Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

   

    I confess, I've never played Dungeons & Dragons but the trailer for this film intrigued me. I was pleasantly surprised that the trailer lived up to the expectations. This is a fun fantasy adventure that requires no prior knowledge of D&D to enjoy. 

    The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. Mr. Pine makes a dashing rascal of a hero even if he is a thief. Ms. Rodriguez is his partner in crime who gets to do most of the heavy lifting in the fight scenes. Mr. Smith and Ms. Lillis  are their colleagues, a self doubting magician and a shape shifter who makes the most of her CGI abilities. Mr. Grant is the villainous con man who has betrayed his friends and fallen in with the all powerful evil Red Wizards.

    The story is actually well written for a fantasy adventure. It's heartfelt, funny, exciting and suspenseful. It's also filled with great special effects that really pop, especially in IMAX. While there are plenty of fight scenes, the violence is rather cartoonish with little blood. It's a film that the whole family can enjoy together, although there are a few scenes that may be scary or too intense for small children.

    This is a fantasy film done right and I hope the inevitable sequels hold up just as well.

John Wick: Chapter Four

     

Since this is the fourth film in the series, if you're not a fan by now, don't even bother reading any further. If trailers or reviews of this film have peaked your interest, go back and start with the initial film, "John Wick".

      As for fans, "Chapter Four" will not disappoint. The action sequences have set a new bar for violence and maximum carnage. The plot is simple enough, the High Table wants John Wick dead and all Wick wants to do is leave his past behind and be free of his obligations to "The Table".

      Keanu Reeves once again stars as John Wick and the film co-stars Donnie Yen as Caine, the blind assassin, Bill Skarsgard as the villainous Marquis de Gramont, Ian McShane as Winston, Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King, as well as Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Clancy Brown and Lance Reddick.

      Director Chad Staheiski, having directed previous installments knows what a John Wick audience expects and here he ups the ante with incredible scenes of chaos and destruction filmed in breathtaking locations including Toyoko, Berlin, and Paris. Credit Mr. Staheiski for his directorial style. While super violent, there is a certain operatic and balletic quality to the mayhem, much of it done without CGI.  His only fault lies in the length of some of the set pieces. Some of the fight sequences go on a bit too long, growing repetitive and borderline tedious. Cut 20 minutes of the two hour and forty nine minute running time and you would have a perfect "kill" shot.

       

RRR

 

    

     After winning the Academy Award for Best Song, I was curious enough to finally watch this film on Netflix. And I'm so glad I did.

     This is one of the greatest action films I've ever seen. The CGI and stunt work meld beautifully to create unbelievable fight sequences both on a large scale as well as intimate battles. The two male leads (N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan) are remarkable for both their physical prowess as well as their incredible dance moves.

     The film is written and directed by S.S. Rajamouli and he has done a remarkable job creating a terrific story built around India's independence from Great Britain and filming the impossible. There are scenes in this film that will actually make your jaw drop.

      It is criminal that the Academy Awards only recognized the film for Best Song. Not only should the film have been included in multiple categories, but had it been, it probably would have won them all.

        The story, while filled with generous amounts of incredible and at many times violent action sequences, also has heart and depth. It's themes include friendship, family, loyalty and betrayal, politics and of course love. It's such a well blended plot that there is something for everyone. And I can't forget to mention the amazing dance sequences. 

         Available on Netflix, you can watch the English dubbed version (well done by the way) or the original Hindi with English subtitles. Don't let the three hour running time scare you, the film takes off like a rocket and never lets up. "RRR" will blow you away.

65

   

    Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt star in this cross between "The Last of Us" and "Jurassic Park". 

    It's a fun concept. After an asteroid collides with their spacecraft, killing almost everyone, two survivors crash land on our earth 65 million years ago. They have to deal with dinosaurs and other threats as they try to find a way back home. 

    Mr. Driver is a fine actor who can carry off drama, blockbuster action/adventure or in this case, a silly Sci-fi romp. This is Ms. Greenblatt's biggest role to date and she carries it off in great fashion. The two actors have great chemistry which helps bring gravitas to the CGI dangers surrounding them.

    Co-starring as Mr. Driver's wife and daughter back on their home world are Nika King and Chloe Coleman.

    If you don't read much into it and just settle down with your popcorn, it's an exciting 93 minutes.

Barbarian

  

This is not a brand new film but one I missed in theaters last year and I'm so glad it's available now on HBOMAX. While I usually reserve my reviews for new films, this one deserves honorable mention.

   While I love the horror genre, I am usually disappointed in what passes these days for really scary movies. I'm writing about this one as it's the best horror film I've seen since "Hereditary" and "The Babadook".

     The film is written and directed by Zack Cregger. The less known about the plot the better. I will just say, it's creepy, truly scary, quite disturbing and infused with some clever surprises. Mr. Cregger really knows how to throw a curve ball and his cast is up to the challenge of scaring the crap out of you. While aspects of the script aren't perfect, you are pulled right into the story from the start and won't really care.

      Georgina Campbell is the terrific female lead and co-starring are Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long, Richard Brake and Matthew Patrick Davis.

      Be prepared for nightmares...

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

    

     Co-written and directed by Guy Ritchie, this "by the numbers" spy caper should have been a "direct to video" release skipping theaters altogether. It's a formulaic plot with lazy direction by Mr. Ritchie.

     The film, which if successful, will probably start a franchise, stars Jason Statham as Orson Fortune, master spy. He is recruited by Cary Elwes to lead a team in search of a stolen "something". The film co-stars Aubrey Plaza as a snarky (what else) computer genius, who is one of the best things about the film. Also on board is Bugzy Malone as the team's sniper, Josh Hartnett as a movie star used as bait, and Hugh Grant as an arms dealer/middleman. Mr. Grant does his best Ricky Gervais impression and is fun to watch. Eddie Marsden also has a small part as the head of the department employing Mr. Fortune and his team.

      There are plenty of explosions, much shooting (and of course, the good guys can't miss) and the occasional hand to hand fighting, Mr. Statham's specialty. But by the end of the film, it's instantly forgettable. This is such a typical February release and not one of Mr. Ritchie's best.

Argentina 1985

 

  Based on real events, the story follows the events surrounding the 1985 "Trial of the Juntas", which prosecuted the ringleaders of Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship(1976–1983).

    It is a fascinating legal drama that centers on the lead prosecutor, Julio Strassera, his co-prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo and their team as they gather evidence and build their case against Jorge Vedela and his generals. The second half of the film focuses on the actual trial, sometimes incorporating actual footage from the period.

      Ricardo Darin stars as Mr. Strassera and as usual gives a wonderful, commanding performance. His co-star, Peter Lanzani, as Mr. Ocampo is also excellent, as is the rest of the cast.

      The late seventies to early eighties was a terrible time in Argentina's history. The testimony of the surviving witnesses is heartbreaking but necessary to the case. The film serves as a tribute to those lost and as a reminder that it can never happen again.

       The film is nominated for this year's Oscar in the International Film category and can be seen on Netflix.

Creed III

 

     Don't be sucker punched by this money grab. The third outing in the series is far from a charm despite Michael B. Jordan's best efforts to direct and star.

     Mr. Jordan definitely has star power and co-star Jonathan Majors is a growing force in film, especially this year (he's the best thing about "Quantumania"). The two certainly deliver in the boxing sequences. What lets them down is the sorry excuse for a credible plot. Thin to begin with, the story rushes through the past to establish the present and it's consequences and then rushes through the present just to have a reason for both men to box each other in the climax. It's just not credible.

     Co-stars Tessa Thompson, Mila Davis-Kent and Phylicia Rashad are there to add gravitas to the story. Ms. Davis-Kent is an adorable, deaf pre-teen actress who plays Creed's daughter. You can see the set up gestating here for Creed IV a mile away. The film also co-stars Florian Munteanu who has been cast to be a human punching bag and Wood Harris as Duke, Creed's trainer, who is actually very good here (although at times, he's channeling Mickey from the "Rocky" films).

     The fight sequences lack any real excitement as the outcome is obvious and the score doesn't help. The music should be accompanying the visuals, not overpowering them to force an audience's emotional response.

     Michael B. Jordan is a very talented actor and budding director. He can have his pick of any multitude of projects. Beloved "Rocky" overstayed his welcome with six films. Hopefully Mr. Jordan's "Creed" won't make the same mistake.