Black Adam

 

The summer movie season is safely in the rearview and fall is upon us ushering in the newest batch of “must see” films.  This week brings the much-anticipated release of the DCEU’s Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson.  Let me preface this review with the fact, going in I don’t know Black Adam from blackjack, so my take is based purely on what I saw on the big screen.  If you’re looking for faithfulness to the comics, I can’t help you.  I’m a simple “Rock” fangirl excited by a handful of trailers, featurettes, and interviews that went in with an open mind and crossed fingers for a thrilling movie going experience.

I did mention I’m a fangirl so the prospect of seeing Dwayne Johnson poured into his enhancement free super suit for a couple of hours not only didn’t hurt my feelings but means at a minimum the film is a biased 5 for me.  

No.

I have no shame.  

Where things go from there is definitely more of an objective subjective opinion.

Indeed, where does Black Adam go?

The overall story is a pretty standard origin story.  Predictable and familiar. The flashbacks of ancient Kahndaq are cool, yet reminiscent of The Scorpion King/300. 

That familiarity is an issue that comes up repeatedly throughout the movie.  I want to be fair, but for me various characters, scenes, and settings felt “lifted” straight from other sources, especially from the MCU, and didn’t do much to hide, improve, or expand on them. Time and again I found myself thinking this is nothing more than the DCEU version of this, that, or the other.  Keeping me from completely being immersed in what was happening on the screen as I thought about how I saw that already in X film with Y character. I’m all for recycling but this is lazy and disappointing for something in development for over a decade. 

A sentiment that goes double for some of the dialogue as well, especially in the first half of the film.  Pure, unadulterated trash.

As for the characters, they are a bit hit and miss in terms of development.  Obviously, Black Adam himself gets the most in-depth treatment., However, other key characters fall by the wayside to the point where there isn’t much sense of who they are, what they’re about, or even their point.  All things that would make for a stronger story and really elevate the film. It’s like watching the second film in a trilogy without benefit of seeing the first. 

I’m a bit lost on one of the main characters and how they even end up being key as well as some head scratching over another cool but head scratching cameo. Don’t even get me started on Pierce Brosnan.  They had the poor man looking like and old dude that kept nodding off more than a superhero. 

The writers didn’t seem to put an overabundance of thought, effort, or importance into tying things together and having them make sense.  Perhaps they were counting on everyone having the comic book background knowledge to draw from?  

The action sequences pack a lot of punch (yes pun intended) are a lot of fun and the darker tone of the film adds some flair but get bogged down as the unfold with an overuse of slow motion. The impact gets watered down and feels very cookie cutter. While the violence gets pushed as far as they can with a PG - 13 rating, it can be brutal but not overly gory.  

Good soundtrack.  The humor is sparse, but lands.  Solid visuals and direction.

Black Adam’s pacing gets a little long in the tooth but isn’t too bad.  I never got a full-on case of the wiggles but was feeling a need to wrap things up well before the end. The overall vibe of the movie is also a bit choppy.  It feels like several different films cobbled together because they couldn’t decide what kind of film they wanted to make.  Not great, but I’ve definitely sat through much worse.

When all is said and done Black Adam is okay.  Didn’t love it. It didn’t wow me or blow me away, but I did enjoy it.  I’m definitely interested to see where things go from here, especially given the mid credit sequence tease.  I think it could certainly have been better, but it most definitely could’ve been much worse.  It’s worth checking out on the big screen but isn’t remarkable or highly memorable.  While I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite part, line, or point out anything in particular that really stood out to me, I’m glad I went.  I also wouldn’t be adverse to seeing Black Adam again.  

I give Black Adam a heavily biased rating of 6.5.

The Woman King

 

It’s been a minute since my last trip to the movie theater, there just hasn’t been anything that sparked my interest.  A sentiment apparently not just my own.  The manager at my theater of choice told me they’ve been opening late in the day since there hasn’t been anything to draw folks in.  I fully expected this to continue to be the case unit at least next month until I stumbled across an Instagram post by Viola Davis for The Woman King about a 19th century elite group of female African warriors.  Real life Dora Milaje, not only starring but also produced by Davis and her husband? No doubt I HAD to see this film.  

The short and sweet of it?  The Woman King is an exceptional movie.

Period.

Superb acting lead by the incomparable Viola Davis is just the start.  

Rising star Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, and Lashana Lynch match Davis’ power, ferocity, humanity, and emotion creating the heart/soul/core of the film.  Their chemistry and interaction are mesmerizing and the solid foundation that the film is built upon.

Dana Stevens and Maria Bello’s script is rock solid and perfectly encapsulates all the strength, warmth, humor, pain, triumph, joy etc. that so many “female” based stories tend to lack and services both the story and actors beautifully. The richness this script has is a true rarity.  

Having Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball and The Secret Lives of Bees) in the director's chair is an added bonus. The opening sequence had me glued to the screen and I couldn't look away the entire film. Fair warning, the action sequences are brutal and glorious, completely unwavering in their ferocity. 

The cinematography, musical score, sets, and direction all on point.  The layering elevates the entire viewing experience.

The Woman King is not just 2 hours 15 minutes of Viola Davis and company kicking ass (thought that wouldn’t be a bad thing) it’s a grown up, character driven triumph that transports viewers to pre-colonial Benin in a fresh take on historical war films. I can easily risk over hyping from my own enthusiasm, and risk underselling for fear of saying too much.  So, I say, if you have the slightest interest in this one, just go.  The Woman King needs to be seen/experienced on the big screen.  It has all the feels, powerful messaging, and humanity/community we can all use right now.

The Woman King is a 10.

Bullet Train

 

The new film release that sent me to the movie theater this week was Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt, about a snatch and grab gone horribly wrong...or maybe incredibly right.  I’d been excited to see this one for months and I can report that it didn’t disappoint.

Bullet Train is an outrageous, chaotic, stylized thrill ride from start to finish.  Directed by David Leitch: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, and John Wick to name a few, Bullet Train is chock-full of heart pumping action, laugh-out-loud humor, surprise cameos, a great soundtrack, and clocks in at 2 hours 6 minutes of solid fun and entertainment.  

Brad Pitt delivers. Far from surprising given his filmography.  Still, I’m hard press to say what’s more fun, watching his performance or seeing how much fun he had giving it. The rock-solid chemistry between Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry steals the show time and again. They are perfectly engaging and surprisingly endearing as The Twins and are definitely a highlight. 

In fact, the entire cast and their performances are great.  

On its surface Bullet Train appears to be a straightforward and simplistic “popcorn” film.  Nothing wrong with that.  However, as the story unfolds, I was delighted to find the film to be more intricate than it seems.  The twists and turns as the puzzle pieces fall into place make for one hell of an awesome ride that had me bouncing in my seat with a huge grin on my face when it all made sense.

Bullet Train is one of those films I can/plan to watch again and again.  It has everything. Great cast/acting, action, heart, drama, and humor.  It’s also violent and quite bloody. A warning for those on the squeamish side. 

I can’t say much more for fear of giving something away.  But I will say that Bullet Train is a ride not to be missed.

I give Bullet Train a  9.5

DC League of Super-Pets

In their fifth and latest collaboration, the dynamic team of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have gone animated with their bromance in Warner Bros. DC League of Super-Pets. Following the capture of the entire Justice League, Superman’s dog Krypto (Johnson) joins forces with a group of super powered endowed shelter pets lead by Ace (Hart) on a rescue mission. 

DC League of Super-Pets is a fairly cute, straight forward children’s film that’s action-packed, emotional, and overall enjoyable.  While humorous the jokes are a bit of a crap shoot in terms of landing. Many honestly don’t but there are some good chuckles and even laugh-out-loud moments. I found the pacing of the first half of the film a bit slow and the story a bit janky. A roller coaster of being drawn in then things flat lining.  However, I never completely disengaged from the film or became outright bored.    

A large part of that no doubt is a credit to the cast.  

I went for the team of Johnson/Hart, which is once more a successful pairing, but the stand outs for me were Kate McKinnon’s Lulu and Natasha Lyonne’s Merton.  These ladies steal the show for my money. Big props especially among a cast of heavy hitters the likes of John Krasinski, Keanu Reeves, Daveed Diggs, and Alfred Molina to name a few.

The animation is good, reminds me of the “old school” Saturday morning cartoons.  Good soundtrack.  While DC League of Super-Pets isn’t earth shattering with innovations, the film is what you expect, nothing more, nothing less.  Nothing inherently wrong with that. All told a pleasant way to spend an hour and forty-six minutes on a hot summer day. 

I enjoyed this one.  

The kids in the theater enjoyed this one.  

I’m giving DC League of Super-Pets a 7.5.

And yes, least I forget, following the trend in films DC League of Super-Pets has 2 credit scenes. The first mid credits and integral to the film.  The second post credits, possibly integral going forward.  Definitely meta, fun, cross promotional, and a wink and nod to those who know.

 

Nope

 

The latest anticipated summer release this week comes from writer/director/producer Jordan in his third film Nope.  Peele keeping with tradition of playing things close to the vest, meant I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in, so with an open mind I went to see if the third time was indeed a charm.

From the onset Nope had me shaking my head and wondering what the hell was going on to the point of not even being sure the films’ beginning was part of the films’ beginning. I also admit I’m still a bit muddled on what that whole storyline meant and its connection to the whole but maybe I’m just a bit slow.  More clues and weirdness follow as you begin to piece things together and the unsettling, creep factor builds.  

Nice.

Until it doesn’t.

Nope runs two hours ten minutes total and chugs along nicely for the first half of the first half (make sense?) then I found the pacing takes a dive.  Things slow and drag for a good twenty minutes or so to the point I found myself straight up bored.  Hate to say it, but I was literally saying it as I sat in the theater feeling restless.

Then boom! Peele hits his stride once again; the film takes off and never lets up for the rest of the ride.

Yay!

The cinematography, direction, and visuals of Nope are stunning and create the perfect unsettling, eerie, creepy, thrilling, tension filled movie landscape that had me (as well as the characters) saying “nope”.  For the record I threw in a few “aww hell naws” and a “f this $#@!” as well.  Apologies to Oprah for that one, but I stand by my reaction.

Great casting/acting all around, but it’s Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ, Keke Palmer’s Emerald, and Brandon Perea’s Angel performances that truly make this film a treat. I do wish Michael Wincott featured a little more.  That voice alone is spectacular.

Jordan Peele’s Nope is another original and freshly creative film that blends multiple genres into something exciting to behold. Despite the pacing issue I say it’s well worth a trip to the local movie theater to take a look.  I’m giving Nope a 7.5/8

Additional tidbit for people with kids.  Upon leaving the theater I had a kid of 9 or 10 ask me what I thought of the film. I gave him my take and asked for his.  He informed me he REALLY enjoyed it (so much so that this was his second viewing), he liked EVERYTHING about it, and that Keke Palmer’s Emerald was his absolute favorite.  So, FYI.

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

 

As the summer temperatures continue to sizzle family friendly films are hitting the big screen as an enticement to lure folks back to the theaters.  This week’s offering is Nickelodeon’s animated film, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.  The story of a dog with big dreams of becoming a samurai.  I again ventured to my local theater with high hopes for an entertaining hour thirty-seven-minute viewing experience in air-conditioned comfort to check this one out.

I’ll cut to the chase, the best part of this outing was indeed the AC and to a lesser degree the snacks.  Neither of which was worth leaving home or burning gas for.

The sinking feeling began with the opening short film. I can’t honestly remember the name of this one, but it still has me shaking my head wondering WTF.  It was...bizarre and unsettling at best. I’m not sure what anyone was thinking with it, let alone why it was paired with Paws of Fury, but it definitely set the tone for the lackluster main attraction because once Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank began, things didn’t get much better.  

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is one of those animated films we get every few years where all the time and money seems to have been spent on assembling a heavy hitting voice cast and little else. 

Billed as an animated remake of Blazing Saddles, with a healthy dose of Kung Fu Panda as well, PoF is more a POS that lacks the charm, originality, or entertainment value of either.  

Slogging through the first half of the film was a joyless and mind-numbing endeavor that felt endless. Fortunately, the second half of the film was much stronger and was a better viewing experience. However, overall, it’s a case of too little too late.

Samuel L Jackson is the best part of this film hands down. This is another Turbo situation. In addition, Kylie Kuioka (Emiko) also breathes much needed life into this story as well.  As for the rest of the cast, there simply isn’t much for them to sink their teeth into. No character development. Little story.  Lots of pop culture references (heavy on all things Mel Brooks), dog and cat puns, and visual gags fell short as all indications is this film is aimed toward a younger audience and it was going over their heads.  Being one of the oldest audience members I chuckled here and there, but the only laugh out loud moment for the entire audience, especially the kiddos, came at the end of the movie.  

Positive messaging throughout while important/great is handled with all the subtlety as a hand grenade in a bowl of oatmeal in its heavy handedness and becomes tedious quickly.  

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank doesn’t hold much to warrant a trip to the theater.  The potential was there in the concept but fails in the execution.  This one’s a stream at home at best.  If and when you do, don’t forget to fast forward to the end of the credits for one last tiny scene. The sentiment captures this film perfectly. 

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is a disappointing 3 for me.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Another week is under our belts and with it came the next big summer movie release. Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder. My excitement following the success of 2017 Thor: Ragnarök and the return of Taika Waititi as not only director but also co-writer has been palatable as well as guarded. With only an hour fifty-nine-minute runtime, the return of so many established characters, along with the introduction of new storylines, combined with the “late in the game” onslaught trailers, clips, and other hype I was more than a bit fearful we would’ve pretty much seen the entire film before it actually hit the screen.  

Both valid takes as it turns out.

Thor: Love and Thunder is indeed a fun, summer romp of a film that delights in many ways.  The light-hearted to downright silly comedic beats, plenty of expected as well as unexpected call backs, fast paced action, and a storyline with heart at its core for my time and money put Thor: Love and Thunder in the same realm as Thor: Ragnarök.  

Sweet.  

Same realm but not quite the same level, however.

The less is more runtime definitely keeps TLT from hitting the full Ragnarök level of enjoyment.  Not all the comedy is a solid hit, but more importantly the drama and the emotional elements aren’t given the time to sit/breathe making for a less impactful viewing experience that’s emptier than it should be.  

Christian Bale delivers as the “Big Bad”.  I just wish there had been more Gorr to feast upon.  The same can be said for Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster/Mighty Thor.  The chance to really delve into and expand on their characters never quite comes to fruition and while seeing them is enjoyable it’s also frustrating as a result. The character development remains only skin deep here. A truly squandered opportunity.

Then there’s Russell Crowe.  I can’t even begin to wrap my head around that one.  Better than his outing as Henry Jekyll in 2017 The Mummy but still...  If nothing else, what the hell was up with that accent?  I’ll leave it at that.

Moving on.

Good visuals.  Strong direction. Then there’s the soundtrack. Ahhh, the soundtrack.  An around the world and back snap for certain.  Guns N’ Roses takes me back, ABBA makes me happy, Mary J. Blige is never wrong. 

Thor: Love and Thunder as a whole is a bit of a mixed bag, not unlike all the Thor films.  Fortunately, there’s more good about it than bad.  

Did I want more from it overall?  Yes.  Did I enjoy seeing it on the big screen?  Yes, again.  Can I recommend you head to the theater to check it out?  Again, I’m going to say yes.  Go for the fun, go for the joy of catching up with the familiar characters and for a glance of seeing where they may head in the future.  Go with the right mind set for a summer movie experience but be sure to stay for the 2 end credit scenes.

Thor: Love and Thunder is a 7.5 for me.