Gladiator II

 

Twenty-four years ago, Ridley Scott brought his epic sword and sandal film, Gladiator, to the big screen.  After numerous attempts to write a sequel, writers David Scarpa, Peter Craig, and David Franzoni have delivered the newest installment, Gladiator II to the franchise. This week, the story of what happened in Rome following the sixteen years since the death of Maximus.  Scott once again takes the helm as director, and I headed to my local theater to check out the result.

Gladiator II is definitely a companion piece to the original. Yet, you can’t help but be reminded and compare every element to its original. Complete with returning characters, flashbacks in the form of original film scenes, continuing themes and setups.   Here they’ve taken the original and doubled down. Hard. To the point of having twin emperors. The comparisons quickly make it clear that while Gladiator II is solid, it’s by no means Gladiator.

Gladiator II while solid, just isn’t epic.

It’s engaging. It’s entertaining. It’s also generic. We’ve pretty much been there and seen that at this point. Combined with an overall lack of depth to this film’s characters and storyline, Gladiator II is rather bland. If the film were a meal, it needs more salt, oregano, or something. 

The battles are brutal, thrilling with plenty of carnage to spare, but somehow never come across as being high stakes because most of the characters are merely underdeveloped background characters, largely expendable, and unremarkable. With a two-hour twenty-eight-minute running time, you know nothing is going to happen to the main character until the end so there’s very little tension to create drama. 

They don’t establish the identity of the main character early enough in the movie and that also works against the overall story. I knew going in but was left feeling blase towards whether or not he lives or dies because it all felt so inconsequential the way the movie unfolds. Peter Mensah plays Jubartha and without giving away any spoilers the attitude of his character sums up the feeling I had toward the film as a whole.

While the sets, costuming, cinematography, direction, and score are homeruns, some of the CGI work is bad enough it distracts and takes you out of the story. 

Something that very well be a “me” issue this time around is the politics. While politics was at the heart of the first film, this time round it’s the primary focus. I wanted/expected it to be more of a backdrop to a film about a gladiator, but it was front and center and shoved down our throats at every turn.  

Gladiator II looks and feels expensive. It’s visually impactful and exciting. But struggles with the character development and storytelling aspect.  There are sparks of gravitas here and there, just not enough to truly satisfy. 

Maximus once posed the question, “Are you not entertained?” After much consideration, my answer is somewhat. 

Gladiator II gets a 6.5 from me.

#GladiatorII

Red One

After an absolutely horrendous week that left me feeling gutted and the holidays barreling down upon us, I needed a mind cleanser. So, I made the rare decision to hit my local theater over the weekend.  Opting to rip the holiday band-aid off early I checked out Red One’s early access release. Starring Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson, Red One is the newest film from Amazon, originally intended to be released on streaming,  

I went into this one with no expectations and while I wasn’t blown away, I did find the film enjoyable, nonetheless. 

The pacing is slow at the beginning, and I feel they really dragged out the who/what aspect of the plot much longer than necessary for my tastes, but the storyline is there and works. The dialogue and some of the acting is a bit on the “meh” side and is hard to get past and the two-hour three-minute runtime definitely felt longer. 

While watching Red One there’s quite a bit that’s cut and paste from various other films, but the packaging with Evans and Johnson makes for a fun watch. Added bonus of good, if underutilized casting with J.K. Simmons (wanted so much more of him), Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt, and Kristofer Hivju. 

The humor isn’t rib tickling but is solid. Some of the CGI work gets a bit messy here and there but is easy enough to ignore.

The biggest and brightest aspect of Red One for me is all the behind-the-scenes, technical aspects, and imagination of how Santa and the North Pole operations really work. The creativity and execution are joyous.

Speaking of joyous. The theater was packed with a good mix of young kids (even a baby) up through grandparents. All were engaged and no one seemed fussy or bored.  The elderly woman sitting next to me was laughing, clapping, and bouncing with joy. Seeing her reaction made me happy.

I personally wasn’t as enamored with Red One, but that may just be me being in a funk personally. It’s generic and derivative, but appealing. Not necessarily a need to see in the theater film, but a I don’t regret having done so film. Make sense? Ultimately, Red One has it flaws. But it also has enough pluses, so it isn’t a total waste of time.

Red One gets a 6.5 from me.

#RedOne

Venom: The Last Dance

 

Movie Review: Venom: The Last Dance

Another work week has drawn to a close and has ushered in another set of new film offerings. After a three year wait, this week I headed out to see Tom Hardy return in his final(?) appearance as Eddie Brock in Venom: The Last Dance.  

My standard comic book disclaimer applies, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I’ve enjoyed the last two films to varying degrees and went in just hoping this one wasn’t a total disaster.  On that account, Venom: The Last Dance pretty much delivers. It’s nothing mind-blowing or earth shattering by any means. It’s pretty much more of the same old same old with everyone involved not trying to reinvent the wheel.

The beginning of the film is a bit long in the tooth setting up everything and getting all the players in place, so it takes too long getting to the point and letting us know where the film is heading. However, at least there is a point and a direction that actually gets established. Yeah, I’m looking at you Joker: Folie a Poo. 

Anywho, once all the setup is done, the rest of the film is enjoyable.

Hardy is again fun to watch as he plays against himself. There are the expected Venom moments/tropes we expect to see. The humor is solid. The soundtrack brings joy. Fast-paced action sequences are nicely juxtaposed with the emotional, character moments. 

The Bromance between Eddie and Venom is the star attraction.

The biggest downside of VLD are characters and events that are never developed/explained or give much of a payoff.  I was really hoping for more on Spidey among other things. It’s also predictable and suffers from the same issues many films, especially comic book films have these days. Too much emphasis on setting up for the next phase of the Whatever-verse to the detriment of the current film. A shadowy villain who is nothing more than a generic plot point which weakens the threat factor.

Venom: The Last Dance is also a lot like life. It’s a loud, messy, random hot mess. The film is dumb, fun, emotional, and an entertaining ride for what it is, a popcorn movie that’s a fine way to spend a couple of hours outside of the house.  If you’ve watched and enjoyed the first two films, it’s worth catching a matinee and seeing on the big screen, otherwise, waiting for home viewing is just fine.  If you do head to the theater, there’s a mid-credit sequence and an end credit sequence to catch.  

I’m giving Venom: The Last Dance a 6.5 - 7.

Joker: Folie a Deux

No.

Just no.

Apologies, but this is one of the rare, “I can’t even rate this” movies.

When The Joker came out in 2019, while there were a number of aspects of the film that I liked and/or was intrigued by, overall, I didn’t like the film. So much so that until this week it was a “one and done” viewing for me. Despite that, with Joker: Folie a Deux hitting the theaters this weekend I felt almost obligated to see it nonetheless and begrudgingly went to the theater to check it out.

:Sigh:

Even with an open mind and a smidgeon of hope that J2 would make my venturing out in 105-degree heat worthwhile, it didn’t take me long to regret my decision.

Once again, I found myself feeling that Joker: Folie a Deux has some positives going for it, yet it falls flat. With a resounding thud.

Beautiful cinematography/visuals. Good music. A great cast. Loved seeing Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Brendan Gleeson (beautiful pipes on this man) joining the cast along with returning cast members. Lady Gaga sings her butt off as well, but otherwise seems like a pointless add-on through no fault of her own.

Which brings me to the issue with the entire film.

What’s the point?

Seriously.

Two hours and 18 minutes of my life. $2.34 out of pocket for my ticket (damn my opting for the XD upgrade on my freebie). And what I believe to have been a relatively short nap; the head bashing during a fantasy vignette woke me up (yes, I actually fell asleep, and I never sleep at the movies) later, and the first thing I said when the credits rolled was, “what the hell did I just watch? And why? What was the point of that bull$#@!”!?

Joker: Folie a Deux doesn’t really have a storyline. At least none that’s discernible let alone even mildly engaging. The entire film plays out as nothing more than a piss poor attempt at a money grab from people who really didn't want to do the movie and a long ass ad promoting the Warner Bros. property catalogue.

Or maybe like so much of the Joker films, it’s just me. Either way, I can’t recommend this one. I'll be doing a The Dark Knight palate cleanse this weekend for sure.

#JokerFolieADeux

Transformers One

 

Greetings once again.  It has been a minute. Hope you had a wonderful summer.

Now, with summer movie season behind us and the Fall films are hitting the big screen, I ventured out to see the latest Hasbro Entertainment offering in the animated film Transformers One. Back in the day, I never watched the old cartoons and only really got into the Transformers back in 2007 through the live action films.  While those films have had varying degrees of success for me, I nonetheless didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see Transformers One's untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, friends bonded as brothers now sworn enemies, splashed across the big screen.

I happily report this PG rated, 1 hour 44-minute film proved to be a major winner.

Transformers One delivers on all fronts.  

The animation is gorgeous, the storyline solid and engaging, great soundtrack, and perfect pacing. The voice cast is stellar, and they do an amazing job breathing life into these characters, filling the film with heart, humor, emotion, and dare I say? Yes, humanity.  The action sequences pack a punch and couldn’t be more thrilling. While the quieter character moments are perfectly balanced and not only ground the movie but really keep you invested.  

I was completely captivated throughout the entire film, emerged in the story, and riveted to the screen. Apologies to anyone I may have offended with any of my “oh sh*t”, “damn, “and “holy crap” outbursts that slipped out, but I was totally into this film, and I couldn’t help it. Actually, no. I don't apologize. It was warranted.

Transformers One looks and feels more like a live action than animated film. It’s intense and I’m all for it. I will say that the fight sequences are fast paced, action packed, and brutal so may not be for younger and or more sensitive kids, but I was certainly all about them.

There’s no doubt for me that Transformers One certainly is more than meets the eye in the best way possible. It’s wholesome and heartbreaking, funny and tragic, thrilling and dramatic.  Total badassery all the way.  

Do yourself a favor and roll out to see this one at the theater in all its glory. it's a breath of fresh air. When you do, be sure to stay ALL the way through the end credits as not to miss the second little sequence that’s sure to have you as excited for this franchise as I am. I definitely want to add this one to my collection.

Transformers One gets a 10 from me.

#transformersone

Deadpool and Wolverine

 

Standard non comic book reader disclaimer applies for the following. 

After what seems like an eternity, Deadpool and Wolverine has FINALLY hit theaters. 

To say that I’ve been looking forward to this one is a bit of an understatement.  For maximum viewing enjoyment I purposely avoided watching or reading anything about the film to avoid spoilers, to the point of even limiting my trailer watching to the original teaser and last trailer.  Even with that I did see headlines from real critics and review sites decrying the film as trash. Not gonna lie, that made me quite anxious, and I thought about bailing on the movie. Nervously, I went anyway and all I can say is...damn!

For me there were a couple of scenes were the pacing dragged and I’m certainly feeling some kind of way about the Cassandra Nova character (I do thank my niece for filling in some key point(s) with that character), but I do declare my overall feeling is YES! It has been too long since a highly anticipated movie delivered the goods like Deadpool and Wolverine.

Apologies for any incoherence as I continue, but I really don’t want to spoil any of the joy to be had seeing this film.

Despite Deadpool and Wolverine writer’s/actor’s strike, superhero fatigue, and whatever else people are complaining about has accomplished what has been lacking in so many films, especially the ‘big” ones of late.  A well-balanced, strong script chock-full of wit, humor, heart, action, three dimensional characters, character development and drama. An absolutely killer soundtrack.  Well placed, surprising cameos that actually elevate the film.  Off the charts meta quotient. Purely chef’s kiss jabs and commentary.  Irreverent sass. Original actors from over a 24 year plus period once again bringing their characters back to the screen as well as new characters we'd like to see. Killer costumes. Action and fight sequences that are worth the wait. Hugh Jackman donning the claws once again and not missing a beat. OMG. Squee! I can go on and on. Believe me I want to, but you’d be better off just seeing the film for yourself.

Does Deadpool and Wolverine pander? Yes. Yes, it does, and I couldn't be happier. It's done in the best, most enjoyable way possible.  D&W is the now rare event movie where the excitement and anticipation are there before, during, and is sustained throughout the film. I was in a packed theater and the “shared experience” vibe was perfect. The entire audience was engaged. We all laughed, ooh and ahh-ed, exclaimed, pointed, cheered, clapped and marveled.  

Deadpool and Wolverine definitely needs to be seen on the big screen. I do, however, warn those of you with kids. This being an R-rated film the theater I went to was stringently enforcing the must be accompanied by parent or guardian rule so keep that in mind. Also, yes, you do need to stay through the entire end credits.  

I really want to see this one again and will be adding it to my person film library when possible.

Deadpool and Wolverine slaps hard, like a Honda Odyssey. It’s a 10 from me.

#DeadpoolandWolverine

Despicable Me 4

 

It’s too friggin’ hot to think so, getting down to tacks of brass for this one.

I’m a fan of the franchise and absolutely love the Minions so I was very excited to see this one. Having braved the 111-degree temps to get to the theater to watch Despicable Me 4 I was left sweaty and with the overall feeling of, “meh.” 

DM4 has its moments: the gas station scene, the pit crew minions, the final prison scene for instance, but overall, the film is flat.  Definite “pockets” of interest over the hour thirty-five-minute runtime, but they’re inconsistent at best. All of this makes the pacing slow as you wait for the interesting tidbits you get here and there in between the dull parts. I’d say maybe it was a “me” thing, but even the kids in the audience weren’t engaged and showed signs of boredom and listlessness throughout the movie.

There’s are multiple plots and themes that are or at least would be interesting except they are underdeveloped, and I was left feeling cheated with each as a result. The lack of focus, story, and character development made for a bland viewing experience.

Once again, here’s another movie where the villain isn’t really worthy of being considered a villain. A weak and forgettable antagonist. New and old characters alike are pretty much glossed over, lacking motivation and interest. A fact that hits the Gru family hard. The premise isn’t leaned into enough to spark much interest into their plight, so you basically don’t care about them.  

The bulk of the entertainment generated watching Despicable Me 4 comes in the form of the minions. Even more so than in the other films. However, that’s not enough. The been there seen that and lack of inspiration keeps even the minions and their antics from be able to save this film completely.  

Once again Pharrell Williams delivers another soundtrack that will bring a smile to your face and have you singing along. Good animation although I do wonder who Sofía Vergara ticked off to have her character look that way. 

Yikes. Scary.

For my time and money Despicable Me 4 is the weakest film in the franchise to date. It’s not horrible, but it’s definitely lacking and a disappointment for me. The few sprinkles of characterization, humor, relatability, and creativity aren’t enough to save this film from being a so-so movie experience easily enjoyed in the comfort of your own home down the line. 

For me, Despicable Me 4 wasn’t worth the effort of actually going to the theater to see, especially not in this heat.

Despicable Me 4 gets a 5.5 from me.

#DespicableMe4