Haunted Mansion (2023)

 

Yes, I am a self-proclaimed Disney fan.  

I also admit for me no trip to Disneyland or Disney World is complete without out three things. 1) Going on the Pirates of the Carribean Ride; 2) Going through The Haunted Mansion; and 3) A hug from Mickey.

I was excited twenty years ago when Disney released The Haunted Mansion.  Based on the popular theme park attraction and starring Eddie Murphy the film was expected to be a major hit. As with many expectations in life, the reality fell short, and the movie was largely considered a flop. Such a disappointment on many levels. Now, Disney has once again looked to the popular attraction for inspiration and released the movie, Haunted Mansion. Being a fan of the ride, I wanted to see if this Justin Simien directed version delivered a more entertaining experience.

In the immortal words of Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, “Good news, everyone”! Haunted Mansion does indeed deliver an enchanting, fun filled, entertaining movie experience.  I was hoping for an improvement on the original but got more than I expected. 

Schweet!

The films’ casting choices are perfect. LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Chase Dillon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, and Owen Wilson fire on all cylinders and make for a great ensemble. Not for nothing, I especially enjoyed Owen Wilson essentially going through the movie as himself and stealing every scene he’s in.  His presence on screen is pure joy. 

Haunted Mansion works successfully this time around because writer Katie Dippold gave the script the Pirates of the Carribean treatment and let the ride inspire the story, not dictate it. Unlike the 2003 film where elements from the attraction are directly “lifted” and the movie feels created around them, Dippold went the opposite direction and delivers a solid, fully fleshed out script, independent of familiarity of the ride. If you’ve never experienced the ride, the film still engages and entertains.  If you have experienced the ride, you're in for an even bigger treat. All the details and Easter eggs are subtly and gloriously interwoven into the story seamlessly, enhancing the and elevating the movie. The result is more satisfying and feels much more organic.  The film taking place against the backdrop of New Orleans' rich culture and flavor also packs a nice punch tying it all together nicely.

Speaking of the story, it’s well crafted, humorous, and surprisingly deep.  The central themes of loss and grief, connections and relationships hit all the right notes without being overly morose. Haunted Mansion delivers the “feels”.  The overall tone is well balanced between the humor, the heart, and the spooky. The pacing is good, and I never felt a drag during the 2-hour 2-minute runtime. 

Haunted Mansion is a fun, entertaining ride for the family.  If you have more sensitive kids, I’d recommend adhering to the PG-13 rating, some of the scary elements may be a bit much.  There are some nice twice and turns adding to the layers of the film. Great effects, plenty of humor and charm, a definite crowd pleaser for me.  I want to see this film again and again, and have it earmarked to add to my personal movie collection.

I gotta give this new and improved Haunted Mansion its props.  It’s a 10 from me.

#hauntedmansion

Barbie

 

In all honesty, I don’t know why I went to see this film.

Yes, I grew up playing with and loving Barbie.  Until recently, I still had all my dolls, a suitcase full of all her shoes, clothes, and accessories, not to mention her toys: Sunsailer Catamaran, cruise ship, beach bus, and mobile home. I’m also still sad I never got her dream house, but there were only so many chores, allowances, birthdays, Christmases, and summers of jojoba picking to make money to placate my Barbie love. 

Regardless, from the first moment I saw the movie trailer, I wasn’t impressed.  It was more a hard eye roll, snort of derision, “seriously?” exclamation, knee jerk reaction from me.  Even with the building hype over months I have been less than enthusiastic about seeing this film, continuing even as I pre-purchased my ticket the first day they went on sale. It was with less anticipation and excitement than normal; I headed out into the 110°+ temperatures to see writer/director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

First, Barbie is definitely not for everyone.  

It’s not a kids film even though at first blush it looks like and has been marketed as one.  

Second, there will be plenty of detractors based on the “treatment” of the male characters/masculinity.

Third, the female empowerment message will no doubt turn lots of folks off.

With that all out of the way, much to my surprise and utter delight, I loved Barbie and am so happy I got out of my own way and went to see it.

Barbie is subversive, poignant, profound, heartfelt, deliriously humorous, unexpectedly deep, and thoroughly entertaining. From Helen Mirren’s opening prologue to Barbie’s last remarks the film is an hour fifty-four-minute ride that doesn’t disappoint.  

Fantastic casting in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the primary Barbie and Ken.  Watching them is a delight in and of itself, adding America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, and Will Ferrell kicks everything up a notch.  Actually, kudos to all the Barbies, Kens, and various discontinued/unpopular dolls.  Everyone leaned into this film, hard, and it pays off in spades.

The soundtrack is excellent.  The costumes and art design are incredible. Amazing dance numbers and wild action sequences. But it’s the set design and props that do the heavy lifting in creating the magic of Barbieland, grounding the film in the imagination and magic of all things Barbie.  There are so many details and subtle touches that brought me so much joy seeing.  

No, I do not apologize for my squeals of delight seeing so many Barbie items I owned recreated and on the big screen.  

Barbie capitalizes on smart writing, snappy dialogue, strong direction and cinematography. It also contains unflinching truth, making it a winner. America speech alone is well worth the price of admission. It's a resounding slap in the face (think Encanto) that I felt with every fiber of my being. Leaving me stunned by its impact.

I went in not expecting much and questioning why I was going.  I left happy and thankful for having gone.  I applaud everyone connected with bringing this movie about this particular icon to life.

Barbie, for better or worse, has endured for so long for a reason.  The fun and nostalgia of this film, I suspect this film will ensure that her legacy continues. 

Barbie gets a 10 from me.

#Barbie

Oppenheimer

 

This week film release featured two highly anticipated movies, collectively called 'Barbenheimer', on the same day.  Given the three-hour runtime of writer-director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and not wanting to spend at least 6 hours at the movie theater I opted to see Oppenheimer, first.

There’s not a lot to say about Oppenheimer, so this will be short and sweet.

This is a Christopher Nolan film through and through.  

Meaning you have a stellar all-star cast from top to bottom, acting their butts off as you exclaim, “damn, that’s so and so”! Yet. You’re still shocked when you watch the credits and see how many folks you missed. Gary Oldman?! Yep.  

The direction, visuals, and cinematography are stunning. Soundtrack sweeping. The characters well developed and engaging.  

Also, like a number of Nolan’s films, the epic nature comes with some pacing issues and gets a tad boring.  While not completely awful, there are definitely areas where the film feels a bit tedious. One gentleman sitting next to me did doze off a couple of times (he made a point of mentioning it to me after the movie) and I don’t think it was entirely due to the hot temperatures or his age.  

A couple of unexpected points.  First, while the film is called Oppenheimer and is billed as the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb, it’s almost a secondary feature consequence of the film.  The politics is the primary driving force.  Interesting overall, but the heavy focus was somewhat disappointing as I went in expecting/wanting to learn more about the person and the project.

Second, the audio. The audio editing is on par with Dunkirk and effective, but damn it’s unbelievably and at times uncomfortably loud. I’m talking, the lady sitting next to me who was deaf in one ear and wore a hearing aid in the other (she told me this as she asked me if I found the movie loud), took her hearing aid out and still put her finger in her ear to muffle the sound loud. According to second had reports from other viewers it wasn’t just the screening I attended.  So, consider yourself warned.

Oppenheimer gets a 8.5 from me.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I

Good day movie goers.  The highly anticipated film this week, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I, has hit the big screen.  For the seventh time in the last 27 years, Tom Cruise as   Ethan Hunt once again leads his IMF team around the globe in an effort to save the world.  

Re-teaming for the third time in a row with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise and company set out to deliver the biggest adrenaline rush of the film franchise to date.  And boy did they deliver.  From the opening underwater sequences to the final parachute landing, Dead Reckoning Part I, grabs you by the throat, pulls you in close, and never lets up. 

Clocking in at 2-hours 43-minutes, Dead Reckoning Part I, uses every cent of its 292-million-dollar budget to thrill, entertain, and enthrall the audience with gorgeous cinematography, spectacular never before seen practical stunts, a timely and relevant storyline, wonderful soundtrack, and amazing cast.  

In addition to Cruise, series favorites Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg (personal fave), and Rebecca Ferguson revise their respective rolls, each getting their moments to delight and shine.  Newbies to the franchise Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales slide in effortlessly and are more than up to the impossible mission challenge. Among the new popping up this time around are actors Cruise has previously worked with as recently as Top Gun Maverick adding to the fun.  It’s also pure joy seeing the likes of Vanessa Kirby, Cary Elwes, Pom Klementieff, and Henry Czerny.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I not only has all the thrills and actions expected, but there are also nice touches of humor and character moments.  It’s also a bit of a reset in terms of delving in how Hunt specifically and other IMF agents came to be and what makes them tick.  So yes, there’s plenty of action, but also more expansive, smart dialogue and character development, making it one of the most serious, less action-packed films in the franchise. The pacing, however, is good and the balance between all the moving parts is handled well so you never tire of or feel bogged down with the exposition and have time to catch your breath with the action.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I is a solid setup for the second half of the movie scheduled to be released June 28, 2024. I do feel that because the film is being cut in two, this first half overall feels flatter than previous films because of the need to hold off for resolution.  The stakes are high but don’t feel as if you’re ever at a true tipping point. And while the stunts/action are amazing there’s a bit of a letdown from all the behind-the-scenes videos and marketing leaving no surprises.  

If you decide to accept this mission, hurry to your local theater and see this epic on the biggest screen you can. 

This review will not self-destruct in 5 seconds.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I gets an 8.5 from me.

#missionimpossible

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 

Forty-one years ago (yes, 1981) Harrison Ford teamed up with the likes of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg in bringing the titular character of Indiana Jones to the big screen in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The world took notice, and a global icon was born.  I like so many was enthralled with the character and loved the film. Unfortunately, the resulting sequels have been very hit and miss in nature.

After the 1984 misstep of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, lightning in a bottle would be captured again eight years later in what was at the time billed as Indy’s last ride in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For my money the perfect Indy ending if ever there was one.  Sadly in 2008 Lucas and company resurrected the franchise with dismally disappointing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  This week Ford once again hits the big screen in the latest Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, this time under the direction of James Mangold (Logan, Ford v Ferrari) and written by siblings Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow, Ford v Ferrari). Given the past track record of the franchise, new director and new writing team, I approached Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny with hope of a strong finish, but no small amount of trepidation that the stank of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would not only not be vanquished but worsen.

Good news!  

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is definitely an improvement on The Crystal Skull.  By comparison, it’s a watchable, pleasant, and enjoyable.  Mads Mikkelsen delivers once again as our big bad. John Williams naturally hits it out of the part with his film score.  There's lots of action, familiar characters, plenty of nostalgia and callbacks. Woo hoo!  

Sounds like a winner. However, despite that being the case, I wasn’t anywhere as into this film as I wanted/hoped to be.

Bad news!

The 2-hour 34-minute runtime is excessive. There are a number of scenes, particularly chase scenes that are bloated and drag on much longer than needed and don’t add any extra bang for the buck and become tiresome.

A big part of this film is the nostalgia which I’m all for, but some of the “Indy tropes” have gotten long in the tooth and embarrassing at this stage.  Others are disappointing for being skimmed over or sidelined.  They were able to get John Rhys-Davies to return as fan favorite Sallah. Sweet! But why? He's underused and has more of an extended cameo than an actual part. 

Very disappointing.  

Speaking of underutilization, Ford as Indy. I get that he’s older, that life and circumstances have taken a toll on both Ford and his character, but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny makes him feel more like a sidekick in his own film rather than the main character.  Smacks of Black Widow in that regard.  In addition, there’s no real spark in either his character or his performance.  Ford looks the part, he goes through the motions, but there isn’t any joy in it.  He’s a shadow of his former self thematically so it should work, but watching the film feels like he’s begrudgingly taking part first and foremost to take the stank off the franchise left by Crystal Skull and secondly to usher in Phoebe Waller-Bridge as possibly the next iteration of Indiana Jones.

As for Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, I simply did not like her.  At all.  Her character did nothing to draw me in, endear herself, or make me care in any way, shape, or form.  Helena is just awful. Beyond being the plot device to pull Indy into this adventure there's no need for her.  I found her character to be awful and unappealing from start to finish.  If she does end up donning the fedora, I have no desire to follow her adventure.  I feel pretty much the same about Ethann Isidore’s Teddy. I could not care less about these characters. 

The humor couldn’t be more hit and miss if they wanted.  There are some solid laughs, a few chuckles and smirks, but more thuds and cringes than anything else. 

The story.  

Overall, I’m fine with it and it works for the most part. Right up to the climax which it is just plain silly and undermines everything.  Crystal Skull had aliens, and this has...really? 

I’m glad I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on the big screen.  It’s a decent to okay film, but definitely a one and done one for me.  I’ve watched it, it has redeemed the franchise from the Crystal Skull fiasco, but I have no interest in seeing it again.  In fact, I’m choosing to live in a world where the Indiana Jones franchise consists of three films.  Where the movies started out strong with Raiders of the Lost Ark and stuck the landing ending perfectly with The Last Crusade.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny gets a 6 from me.

#IndianaJones

Elemental

Pixar burst on the scene with their 1995 Oscar winning animated hit Toy Story and has been innovating and kicking butt ever since. With few critical and audience misses these films have established themselves as safe bets not to be missed. With this in mind I happily headed to my local theater to check out this summer’s offering, Elemental.  A film about the love story between two anthropomorphic elements (fire and water) against the backdrop of immigration.

Things start off with a new short prior to the film, Carl’s Date featuring Carl and Dug from Up. I definitely feel some kind of way about this short and none of it is particularly good.  Maybe I’m just old, but the whole thing felt cheap and disrespectful to the trauma dump of Up and Ed Asner.

As for the main attraction, things didn’t get much better. I'm keeping this one short and not so sweet because honestly, I feel no desire to spend much time thinking about this one.

As expected, the world building animation, rich and vibrant colors of Elemental are beautiful and a joy to behold. The animation and the musical score are by far the best things about this film.  As for the other elements of Elemental there’s not much to be desired.

The story is far from new and pretty standard rom-com opposites attract blah, blah, blah fare.  Ok, I can hang with that.  

The problem is in this rendition I simply didn’t care.  

The main characters of Ember and Wade are boring, uninspired, and lifeless.  There was nothing to like about either of them individually let alone together, making it hard to be invested in the story at all. I had serious The Good Dinosaur vibes (not a fave) watching this.  Both films being co-written and directed by Peter Sohn may be the common factor.  Perhaps stick to the acting for a while my man? 

As stated, except for the visuals Elemental and soundtrack is an hour forty-nine minutes of pure unadulterated, meh, and sadly, a completely forgettable film.  An example of a good idea that is never fully executed and done so poorly. 

Bland script, heavy handed messaging. Weak underdeveloped characters. Little to no Pixar/Disney magic to be found.  

End of the day, Elemental, it’s not fun. It’s not entertaining. It’s not worth a trip to the theater to see. 

Elemental gets a 4 from me.

#elemental

The Flash

 

One of this weeks’ highly anticipated and controversial films, The Flash, has hit theaters.  Two things.  First, my knowledge/familiarity of the title character is limited to what takes place in this film as well as Justice League (both versions) and Peacemaker. And 2) my reason for wanting to see this one can be boiled down to two words: Michael Keaton. With those things in mind, I have mixed feelings on this one.  Onto the good, the bad, and the ugly that is The Flash.

The good.  

The really good.  

No, make that the amazing and easily the biggest saving grace of The Flash is exactly what I wanted to see in the first place.  Michael Keaton.  Pardon my language but Keaton’s appearance is the absolute shit and his presence alone makes this movie worth watching. There have been numerous actors that have donned the cape and cowl as Batman, but for me Keaton is the one that made me love the character and, in The Flash, I fell in love all over again.  Every moment on screen as either Bruce Wayne or Batman took me to my happy place, made me smile, made me feel, and made me thankful to still be alive to bear witness to his performance.  Keaton brings gravitas, warmth, compassion, and elevates this film immensely.  So much so I feel bad for Ben Affleck returning as Batfleck.  He may have to stature and the overall “look”, but for my money he once again falls short on everything else. 

Ezra Miller.  

Whew.  

As far as their dual role performance did a good job overall.  My biggest issue came in the characterization of 18-year-old Barry.  Maybe it’s my lack of a deeper knowledge/understanding but it seems off to me.  Barry’s established as smart kid, over thinker if anything.  Flash/Elder Barry is also highly intelligent.  18-year-old Barry is to put it mildly something of an idiot in comparison and I often found annoying and off putting.

Sasha Calle as Supergirl is fine.  I’ve never really cared about this character, but I really don’t have an issue here.  She’s there.  She’s fine.  She gets to kick some ass and looks good doing so.  She’s not much more than a MacGuffin, so...whatever.

Speaking of MacGuffins, The Flash is rife with them.  

Michael Shannon’s General Zod, the multiversal worlds, and numerous cameos.  They all play towards fan service, but disappointingly so in how they fall short. For a 2-hour 24-minute movie there was an opportunity to really do something with these things beyond a quick “looksy” and move on.  Nice to see, but overall disappointing. 

The bad and the ugly.

The humor. 

While there are some good laughs, there are too many thuds to ignore.  One of which is so cringe I felt like I was watching a meme being made before my eyes.  I could see and hear David Caruso doing his best CSI: Miami starring at the camera, pulling off his shades, and delivering the line in place of Miller. Yep, it took me completely out of the film and seeing how early in the movie it occurs, not good.  Not good at all.

The CGI work has issues and combined with script issues is problematic at best and ridiculous at worse. In one instance I not only shook my head and was muttering “seriously?” over and again but made a mental not to see who wrote this film because it seems like the people behind Fire Country’s season finale had reared their heads. The tonal balance between trying to be light-hearted and fun and deep/meaningful is often choppy.

Again, maybe it’s me, but the biggest issue I have with The Flash is I’m left wondering, what’s the point?  The overall story doesn’t feel like it does much beyond throwing various elements together in the name of fan service.  Fine.  I love fan service as much as the next person, but honestly this didn't even feel like good fan service. It also never felt like there was anything resembling high stakes at risk throughout the film.  There’s quite a lot of sizzle, most of which washed over me, with little substance.  I didn’t hate The Flash, but I certainly didn’t love it the way I hoped either.  

In fact, the more I think about the film the more I’m disappointed. I left the theater feeling overall I should’ve gone to see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse again. With the exception of Michael Keaton that film has everything and did it better. 

The Flash gets a split vote from me.  

The overall film is a 5.

Michael Keaton gets a 10.

Oh yeah.  There is one post credit scene, you have to sit through the entire credit roll to see.

#theflash