amongst those raised) however with menace. This is also added to goofily with them being able to wield some human objects and even having some simple speech of what they want or last wanted in life. Music by Jarmusch's own band SQURL helps add to the kooky goofy spooky ambience. However it also makes things very slow and at times cheesy.
Performance wise one would have high hopes of those involved and they deliver...in part. Bill Murray is about the most Bill Murray to ever Bill Murray in awhile with some dry sarcastic retorts although this time with a slightly more toughened angle but only to a small town extent. Adam Driver is some kind of amazing as ever. This further shows the actor's range here going for very subdued and purposefully dull with some nice quips. Sevigny's Minnie has some alright banter with them but nothing too impressive. Really of all the cast mentioned the only one that makes much of an impact is Swinton's Zelda. She's the most bizarre of anyone and carries both mysterious secrets and badassery with her katana sword. This leads to some of the film's other laughs when she's doing...what she's doing. Things really ramp up in both laughs and action excitement in the last 1/3 but as many things only to an extent.
As a whole this film is just about what it looks like at a glance. It's some bumbling townsfolk dealing with some stumbling zombies with some blood and chuckles along the way. If one understands its dry approach they may like it for the cast involved however one should really bear in mind its slow burn...and that it isn't much they haven't seen before. 7.7 out of 10
Sunday, June 9, 2019
X-Men: Dark Phoenix Review
Dark Phoenix
Director: Simon Kinberg
Cast Headliners: James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender, Tye Sheridan, Jessica Chastain, many many many others
Original Release Date: June 7th, 2019
Dark Phoenix the 12th film in the X-Men franchise so one may expect that some sort of fatigue may set in. Now that never stopped similar ones of high counts such as James Bond or Star Wars but what those films had is years being seperated by directorial styles and feels. X-Men has a bit of this but much of these have been release in a short span of time and being very similar to each other. Even too this time it's literally another take, again , on the plot explored in 2006's X3: The Last Stand by showing a Jean Grey-centric story although here with twists. It also has the meta aspect of being the last major X-Men film released under the Fox timeline (a odd New Mutants delayed straggler and whatever happens with Deadpool aside) before Disney absorbs and reboots them into the MCU... So how does that do at sending things off? Decently if very, very expectedly cheesy.
After a flashback showing someone's youth, the movie picks up in the X-Men glory days of a new decade in1992. It's an altered good timeline where the president praises the hero's and they have toys made in their likeness. The uniforms as shiny colorful and the Charles Xavier School For The Gifted is packed with students. One knows in comics this was a good time but unfortunately it's “90s” aspect is really, really not explored with a couple of minor exceptions when compared to the funky 60s/70s/80s aesthetics of the other “”First Class” prequels. At last the shtick of space is used as the X-Men team is sent to...rescue some astronauts from the mysterious Phoenix Force in low orbit while elsewhere some aliens lurk around. It's not quite the galactic quest the lore deserves but it's a step to differentiate this tale from the past. Where was the classic 1990s animated series theme c'mon now..
This is a team led by the same usual mutant superhero faces this time or whoever could show up to the cast list. That thus includes the older set of Professor X/Charles Xavier(James McAvoy), Mystique/Raven Darkholme(Jennifer Lawrence), Beast/Hank McCoy(Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver/Peter Maximoff(Evan Peters) along the newer recruits Cyclops/Scott Summers(Tye Sheridan), Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner(Kodi Smith-Mcphee), Storm/Ororo Munroe(Alexandra Shipp) and of course Phoenix/Jean Grey(Sophie Turner). Elsewhere around more grey area forces exist such as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr(Michael Fassbender) with acolytes Selene(Kota Eberhardt) and Ariki(Andrew Stehlin) who along with the X-Men contend with a third party in mysterious shapeshifting D'Bari (not Skrulls...Captain Marvel influences obvious in) aliens led by Vuk(Jessica Chastain) aided by Jones(Ato Essandah).
As ever it's an ensemble cast but as ever there's an incredibly cheesy script at play too. There's some highlights here and there. It must be noted that this is very much a Jean movie as she takes a bit of a main protagonist / apparent antagonist take. Unlike in 2006 Turner's turn at darkness is filled with more struggle and dialogue than the truly alien-ish take Famke Jannssen did although she has her moments of complete losing control as well. The sometimes in her career mundane Turner does a bit better job as she faces personal stakes, emotions, and revelations although it certainly has its bits of cheese as well. Even moreso in the past she has a personal stake with the Professor and McAvoy really channels his prime Patrick Stewart as the timelines get closer together with the bald helping although some timeline logic definitely gets messed up. Sheridan's Cyclops doesn't have a Wolverine to be a rival with her and has some slight drama, heroics and humor although it's a bit of a minor role.
Everyone else is a bit of a minor role and offers only an attempted quip , expositon, or use of power. It seems that Lawrence's Mystique and Hoult's Beast try just a little more than last time although it really seems like they're cheesily done trying their best in their mutant careers. Peter's Quicksilver has some fun quips although it's even more momentary and they remove him to balance the action once again.
For the apparent grey-area people things are even more of a mixed bag. Fassbender Magneto is likeable as ever and gets to tap more into his dark side here since he always is going back and forth although it's been a long time since his prime stuff although he has some impressive power uses. His henchmen really don't do much aside get in fights. Same too for the aliens. Chastain's Vuk has a creepy hollow eyed take appearance but she's about as generically “ultimate evil” as things can be that's almost down there with Apocalypse or others for “eh”.
The visuals are a very, very mixed bag but maybe a slight improvement is noticed with first time director but past writer Simon Kinberg's touch. There's some extremely cheesy CGI once again although unlike Apocalypse the action scenes can be more memorable and well sharply executed with the powers at play. There's more action than some of these films with multiple chases, fights, defenses an more. Jean's powers particularly are amplified by the cosmic force and the stuff in space is fresh to see even if so brief. There's some very mixed quality to the dramatic talking craft but some of it is alright as things take a darker serious palette. Decent backing music whether electronic or orchestral by legend Hans Zimmer adds to things as well.
What the movie does kind of alright at is being an “ending”. One can tell there's some slight remnants of when it was meant to be a cliffhanger into a two parter but some things truly do meet their time loop end here with a sense of closure. The stuff with Charles, Magneto, Jean, and Mystique goes mostly where one would want or within the cheese. Definitely one to have seen the past few young era the least although there's fun as a whole among the silly.
As a a whole that kind of defines the Fox era of what just came. It was a world of a few beloved characters floating in a sea of cheese. It was once the definitive Marvel experience but has become such a repeat of itself. However the good stuff reminds us of what once was...and what may come again. I'll miss the cheese right along the glory. 7.4 out of 10
Rocketman Review
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast Headliners: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, others
Original Release Date: May 31, 2019
Few musicians are as iconic as Sir Elton John. He's the master of flash and style along with piano and he's got too many great songs to count. It's interesting to see that this was done by the (finishing) director of the other recent gay / 1970s glory rock legend biopic Bohemian Rhapsody Dexter Fletcher. However this one, for better or worse, packs so much more style .
The movie definitely doesn't proceed in chronological order as a framing device of a addict support group follows the adult Elton John / Reginald “Reggie” Dwight(Taron Egerton). He flashes back to a childhood through his youngest(by Matthew Illsey) and teenage(by Kit Connor) years. From his upbringing under hands-off Sheila(Bryce Dallas Howard) , uncaring strict Stanley(Steven Mackintosh), and kindly grandmother Ivy(Gemma Jones). Later phases of his life go through his friendship with lyricist Bernie Taupin(Jamie Bell), publisher Dick James(Stephen Graham), assistant producer Ray Williams(Charlie Rowe), and of course Elton's famed once boyfriend and manager John Reid(Richard Madden).
Before we speak of the rest of the cast or its star what surprised this review was how much of a musical this film was. It's elaborate, it's dream-like, it's fantastical with some sequences having background singers and dancers and the like singing Elton classics. The soundtrack is great with all the hits, and either story or fictional context, such as “Rocketman”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting”, “Honky Cat”, “I'm Still Standing”, “Crocodile Rock”, “Tiny Dancer” and more in many sequences. There's some neat remixing at times with orchestrations or little moments of difference for the very Broadway musical take in the plot. At times it can be cheesy but perhaps this whimsical touch is what director Fletcher is truly best at with some nice shots. There's also the singing talent of Egerton's John.
It's so important for a biography to have a good star and Taron Egerton mostly lives up to that. His singing voice may just be spot off from the truth but it sure does hit the mark close and unlike some other stars he did it all himself. His acting has humor, sincerity, emotion, anger, flamboyance, inspiration and more as he appears very different from his take in the Kingsmen series. He is a bit of a scrawn at times next to the true Reginald but it's a very solid standout take.
The rest of the cast has some ups and downs but some may even outshine Egerton. Bell's Bernie is filled with great warmth and some charm in his hippie artist nature as he has some great stuff with Elton. So too is Madden's John who brings the suaveness every bit as much the betrayal although he may not sing quite as spot on. Howard's mother role has a fake British accent to her heritage but it's convincing enough and she has some of the films quips. So too do all of the other family and music industry members fit the part although it's nothing too amazing.
That's a note of this film is that it was very much involved with Elton himself. Whether from his bias or for the sake of narrative flow some altered perspectives or historical changes happen(such as the meaning for Elton's name or context of song creation) but it's forgiveable and also cool that he had his involvement. The time jumping method ends up wrapping up pretty well.
Rest assured that one should probably be a fan to see this film but to a fan it does well. It's a dreamy musical autobiography that doesn't do anything too deep aside some drug fueled drama but is a fun jamming look to the musician that recreates his many phases. That what's still standing in the end is the good aspects amidst the mundane. 7.85 out of 10
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast Headliners: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, others
Original Release Date: May 31, 2019
Few musicians are as iconic as Sir Elton John. He's the master of flash and style along with piano and he's got too many great songs to count. It's interesting to see that this was done by the (finishing) director of the other recent gay / 1970s glory rock legend biopic Bohemian Rhapsody Dexter Fletcher. However this one, for better or worse, packs so much more style .
The movie definitely doesn't proceed in chronological order as a framing device of a addict support group follows the adult Elton John / Reginald “Reggie” Dwight(Taron Egerton). He flashes back to a childhood through his youngest(by Matthew Illsey) and teenage(by Kit Connor) years. From his upbringing under hands-off Sheila(Bryce Dallas Howard) , uncaring strict Stanley(Steven Mackintosh), and kindly grandmother Ivy(Gemma Jones). Later phases of his life go through his friendship with lyricist Bernie Taupin(Jamie Bell), publisher Dick James(Stephen Graham), assistant producer Ray Williams(Charlie Rowe), and of course Elton's famed once boyfriend and manager John Reid(Richard Madden).
Before we speak of the rest of the cast or its star what surprised this review was how much of a musical this film was. It's elaborate, it's dream-like, it's fantastical with some sequences having background singers and dancers and the like singing Elton classics. The soundtrack is great with all the hits, and either story or fictional context, such as “Rocketman”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting”, “Honky Cat”, “I'm Still Standing”, “Crocodile Rock”, “Tiny Dancer” and more in many sequences. There's some neat remixing at times with orchestrations or little moments of difference for the very Broadway musical take in the plot. At times it can be cheesy but perhaps this whimsical touch is what director Fletcher is truly best at with some nice shots. There's also the singing talent of Egerton's John.
It's so important for a biography to have a good star and Taron Egerton mostly lives up to that. His singing voice may just be spot off from the truth but it sure does hit the mark close and unlike some other stars he did it all himself. His acting has humor, sincerity, emotion, anger, flamboyance, inspiration and more as he appears very different from his take in the Kingsmen series. He is a bit of a scrawn at times next to the true Reginald but it's a very solid standout take.
The rest of the cast has some ups and downs but some may even outshine Egerton. Bell's Bernie is filled with great warmth and some charm in his hippie artist nature as he has some great stuff with Elton. So too is Madden's John who brings the suaveness every bit as much the betrayal although he may not sing quite as spot on. Howard's mother role has a fake British accent to her heritage but it's convincing enough and she has some of the films quips. So too do all of the other family and music industry members fit the part although it's nothing too amazing.
That's a note of this film is that it was very much involved with Elton himself. Whether from his bias or for the sake of narrative flow some altered perspectives or historical changes happen(such as the meaning for Elton's name or context of song creation) but it's forgiveable and also cool that he had his involvement. The time jumping method ends up wrapping up pretty well.
Rest assured that one should probably be a fan to see this film but to a fan it does well. It's a dreamy musical autobiography that doesn't do anything too deep aside some drug fueled drama but is a fun jamming look to the musician that recreates his many phases. That what's still standing in the end is the good aspects amidst the mundane. 7.85 out of 10
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Review
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
Director: Michael Dougherty
Cast Headliners: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Godzilla, King Ghidorah, many more monsters this time
Original Release Date: May 31st, 2019
How does one follow up a movie as literally BIG as 2014's Godzilla? That movie proved that Americans can make something almost as fun and true to the spirit of the giant lizard as the Toho Japanese originals. It struggled through some of its mundane-ness and human element but the potential it poked at had promise for the future if done right. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters delivers on some of that promise especially where fans would want it to although it falls trap to some of the same flaws as well. However more of the same is a good thing when it involves the chaos at play.
The main human cast and premise has been partially swapped out this time. After a tragic loss in the past a family is separated between a hunter / nature animal behavior expert Dr. Mark Russell(Kyle Chandler) from an estranged(seems like this is always the case in these movies) from his wife Dr.Emma(Vera Farmiga) and daughter Madison(Millie Bobby Brown aka Elevan from Stranger Things making her big screen debut). They have ties to the kaiju creature/Titan shadowy but noble organization Monarch in the only returners Dr.Ishiro Serizawa(Ken Watanabe) and Dr.Vivienne Graham(Sally Hawkins) amongst others. They face an awakening of not just one but many Godzilla sized beasts across the globe.
The noble side of humanity is definitely a bit improved from the first although it definitely has its cheese and slow periods. There's much more Serizawa which is fine as Watanabe is always a delight. He takes more of a “Big Good leadership” role than ever and has even more wise lines getting into the frontline of action although it's at times limited. The other Monarch scientists don't quite land as well with Hawkins just having some exposition much like peers in Dr.Ilene Chen(Zhang Ziyi), Colonel Diane Foster(Aisha Hints), and Admiral William Stenz(David Strathaim) all being generically serious. There's some attempted comic relief this time from Dr.Sam Coleman(Thomas Middleditch) and moreso Dr.Rick Stanton(Bradley Whitford) but some of it (perhaps purposefully) doesn't quite hit.
The main Russell family is a bit better although nothing to write home about. Chandler's Mark sometimes goes for an unbearable whisper in his approach which is a bit odd but he has passion, intellect, and charm when he needs to even if generic although the “reluctant” aspect is enjoyable and nuanced. Bobby Brown may surprise one to hear if one is used to her past work as here she is a very spunky , talkative teenage girl with no accent or monotony but she's ok even if it's mainly being scared of what's going on around. Farmiga's role is.... a bit odd. She has an interesting connection to the events that happen that quickly goes for an “insane cultist” approach. It's sometimes hard to tell if the filmmakers wanted us to sympathize or hate her as there's not much benevolent aspects shown but it is certainly more flavorful than the past.
This is what the movie is about... the MONSTERS. This took takes a bit more time than one wants to get going since before this it has some neat human vs evil human action ( a franchise staple usually moreso “Humanoids from space”). This is because the mercenary forces of Alan Jonah(Charles Dance) seek to awaken the other Titans, like Godzilla, for a global cleanse. Dance gives a fearsome yet British-ily refined take although there's not enough of him or direct conflict as one would want as he like most of the human cast is confined to planning rooms / laboratories. A great aspect of the film is that it fully embraces its outlandish world potential compared to the first. If the first was kind of realistic this one is not much at all. There's giant flying airships and underwater and icy antarctic bases. There's ruined jungle temples and underwater lost civilizations. Most of all however there is not giant lizards or bugs but ICONIC Titans of the source as so much more lore is present as a whole.
Yes what this movie is most effective at is bringing the classic Godzilla rogue's gallery into this universe.... a bit all at once. There's both the larval and flying form of the moth Mothra, the pterodactyl (although here more dragon-like) Rodan, and the ultimate enemy of all the alien three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. There's even some momentary cameos but made up various giant octopuses, woolly mammoths, the first films MUTO, and a shoutout or two to the past King Kong(see him in 2020). It truly is a Destroy All Monsters kind of event. Godzilla has him work cut out for him and certainly smashes some things along the way.
Credit should largely be given to director Michael Dougherty for his visual approach. There's some nice, beautiful wide shots as more of a dreamlike approach is taken to things to go along with the fantastical beasts. There's big crazy views of these beasts. The destruction is raised by the variety of what chaos they can chaos whether Mothra's silk or Rodan's fire melting soar(a twist on the classic). Ghidorah has just as powerful electric blasts as Godzilla as lasers . There's some intense music by Bear McCreary as well leading to some thrilling sequences. As with the best these monster vs monster clashes are reallly good.... when they do show up. As mentioned there's some long stretches without ANY monsters or parts without Godzilla but things escalate especially at the end when all parties are involved. Godzilla has some fearsome new powers and some apparent personality again so it's good to get a bit more but it's only a bit more. However the best is mostly worth it. Things can also seem a bit dark and monotone (With some mixed quality CGI especially on Ghidorah's heads although usually great) for visuals at times but then again it is more of a world-ending dark theme going on so it makes sense.
It's not a movie that will totally blow ones more especially if they aren't a bit of a true fan. However for those that are it brings the action, mostly, where one would want. Simple explosive destruction fun with some epic additives. 8.46 out of 10
Director: Michael Dougherty
Cast Headliners: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Godzilla, King Ghidorah, many more monsters this time
Original Release Date: May 31st, 2019
How does one follow up a movie as literally BIG as 2014's Godzilla? That movie proved that Americans can make something almost as fun and true to the spirit of the giant lizard as the Toho Japanese originals. It struggled through some of its mundane-ness and human element but the potential it poked at had promise for the future if done right. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters delivers on some of that promise especially where fans would want it to although it falls trap to some of the same flaws as well. However more of the same is a good thing when it involves the chaos at play.
The main human cast and premise has been partially swapped out this time. After a tragic loss in the past a family is separated between a hunter / nature animal behavior expert Dr. Mark Russell(Kyle Chandler) from an estranged(seems like this is always the case in these movies) from his wife Dr.Emma(Vera Farmiga) and daughter Madison(Millie Bobby Brown aka Elevan from Stranger Things making her big screen debut). They have ties to the kaiju creature/Titan shadowy but noble organization Monarch in the only returners Dr.Ishiro Serizawa(Ken Watanabe) and Dr.Vivienne Graham(Sally Hawkins) amongst others. They face an awakening of not just one but many Godzilla sized beasts across the globe.
The noble side of humanity is definitely a bit improved from the first although it definitely has its cheese and slow periods. There's much more Serizawa which is fine as Watanabe is always a delight. He takes more of a “Big Good leadership” role than ever and has even more wise lines getting into the frontline of action although it's at times limited. The other Monarch scientists don't quite land as well with Hawkins just having some exposition much like peers in Dr.Ilene Chen(Zhang Ziyi), Colonel Diane Foster(Aisha Hints), and Admiral William Stenz(David Strathaim) all being generically serious. There's some attempted comic relief this time from Dr.Sam Coleman(Thomas Middleditch) and moreso Dr.Rick Stanton(Bradley Whitford) but some of it (perhaps purposefully) doesn't quite hit.
The main Russell family is a bit better although nothing to write home about. Chandler's Mark sometimes goes for an unbearable whisper in his approach which is a bit odd but he has passion, intellect, and charm when he needs to even if generic although the “reluctant” aspect is enjoyable and nuanced. Bobby Brown may surprise one to hear if one is used to her past work as here she is a very spunky , talkative teenage girl with no accent or monotony but she's ok even if it's mainly being scared of what's going on around. Farmiga's role is.... a bit odd. She has an interesting connection to the events that happen that quickly goes for an “insane cultist” approach. It's sometimes hard to tell if the filmmakers wanted us to sympathize or hate her as there's not much benevolent aspects shown but it is certainly more flavorful than the past.
This is what the movie is about... the MONSTERS. This took takes a bit more time than one wants to get going since before this it has some neat human vs evil human action ( a franchise staple usually moreso “Humanoids from space”). This is because the mercenary forces of Alan Jonah(Charles Dance) seek to awaken the other Titans, like Godzilla, for a global cleanse. Dance gives a fearsome yet British-ily refined take although there's not enough of him or direct conflict as one would want as he like most of the human cast is confined to planning rooms / laboratories. A great aspect of the film is that it fully embraces its outlandish world potential compared to the first. If the first was kind of realistic this one is not much at all. There's giant flying airships and underwater and icy antarctic bases. There's ruined jungle temples and underwater lost civilizations. Most of all however there is not giant lizards or bugs but ICONIC Titans of the source as so much more lore is present as a whole.
Yes what this movie is most effective at is bringing the classic Godzilla rogue's gallery into this universe.... a bit all at once. There's both the larval and flying form of the moth Mothra, the pterodactyl (although here more dragon-like) Rodan, and the ultimate enemy of all the alien three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. There's even some momentary cameos but made up various giant octopuses, woolly mammoths, the first films MUTO, and a shoutout or two to the past King Kong(see him in 2020). It truly is a Destroy All Monsters kind of event. Godzilla has him work cut out for him and certainly smashes some things along the way.
Credit should largely be given to director Michael Dougherty for his visual approach. There's some nice, beautiful wide shots as more of a dreamlike approach is taken to things to go along with the fantastical beasts. There's big crazy views of these beasts. The destruction is raised by the variety of what chaos they can chaos whether Mothra's silk or Rodan's fire melting soar(a twist on the classic). Ghidorah has just as powerful electric blasts as Godzilla as lasers . There's some intense music by Bear McCreary as well leading to some thrilling sequences. As with the best these monster vs monster clashes are reallly good.... when they do show up. As mentioned there's some long stretches without ANY monsters or parts without Godzilla but things escalate especially at the end when all parties are involved. Godzilla has some fearsome new powers and some apparent personality again so it's good to get a bit more but it's only a bit more. However the best is mostly worth it. Things can also seem a bit dark and monotone (With some mixed quality CGI especially on Ghidorah's heads although usually great) for visuals at times but then again it is more of a world-ending dark theme going on so it makes sense.
It's not a movie that will totally blow ones more especially if they aren't a bit of a true fan. However for those that are it brings the action, mostly, where one would want. Simple explosive destruction fun with some epic additives. 8.46 out of 10
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