Category: Films

‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’ is a trip worth taking

Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man: Far from Home

“The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” – Joseph Conrad

It’s been a busy year for Spider-Man. After a major PS4 game, beloved animated film, and stint assisting the Avengers, he’s now back to another live action solo film.

Not as good as the Sam Raimi trilogy or Into the Spider-Verse but an improvement over Homecoming, Far from Home might bring our friendly neighborhood hero out of his comfort zone, but doesn’t take audiences too much out of theirs.

It’s summertime and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is going on vacation. With his classmates like best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and crush Michelle (Zendaya), he heads to Europe for a tour of various countries. Touching down first in Venice, his fun time is ruined by a giant water monster on the rampage. But rushing in to help fight it off is Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Shortly thereafter, Peter finally finds himself eyes to eye with Nick Fury Jr. (Samuel L. Jackson), who had been trying to reach him regarding this matter. Through Fury he officially meets Mysterio. Real name Quentin Beck and claiming to be from a different dimension along with that monster, he tells them that there’s more to come.

Much like Peter’s inner struggles in one of these movies, I’m feeling conflicted. There’s certainly some glaring problems that we’ll get to, but it is more fun and weighty than its immediate predecessor. The tension is higher and comedy is funnier. The direction from returning director Jon Watts is stronger – some truly nightmarish scenes are absolute standouts – though noticeable filming goofs appear here and there (boom mic visible, water splashing on the lens).

While monumentally stupid miscastings and mischaracterizations remain monumentally stupid (looking at you, Flash and Aunt May), Holland continues to shine. Facing the fallout from what happened during his last screen appearance and coming to terms with his new place as a hero spawn quite a few big emotional moments which he handles admirably. Equally adept is he at the comedic parts in the character’s civilian life as well as the stresses of being a teenager on top of everything.

However, a number of things are rather haphazardly incorporated. There’s one character who’s introduced as not having been dead the last five years, but somehow he’s still in Peter’s class. That he’s made a rival for the affections of the still underage Michelle adds an element of sleaziness that doesn’t seem to have been intended. Speaking of Peter’s feelings for her, those have come from out of nowhere. Last we saw of them, their interactions were minimal and they didn’t even appear to get along all that much.

And then there’s the whole “MJ” issue. It is extremely obnoxious that they would choose to continually call her this (in fact, not once in this film is “Michelle” ever said) when it instantly brings to mind the Mary Jane Watson character, who this one is nothing like and was never meant to be. Not only does this immediately invite comparisons which won’t turn out favorably for the newbie, but it constantly makes the viewer miss and want to see MJ proper return. It’s really too bad, because on her own this would’ve been a great character and performance that’s getting better (her quips this time are less activist caricature and more Dale Gribble). But as good as she might turn out, chaining her to such huge figure in the mythos is casting a huge shadow from which she’ll never escape.

But a big saving grace is Gyllenhaal. After doing a string of less mainstream and darker fare, it’s a wonder they managed to rope him in for something like this and a great coup it is. Not quite so deliciously bonkers like his turn as Dr. Johnny, but when it’s time for him to cut loose he really delivers. While comic readers will know what Mysterio’s deal is, when watching even they’ll fall under his spell.

There’s other notable supporting players too. Angourie Rice as Betty Brant is fantastic; pairing her with Batalon here was a stroke of genius. The always hilarious JB Smoove is very welcome as a teacher chaperoning the trip and has a good dynamic with Martin Starr as the other grown up. And one truly shocking appearance at the tail end of things is worth the price of admission alone.

Far from Home gets Spidey through what could’ve been a sophomore slump with a great deal of fun and excitement. It’s up in the air who he’ll be facing next (Scorpion perhaps? Kraven? Tarantula?), but I’m very interested to see where it goes and what variation on “home” will be used for the subtitle.

July 12, 2019
‘Child’s Play’ is defective

Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Chucky in Child’s Play

“It stinks.” – Jay Sherman

Wrong. This was the first thought that occurred to me when watching Child’s Play 2019 and it stayed the whole time. Nothing about it was right. Not in regards to the 1988 film, not in regards to modern reality and sensibilities, not even in regards to its own logic.

The latest in technological wonders is Buddi (Mark Hamill), a small robot who can talk, walk, play music, turn on the television, search the web, make video and sound recordings, and so on. It’s been really successful, with a new version due for release soon.

So right off the bat we have a huge issue in that something like this in current year is not going to resemble a Good Guy doll in this slightest. This type of device would be designed to be futuristic and sleek, fitting right in with the smartphones and TVs it interfaces with. Ashley Too is how this kind of thing is supposed to look. The model this time is redesigned a bit too and it’s far from an upgrade. It’s just really awful looking and makes you long for the original.

Department store clerk Karen (Aubrey Plaza) works where these things are frequently sold and are preparing to receive the newer models. When a customer returns an existing one for being defective – little do they know it actually had the failsafes removed by a disgruntled employee at the Vietnamese sweatshop where these things are made – she takes it home for her son (Gabriel Bateman).

Andy’s aged up to a teen here, another change not in any way for the better. It seems to be just so he can swear at and talk back to his mother. Also in the mix are mom’s abusive boyfriend (David Lewis) and troubles with bullying peers. It’s like they looked at the first act of the Rob Zombie Halloween and said “This, but edgeless and even more cliched.”

Now we start to get into Chucky’s motives and demeanor. As this version is a blank slate AI and not Charles Lee Ray, it should not have any personality or goals. But eventually, he somehow gets to behaving like classic Chucky. The laughing, taunting, one liners, all of it. This of course should not be the case in this new context, and is clearly only here out of obligation. Without being a serial killer by trade or needing a new body, what (mostly, since he does show a propensity for violence earlier on) makes him a murderer is watching Texas Chainsaw 2 with Andy and his friends. I wonder what his behavior would’ve turned to if they’d watched pornography instead.

There’s such a mess of more contradictions and nonsensities. Everyone is aware from the start that Chucky can talk and move around on his own, but disbelieve Andy when he tells them that Chucky did this or that. One character should know all that has been happening, but apparently doesn’t when it’s convenient for the plot. The musical score with its young child toy sounds is not only incredibly intrusive, but does not fit seeing how the story is no longer about young children or toys.

Not even the name makes sense here. The original Chucky doll is called that because that was his actual name as a human. This time it’s just randomly spurt out by him as a sign of malfunctioning when Andy tries to give him a different name that sounds nothing like it (as sly an in-joke though that was). Again, this is really only here because it has to be.

But worst of all, this gives the franchise a black eye when the original series is still going strong. New movies from Don Mancini and with Brad Dourif in tow have been trickling out the past couple years, and they have plans for more (a Syfy channel show in development at present). I can only hope that these official projects won’t now be derailed or that this film won’t be held against them by the public.

The 2019 one had absolutely no business being a Child’s Play movie, or even being made at all. Toss this on the scrap heap.

July 11, 2019
Tune out ‘Loqueesha’

Jeremy Saville in Loqueesha

“I still walk down the street in the black side of town. Mousey and Chops and all the boys at 13th, and — I can walk in those pool halls, and quite frankly don’t know another white man involved in Delaware politics who can do that kind of thing.” – Joe Biden

As demonstrated by the above quote, discussions on race can get very awkward (to put it mildly) when addressed tactlessly. Loqueesha manages a bit better than the Vice President (not to mention a few big name actors; you know who you are), but still stumbles hard.

Creating a storm on Twitter for its trailer before a quiet release on Amazon, Loqueesha comes from star, director, writer, and producer Jeremy Saville, who bites off way more than he can chew.

Bartender and single dad Joe (Saville) is informed by his ex-wfie (Susan Diol) that their son (Thaddeaus Ek) has been accepted at a fancy private school with impossibly high tuition. Still, he vows to get him there. Not long after, Rachel (Tiara Parker) – a bar goer who was very impressed with the advice Joe regularly gives out to people, herself included – informs him of a local radio station looking for new talent.

Joe sends in a demo of himself and gets rejected. But when he looks closer at the ad, it says that women and minorities are encouraged to apply. After seeing two black women argue on a Jerry Springer-ish show, he gets an idea. He sends the radio a new demo, but this time he is impersonating a black woman he names Loqueesha. The station, of course, falls for it and hires him (though not knowing the truth), precipitating efforts on Joe’s part to keep up the ruse.

One of the biggest things off here is that the premise is flawed from the start: Joe’s Loqueesha voice really does not sound like a black woman. It would have been a better idea to (as was the case with Sorry to Bother You) dub over those parts with an actual black actress. That, however, could only go so far in mitigation.

Is Loqueesha racist? There’s certainly worse – this definitely would not crack the top ten most racist films in this decade alone (probably wouldn’t even make the top twenty) – but that’s not really saying much, is it? However, there was certainly some potential here, even with a white star and this idea. It could have been something along the lines of Bamboozled where the character intentionally creates something offensive to make a point and the film then serves as an indictment of the people and culture that perpetuate racism. But as is, this one does not do that and wouldn’t have nearly enough self-awareness to pull it off. The idea that the Loqueesha character is a harmful stereotype doesn’t surface until the very end, at which time the movie is wrapping and so it doesn’t get properly addressed.

Another interesting angle would have been to lean into the greater concept of a disguise and how it could be more freeing for the person who puts it on. It’d be one thing if Joe felt he couldn’t be totally honest as himself and invented the persona as a way around that. But since he is normally direct with people (why trying out was recommended to him in the first place), that can’t really work as things are.

There is actually a pretty unique twist that comes in about halfway through – one so ingenious and fitting that it’s a wonder it isn’t already used frequently – but then promptly gets resolved and dropped. Some sitcom-style lines (not race-related) are worth a chuckle or two. And aside from not grappling with the larger issues, the ending does produce a satisfying result.

Loqueesha seems to be a movie only put into being to create a brief stir, inspire some memes, and be promptly forgotten. If so, mission accomplished. Buy try for something more substantive next time.

June 30, 2019
The X-Men deserved a better ending than ‘Dark Phoenix’

Sophie Turner faces off against James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the X-Men in Dark Phoenix

“Once you know the extent of your power, then you can learn to control it” – James McAvoy as “Charles Xavier” in X-Men: Apocalypse

Is this really the end for the X-Men? This is the seventh and supposedly last film featuring the main X-Men characters, although we know that New Mutants is due out next year. You can wager the farm, the tractors and the animals that there will be another Deadpool movie after the success of the first and the sequel. Some of the characters in the main series movies may wind up appearing elsewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point. For now though, this is the end of the road for this iteration of these characters.

The film opens in 1975 when a very young “Jean Grey” (Summer Fontana – Office Christmas Party) is riding in the backseat of a car. Her mother is driving and her father (Scott Sheperd – Jason Bourne) is in the front passenger seat. Jean loses control of her powers and the result is a horrific accident. Jean is uninjured and introduced to “Professor X” (James McAvoy – Atomic Blonde). He manages to make a connection with her and takes him away to his school.

Now it is 1992. Nearly a decade has passed since the events of X-Men: Apocalypse. People regard the X-Men as heroes. The President of the United States calls on them to rescue a space mission gone wrong. What appears to be a solar flare destroys the Space Shuttle but only after the X-Men have rescued the astronauts. The adult “Jean Grey” (Sophie Turner – Josie) was aboard the shuttle when it explodes, but somehow survives. She is not hurt, and in fact feels better than ever.

The “D’Bari” a nearly extinct race of beings with the ability to assume the appearance of any creature were watching what happened, as they want the power of that solar flare-like energy to rebuild their race. Their leader “Vuk” (Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty) is amazed at Jean’s ability to absorb the power of that cosmic energy.

Jean’s ability to control her nearly unlimited power is reduced by the presence of that energy within her. As that control erodes, so does the ability of Professor X to enter her mind to help her maintain it. Bad things happen as a result. Very bad things. That fractures the X-Men as “Hank McCoy” (Nicholas Hoult – Warm Bodies) blames Professor X for the tragedy that unfolded.

Jean flees to “Genosha” where “Magneto” (Michael Fassbender – The Light Between Oceans) leads the refugee mutants who have nowhere else to go. A U.S. Army unit seeking to take Jean into custody arrives shortly after she does and once again, things go awry. As a result, Magneto refuses her request for shelter. So she departs. After she does, Magneto learns the true nature of the aforementioned tragedy from Hank. They team up to seek out Jean to kill her. Professor X learns of this and he gathers the remaining adult mutants at his school to try to save Jean.

I won’t call this the worst of the X-Men movies. It is not great. It is not very good. Sophie Turner shines in showing us the struggle inside of her in dealing with revelations and access to unlimited power. The story is not compelling nor engaging. The action scenes are done well but those in and of themselves are not enough to turn the movie around.

June 13, 2019
‘Aladdin’ is low on magic

Mena Massoud and Will Smith in Aladdin

“Arabs are the most maligned group in the history of Hollywood. They’re portrayed basically as subhumans.” – Dr. Jack G. Shaheen

During the cinematic reckoning I underwent in my undergraduate years, one of the films that impacted me the most was the documentary Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, which starts out with those lines. In the years since its release, the list of movies that have had Arab/Middle Eastern/Desi characters depicted as negative stereotypes, brownfaced/whitewashed out, made background in their own stories, or any combination of the above could fill a new documentary. Prince of Persia, Rendition, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Devil’s Double, Argo, Iron Man, Vampire Academy, The Last Airbender, God’s Not Dead, The Dictator, American Assassin, The Hurt Locker, Sausage Party, Postal, The Kingdom, Gods of Egypt, Body of Lies, The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty, The Mummy, American Sniper, 7 Days in Entebbe, The Dark Knight Rises, Star Trek Into Darkness, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, The Simpsons Movie (the character in which did get a whole documentary devoted to him) – and that’s just off the top of head (to say nothing of the “contributions” made by other media like television, video games, and comics).

Aladdin 2019 – the 1992 animated film itself featured prominently in the documentary, saying that it “recycled every old degrading stereotype from Hollywood’s silent black-and-white past” – is certainly a step up and heads things in the right direction. Alas, that’s pretty much all it does.

Centuries ago in the Arabian city of Agrabah, Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street thief who falls for Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) when she disguises herself as a commoner, but soon discovers who she really is. Eventually, he’s intercepted by, Jafar (Marwan Kenzar), an evil sorcerer and vizier to Jasmine’s father the Sultan (Navid Negahban), and tasked with retrieving a magic lamp from the selective Cave of Wonders (Frank Welker once again, also returning as Abu the monkey and Rajah the tiger). Of course, he ends up with the lamp and unleashing the Genie (Will Smith), which gets him three wishes.

There’s a greater effort in curbing the offending bits. The “where they cut off your ear” lyric is long gone and being made with flesh and blood actors means the view that the bad characters are drawn as racist caricatures doesn’t apply. However, in virtually every other regard, this is an inferior copy of the 1992 film. It does a decent enough job of recreating some of that movie’s signature moments, but none are done better than they were the first time.

Also, it comes off as cheap in places. The exterior of the Cave is completely static and its insides pale greatly to the animated counterpart. More of this corner-cutting comes up, particularly regarding Jafar. There’s no old man disguise, no “Prince Ali” reprise, the climax lacks the giant snake and hourglass trap, and Iago (Alan Tudyk) is just a regular parrot that says only two or three words at a time. Oddly, this seems to extend to the actor himself. He is quietly menacing, but holding back really doesn’t suit this part.

Where the budget did go appears in the costumes, which are impressively lavish. The song-and-dance numbers showing them off prove that the cast can move and sing well, particularly Scott. There are a couple of new songs for Jasmine, but they are very much not in the style of rest and stick out. One exception, though. Playing over the end credits is a version of “Friend Like Me” with new lyrics that Smith raps. This I actually think should have been used in the film proper instead of retreading the original. Smith is much more comfortable in this mode and it really shows.

Which brings us to the Genie. No, Smith is not as good as Robin Williams was and won’t make you forget about that version. Yes, the attempts to mimic that style only bring more attention to this. However, he does do well when he’s allowed to be laid back (mostly when in human form) and be something more like Hitch. In territory that could have gone very wrong, he ultimately manages to acquit himself.

Not so much for Billy Magnussen, in a performance that calls to mind Just Go with It when Nick Swardson is doing his “Dolph Lundgren” (it’s really not what it sounds like; if you’ve seen that movie, you know what I mean). Much has been said about how unneeded this reverse token role is and, well, they aren’t wrong. His part could have been cut completely and nothing of any real value would be lost. This character could possibly have been redeemed if they said he was from Arendelle, but no such luck.

A Nostalgia Critic episode waiting to happen, Aladdin 2019 does well for representation, but very little else. If Return of Jafar is indeed to follow, then they need to do what that movie infamously did not: put some budgeting muscle behind it.

June 12, 2019
‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ is good sleuthing fun for all

Detective Pikachu artwork by Scott Straka
ScottStrakaArt.Storenvy.com
@ScottStrakaArt
Scott Straka (@scottstrakaart)

“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.” – Carl Jung

The transition of the Pokemon franchise from video games to the film world has been rocky. Starting with a seizure-inducing anime series and features based on that series which were excoriated by the press, things weren’t looking up. But for over 20 years it has persevered, with frequent new animated works and now a live action picture.

Although Pokemon Detective Pikachu doesn’t provide anything all that deeper or meaningful, it’s great fun for kids and even adults might find themselves caught up. Based on one of the more recent games where the title character can speak in English to the protagonist (as opposed to just its name over and over), it’s about solving a mystery rather than catching them all.

Suburban insurance salesman Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) gets a call one day that his father, a detective in Ryme City, is presumed dead. He heads there himself to find more information and sees that the city is a place where the Pokemon are integrated among humans. As such, his father’s partner Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) soon crosses his path and the two set out to uncover what happened.

Another flaw of Avengers: Endgame that I forgot to mention in the review is that those unfamiliar would be completely lost. For a series like Pokemon which has gone on for decades and featured hundreds upon hundreds of creatures, the risk of that is certainly here. Ultimately though, Detective Pikachu is quite accessible to those outside the fandom since the mystery plot guiding the film stays its course. At most, there will be moments where a Pokemon is put in a certain situation in which anyone without prior knowledge would not understand why that would be fitting or funny.

The onscreen looks of the creatures are a mixed bag. While Pikachu himself and a few of the other Pokemon types are very well-realized, the rest come off as too artificial. Fortunately, the rest of the effects are more than up to par and the action-y parts are plenty exciting. Director Rob Letterman, late of the also surprisingly delightful Goosebumps, keeps things moving at a good clip while slowing things down at the appropriate times.

As brought up earlier, this movie is one that plays best to a younger crowd. Older viewers may be wise to where some things are headed (there are, however, still some things to throw them off) or be familiar with certain plot elements and tropes used. This is a straightforward old fashioned mystery instead of a subversion or deconstruction of one, and as such it’s a great gateway into the genre for the uninitiated (i.e. kids). Having said that, the swearing (mild though it may be) and innuendos (particularly one for suggesting some dark violence) should have been done without.

The voice work from Reynolds is quite good – with a friendly cadence suiting the vibe – but he seems to have been cast primarily because of Deadpool and gets tasked with retreading that kind of schtick. Sometimes the lines can be funny, but the self-referential moments feel off here since this really isn’t that kind of material. Part of me also feels that a character/voice actor without a celebrity presence (or for that matter the game’s actor Kaiji Tang) might have been a better choice. Although a mismatch to his game counterpart, Smith is a capable anchor. The real standout is Kathryn Newton. Filling an Emilia Christie-esque role as a wannabe reporter, she’s endearing, funny, and all business, a perfect match to the tone.

While not quite bringing about a Silent Hill or Rampage sort of revelation that films based on video games can be good (granted, that’s mainly due to those paving the way), Detective Pikachu is miles ahead of its ilk in that regard. Move over, Strokemon; the true live action version has arrived.

May 23, 2019
‘Unicorn Store’ is a rare breed

Brie Larson in Unicorn Store

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

Brie Larson the actress recently headlined a big action movie where she committed to intense training, but as a director has chosen her first project to be a small coming of age at post-college years drama. She’s gone from being the next Cynthia Rothrock to the next Lena Dunham.

Tiny Furniture with a fantastical bent, Unicorn Store is a slight but nevertheless winning effort from its director/star. Funny and whimsical while also quite dramatic and grounded, it’s a portrait that captures the mindset of many in her generation.

Kit (Larson) has failed out of college where she was pursuing an art degree and moves back in with her parents (Bradley Whitford and Joan Cusack). A brief bout of not quite hard depression but still feeling down in the dumps, she is motivated by TV commercials to get her life together. She buttons up and gets an office job, though has some difficulty acclimating or befriending co-workers.

Before long, she receives an invitation to what turns out to be the eponymous locale. She goes there and meets the proprietor (Samuel L. Jackson). But instead of offering her a Capital One account, he claims that he can give her the one thing she’s wanted since childhood: a unicorn. An actual, real live unicorn. She’s excited at the prospect, but he tells her that she first needs to prove herself a worthy caretaker.

The tasks she needs to complete to show that improvement – building a stable, being able to pay for food and supplies, having a greater capacity for love – are all things that make it clear that this is all a metaphor for growing up. Unsubtle as it is, this part of the story gives her needed development and it’s interesting to see the events play out. As she begins to succeed at achieving these steps, her creative side comes back to her. When it does, it runs the risk of coming into conflict with the corporate life she’s gotten into.

Much like Dunham’s earlier film, this one speaks to those in a life period that’s a kind of purgatory. As someone straddling between the two worlds but not really finding a way into either, I found Larson and screenwriter Samantha McIntyre’s (her first feature film script after working on shorts and sitcom episodes) movie to be a great representation of the feeling. You really do want to go back to the other when you get a taste of it again, only to find that state incompatible with the conventional.

If there’s a list of things that the film needed for its own improvement, a couple can be put on it. There’s certainly an in or two to explore clinical depression and mental illness that aren’t taken. Although such material may have thrown off the tone, it would make the proceedings richer and her victories all the more joyous. The store itself could have been more ornate to match the level of surreality built up. Larson’s direction, though, is quite strong and she has a keen eye for visual flair. If she wants it, there’s a future for her in directing that’s as bright as any of the colors on display.

While I don’t know if I’ll ever attain any lofty goals or the inner peace that Kit works towards, but I can say that Unicorn Store is a fine entry in its genre, whichever one you want to put it in. It reminds us that dreams are worth fighting for, no matter how old you are.

April 30, 2019
‘Avengers: Endgame’ needed to assemble more

Chris Hemsworth and Brie Larson in Avengers: Endgame

“A billion souls have known death at my hand. It is time you joined them!” – Thanos in Marvel Super Heroes (1995)

As those who saw Avengers: Infinity War know, the above quote from the classic arcade game is no exaggeration. If anything, that’s being modest. Yes, we resume things as they left off with half of all living things in the universe wiped from existence by Thanos (Josh Brolin), and correspondingly a much smaller team to deal with the aftermath.

Remaining are Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Nebula (Karen GIllan). But missing from the last film and finally arriving are Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). How will they manage to set things right?

Avengers: Endgame – all right time out, that is a really dumb subtitle. What is it with fourth installments using it (see also Highlander)? Plus it makes no sense in context since the villain’s endgame was already achieved in the previous movie.

Anyway, the latest Avengers has been hyped up to a ludicrous degree as the grand finale of this era of the so-called “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Of course we know that that isn’t really the case and more movies are coming (one of them in just two months), but for what it is it’s a fun time with one or two genuine surprises in store.

Much speculation and theorizing about the plot have gone on in the time between installments, and those turn out to pretty much be what happens here. A few suspicions are upended, but not nearly enough. For better or worse, what you suspect will happen pretty much does. However, it should be said that those unexpected moments do land strong in emotional impact.

Throughout the ensuing events, characters and actors from various past adventures make returns. The appearances of most figures are welcome, but one definitely is not. Not to give away who that is, but as Marvel’s most heinous casting decision, this character was best left forgotten and moved on from. Apparently not.

But the focus here is on the central characters (it’s not really a coincidence that the whole first Avengers line-up is among the initial survivors) and they get to shine brightly. After plots over the past few years have kept them apart, it really is a treat to see them all united once more. On the downside, those expecting the newer team members to have a large presence are going to be disappointed (particularly Carol and Okoye). The standouts of the cast are Gillan, who gets more to do this time, and Rudd, making such a great addition to the group that you wish he was brought in earlier.

The review for Infinity War on this site has its headline saying that the film “goes very very big.” But if you ask me, the problem with that movie and now this one is that they did not go big enough. There are a whole host of other characters who we have gotten to know and see prove themselves as effective heroes that are completely ignored here. Melinda, Daisy, Matt, Jessica, Luke, Danny, Frank, Alex, Nico, Chase, Molly, Gert, Karolina, Tyrone, Tandy, heck I’ll even say Black Bolt and Medusa absolutely deserve to have a place in these movies. There’s also the characters who have played a part in these tales that ought to be here, yet are MIA. Where’s Lady Sif? Nakia? The Nova Corps?

All that said though, the climax is very engaging. Despite the aforementioned predictable developments, the tension runs high and the action is fierce. The denouement is satisfying, giving some characters more great moments. And the teases of future projects are quite enticing, especially for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a promise that had better be delivered on.

Conclusion, new beginning, bit of both, something else entirely; whatever you want to call this, this could have been a lot better than it was. Still, it provides the audience with a solid journey that doesn’t at all feel as long as it is. Going forward, there’s more interesting places to go and sights to see. I for one can’t wait to get there.

April 29, 2019
Cast a vote for ‘Long Shot’

Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron in Long Shot

“The past is never where you think you left it.” – Katherine Anne Porter

One year from now, the United States presidential election will completely dominate daily discourse. At this moment, anticipation is building for just who will end up competing and prospective candidates are out there trying to convince the public they’re the best fit for the job. Naturally, the movies have tried to cash in on this fever, and Long Shot is one of the better efforts.

Though regurgitating some genre conventions and featuring a sense of humor that isn’t for everyone, this film gets by more than well-enough thanks to the charms and abilities of its stars. It’s a team-up that sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does and amazingly so.

U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) has just learned that President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) won’t be seeking another term and would like to endorse her to run in 2020. Gearing up for a campaign trail, her strategist (Lisa Kudrow) shows that favorable opinions of her are high, but a little lacking in the humor category. Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) has just resigned as a reporter for a small-scale left-wing news outlet when they are taken over by a giant media conglomerate. Unable to bounce back and feeling low, he is taken by his best friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to a fancy party with big time guests like Boyz II Men and, unbeknownst to him, Charlotte.

At that party, Charlotte and Fred bump into each for the first time in a quarter-century. As it turns out, they were neighbors growing up and she used to babysit him. This culminated in a very awkward and embarrassing declaration of love from Fred that left things on a sour note for him all this time. Fortunately, Charlotte doesn’t seem to remember the incident, and after he publicly chastises the mogul who bought his paper (Andy Serkis), someone who she also has a strong dislike of, she hires him as a speechwriter to help give her some more funny lines. In reconnecting, they find themselves not only crafting more honest and personable speeches, but also becoming lovers.

The romantic comedy story beats are familiar and fit to pattern, but a little different in that they’re playing out within an uncommon context. Charlotte’s assistant Maggie (June Diane Raphael) frequently has to urge her boss to be conscious of her public image, and Charlotte herself is afraid that being the one with power will be a turn off as it has proven to her in the past. Fred’s inevitable clashes with Charlotte come in the form of stances on her official duties and what one would like to do versus what they’re forced to do.

For the most part, the political parties are made vague. Fred is certainly a leftist, but it’s said that he reported on corruption of the Chambers administration, which would seem to imply that the President and Charlotte are on the right. Yet, she is not lionized and in fact held to scrutiny by the presumably-conservative news channel, and of course Fred is willing to work with her. Also her main initiative in the plot is an environmental one, which is conservative in the literal sense but often taken up by the other side as well. The words “Democrats” and “Republicans” are mentioned specifically in dialogue towards the end, but still not said who of the politicians belong to which.

The humor therefore isn’t really high-minded satire and leans more to Rogen’s comedy oeuvre than Theron’s, but the latter does show that she is completely game for whatever is thrown at her. She can certainly handle the stateliness aspect of the role, giving off an Elizabeth McCord vibe at those points. When it’s time to go into Selina Meyer mode and be crude, though, she gets right into it. Rogen, already reliable for this kind of material, gets some good physical bits in this time. And while underused, Jackson shows that comedically he’s a chip off the ol’ Cube.

If this type of comedy doesn’t put you off, consider giving this one a, um, shot. Real-life elections sure aren’t as funny as they used to be.

April 26, 2019
‘Back Fork’ deals deftly with drugs and death

A.J. Cook and Josh Stewart in Back Fork

“There’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Movies about drug addiction are not new. Movies about a death in the family are not new. Movies about small rural towns are not new. And yet, Back Fork feels like something fresh and needed.
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April 16, 2019