The Batman (2022)

I’ve made no secret to the fact that DC films have been extremely hit and miss with me over the last decade plus.  2016's Batman vs Superman: The Dawn of Justice to this day remains the superhero/comic book film nadir.  As for Robert Pattinson, until his turns in 2020's The Devil All the Time and Tenet, ambivalence is the most accurate feeling I’ve had about him as an actor. The mixture of these elements in my mind didn’t bode well for The Batman yet hope springs eternal so I still found myself excited enough to jump at the chance to see the movie early at a fan event. Swag in hand, properly bundled up, and with a solid plan for pacing my drink consumption, I settled in for the 2-hour 56-minute Matt Reeves (writer/director) reimagined/rebooted Batman saga.

Bottom line.  Yes.  

The Batman is far superior to the most recent Batman films and does a fantastic job taking the Affleck stank off the character.  Sorry Ben, you’re awesome, but your take on Batman did nothing but hurt me in ways I have yet to recover from.

Pattinson, however, nails this version of Batman wonderfully.  You get the dark, brooding, anger as well as the serious butt kicking, but you also get the gullibility, naivety, desperation and even dare I say?  Touch of stupidity of the Caped Crusader a mere two years into his journey.  This stripped down, back to basics, DIY Batman/Bruce Wayne goes deeper, brings more to the character, and happily brings back the “oomph” missing since Christian Bale vacated the role.  Batman is once again a flawed, tortured human being that engages, entertains, and even amuses instead of some chronically constipated animatronic suit. Thank you, Robert Pattinson, for making me give a damn about Batman once again.

Not for nothing, but the casting throughout the film is great.  Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is smart, brash, sexy, and complete badass without the cheese factor that’s commonly attached to the character.  A modern-day Cat Woman please and thank you.  Jeffrey Wright (a bit underused perhaps) makes an honorable James Gordon. Andy Serkis establishes himself as a proper heir to the Alfred throne.  Colin Farrell is as unrecognizable as he is delightful as Oz.  Paul Dano?  Crazy, creepy, excellence. John Turturro thank you for reminding me how much I like you as an actor.

Another relief this go around is not only NOT having to watch poor Thomas and Martha Wayne bite the dust again (hmmm, a little Marvel influence perhaps?), but an interesting twist to their overall story serves as the catalyst for the film’s plot.  Also having Wayne Manor actually in Gotham proper adds a nice touch and works well.  

The Batman score/soundtrack is terrific. Nirvana’s Something in the Way, absolute perfection every time.  The cinematography is stunning.  There are several scenes that are beyond gorgeous and not only brought a smile to my face just witnessing them but a tear to my eye.  And yes, the film is dark (shocking, not) tonally as well as literally, but for once I never felt I was suddenly listening to a radio program instead of watching a movie!  Huzzah!  Also having some light to even amusing moments keeps The Batman from being an epic depressive episode.  A blessing for sure.

A near three hour run time is a bit too long.  The pacing, especially the first half lags on and off. As for the last half of the film, there are a couple of moments you think you’re done, but you’re not. Fortunately, neither of these are a complete detriment to the film.  I never got bored or pulled out of the film completely, but felt the drags, nonetheless.

Bottom line?  The Batman has come through and delivered a widely engaging and entertaining film that has me once again excited about DC and the prospects of their upcoming films.  Well worth the trip to your local theater and the price of admission from my standpoint.  Glad I went, look forward to seeing it again, and seeing where the franchise goes next. Also yes, there’s one tiny little post credit scene at the very end of the film.  It’s nothing crucial and pretty predictable so stay or don’t.  The choice is really up to you and your bladder.

The Batman 9.5

Uncharted

 

UNCHARTED

Other than Uncharted being based on a video game which I never heard of before let alone played, I’m reviewing this purely as a film. Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Banderas, I went into this one blind and with few preconceptions or expectations.  Trailers made me think Indiana Jones/ National Treasure action/adventure type popcorn flick (sans the popcorn for yours truly, thanks). Having enjoyed the likes of those and many others of their ilk, I figured, what do I have to lose?

Not much as it turns out.  Yea! Great news.

It also turns out there isn’t much to gain either.  Boo! Not so great news.

Uncharted does indeed fit the bill in terms of action/adventure popcorn flick, all be it a rather predictable one.  Easily within the first twenty to thirty minutes I had the entire film complete with all it crosses, double crosses, twists and turns figured out to a T.  Honestly, nothing unusual for me so not totally unexpected.  My film viewing gift and curse.  Still, for any causal viewer let alone someone with knowledge of the source material, highly predictable.  Making the adventure more Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride than Indiana Jones.

The same can be said with pretty much all aspects of Uncharted.  It’s familiar and enjoyable, but not exactly thrilling.  The stunts are flashy to over-the-top, but nothing mind blowing.  Think Fast and Furious-esque,  lite.  Fun, but somehow “meh” at the same time in this kind of film.  

The pacing, even within the action sequences feels the same way. Both okay yet lacking and a bit off.  Something that’s even more apparent between action scenes. Clocking in just under 2 hours, Uncharted feels like you’re moving through various temporal anomalies, time speeds up and slows down randomly so you’re never really in a “groove” watching this one.

The biggest issue, however, is the cast. Specifically, the lack of chemistry between them. 

Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg are wonderful actors, have enjoyed their films for years.  The chemistry between the two of them doesn’t fully click.  Again, I classify it as there, but lacking.  It’s not awful, but it’s not great either.  It’s just okay.  Truthfully, that sums up the entire casts' interaction.  It’s okay, but nothing special and few sparks.  Even Antonio Banderas can’t liven things up much.  Tati Gabrielle is a surprising bit of fun to watch, and I hope to see more of her in the future, but again there’s something missing. Everything just lays there,

I haven’t quite put my finger on what’s missing to jazz things up, but as we used to say when I was growing up, “It needs more oregano”!

As I left the theater, one of the crew asked me how I liked the film.  I tell you what I told him.  It’s okay.  Not great, but Lord knows I’ve seen worse.  There’s enough there to interest me in seeing where they go with the franchise, but I won’t be making it a priority.  

Uncharted is okay.  

A serviceable film, but it won’t be smashing any box office records or garnering many repeat trips to the theater.  If you opt to check it out on the big screen, I say catch a matinee or go on a discount day and save some money. Also, wait for the end credit scene before you bolt. 

Otherwise, just wait and stream this bad boy from the comfort of your own home. 

Uncharted gets a 5 from me.

Death on the Nile (2022)

I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan since 6th or 7th grade so I’m always excited (and nervous) when there’s a new version of one of her stories.  Death on the Nile (2022) is actor/director Kenneth Branagh’s sophomore outing into Christie’s world as he once again brings Hercule Poirot to the big screen. I admit to being apprehensive after 2017's Murder on the Orient Express fell woefully short of my expectations (too silly and poor utilization of the cast), but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see this. Plus, I needed to get out of the house for a couple of hours for my own piece of mind.

DotN starts off with a nicely done deep dive into Poirot through a beautifully shot black and white prologue of him as a young man in 1914. A surprise that not only humanizes the Belgian super-sleuth, but sets the overall tone, themes, and mind set for the film. We also get a back story for the infamous moustache. Nice.

Flashing forward to “current” day, 1937, we catch up with the now wildly lauded Poirot at a London speakeasy and set the wheels in motion for the case ahead.  The setup, meeting of the players, etc. culminating in the whodunnit titular death. 

As for the film, DotN is certainly a step up on its predecessor.  While there’s definitely an element of humor things don’t fall into pure silliness.  The utilization of the cast plays out better too.  You’re given all the players and their score cards early on instead of the last minute. It still falls a bit short for some, however, the characters are better fleshed out and get to shine more this go around (Murder on the Orient Express you had half the cast or more you knew zip about until halfway through the film). Not too surprising given the likes of Annette Bening, Jennifer Saunders, and Sophie Okonedo to name a few. The costuming and cinematography are simply put, gorgeous and create a richness that make the story leap off the screen. 

While a solid film in more ways than not, what makes it good and not great is the pacing.  Death on the Nile (2022) clocks in with a two hour and 7-minute runtime that unfortunately feels much longer. 

After the opening prologue things lag and drag until I was feeling like this must be a Dune (2021) thing.  I became antsy and restless wondering if we actually going to get TO the Nile let alone actually have a death or two, or... Kind of hard to maintain a level of interest or excitement for a murder mystery (I don’t think it’s a I already know thing) if there’s no murder to be solved.  Fortunately, once the bodies started dropping the pace picks up, interest rebounds, and the real fun begins.  

I won’t be a bit surprised if Branagh opts to do a third installment of this franchise.  Fingers crossed if that’s the case, the third one proves to be the charm and knocks my socks off.  As for Death on the Nile (2022), if you want to get out of the house for a bit, you can do worse than seeing this one.  Otherwise, you may want to wait and watch it at home.

Death on the Nile (2022) it gets a 6 from me. 

 

The 355

The 355

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to my first film review of the new year, The 355. I’ve been excited and anxiously awaiting this one to hit the big screen for over two years so I couldn’t wait to get to the theater and see this on the big screen.  Directed and co-written by Simon Kinberg The 355 stars a cast of heavy hitters lead by: Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Bingbing Fan, and Penelope Cruz as super spies that must work together (or die alone) to stop WWIII. Sebastian Stan and Edgar Ramierz round out the cast.  

Given the nature of this film, I’m struggling a bit to try and not spoil anything, so apologies if I’m a bit vaguer and more nonsensical than usual.  

While somewhat predictable (the trailers give some things away) The 355 is a satisfying, well-paced espionage thriller that delivers strong performances, brutal fight sequences, chaotic and energetic action that gives the likes of James Bond and John Wick a run for their money.  Best of this female led “girl power” film doesn’t fall into the usual trope of powerful, competent women being nothing more than guys with boobs and/or bitches.  Each has their own individual personality, expertise, and cross to bear. Watching this group come together, kickass, be vulnerable, bolster one another and get the job done is one of the most refreshing aspects of the film.

The 355 is also just fun.  Sure, the fate of the world hangs in the balance (doesn’t it always?), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself and have a few laughs.  The humor in the film is wonderfully done and hits as hard as the punches thrown.  

I first heard about and got excited for The 355 during a Sebastian Stan interview (big fan). I don’t feel I can say much about his character, Nick, without spoiling the film, but I can and will say, the man delivers, again.  In a big way.  Loved him.  Hated him. Loved to hate him and hated to love him.  Perfection.

 Is The 355 perfect?  No. There are some issues I had, but none which kept me from enjoying the film and happy I braved the theater to see it on the big screen.  And for me, definitely none so bad to justify the haterade I’m seeing in many early reviews.  I actually dragged a friend to this one, (hi Golda) she had no idea what it was or what it was about, but she enjoyed it as well.

If you can and feel safe doing so, check The 355 out in the theater and decide for yourself.  

I’m giving The 355 a solid 8.5

Sing 2

 

Five years ago, writer-director Garth Jennings had success with the animated film Sing. A film while I admittedly found enjoyable (especially the music) the overall story is... eh, just okay. Jennings has released the sequel the aptly named Sing 2 and after much debate on whether it warranted a trip to my local theater to watch, exactly 5 years and 1 day after the first go round I ventured out to do just that. The music after all should be worth the effort and hopefully the story would at least be okay. I was wrong on both accounts.

Sing 2 is the rare sequel that surpasses the original.  Hands down.

From the opening Minion filled Illumination intro, the opening “act” through the credits (no worries, there’s no added credit sequence so you can jet if you don’t want to enjoy the music) Sing 2 hits all the right notes and this time brings all the feels along with it. An hour and fifty minutes of pure delight. 

This thoroughly enjoyable and highly entertaining romp reunites the old crew (save for Seth MacFarlane’s Mike) and adds newcomers including Halsey and Bono (yes Bono), just to name a few, as they hit Redshore City (a Las Vegas-esque entertainment Mecca) in an effort to take their show to the next level.

I had a helluva difficult time staying seated throughout this one.  The music is killer, so chair dancing is unavoidable.  Unfortunately for anyone near me so is the unavoidable singing.  With the likes of U of A Alum Harvey Mason Jr and Pharrell Williams in the musical mix it’s a given. 

As if that isn’t enough, the story. While nothing original in and of itself (the parallels to Sing are numerous) the story is deeper, more emotional, and engaging than the original and kept me riveted.  I laughed, I cheered, I got angry, teary, and wanted to jump up and scream triumphantly on more than one occasion.  The characters all benefit, and each gets to shine.   

Speaking of the characters, three cheer for the original voice actors naturally.  Bobby Cannavale's Mr. Crystal slays.  Halsey as Porsha Crystal nails the spoiled little rich brat role. Bono as Clay Calloway is an unexpected, happy surprise.  But the scene stealer and my favorite have to be Garth Jennings himself as Miss Crawly.  She’s one lizard that brings me joy.

Joy. Joyous. Delightful. Funny. Charming. Funny. Emotional. Inspirational. Triumphant. All words, thoughts, reactions I have when I think about Sing 2. And I have thought about it often since seeing the film and it brings a smile to my face, gives me a chuckle, and is a perfect end to my 2021 movie going season.  

I loved this movie!  Check it out at the theater if you can.  I’ll definitely be adding this one to my film collection.

I’m giving Sing 2 a 10.

The King's Man

 

The King’s Man

The original 2014 film The Kingman: The Secret Service was one of those films that snuck up on me with how much I enjoyed it.  So much so I was excited beyond belief to see its sequel The Golden Circle three years later, which was a bitter disappointment for sure.  Another four years has passed and the third film in the franchise has now hit the big screen and with it the return of hope for a good film. 

The King’s Man is a prequel taking us back to the founding of this secret intelligence society in the run up and during the course of World War I. As such it’s more a spy thriller/war film than anything else as it lays the groundwork for the basis of the first two movies. With a lot of “positioning” of elements like chess pieces, TKM  focuses more on philosophical ideals and takes itself much more seriously.  Heavy on the political dialogue, the pacing does get slow and the story does drag in places, but not to the point I got bored or became completely disengaged. The violence, particularly the war scenes are brutal and hard to watch.   Both necessary evils to the overall movie. 

Having a more serious tone brings fewer over-the-top action sequences but when they hit, they hit hard and stick their landings. The dark humor is there as well but again is held in check. The musical score is sweeping as are the locations. The acting is wonderful, Ralph Fiennes and Charles Dance shine bright as expected.  Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, and Harris Dickinson more than hold their own.  Then there’s Rhys Ifans as Rasputin.  A pure, mind blowing, crazy and unsettling at its best.  A weird viewing experience, but still largely satisfying.  

Once again, we’re given a film where the villain(s) are generic and their motives are meh and they feel like a means to an end for setting up the next film, they remain serviceable to the story. Not the most interesting or engaging, but they work for the most part. 

While I won’t say The King’s Man is as good as the original, I’m thrilled to report it’s far superior to the sequel in every aspect. Thank goodness! It’s a strange blend of twistory, farce, espionage, politics, and ideology that makes for an oddly unsettling yet entertaining viewing experience. 

I’m going to give this one a 7.  

BTW don’t miss the mid credit sequence.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

 

After what felt like an eternity of hype, speculation, and anticipation Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally hit the big screen.  Billed as the End Game of the Tom Holland led Spider-Man "home" trilogy SNWH marks the first MCU trilogy directed by the same director, Jon Watts, clocks in at 2 hours and 28 minutes and ushers in the multiverse in spectacular fashion. Quite a lot to live up to without a doubt and for my money, largely delivers.

The fan service aspect pays off big time for Spidey fans, but brings with it some drawbacks. I laughed, I cheered and was thrilled by it, but at the same time was left feeling underwhelmed by the emotional component and under-development of the characters and storyline. I'm an admitted big time crier, however, even at its saddest I never went  beyond thinking, "very sad...anyway".  There's a shallowness in the  characters making connection a hit and miss proposition.

Speaking of which the pacing for the first 30 to 40 minutes is rough. A herky-jerkiness that kept bringing me in and out of the story with its tone and jumping from one idea to another. I hate to admit, a few times it got to the point of making the film border on boring.  

Maybe it's just a "me" thing...I dunno. Kinda like Dr. Strange. Was it just me or is there something a little "off" about him in this film?

Anyway, moving on.

Even with these "issues" Spider-Man: No Way Home still delivers. Terrific music score. Fantastic, heart racing action. Loads of humor. First-rate performances. Thrilling special effects and cinematography.  Eye candy at some of its finest.  Nostalgia, fun, and surprises definitely make for an entertaining movie going experience.  

While SNWH fell short of End Game satisfaction for me, it's still a solid and enjoyable film with some truly shinning moments. Well worth venturing to the movie theater to enjoy a group watch party.  And yes, once again a reminder to stay ALL the way through the credits.  

I'm giving Spider-Man: No Way Home a 7/8.