Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

 

With the temperatures continuing to rise we have the start of summer movie season in Marvel Studios much hyped and eagerly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.  The final film in James Gunn’s trilogy got my butt to my local theater ready for an emotional send off to much beloved characters. I’ve taken a little extra time mulling over my thoughts and feelings on this one, and it’s admittedly still a work in progress.  

Apologies for my unfocused ramble.

I love Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. They’re the perfect blend of action, humor, emotion, sentimentality, and drama so I saw no reason for Vol. 3 not to deliver the goods one more time.  For me, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delivers an entertaining and enjoyable movie experience it isn’t the slam-dunk I wanted, hoped for, or expected.  The balance just isn’t there?  I’m still trying to put my finger on it, but the film is just a bit off.

Rocket’s storyline is as deep, heartbreaking, and emotional as anticipated, doing justice to his character.  The High Evolutionary makes for a wonderfully awful villain that’s truly reprehensible, so yay!  Good bad guy.  Quill’s a bit hit and miss for me this time around as is, dare I say it? Gamora.  Nebula is solid.  Sadly, for me Mantis and Drax don’t evolve or bring anything new to the table until the end and their characters get cheated as does the audience.  Kraglin also falls into the category.  Worse of all are The Sovereign and Adam Warlock.  Neither pays off and definitely left me underwhelmed and disappointed.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 has a runtime of 2 hours and 30-minutes and while it doesn't feel too long, story wise it’s either too much. Things needed to be pared down and focused.  Or not long enough, expand the scope, give more time and development to the characters we’ve come to care about.  As is I find this one a bit frustrating.

The throwbacks, Easter eggs, and homages are great.  The humor is more hit and miss.  Pacing overall is good. Tonally things are a bit wonky, and the film just doesn’t flow as smoothly as its predecessors.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is also more violent and dark than previous films, disturbingly so in places.  A bit of a heads up for folks taking their kids to this one.  

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is easily my least favorite film in the trilogy.  That being said, it’s still a fun watch, especially on the big screen.  While I don’t think Gunn stuck the landing on this, I do appreciate his bringing these characters and their adventures to life and thank him and all involved for their hard work and dedication.  Vol. 3 is largely a success and is a messy, but good ending to the trilogy.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gets a 7 from me.

Oh, yeah.  Almost forgot.  There are 2 end credit scenes.

#guardiansofthegalaxyvol3

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

 

Puberty sucks!

Yes, it’s been more decades than I’d like to admit since I’ve had to deal with it, but growing up in general and puberty specifically was rough.  The awkwardness, insecurity, changing body, and so much more.  Judy Blume captured it brilliantly in her 1970 book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Kelly Fremon Craig has picked up the mantle and delivered the movie adaptation brilliantly.

As previously stated, it’s been more than a minute since I was a pubescent girl, but Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret still hits and hits hard.  Throughout the hour forty-five-minute film I not only believed every moment Abby Ryder Forston’s portrayal of Margaret Simon, but I also felt it.  Felt it and had literal flashbacks of going through the same experiences.  The laughter, the tears, the embarrassment, and the friendships. Forston nailed it all with razor sharp precision that grounds the story and brings the film to life.

Rachel McAdams shines as mom Barbara Simon, but for me it’s Kathy Bates’ grandma Sylvia Simon that really lights up the screen and steals every scene she’s in.  The warmth, the comedic timing, the drama!  Bates is perfect, loveable, and fun no matter how exasperating.  

The set design, costumes, and music bring the 70s to life for better or worse as the case may be and the resulting nostalgia/familiarity serves as another warm hug.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret doesn’t do anything new or extreme.  The story remains the same and has just as much impact as ever.  Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret stays true to its roots and therein lies its perfection.  I laughed. I teared up. I remembered. I was thankful, entertained, and left the theater thoughtful and happy.  

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret gets a 10 from me.

#areyoutheregoditsmemargaret

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

 

The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and I’m not really in the mood for anything too heavy in a number of ways, including on the big screen.  However, the trailer for Guy Ritchie’s new film The Covenant looked too good to pass up, so that was this weeks’ movie adventure.

Let me start by saying, DAMN!

A feeling and sentiment that I felt and expressed repeatedly throughout the 2 hour and 3-minute film.  Along with some accompanying F bombs.   

The Covenant isn’t really a war movie in the typical sense, it’s about the covenant, the bond, the commitment between a solider (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his interpreter (Dar Salim) toward the end of the US War in Afghanistan and honoring your debts.  

To put it mildly, The Covenant is intense, stressful, anxiety inducing, impactful, and thought provoking.  My anxiety/stress level didn't subside until I was back in my car headed home.  With the sudden and often brutal action "The Covenant" reminds me a bit of Lone Survivor and left me without a shadow of doubt that I would be totally worthless in any capacity in the situations the characters find themselves in.  The was a great deal of breath holding and butt puckering.

The pacing in this one is a bit unusual in that over half the film is devoted to the setup for the ambush and heroic escape with comparably little focus on the rather brisk conclusion, but it actually services the film beautifully.  A true example of it's about the journey not the destination if ever there was one.

The Covenant is well written, beautifully shot, the directing is amazing, and has an incredible pulse- pounding musical score that resonates, amplifies, and elevates the film perfectly. 

Fantastic acting.  

Gyllenhaal delivers spectacularly which is no surprise.  But Salim (Game of Thrones) is the real surprise and delivers a riveting performance that’s breathtaking. The scene following the initial escape when his Ahmed wants/tries to say something to Kinley (Gyllenhaal)...DAMN.  I felt everything and it just broke me.  And his performance just gets amplified from there.    Couldn’t tear my eyes from the screen is I wanted to, which I didn’t.

The Covenant is a gripping, gritty, and at times hard to watch fictional story that ties into recent history and is most definitely worth viewing.  I sadly can’t truly convey just how intense a movie going experience this film is, so you really need to see it in a movie theater on a big screen with a killer audio system to get full appreciation.  

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant gets a 10 from me.

#guyritchiethecovenant

Renfield

The premise of Renfield is pretty straightforward.  Nicholas Hoult’s Renfield has the suckiest boss ever, literally, in Nicolas Cage’s Dracula, and wants to break the cycle of co-dependence between them.  Sounds like a good time so I ventured forth and checked it out.

With a runtime of a mere hour thirty-three minutes, Renfield is the rare movie that feels longer than it is but that’s actually a good thing.  It neither feels too long nor does it feel rushed so you’re missing out overall.  

I say overall in that I definitely left the theater wanting more of Cage’s over-the-top, campy, Bela Lugosi-esque performance.  Cage leans in hard and the result is deliciously ridiculous and purely delightful to behold. Nicolas Cage is dead and loving it and so was I. 

Not to be out done, Hoult’s hangdog Renfield is the perfect foil in this wacky, ultra-violent gorefest. You can't help relating to what the poor guy is going through and feel for him every step of the way. The chemistry between the two makes the entire film.

Sadly, a little less engrossing is the buddy cop dynamic with Awkwafina’s Rebecca.  Awkwafina gives it her all, but her character drags down the film and dampens the joy of the film.  The self-righteous angry cop on a mission doesn’t quite gel with the rest of the film. There are some nice moments, but truth be told the film suffers from the character’s presence. The tonal disconnect is too much and the sub-plot doesn’t get explored enough to really make you care.

Great, frenetic action sequences.  Fantastic makeup and effects.  Good music and direction.  And gore.  Lots and lots of gore.  Think Tarantino rivers of blood, guts, and sinew. Be warned.  Not as humorous as I hoped, but Renfield does deliver the funny, especially during the therapy group sessions.

While I wish the sub-plots and characters were better integrated into the film and packed more of a punch overall, there’s still plenty to enjoy in Renfield and it was certainly worth the trip to the movies.  The two Nicks are perfectly cast and their performances/dynamic more than makes up for any of the film’s shortcomings.  If you do check this one out, do stay and watch the credits.  No, there’s no bonus scene(s) per se, but there is bonus footage the credits roll over that’s fun to watch.

Renfield gets a 7 from me.

#Renfield

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

True confession time.  While I am a self-described geek and proud of it, I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons and don’t really know much about this world. Sad, shameful, and tragic but true.  Nonetheless, loving fantasy, the cast the cast (especially Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant), and the rave reviews of audiences and critics alike I headed to my local theater with hopes that my streak of seeing wining films would continue.

No sense in trying to sugar coat it, my hopes and winning streak were dashed quickly. 

While the visuals and the sets are good, the plot is decent, the script itself is dry, soulless, and flat. Within the first twenty minutes of this bloated 2-hour and fourteen-minute Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves had me not just bored but actively fighting to stay awake.  And hour in I had not only long since stopped caring about anything going on with this film. I did, however, decide on tacos for dinner. 

Pine and Rodriguez give it their all, but there’s just no saving this one.  A total lack of chemistry with any of the actors/characters is insurmountable, making suspension of disbelief impossible. I didn’t buy into the group’s “thanks for coming to the movies” introduction before the film let alone during the epic quest rife with life and death situations within.  No true character development as well does no one any favors. The most interesting character blows through quickly and is a wasted opportunity, while another is heavily focused on but is just tiresome and annoying.

Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves has been hyped for being fun, playful, and funny. I’ve got to disagree. There are too many jokes and few of them land.  I scoffed a few times and along with the rest of the audience had precisely one laugh-out-loud moment towards the end of the movie, though I’d be hard press now to tell you what it was.  

There was little joy watching this film.  

There’s no spark. No magic. Little world building. Hell, there’s hardly even a dragon and even on that account, I’ve seen better.  And recently.

I really wanted Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves to be entertaining and the start of a new franchise to look forward to seeing.  I tried to get into it and have fun.  I couldn’t.  I just couldn’t. Instead, Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves is nothing more than big budget eye candy that’s all sizzle and no steak, cashing in on a built-in fan base.  

First film of the five I've seen this year where I can say, not worth the effort, time, or money to see in the theaters. But if you do, because you absolutely HAVE to, yes there is a credit scene.  Thankfully it’s at the top of the credits so you don’t have to wait too long.

Mainly for the visuals Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves gets a 4 from me.

John Wick Chapter 4

Let me start this review by symbolically pouring some out for the late Lance Reddick a.k.a. Charon of the John Wick franchise to name a few.  His untimely death was a shock to the system and definitely made his role/character arc in this fourth film of the franchise poignant.  Reddick will be missed.  

As for the film itself, John Wick Chapter 4 to put it succinctly is everything you can want in a John Wick film and more.  I loved the original John Wick and each proceeding film has equaled or surpassed it in my opinion.  Yes, even with she who shall not be named showing up in John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum.  

Chapter 4 takes all the things we love about the previous films, the characters, action, gallows humor, violence/high body count, and kicks it up another couple of levels in this 2-hour 49-minute adrenaline pumping, non-stop epic thrill ride.  Stuntman turned writer/director Chad Stahelski once again strikes gold.   John Wick Chapter 4 picks up where Parabellum leaves off, grabs you by the throat and much like Wick himself, never let's go as John takes on the world and the High Table.

Joining Keanu Reeves in reprising their respective characters are Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and of course the late Lance Reddick.  Adding to the fun, mayhem, and carnage are Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson, and Clancy Brown to name a few. All give stellar performances and are very welcome additions to the franchise. A special shout out to Donnie Yen for yet again embodying a cool, humorous, sympathetic, blind ass kicking martial artist (Rogue One).  He kills in this part, pun both intended and not.

Chapter 4's action/fight sequences are unbelievable sights to behold.  Intense, thrilling, brutal, exhaustive, over-the-top and totally satisfying.  The direction keeps you in the thick of things and leaves you grunting, oomph-ing, and damn-ing throughout.  You will be left breathless time and again just watching. Everything that’s come before that had you reeling is upgraded to boss fight plus levels.  A small word of caution, there is one sequence nearing the end that had me dizzy and thinking I may vomit with the overhead action. I wasn’t alone on this point, so it wasn’t just my system being weird.  Think Sandra Bullock in Gravity. You've been warned. 

Well written, great dialogue, stunning locations and set pieces, stirring soundtrack, world building at its best. John Wick Chapter 4 is a masterpiece that delivers all the thrills and all the feels.  Kudos to all involved.  

If you’re a John Wick fan, do yourself a favor and see this one on the big screen.  And when you do, make sure you stay through ALL the credits, there’s a final scene that at least half the packed audience I saw the film with missed.  It’s well worth crossing your legs a little longer.  

 John Wick Chapter 4 is a solid 10. 

#JohnWick4

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

 

Standard disclaimer: I didn’t have access to comic books growing up. No deep dive for me. My superhero experience/knowledge is limited to the tv shows, cartoons, and the occasional films I saw growing up.

In short, my review of Shazam! Fury of the Gods as was 2019s Shazam! is based solely on what I saw on the big screen. Going into Shazam! I vaguely recalled the Saturday morning tv show and saw the film on a lark. I loved it and was clamoring for a sequel. To say I’ve been looking forward to this movie is a bit of an understatement, especially given the disappointment of numerous delays and push backs. With Shazam! Fury of the Gods FINALLY hitting theaters this week, I braved the elements, hit my favorite theater with crossed fingers and high hopes to check it out. I was definitely nervous/scared FotG would fall short of my expectations given my excitement going in. What a relief when the opening scene unfolded, sucked me in and took me to my happy place. FotG is a two- hour 10-minute thrill ride from start to finish that’s funny, sweet, thrilling, and all-around entertaining. I admit there are a few CGI flying shots at the beginning of the film that fell a bit short, but happily that was the only issue I had with the movie and was quickly forgotten. Great storyline with high stakes and lots of action nicely balanced with character moments/development and emotion. Good direction. Awesome music. Fantastic casting. Love that almost all the original cast is back (Superhero Mary is played by Caroline Grace-Cassidy this time around), yay! And the additions of Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu in particular are more than a welcome bonus. I have to say I want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up. She’s living her best life and killing it. As entertaining and fun as Shazam! Fury of the Gods is it’s also darker and more intense than the original so anyone with young kids take heed. There was one maybe five-year-old that freaked out during the last fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie and was taken out. YES. They struck pay dirt with Shazam! Fury of the Gods. It’s a fun, satisfying movie going experience. What I wanted and needed. I’m looking forward to adding this one to my movie collection for repeated viewings. Speaking of viewings, yes, my friends, once again you need to sit through the entire movie to catch both of the end credits scenes. Taste the rainbow!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods gets a 10 from me.