Inside Out 2

 

Back in 2015 I fell in love with the charm and heart of Pixar’s Inside Out. Nine years later I’ve been anxiously awaiting the sequel Inside Out 2 to hit the big screen.  Returning voice cast members include Amy Poehler (Joy), Lewis Black (Anger), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Diane Lane (Mom), and Kyle MacLachlan (Dad).  The story picks up a year after events in the original story as Riley becomes a teenager, hits puberty, and begins the transition from middle to high school. Adding the new emotions of Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) into the mix.

Due to unexpected circumstances, by the time I actually sat down to watch this film, I was over the whole movie going experience and wanting to just go home. Not really an attitude conducive for being open to the film experience. Adding to my pissy mindset, the huge crowd filled with screaming kids running around and I was ready to bolt before the previews were over. However, not wanting to brave the 100 degrees plus heat to get back to the car, I opted to power through my growing aggravation.   

I am so glad I did. Inside Out 2 delivers. Even the baby three seats away, crying for a good hour of the hour thirty-six-minute runtime of the film didn’t manage to dampen my enjoyment of this film.

As expected, the animation and visuals are outstanding. The world building/expansion excellent. And the complexity between the old emotions dealing with, integrating, and balancing with the new ones is beautifully executed. 

Yes, you get all the feels. Pun both intended and not intended.  

Inside Out 2 offers plenty of callbacks, references, and homages that delight. Good humor and relatable cringe moments that will make you smile.

While lacking a bit more in charm and heart than the original, and some of the new characters aren’t as well developed, Inside Out 2 is still a solid, enjoyable film and a worthy sequel. The kids in the audience were engaged (sans baby) and the adults were captivated as well. IO2 is another animated film firmly in the category of kids and adults will both enjoy, but hits differently for adults.

And it hits hard.  

Anxiety is a motengator.  

You will feel seen and validated across the board with this one. The poignant line, "Maybe this is what happens when you grow up, you feel less joy”?  Yeah. Wow. Chef’s kiss. Definitely my “damn” moment where I wanted/needed a hug. 

Adulting is hard.

Bravo Pixar. 

You once again came through and delivered a winner. Inside Out 2 is worth a trip to your local movie theater to check out on the big screen.  FYI, there is a bonus scene after the very end of the credits so check it out if you can. 

Inside Out 2 gets a 9 from me.

#InsideOut2

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Another week, another trip to the theater to check out the latest movie release.  Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the latest from writer-director George Miller.  As the prequel to 2015s highly successful Mad Max: Fury Road, I looked forward to seeing Furiosa on the big screen with great anticipation.

Furiosa for me turns out to be the latest film I’m split on.

The cinematography is a solid, plenty of over-the-top action sequences, and a nice smattering of returning characters/actors over a familiar backdrop highlight this one.  Unfortunately, those are the only true highlights or enjoyment to be had.

Over the course of the two-hour twenty-eight-minute run-time, which felt much, much longer, nothing much happens.  Anya Taylor-Joy as the main character Furiosa doesn’t even appear until an hour into the film as we watch the younger version grow up. Even when she does make her appearance, nothing really occurs.  

Essentially what we know about the character from the previous film is rehashed over the course of this one without adding any kind of new information or character development.  A problem that plagues all the characters across the film.

All the characters, old and new, this time are generic, wooden and lifeless.  There really isn’t anyone to hold on/relate to in any meaningful way.  They just slip past with as much impact as anonymous faces in a crowd. 

They as well as the movie itself is pretty forgettable, which I largely did by the time I got home.  A couple of action sequences came to mind but as a whole thinking about this one isn’t bringing up much in recall.

The pacing in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is rough.  The film is shown as chapters and plods along unevenly at best and is just tedious at worst. I spent the bulk of the film bored, fidgeting, and checked my watch at least half a dozen times wanting it to be over.  By the end of chapter 4 I was done with the whole thing so when chapter 5 appeared on screen I wanted to not only cry but do the one thing I don’t do. Walk out of a film. Yes, a big part of that was the call of nature, but an equal if not bigger part was just wanting to go home, get dinner, and knock out a season finale or two of “my shows”.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is at its best during the action sequences although they don’t pack the punch as in Fury Road with the reliance on more in studio filming and CGI. Furiosa definitely pales by comparison not only to previous films in the franchise but is a missed opportunity. It lacks the magic and excitement of a Mad Max film and is as dry and unwelcoming as the wastelands it features.

My split decision:

Visually - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is an 8.

Overall - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a 5.5.

#Furiosa

IF

 

Greetings once again from the darkened recesses of my local movie theater. This week I took in the latest offering from writer/director John Krasinski, IF, starring Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming.  I went into this one being a fan of Krasinski and Reynolds figuring this would be a fun, lighthearted, innocuous romp.  IF turned out to be more than I bargained for.

IF is a bittersweet, poignant, funny, imaginative, creative, and emotional coming-of-age film that isn’t a coming-of-age film. It’s a film for everyone that won’t necessarily appeal to everyone.  It’s charming and witty, joyful and dark. IF is one of those seemingly innocent “kid” films that’s subversive, grabs you in and by the feels and doesn’t let go. Definitely a film that appeals to kids with its characterization, but the real audience is adults.

The impact of watching IF hits similar to Christopher Robin, Up, or Encanto to name a few.  As an adult I found myself delighted, entertained, and traumatized from start to finish. 

You laugh, you cry, rinse and repeat. 

If you don’t find yourself thinking and feeling deeply there’s something wrong with you. This one got and has stayed in my head, even costing me an unbroken night’s sleep.

In addition to the previously mentioned stars, IF has an embarrassment of riches in its casting. The Michael Giacchino score is perfection. The production design is amazing. The CGI work beautiful and effective.

Krasinski set out to create a live action Pixar film and he definitely succeeded. IF is a film that is hard to pin down in many respects, but works masterfully, nonetheless. It’s contradictory, meandering, whimsical, inspirational, tough, hopeful, and painful. IF is life summed up in one hour and forty-four-minute snapshot. One that deserves to be seen on the big screen.  And certainly, will benefit from multiple viewings, so I look forward to adding this one to my personal film collection.

IF gets an emotional 10 from me.

 #IFMovie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

 

The weather is starting to heat up (boo) and so are the summer film releases.  This week’s trip to the movie theater had me taking in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise.  Kingdom picks up briefly where War for the Planets of the Apes leaves off then picks up many generations later as we find out what Caesar’s legacy has wrought.

The good news is with a two-hour twenty-five-minute runtime, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes succeeds in delivering a visually rich, drama punctuated with great action filled sequences. The cinematography is stunning, and the film pops off the screen making for a rich world building experience. 

Overall, I feel Kingdom delivers an entertaining sequel worthy of the previous trilogy. 

Worthy but a lesser film for my money.

The film does drag, and you feel the slow pacing throughout.  There’s also a basic lack of reason/explanation.  I’m not sure why this has become a trend, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the latest film to through a bunch a stuff at the audience leaving you wondering about the who, what, why, how for seventy-five percent of the film only to give you a rushed, unsatisfactory answer during the last twenty-five percent of the movie. The result makes for a much thinner, less gratifying storyline.

Adding to this issue for me is the lack of characterization this go around.  We have an all-new group of characters but there isn’t much development or depth given to them.  Things are left very surface level and there’s not a lot to grab on to make you invested in their plight other than the setup of this is our hero so care about him. This is our villain so root against him. A couple of characters started to really pique my interest but are too quickly disposed of so ultimately don’t go anywhere. They’re too flat and generic. 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes definitely feels like the beginning of a new trilogy and while it works well as an introduction for what lies ahead, it definitely feels hollow.  I liked it but didn’t love it and find that the more I think about it the less taken I am with the film as a whole. This is a tricky one for me.

Taking into consideration for the potential for the franchise as well as the actual film itself, I’m going to give Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes a generous 7 - 7.5

#kingdomoftheplanetoftheapes

The Fall Guy

 

After another long lull in the action, this week I once again ventured to my local movie theater to check out the latest film release.  The Fall Guy is the latest film from stuntman turned director David Leitch starring Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, loosely (very loosely) based on the 1980s tv series from Glen A. Larson.  I went into this one not knowing what to expect and just hoping for a couple of hours of worthwhile entertainment that justified leaving the house.

Mission accomplished.

While it took me a bit to completely get into this two-hour and six-minute film, it did feel longer, I nonetheless got there and enjoyed myself.  All told, The Fall Guy is light-hearted, action packed, humorous fun. 

The chemistry between Gosling and Blunt makes the film.  The movie within the movie and the “behind-the-scenes” stunt work as well as the actual film’s stunt work is an endearing love letter to all the unsung heroes who make our favorite films so much more.

An absolutely kickass soundtrack, wonderful supporting cast in Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, and Stephanie Hsu add to the joy and fun of this film. As a fan of the original series the nods of homage and the revamped theme song really brought joy. 

There’s not much more I feel I can say without getting into spoiler neighborhood other than while not perfect, The Fall Guy solidly ushers in 2024's summer popcorn flicks. If you’re looking to get out of the house/heat, need to shut off your mind, and just enjoy yourself, The Fall Guy is a good choice. Be sure to stay for the credits to see all the fun behind, behind-the-scenes fun.

The Fall Guy gets a 7 from me.

#TheFallGuy

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 

Greeting and salutations.

Once again, I’ve emerged from the darkened confines of my local movie theater.  After a great deal of anticipation on my part, I took in an early showing of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Getting down to tacks of brass I’m going to make this review short if not so sweet.

I had been eagerly awaiting the release of GFE since the first trailer drop. After the bang-up job done with Ghostbusters: After Life I expected/hoped for another home run. For my money though, this time around the Ghostbuster franchise has hit a double at best.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a film that weirdly has all the elements you can want in a Ghostbuster film in spades to make it work, yet sadly, it doesn't. Everything from cast, sets, costumes, props, locales etc. are there but never quite combine in a satisfying manner.

OGs, callbacks, homages, new faves, upgrades, great visuals.  It’s all there. But like much of the film’s humor it falls flat and fails to resonate in a manner greater than the sum of its individual parts. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has a runtime of only an hour fifty-five minutes, but I swear it felt closer to two and a half easily.  The pacing is rough. It pains me to say, yes, I got bored on and off throughout the film and struggled staying invested.  

Frozen Empire’s storyline is directionless and unbalanced. Many of the characters are undeveloped and have little to no cohesion with one another let alone plot.  People and things are dropped in randomly, never explained and glossed over. There’s really nothing to sink your teeth into.  

The biggest draw of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the nostalgia. As such there’s plenty of fan service which is wonderful.  The issue is there isn’t anything done with that fan service to bolster the film or move the franchise forward. You get all the elements you want except for a good story and a fun ride. Making GFE another prime example of a huge film that's all sizzle with little to no substance. Something which needs to be desperately rectified moving forward.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire the film gets a 6 from me.  The merchandising is a solid 10+

#GhostbustersFrozenEmpire

Madame Web

 

Aaaannnd, I’m back.

 Once again, I’ve emerged from the shadows, two months into the new year, and hit the movie theater for the first time.  My latest outing was to take in Marvel’s Madame Web.  

First and foremost, standard disclaimer applies.  I’m unfamiliar with the comics, know nothing of this character/story beyond what’s in the film.  Blah, blah, blah.

Anywho, moving on.

I’m starting 2024 not with a bang, but a resounding thud.  

The short and not so sweet of Madame Web is this film is total trash.

Madame Web is one hour-fifty-six minutes (felt infinitely longer) of bad writing, bad acting, excruciatingly bad dialogue wrapped up in a nonsensical plot (I’m using plot in the loosest sense) filled with holes the size of the Grand Canyon which had me questioning the point of the entire exercise from roughly six or seven minutes in until the last credit rolled. 

Speaking of credits, mercifully there is no end credit sequence(s).

It can’t be all bad, can it? 

Actually no, the soundtrack is good. Bless Tiffany, The Cranberries, Britney and others for small favors. That’s it. There's nothing else to recommend this crapfest.

Madame Web is definitely not worth the gas, effort to go to the theater, or price of admission. Do yourself a favor and skip this one altogether or if you feel you must see it, wait until it hits streaming (shouldn't take long) because this is two hours of your life you won’t get back. 

Madame Web gets a 3 from me.