About My Father

  

    This new comedy co-written and starring Sebastian Maniscalco is a 90 minute therapy session that ends with Mr. Maniscalco's better understanding of his father. His stand-up routines about his father are very funny but unfortunately they don't translate well in this loosely based but fictionalized version of his life.

   Mr. Maniscalco plays a version of himself and for the most part is the straight man in the film or the recipient of a joke. Robert De Niro plays his father and he gets the best lines and comic reactions. If you've seen the trailer, then you have already seen the best bits and what's left is a sappy, sentimental, not very funny, comedy about family.

   The film also co-stars Leslie Bibb, Anders Holm, David Rasche, and Kim Cattrall. Their characters are all stereotypes and almost everything in the film rings of a false note.

   A major disappointment, Mr. Maniscalco should stick to stand-up or acting in someone else's films. I also can't understand why the studio didn't release the film on Father's Day weekend which may have helped the marketing.

Fast X

     

       Family. Remember that word. This latest installment in the "Fast & Furious" franchise is so packed with action sequences that it becomes mind-numbing and you forget there is a story buried in there somewhere. But every fifteen minutes or so, the screenwriters will remind you. Family. It's all about family.

      By this chapter, I think fans have come to realize it's about family but for anybody new to the series and drawn in by the trailer, the filmmakers want to make sure you understand that. It's about family. Did I mention that?

      As the 10th installment, writer Justin Lin and his co-writers Dan Mazeau and Zach Dean pull their plot together from every other film in the franchise. They overstuff the story with even more impossible stunts and appearances (in one way or another) of every actor who has ever appeared in the franchise.

      Vin Diesel returns as Dom Toretto along with all the other characters fans know so well. Jason Momoa is the villain seeking revenge against Dom and his family. Oh yeah, it's about family. While Mr. Diesel seems to never age, the same can be said for the rest of his team but their "schtick" is getting old. Mr. Momoa, on the other hand, breathes fresh life in his role as a gleefully psychotic villain.

       The action is pretty much non-stop and the story takes us around the globe with stops in Rome, Portugal, Rio, Los Angeles, and even a surprise location. There is a cameo by a comic that many will enjoy. Personally, I don't get the appeal.

       Most fans are aware but I must warn others that this is the first of a two or even three part finale to the series, so don't expect a tidy resolution at the end.

        

SISU

 

 Destined to be a cult classic, this violent, action adventure is mind-blowing entertainment if you love watching a high body count of Nazi soldiers getting slaughtered.

  It's 1944 in the middle of rural Finland. An ex-Finnish soldier is prospecting for gold. When he strikes it rich, he must travel hundreds of miles by horseback to reach Helsinki. The only thing standing in his way is a retreating company of Nazis with a tank and a truck full of female prisoners.

  When the Nazis steal his gold, our Finnish hero spends the rest of the movie trying to get it back. It's a simple plot with minimal dialog but this is no ordinary ex-soldier. Soldiers are killed in very inventive ways. The film gets more and more gonzo as it goes along. The finale is off the charts crazy.

   The film is written and directed by Jalmari Helander and stars Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan and Mimosa Willamo. The minimal dialog is actually in English except for a few lines in Finnish.

    If you enjoy the genre films like "John Wick", you will love "Sisu".

   

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3

 

 

     Writer/director James Gunn sends the Guardians on their way with an epic final volume. If you are a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed.

     All the stars are back for one grand adventure to save the life of Rocket Raccoon, who, in this volume, gets a lengthy back story that figures predominantly into the plot. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel (as the voice of Groot) and Bradley Cooper (as the voice of Rocket) and all back and still at the top of their game. Ms. Saldana as Gamora is a standout. Also returning are Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter (as Adam Warlock), Maria Bakalova (the voice of Cosmo the dog) and unnecessarily Sylvester Stallone (as a Ravenger captain who just seems to be out of place). The new villain is the High Evolutionary, a well-known Marvel universe villain, played here by Chukwudi Iwuji.

    The sets and visuals are amazing as usual as is all the CGI work. In Rocket's flashbacks, we find him as a young raccoon being experimented on, along with other animals, by the High Evolutionary. It's to Mr. Gunn's credit that we find ourselves getting emotional over tortured CGI animals. Some of these scenes are actually hard to watch.

    As with the previous Guardian films, the soundtrack is terrific, all the songs coming from Peter's iPad playlist. The film runs a bit long, but Mr. Gunn seems determined to throw everything into this finale. Something tells me though we haven't seen the last of most of these characters as they all still exist within the Marvel universe.

    The film looks great on the big screen and is a lot of escapist fun. It is certainly the best of the recent Marvel film releases.

     

    

Evil Dead Rise

     Nothing like a blood soaked, gore filled horror film to wake the senses. This is the fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise. It's written and directed by Lee Cronin and he infuses the series with fresh blood. (Pun intended).

      After a short prequel with a clever title shot, the story moves to an urban landscape and features a family in danger from the evil supernatural force released from the Book of the Dead. Mr. Cronin has a assembled a cast willing to be put through all sorts of indignities for the sake of "art". 

      The film stars Lilly Sullivan as Beth, Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie, Morgan Davies as Danny, Gabrielle Echols as Bridget and Nell Fisher as Kassie. Ms. Sutherland, in particular, does a terrifyingly good job as the possessed mother.

       Besides breathing new life into the "dead" series with his plot, Mr. Cronin does a fine job directing the mayhem. He uses multiple camera angles in disorienting ways to keep the audience unsettled. While the film obviously misses the iconic character Ash, there is a clever nod to him late in the film and Bruce Campbell (who played Ash) makes an audio cameo in an unusual way.

        If you're a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed. And if you like horror and are new to the series, it's a good place to start without needing any background.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

    

      Can't say the man doesn't have an ego putting his name above the title. Obviously it's a Guy Ritchie film. He co-wrote it, produced it and directed it. However, in this case I'll forgive the egotism as it's his best film to date.

      Forgoing his usual bombastic directing style, Mr. Ritchie shows great restraint to tell this harrowing tale of survival and the bond that grows between an American soldier and a native interpreter during the Afghanistan war.

      Jake Gyllenhaal, intense as ever, plays Sgt. John Kinley, who is seriously injured during a battle with the Taliban. Miles from his base and in Taliban controlled territory, his interpreter, Ahmed (played by Dar Salim) honors his promise to try to get Kinley back to his base. And that's not even the whole story.

       The film co-stars Antony Starr, Jonny Lee Miller and Emily Beecham.

       The battle scenes are intense and Christopher Benstead's score is a surprising and emotional choice during those moments. Mr. Ritchie handles the dramatic moments beautifully, ratcheting up the tension without overdoing it. What transpires later in the film is remarkable, in both it's suspense and heart.

       The coda at the end is heartbreaking. It will also leave you angered, which was obviously Mr. Ritchie's intent.

       

Renfield

  

     With a story by Robert Kirkman (of Walking Dead fame), you know to expect a lot of  violence and gore. This new horror comedy certainly has plenty of both but at it's core is a clever story that offers plenty of laughs and action as well.

      Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield. Those familiar with the mythology will know that Renfield is the crazed bug eating servant of Count Dracula. In this updated version of the story, Renfield is tired of his co-dependency and tries to break free of Dracula's hold on him. At the same time he befriends a New Orleans cop, played by Awkwafina, trying to take down a local criminal organization.

       Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula and he is clearly having a blast in the role. There is even a black & white homage to the 1931 original Bela Lugosi version of Dracula that is spot on. Mr. Cage does put his own spin on the character though and is a great deal of fun to watch.

       Mr. Hoult is just as committed to his role as Mr. Cage and shows great range as a co-dependent weakling turned action hero (with the help of eating copious amounts of bugs). The film also co-stars Ben Schwartz (perfectly cast) as the criminal son of Bellafrancesca Lobo, the crime lord, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo.

         It's definitely a crazy mix of horror, comedy and action but if you're looking for something really different, take a bite. Just don't mind all the blood.

Air

 

  

      Loosely fact-based drama detailing how Nike signed Michael Jordan to a contract that changed the company and the sports world forever.

    Directed by Ben Affleck, this fast-paced story puts a full court press on Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and his pursuit of Mr. Jordan to sign an exclusive contract with Nike. Matt Damon is perfection as Sonny and Mr. Affleck, while directing, doubles down, playing the role of Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike and Sonny's boss.

     The film also stars Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker and as Mr. Jordan's mother, Viola Davis. While Michael Jordan is portrayed by Damian Delano Young, we only see him from the back in one particular scene. Mr. Affleck makes the choice to not focus on Mr. Jordan as a character as the film is really not about him and his image is really only shown on magazine covers and basketball video clips.

     Chris Messina plays David Falk; Mr. Jordan's agent and he has some of the juiciest scenes in the film. Of course, being the agent, he is portrayed as the "villain" of the piece, which was far from the truth, but it makes for good drama.

      The film takes other liberties with how the story actually occurred but the fictious parts all make for a better film. Backed by a strong script and a great '80's soundtrack, the film never misses a beat creating excitement and tension for the viewer, which in reality, was probably not all that exciting outside of the corporate world.

       It's fun to watch Mr. Affleck and Mr. Damon together again on screen and Ms. Davis hits a three pointer with another strong performance. Mr. Affleck keeps everything lively and thoroughly entertaining. You don't have to love basketball or even know a lot about Michael Jordan to enjoy the film. 

Spinning Gold

     

   

   This is a new docudrama based on the life and times of Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records. It was written and directed by his son, Timothy Scott Bogart.

     Neil Bogart was a music industry legend, quickly rising through the business finding success first at Buddha Records with Gladys Knight & The Pips and The Isley Brothers. He later started Casablanca Records where he discovered Kiss, Donna Summer, the Village People and George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic.

      Rather than use archival footage, Mr. Bogart makes a bold choice reimaging those stars with many of today's artists. Wiz Khalifa plays as George Clinton, Jason Derulo plays as Ron Isley, Ledisi plays Gladys Knight, Pink Sweats plays Bill Withers, and Tayla Parx plays Donna Summers.

      Jeremy Jordan stars as Neil Bogart and he is terrific, truly inhabiting the spirit of the man. The film also stars Jason Issacs as Neil's father, Michelle Monaghan as his wife Beth, Jay Pharoah as Cecil Holmes, Dan Fogler as Buck Reingold, Peyton List as Nancy Weiss, Lyndsy Fonseca as Joyce Biawitz, Sebastian Maniscalco as Giorgio Moroder (terrible accent), Michael Ian Black as Bill lAucoin, Vincent Pastore as Big Joey, Casey Likes as Gene Simmons and Chris Redd as D.J. Frankie Crocker.

       According to Mr. Bogart, "the story is true, even the parts that aren't".  The music and insanity behind the "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" of the music business is well represented. The story itself, as directed by Mr. Bogart, is written with love for his father, faults and all. However, his personal subjectivity of his father works against him, bloating the film and creating tedious moments that an objective director would have handled better. The film runs two hours and seventeen minutes. A tighter two hour film would have definitely cut through the clutter.

        It's still a fascinating film that takes you behind the scenes of the stories of some of music's biggest stars and the man behind them. And the songs, ah the songs, faithfully recreated, are just wonderful.

        

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.

      

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

   If you are a fan of Marvel movies and especially the Ant-Man series, of course, this is a must see. If not you can easily avoid it.

   The best that can be said about "Quantumania" is it introduces the newest great Marvel villain, Kang the Conqueror, a time traveling supervillain who is a core Marvel character. In the film, Kang is played by Jonathan Majors and he is terrific.

   Aside from a silly intro scene, the entire film take place in the sub-atomic world of the Quantum realm which is visually overwhelming and looks like a rejected idea from the Star Wars production team. Not only do many parts of the sets look familiar but some costumes and various creatures also seem very much Star Wars castoffs. 

   Returning to the series of course are Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lily as Hope Van Dyne aka Wasp, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, and Corey Stoll as Darren, now appearing as M.O.D.O.K. Scott's Daughter Cassie, now a teenager (with her own Pym Particle suit) is played by Kathryn Newton. Bill Murray also appears in a pointless and distracting cameo.

   The film is overblown with special effects, noise and much running around with characters shooting and fighting each other. There is no real plot to speak of except for Kang and the others looking for a way out of the Quantum realm. To counter balance the chaos of the film, the writers attempt to add a human element, father and daughter bonding. "I love you peanut" just makes you want to cringe.

   There are two extra scenes, both significant for a change. One mid-credits explaining more about Kang and one post credits, a complete and welcome surprise to any Marvel fan. 

This film exists only as an introduction to Kang and the bridge to the next Marvel movie/TV show. If not already obvious, the filmmakers remind you at the end, "Kang will return".

Close

 

   This is a story of childhood's lost innocence as two very close friends, Leo and Remi enter high school and adolescence.

    It's a universal story that is so emotional and heart wrenching, that at times is hard to watch. Taking place in a small town in Belgium, Leo and Remi have grown up together, the best of friends. When they start the new school year, their intimate friendship is misperceived by new classmates and life begins to change for the boys. 

    The film stars Eden Dambrine as Leo and Gustav De Waele as Remi. The are both terrific but young Mr. Dambrine takes things to another level. His acting is so pure and real that he will take your breath away and in many scenes, tear a hole in your heart.

     Directed and co-written by Lukas Dhont, there is so much to unpack in this tender, emotionally rich story that discussions about the film could last for hours. This is Belgium's well deserved Academy Award nomination for best International film.

      In French with subtitles and currently only in theaters.

Sharper

 

         A welcome return to a genre we haven't seen in a while, this is a fun ride that will keep you guessing until the end. The less said about the film, the better.

         The film stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton and John Lithgow. It's a terrific cast that will raise your anxiety level as you try to keep up with them.

         Directed with smooth assurance by Benjamin Caron, the film moves from the streets to the penthouses of New York with money on everyone's mind. You could argue it's not perfect, especially in the last act but it's certainly good enough to be very entertaining.

          Exclusive to Apple TV +