Welcome to Marwen

It's almost 2019. I have one more film to review before midnight. So let's go. 

Welcome to Marwen is the dramatization of artist Mark Hogancamp's life. It was previously told by Jeff Malmberg in his 2010 documentary, Marwencol. In 2000, Mark (Steve Carell) was beaten outside a bar by five guys who he met earlier. All because he told them he liked wearing women's shoes. Mark was left physically impaired and amnesiac. Mark finds therapy by creating a miniature WWII Belgian village called Marwen. He uses dolls to stage the adventures of one Captain Hogie and his all-female companions (representing different women in his life) as they battle the Nazis (representing his attackers). There's also a witch named Deja Thoris (Dianne Kruger) who wants Hogie for herself and will go after any woman in her way.

A few years later, where the film actually opens, Mark is suffering from PTSD. He's having second thoughts about attending the sentencing hearing of his attackers. A nice neighbor named Nicol (Leslie Mann) moves across the street. Mark incorporates her into her Marwen world. But things don't work out as easily in real life. How will he move forward?

Director Robert Zemeckis co-wrote the screenplay with Caroline Thompson. There's some great concepts with questionable executions. A few examples:

3. The real life "women of Marwen" mostly barely feature in the film. Certain ones, like hobby shop owner Roberta (Merritt Wever) and Carlala (Eiza Gonzalez), actually are present. A few others, including Mark's rehab therapist Julie (Janelle Monae), feature in one scene each. Even Wendy (Stefanie von Pfetten), the "wen" in "Marwen," barely factors in it. The actresses also play their doll counterparts for the fantasy sequences, so they're still around.

2. The film takes a while before it depicts Mark's attack. But it doesn't spend enough time depicting the immediate aftermath. How did he meet the real life women of Marwen? What happened between Wendy and Mark? How did he come up with Marwen? These questions are glanced over in a case of Tell, not Show. Which is not as satisfying as showing.

1. But most problematic is its tone. Mark's fantasy sequences are riveting and creative. We get mood whiplash when fantasy switches to the real world or bleeds into it. These transitions are more odd than scary. Mark panics when he sees a new Nazi figure named Kurt, the same name as Nicol's stalker ex. He imagines Kurt coming alive to taunt him. Why? He wasn't part of the attack. Kurt's subplot, by the way, isn't resolved. 

But I'll give the visual effects team credit. The transitions from reality to fantasy are executed flawlessly. Nothing is technically out of place when, for example, the ringleader of Mark's attackers morphs into his Marwen Nazi counterpart. Or when Captain Hogie driving his jeep shifts to real Mark pulling the toy jeep. The fantasy characters are convincingly realistic dolls. A few might get put off by the uncanny valley, but they didn't bother me. As I see it, the doll aesthetic actually softens the uncanny valleyness. It's easy to see why the Academy shortlisted this for the Visual Effects Oscar.

The cast is acceptable. Steve Carell is likable and sympathetic as Mark. His fears are understandable even if they're not fully explored. The women of Marwen are a good bunch in the real and fantasy worlds. Kruger's Deja Thoris is a delightfully over-the-top villainess. The attackers aren't given much character even as we see one of them moved by Mark's victim impact statement. Conrad Coates was also good as Mark's lawyer Mr. Johnson.

Welcome to Marwen is a flawed, yet fascinating story of a man coping with trauma. The uneven blend of reality and fantasy doesn't do the story favors. But the story has some effort in it. There's even a great pun or two in the dialogue. "Cow-lateral damage." See it if you want. It's not outstanding but it wasn't dull either.

The Favourite

It's Christmas Day, a time of peace and love. It's time for a film full of lies and deceit. That film is the historical dramedy The Favourite, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) and written by Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis.

England, 1708. Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) rules during the War of the Spanish Succession. She's in poor physical and emotional health. Her best friends are her 17 rabbits, one for each of her doomed pregnancies, and her adviser, Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz).

Along comes Sarah's cousin Abigail Hill (Emma Stone) looking for employment. She starts out as a low scullery maid. But she gains favor with the Queen and becomes her lady-in-waiting. This doesn't sit well with Sarah, who correctly sees Abigail as a threat to her place in Anne's court and heart. Sarah and Abigail use any means necessary to take the other out. Meanwhile, the pompous men try to assert themselves. It doesn't go exactly as planned for them.

The story is divided into seven chapters. Sarah and Abigail gradually reverse audience sympathies throughout the story. Abigail's plight is sympathetic and it's unfair how foppish Robert Harley (Nicholas Hoult) treats her. But she turns into a sociopath by the end. Meanwhile, Sarah starts off as cold and uncaring, but we learn her affections for Anne are genuine. Her getting spiked by Abigail and subsequently falling off - and getting dragged by - her horse is too much for her. One can ultimately pity her when she's exiled from England near the end.

The one truly all-sympathetic character is Queen Anne herself. Her mood swings are funny and sad. She's an emotional wreck who needs company. She's easily distracted by frivolities. But she'll remind you that she is The Queen if you push her. The film is about her asserting herself as a person. It's rewarding to see her deal with Abigail in the last scene.

The film's view of the 18th century is anything but glamorous. Its soundtrack is an mix of unsettling modern and classical pieces. Even the Fox Searchlight Logo's custom tune sets the audience ill at ease. Cinematographer Robbie Ryan's fisheye lenses add to the surreal atmosphere. Fiona Crombie and Sandy Powell's production and costume designs are both low-key and formidable. Even the men are creepy with their overdone makeup and wigs. The film's style is a dark and alluring world. It's appropriate for the dark comedy of manners.

The Favourite succeeds because of its three leads. They're captivating characters even if only one is truly good. The only real downside is the film's ungainly and almost unreadable font. But if you can get past that, you'll get an intriguing story of royal backstabbing. Its final scene is succinct and powerful. You'll understand the gravity once the film's 119 minutes are up.

Bumblebee

The Transformers are back on the big-screen this Holiday Season. Their latest adventure gives the spotlight to Autobot hero Bumblebee in Bumblebee. Long time director Michael Bay finally abdicates the director's chair in favor of Laika alumni Travis Knight.

The evil Decepticons and the heroic Autobots fight for control of their homeworld Cybertron. But the Decepticons overwhelm their enemies as the film opens. Autobot Leader Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) sends his scout, B-127, to establish a base on Earth. B-127 is warmly greeted with military fire and the Decepticon Blitzwing (David Sobolov), the latter of whom rips out his voice box. Broken and bruised, B-127 takes the form of a VW Beetle and drives off.

Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) finds B-127, or Bumblebee as she calls him, in her Uncle Hank's (Len Cariou) junkyard. She quickly befriends the Robot in Disguise and teaches him how to hide amongst humans. Her nerdy neighbor, Memo (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), is let on to the secret. Meanwhile, Deception agents Shatter (Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (Justin Theroux), join with the military to look for Bumblebee. They also plan to call the other Decepticons to Earth. Our heroes have to stop them before that happens.

This isn't like the last five films. It mercifully clocks in at an acceptable 113 minutes. There's no sign of crass humor or a needlessly complicated story. No. Instead, Christina Hodson's screenplay is a simple, endearing story of a girl and her car robot. Charlie's frustrations are understandable. Her relationship with Bumbleebee is great. It's sad when Bumblebee eventually drives off to join the Autobots. But not before he shifts to a Camero in a nice moment. Memo is likable and his friendship with Charlie is enjoyable to watch. Agent Burns (John Cena) is a reasonable antagonist who's just following orders. My only real nitpick is that Bumblebee doesn't spend too long with his natural voice (Dylan O'Brien) before it's gone. But him speaking through radio clips made up for it.

There's much to appreciate on the technical side. The new Transformer designs are sleek and colorful robots. A majority of them are perfect CGI recreations of their cartoon designs. I'm sure that'll make a lot of people happy. Their interaction with real elements is seamless as usual. Cybertron was an amazing accomplishment of production design. The action scenes are exciting and they don't wear out their welcome. The sound design was appealing, rather than deafening. Dario Marianelli's score fits the less-bombastic tone of the film. It works just as much as Steve Jablonsky's score did for the last few films.

Bumblebee is the best of the series since the first ... and it's better than that. Its characters are a memorable bunch. Its scaled-back action and upgraded story makes it more than a toy commercial. Overall, its new direction is just the spark the franchise needs. See it in this year or next. But see it on the big screen first.

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins practically pleased everyone but its original creator, PL Travers. So it was quite a surprise that an actual film sequel was greenlit in 2016. But it's here. In the appropriately titled Mary Poppins Returns, Emily Blunt takes up the role that won Julie Andrews an Oscar.

Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) had whimsical adventures with Mary Poppins as kids. But they have real-world problems as adults in 1936. Michael's wife is dead and he has three kids to raise. The Bank will repossess his house unless he gets the money in five days. A shares certificate left behind by the late Mr. Banks might save them. Meanwhile, youngest Banks kid Georgie Banks (Joel Dawson) goes kite-flying and pulls down Mary herself.

Mary takes the new Banks kids on whimsical adventures. A cockney lamplighter, Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), joins them. The kids' adventures brighten up their day. But Michael has no time for "stuff and nonsense" as mean Bank Chief Mr. Wilkins (Colin Firth) breathes down his neck. The kids might have what Michael needs.

That's pretty much it.

Director Rob Marshall and his crew match the aesthetics of the 1964 film. The London of 1936 hasn't aged much since 1911. Even old Admiral Boom's (David Warner) deck roof is familiar. Of course, there are some modern technologies involved. The animated world inside a ceramic bowl is still hand-drawn, but it isn't ink-and-paint. Mary and company's costumes for this sequence, designed by Sandy Powell, perfectly match the painted world. Marc Shaiman's score and the songs he wrote with Scott Wittman are as bouncy and emotional as the Sherman Brothers' famous music.

The screen story was conceived by Marshall, John DeLuca and the screenplay's author, David Magee. The film hits a lot of the same beats as the original film. A few of them, including a visit to Mary's upside down cousin Topsy (Meryl Streep), come from Travers's stories. The MacGuffin's location is supposed to be a surprise but it's so obvious. What makes it work? Its story of families sticking together during crisis is relevant. Its resolution was great even if it relied on a silly deus-ex-machina.

The cast is practically perfect. Emily Blunt's Mary Poppins is a practically perfect mix of dry wit, vanity and warmness. Lin Manuel-Miranda's Jack is a fun character. Whishaw is good as Michael Banks. His on-screen children are a good bunch. Streep as Cousin Topsy is entertaining for her exaggerated accent. Angela Lansburry has a noteworthy cameo as a Balloon lady near the end. Dick Van Dyke even appears as Mr. Dawes Jr, fifty-four years after he played Mr. Dawes Sr. (and Bert).

Speaking of alumni, look for a cameo by Karen Dotrice, the original Jane Banks, asking for directions.

Mary Poppins Returns is a fine sequel. It's overly-familiar but it's not too familiar. It's an optimistic story full of whimsy and humor. It makes the most of its 130 minute runtime. The finale is worthy of the big screen. So see it before Mary goes off with the wind.

Aquaman

Yes, it's Aquaman, the DC superhero who can talk to fish. Some think that's all he's good for. They'd be surprised if they knew. He was embodied by Jason Momoa in last year's Justice League. This year, Momoa returns as Aquaman in his own movie. It's a nice distraction from the Oscar Bait coming around now.

Arthur Curry is the son of lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temeura Morrison) and Queen Atlanna of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman). Atlanna goes back to the sea when Atlantean Troops come knocking. He's taught the ways of Atlantis by royal adviser Nuidis Vulko (Willem Dafoe). Vulko tells him Atlanna was fed to sea monsters for the crime of having a half-human son. Arthur grows up into a bitter, yet rowdy man who patrols the seas as Aquaman.

Meanwhile, Arthur's full-Atlantean half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) decides to start a war with the surface. Princess Mera (Amber Heard) doesn't want that. So she gets Arthur to come with her to Atlantis. The only way to stop Orm is to prove Arthur is the Once and Future King. There's a MacGuffin Trident that they need. The much-alive Queen Atlanna helps them. They'll have to hurry before Orm takes up the title of Ocean Master and unites Atlantis's tribes for war.

Got that? I think I do.

Its story sounds like King Arthur underwater. But it sure makes a better King Arthur movie than last year's catastrophe. A significant factor is Aquaman himself. Aquaman's bitter rowdiness is a step beyond stiff stock hero. His rowdiness is entertaining, while his bitterness is understandable considering the circumstances. His relationship with Mera is fun to watch. Its best story aspect is how it legitimizes his much-mocked superpower of talking to sea-life. He puts it to good use to scare away bullies, then to bond with the sea monster, the Karathen, who guards the Trident. There's some story issues, mainly too much story, but it's forgivable.

The rest of the cast is pretty good in their roles. Dafoe as Vulko is a good adviser, even if the film skips how he first met Arthur. Morrison and Kidman make a great pair as Tom and Atlanna. Atlanna's part in the resolution was a strong moment. Wilson as Orm is a memorable antagonist. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is even better as Orm's human collaborator, the Black Manta. There's a surprisingly abundant amount of big names in the supporting cast. But the most surprising cameo of all is the voice of the Karathen: Julie Andrews.

Director James Wan's crew is an awesome league. The underwater world is a visual spectacle. Soldiers ride monstrous sea-horses or Sharks with laser beams. A wide variety of sea creatures and fish-men populate the seas. Their world is illuminated in alluring blue. Their technology is delightfully futuristic. Costume Designer Kym Barrett's work dresses the Atlanteans in delightfully comic bookish attire. The costumes' appeal is increased by cinematographer Don Burgess's lighting. Rupert Gregson-Williams's score fits the spectacle pretty well.

Aquaman is saved from the Dune syndrome by its earnestness. There's a bright tone beneath its story pileup. A seemingly impending brawl with biker toughs takes a delightful turn. The final conflict between Aquaman and Orm is resolved peacefully. Its execution isn't perfect but it makes an effort. Its 143 minutes make for a good matinee. Its underwater world is worth the price of admission.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Hey there, True-Believers! Deadpool here, and I want to talk to you about my latest movie. Or, is it my latest old movie?! Fox, soon to be a subsidiary of Disney, is re-releasing my summer blockbuster, Deadpool 2, for the holidays. But it's no ordinary re-release. All the R-Rated goodness is cut out for PG-13 hijinks and a frame story where I make Fred Savage relive The Princess Bride (RIP William Goldman). This is Once upon a Deadpool and...

It's not the film I'm reviewing, 'pool.

WHAT?!

No. Instead, I am looking at Sony's latest plan to keep the Spider-Man franchise going. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is Spidey's first big-screen animated adventure. And he's not the only one. There are multiple Spider-Themed heroes here. The end result is surprisingly and most sincerely a spectacular sensation. Let's read more about it.

You're not reviewing my new, old movie?

Doubt it.

You won't miss much.

....

Anyway...

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is a Brooklyn kid, who, much like Peter Parker (Chris Pine) before him, gains superpowers after a weird spider bites him. Spidey, meanwhile, is out to stop mammoth Kingpin Wilson Fisk (Liev Schrieber) from destroying the city with his new supercollider. Spidey meets Miles and promises to train him in the ways of the Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Spidey is soon killed by Fisk.

Miles is traumatized by Spidey's death. He later meets a Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) from another dimension. The supercollider pulled him and four other Spideys into Miles' universe. They are tough girl Gwen Stacey/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), monochrome private eye Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Animesque Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and her robot SP//dr and Looney Tunish Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). The dimensional displacement threatens to glitch them out of existence. They try to help Miles control his new powers. They'll have to hurry as Fisk plans to start up the supercollider again.

Got all that? 

The film's artistic style is mostly flawless. The backgrounds, visual effects and cinematography are stunning. The characters move with a limited, yet smooth framerate. Peni and Spider-Ham are great CGI realizations of 2D cartoon characters. There are text boxes and word balloons like a comic book. Each frame is even composed of benday dots. When the film imitates the effect of comic artists coloring outside the lines, it looks like a 3D film without glasses. The film's frantic imagery makes some story details fly by the audience. It's probably intentional.

The creative personnel counts Phil Lord and Chris Miller amongst its numbers. It beats up the fourth wall by jabbing at some choice moments in Spidey's history. But it knows when to take things seriously. Miles's doubts and frustrations are understandable. Other Spidey's broken life is simultaneously funny and sad. Their teacher/student dynamic is engrossing. Fisk's top lieutenant The Prowler is a legitimate threat. Fisk's scientist Olivia (Kathryn Hahn) is likable and dangerous. Fisk's motivation for the supercollider mess is a sympathetic one. These aspects help create a captivating showcase for Miles Morales and his ascension to Spider-Man.

What about the other characters? Gwen is an awesome Spider-Woman and her awesomeness makes one wish her mourn for her last screen counterpart. Peni and SP//dr are an endearing pair. Spider-Ham is awesomely funny and Spider-Man Noir is there. Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez are great as Miles's parents, Jefferson and Rio. Mahershala Ali is also a standout as Miles's Uncle Aaron. And there's Lily Tomlin as an awesomely assertive version of Aunt May.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is a great introduction to a multiverse of Spider-Men. Miles Morales is as compelling as Peter Parker. The other Spider-Men are so amazing you'll wish for more. 117 minutes doesn't seem like enough. Sony can have at least part of the franchise if it keeps up this film's creative energy. It deserves to be seen on the big-screen. Whatever size and (maybe) whatever price.

The End Credits memorialize Spidey's recently departed co-creators, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. Lee has his usual cameo during the movie. It's a solemnly funny moment. The end credit scene gives us one last Spider-Man and a hilarious parody of the 1967 cartoon. See it for yourselves.

Roma

My family has Netflix. But I haven't chilled. A lot of movies on Netflix also had adjacent theatrical runs. Some have earned Oscar nominations. But I still didn't chill. What made me chill?

Roma.

Roma is Alfonso Cuaron's long-awaited follow-up to his Oscar-winning smash Gravity. Cuaron directed, wrote, co-produced, cinematographed and co-edited with Adam Gough. Sounds like everything, but it's not. It's still impressive.

Anyway...

It's 1970-71. The titular Roma is the Colonia Roma neighborhood in Mexico City. Here, we find Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housekeeper for Mrs. Sofia (Marina de Tavira) and her husband, Antonio (Fernando Grediaga). Cleo mainly tends to the family's four kids. They regard her as one of the family. Meanwhile, Antonio leaves for a "business trip" in Quebec.

Cleo's life is upended when she becomes pregnant. Her boyfriend, Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), wants nothing to do with her. Things take a turn for the worst after Cleo witnesses the Corpus Christi Massacre. Her spirit is broken, but she's still devoted to her charges.

All of this is told in 135 minutes. But it keeps our attention. It helps that Cuaron's black-and-white cinematography employs as much long takes as his regular DP, Emmanuel Lubezki. Its landscape shots are spectacular. Single shots often end up as single scenes. They say a lot without cutting a lot. The best scene is where Cleo defies her lack of swimming to save two of the kids from drowning. That was a strong scene.

Cleo is a captivating main character. It's easy to not notice that she doesn't say much. Her face says much, though. She gets on the audience's side with her dedication and devotion to her charges. It's crushing to see her fall into depression. It's amazing to see her overcome it by saving the kids. It's a strong debut performance for Aparicio, and here's hoping for a good career.

The rest of the cast is good, too. Marina de Tavira as Sofia is a strong supportive character. She sticks with Cleo during her pregnancy and after. She tries to make the best of her crumbling marriage. She's only at her worst when she's under stress. A great employer. Veronica Garcia is also great as Sofia's mother, Teresa. Guerrero as Fermin, meanwhile, seems like a good guy. But once he violently rejects Cleo, he's firmly in the unlikable spectrum with no hope of redemption. There's a good cameo by Victor Resendez Ruiz (aka the Luchador Latin Lover) as real-life personality Professor Zovek.

Roma is a fascinating drama. It's a story of a woman dealing with a changing world. It's a story of a family sticking together in tough times. Its seemingly minimalist plot hits you emotionally by the end. It's easy to see why critics have gone over the moon for it. See it if you have Netflix or are lucky to live near one of the scant theaters playing it. It's worth viewing even once. Be careful it can get too emotional at times.

Mirai

...Or the fun of finally seeing another anime film on the big screen.

One can always count on the Oscar for Best Animated Feature to include at least two films inaccessible to wider audiences. As in, "not playing at a theater near you." At least one or both of these films is distributed by the company GKIDS. Fortunately, this year, at least one normally inaccessible film went wider via Fathom Events. That film is Mirai, which is now a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominee. And here's hoping the Academy will take notice.

Four-year-old Kun's (Jaden Waldman) world is disrupted when his baby sister, Mirai (meaning future), comes home. His parents (Rebecca Hall and John Cho) are overwhelmed by the stress that comes with her. Kun can't stand losing all the attention. It's a typical household. Is it?

Strange things happen to Kun in his house's garden. He first meets his dog, Yukko, as a human (Crispin Freeman). He then meets Mirai as a teenager (Victoria Grace). He also meets his mother at his age. There's even his great-grandfather as a young man (Daniel Dae-Kim) shortly after World War II. These fantastical visits slowly teach Kun to appreciate his family more. There's a bleak future for Kun if he keeps up the brattiness.

Writer and Director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) tells a slow and steady story. It's never boring. Parents and kids can identify with the stress of a new sibling/baby. In one scene, Kun mischievously plays with Mirai's face, then smacks her with a toy train when mommy drives him off. The pile-up of emotions which follows is darkly funny (daddy falling apart and Yukko howling sell it). Kun's episodic fantastical encounters gradually improve him. His fantastical adventures have plenty of endearing moments. Future Mirai was only really in three scenes. She could've used a few more.

The animation is a great mix of hand-drawn animation and CGI. The characters' exaggerated facial expressions are priceless. They move with personality. Their real and fantastical environments are colorful. The CGI is noticeable but it serves the surreal climax well. How surreal? It sees Kun wander a nightmarish train station, save baby Mirai from a ghoulish train, and go with future Mirai on a magical family history tour. On the mundane side, Kun's house is an architectural marvel designed by actual architect Makoto Tanijiri.

My screening of Mirai was the last of Fathom Events' special screenings. A few other cities have it playing regularly. See it if you can find it. It's an unforgettable family fantasy. It's a visual sensation. It's an emotional experience even if you don't have kids. It's a lot of things.

Fathom's screening ended with an interview with Hosoda, discussing his inspirations for Mirai and the declining state of 2D animated films. His family experiences inspiring Mirai is endearing. The film's a great case for keeping 2D animation alive. It's also a great case for releasing international animated films wider and wider.

Boy Erased

My college sociology class once showed us But I'm a Cheerleader, a satire of Gay-Conversion programs. It was bright and silly, but its points were serious. I'm thinking about it now as I review a less funny criticism of Gay-Conversion programs, Boy Erased.

Joel Edgerton adapted his second directorial effort from the memoirs of Garrard Conley. Conley is represented here by Jared Eamons, played by Lucas Hedges. Jared is the son of Baptist minister Marshall (Russell Crowe) and hairdresser Nancy. He's a star basketball player in high school and his girlfriend's a cheerleader. He appears normal to the world. But he feels something amiss.

After his best friend at college, Henry (Joe Alwyn), sexually assaults him, Jared comes out of the closet to his parents. They are less than thrilled with the news. They quickly sign up Jared for Love in Action, a Gay-Conversion program. The uptight director Victor Sykes (Edgerton) swears his flock to secrecy about the curriculum. At best, it's a minor assignment like tracing one's family tree "for the source of sin." At worst, it's a mock funeral where the "deceased" is beaten with bibles. Neither sounds fun.

Jared tries to survive the program. Otherwise, he'll have to live on campus for much longer. Nancy sees the curriculum and realizes she's made a mistake. It all comes to a head after Sykes goes too far.

Its strongest technical standouts include production designer Chad Keith and cinematographer Eduard Grau. The Love in Action campus is appropriately dour and oppressive. It's not a welcoming environment as Jared and the others learn. The aforementioned mock funeral feels more like an exorcism against a defenseless ghost instead of Pazuzu. Editor Jay Rabinowitz's best moment is the frantic scene where Jared quits the program. 

The leads are pretty good. Hedges as Jared is believable as a conflicted, self-loathing youth who eventually stands for himself. His on-screen parents, Crowe and Kidman, are misguided people. They love their son and honestly believe they're doing what's best. Nancy learns to assert herself when she realizes that's not true. Marshall is stubborn but his and Jared's eventual reconciliation was good. Sykes is brutal but even he thinks he's being helpful. His lead councilor is a less-likable man named Brandon (Flea).

Jared's fellow students are a decent bunch. A few get more spotlight than others. These include Cameron (Briton Seer), the victim of the aforementioned mock funeral, the haphephobic Jon (Xavier Dolan), and Gary (Troye Sivan, who has two songs on the soundtrack). You'll feel for them even if you don't get to know them that much.

Boy Erased makes for an uneasy 114 minutes. The program's extreme beliefs (and a glaringly obvious typo in a booklet) provide a few uneasy laughs. Its actions are another story. It's a perfect analysis of that old saying where hell is paved with good intentions. It was satisfying to see Jared and Nancy asserting themselves. That's what makes the resolution a relief. It's uneasy but it was necessary.

Green Book

Over the years, The Farrelly Brothers gave the world such films as Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary. They're the sort of films the Academy freely ignores. This year, Peter Farrelly goes solo for an Oscar-calibur Dramedy, Green Book. You don't need to be the Academy to enjoy this true life story.

In 1962, Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), aka Tony Lip, is a bouncer at the Copacabana. He needs a job after the club closes for renovations. He's recommended to pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) for a long-term job. Shirley, an African American, is about to tour the Deep South. He needs someone tough enough to manage his affairs. The sophisticated Shirley (aka Doc) and blunt Tony don't get along at first. But Tony comes around and takes the job. He's given a Green Book, a Black traveler's guide listing Black-friendly establishments.

The rest of the movie deals with their tour. Tony and Doc's personalities still clash. But they still help each other out. Shirley helps Tony write more sophisticated letters to his wife, Dolores (Linda Cardellini). Tony ensures Doc is accommodated at each stop. Tony is wowed by Shirley's musical talents. While Tony isn't racially sensitive, he's disgusted by the institutionalized racism Doc faces. Eventually, he and Doc become friends for real.

Farrelly and Brian Hayes Currie collaborated on the script with Tony's son, Nick. Its travelogue of the 1960s makes for a slow and steady 130 minutes. Tony and Doc's bickering makes for several humorous exchanges. The letter writing bits are endearing. But the film knows when to get serious. It's not funny when Doc is threatened for travelling in a "sundown town." Eventually, their refusal to play at the last stop is an awesome act.

Mortensen and Ali get equal spotlight here. Mortensen as Tony is a funny, tough guy. He's not enlightened at first but he's still an upstanding guy. Ali as Doc, meanwhile, is smooth and sophisticated. But he's only trying to stay tough in the face of racism. It takes a long, emotional speech in the rain for them to work out their differences. Tony and Doc's eventual friendship is a believable destination. The end of their journey takes them to a heartwarming Christmas Eve dinner at Tony's place.

There's also some delightful music. Whether Kris Bower's original score or the standards Doc plays, the soundtrack is great. It fits right in with the meaningful story. It's not a desperate grab at Oscar-bait by any means. It believes what it's saying. That's what makes Green Book a great crowd-pleaser. See it as soon as you can. It's worth the trip.

Widows

Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) is a criminal mastermind. His crew, Carlos Perelli (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Florek Gunner (Jon Bernthal) and Jimmy Nunn (Coburn Goss) are lucky to be with him. Unfortunately, they're in a movie called Widows. They're all killed in a fiery shootout with Chicago PD before the title even comes up.

Harry's wife, Veronica (Viola Davis), tries to get by without him. Unfortunately, Harry's last job had him steal $2 million from Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree-Henry), a gangster turned candidate for Alderman. Jamal bills Veronica for the theft and gives her a month to pay up.

Veronica finds Harry's notebook, which has the plans for his next crime. It's worth $5 million. Veronica recruits two of the other widows of Harry's crew, Linda Perelli (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debicki), for the heist. The fourth widow, Amanda Nunn (Carrie Coon), is preoccupied with her baby. Her spot is filled by Belle (Cynthia Erivo), Linda's babysitter. The four women prepare for the heist. The target is the home of Jamal's political opponent, Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell). Things get complicated when Veronica learns more about Harry's last heist.

Director Steve McQueen and his co-writer, Gillian Flynn, adapted the ITV series scripted by Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect). The opening sequence goes back and forth between Harry and Co.'s home-lives and their final heist. We get so much in roughly five minutes. The rest of the film's 128 minutes perfectly balances the widows' individual storylines as they prepare for the heist. We perfectly understand their desperation as they turn to crime. The climactic heist and its aftermath will not disappoint.

The ensemble is a great crew. Davis as Veronica tries to remain stoic in the face of tragedy. It isn't easy, though. Debicki gets a major share of the story as she romances a real-estate broker (Lukas Haas) to get info on their target. Rodriguez as Linda is unsure of the plan's success, but she proves herself strong-willed and quick witted. Erivo as Belle only joins later on but she's a formidable presence. Coon as Amanda is barely in the film but is more essential than we think.

Neither of the alderman candidates, Mulligan or Manning, are likable guys. Neither are Mulligan's grumpy, racist father Tom (Robert Duvall) or Jamal's brutal brother and enforcer Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya). The true mastermind of the heist is equally sympathetic and pathetic. The actors play their unlikability with finesse.

McQueen's usual editor and cinematographer, Joe Walker and Sean Bobbitt, head up a great technical crew. Walker gets points for his balance of action and drama. The flashbacks tell a lot without saying a lot. Bobbitt gets points for his spectacular long takes. One of these takes has Mulligan ride in his car and argue with an aide for a few minutes. Hans Zimmer's score is perhaps his most subdued in years. It doesn't show up until about 40 minutes or so. It's still a memorable soundtrack.

Widows isn't as flashy as the Oceans Eleven movies. But it's still a formidable heist movie. We're invested with its four protagonists as they stand up to their personal problems. Its ending is satisfying but not clean-cut. You'll think hard about the societal injustices fought here. You'll definitely remember that shocking swerve twist. Widows will fill your need for a subdued action film this holiday season. It's that good.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Six years ago, Wreck-It Ralph left his mark on the big screen. Now, Ralph and his video game companions return for more box office quarters in Ralph Breaks the Internet. It was worth the sequel gap.

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) enjoy life as arcade characters and best pals. But Vanellope's bored of doing the same thing for the last six years. Ralph's attempt to spice up Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush, gets it broken and unplugged. The game's characters are now homeless because of a broken steering wheel. They have hope, though. Their arcade just got wi-fi. A replacement steering wheel is up on Ebay. Ralph and Vanellope set out for the World Wide Web to save the day.

They win the auction but have no way to pay. So they try some stuff. They try a Death Metal racing game, Slaughter Race, and meet its star racer, Shank (Gal Gadot). Ralph tries his hand at becoming a viral video star. That helps them get the money. But Vanellope decides that Slaughter Race is the game for her. Ralph doesn't want his best pal to go away. Unfortunately, his attempts to get her back involve a computer virus. A World Wide Wipeout is imminent.

There's plenty of logistical questions in the story. How would a fictional character get real world money? But it's just a movie, so let's relax. There's a good story by directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston and their co-writers. Its greatest strength is its seemingly simple conflict. There's a looming deadline before Sugar Rush is taken away, but what else? There's no Big Bad except for Ralph's insecurities. They wreck Ralph and Vanellope's relationship as much as the internet. Ralph getting over them firewalls the virus.

The returning characters are a great bunch. Ralph and Vanellope are a likable pair of best friends. Their conflict is understandable; they're like two friends with one moving away. It was nice to see them make a long distance friendship work in the end. Shank is an awesome new character and her motley crew is a cool wild bunch. Even Disney's Princesses come in the story when Vanellope finds a Disney site. Their best moment is when they all pitch in to save Ralph from falling to his doom.

The visual spectacle is as great now as it was then. Sugar Rush looks as tasty as ever. The sprawling Internet world is pleasing to behold. Even the dark and grim Slaughter Race is appealing. The user avatars remind me of Nintendo Miis, which is fun to see. On the audio side, there's a great score by Henry Jackman to set the scenes. Alan Menken even contributes a Disney song parody for Vanellope. It's pretty funny to see the Slaughter Race cast participate in the song.

Ralph Breaks the Internet goes nicely for 112 minutes. It's somewhat too long, but seeing Ralph and Vanellope in their new surroundings was fun. It helps that the Internet Jokes, while bountiful, fail to drown the story. It's as good as the first film was. Stay during the credits to see a few more gags. Keep your eye out during the movie for the one and only Stan Lee in avatar form.

Nuff said.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

To answer the film's question, yeah, we can forgive you.

Depends on what we're forgiving you for.

(Sees the movie.)

Let's work out the forgiveness part.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? Directed by Marielle Heller, it's based on the memoirs of Lee Israel, played here by Melissa McCarthy. Lee Israel wrote a few biographies, but they never caught on. At the start of the film, Lee's alcoholism and abrasiveness gets her fired from her desk job. Her agent, Marjorie (Jane Curtin), is at the end of her rope with her. She'll certainly get evicted. And her kitty, Jersey, is sick.

Lee procures a letter from Fanny Brice and sells it to a collector. This is after she forges another paragraph on it. She then forges a few more letters from literary giants like Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Dorothy Parker and sells them. Her partner-in-crime is Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant), a flamboyant grifter. The scheme makes them comfortably rich. At least, until a few gaffes brings the scheme down.

Lee's abrasiveness doesn't win her any fans. But McCarthy's performance shows Lee for the sad, lonely lady she is. She's socially awkward rather than simply uptight. Her fondness for Jersey helps her case. Her vet bills are what inspire her to do this drastic action. By the end, even when she expresses no remorse for fraud, we're pleased that she's happy in life.

As Hock, Richard E. Grant is a delightful smooth talker. He's a great extrovert to Lee's introvert. His dialogue is more often than not hilarious. He's likable even if he's a bit careless. He retains his audience sympathy even after one tragic mistake near the end. There's good makeup work depicting his physical appearance, especially his late stage AIDS at the end.

The screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty is a great asset. It goes into great detail of how Lee and Jack pulled off their scheme.  You'll feel bad for the poor dealers who get duped. It's so intricate you'll wonder how it falls apart. When it does, you'll feel the pressure as the Feds come in. You'd only be lost if you don't know who much of the impersonated ones are.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a captivating biopic of a literary fraud. It's a strong story about flawed people. It's about a woman who comes out of her shell. It's a deeply-layered tale that'll leave you pondering its title question. Honestly, some people have done worse than her, so I might forgive her.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them started a magical five-film series. It progresses now with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. And I'm wondering if five films are necessary. Four would do just nicely.

The Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from magical prison transport. Like Voldemort after him, Grindelwald sets out to dominate the Muggles. He hopes to enlist the troubled Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) to his cause. Meanwhile, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is travel-banned after the mayhem in the last film. Dumbledore (Jude Law) helps Newt get to Paris to find Credence.

There's quite a bit of subplots thrown in. Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), Newt's future sister-in-law, has a secret key to Credence's past. So does Yusuf Karma (William Nadylam). Credence surely wants to know who he is, too. There's also Nagini (Claudia Kim), Voldemort's future familiar, here a woman cursed to one day become a permanent snake. Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and his girlfriend, Queenie (Alison Sudol), have issues to sort out. 

David Yates once again visualizes a script from JK Rowling herself. Like the first film, this entry has a bunch of details crammed into a tight 135 minutes. Credence's true identity is revealed after a convoluted assortment of exposition. The final reveal is a bit confusing, but still surprising. Nagini is underutilized compared to her future importance. Once again, it's a relief that there's no pop quiz after the movie.

The cast does great with what they have. Redmayne as Newt is still a likable nerd. Even though Redmayne is older than Callum Turner, who plays his brother Theseus, you'll believe he is the younger one. Law as Dumbledore makes for a great wise and crafty wizard. Kim as Nagini is sympathetic, which makes her tragic in hindsight. Kravitz as Leta is compelling as well. Leta's revelation is shocking, but she doesn't lose her audience sympathy. Depp as Grendelwald is charismatic and his goals are understandable. Still, world domination doesn't seem the best way to do them. 

Among the supporting cast, Fiona Glascott completely nails her brief cameo as a young Professor McGonagall.

The technical wizards once again conjure up great cinematic magic. The travelling circus where Nagini is introduced was a delight in CGI and production design. The giant cat-like ZouWu is a cool creature design. The other creatures and spells were dazzling, as usual. The costumes designed by Colleen Atwood are as unique as the sets. The cinematography by Philipe Rousselot continues the first film's dark and fanciful mood pretty well. The moods are accentuated perfectly by James Newton Howard's score.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald  is an OK prequel. Its heavy exposition is more perplexing than shocking. But it has a few good moments that save it from disaster. One can only wonder how they'll fill three more films of the Potter Prequelness. I'll wonder how they'll fill the remaining eighteen on-screen years before Grindelwald is finally defeated. Let's hope the next film gives us some good answers.

The Girl in the Spider's Web

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was advertised as "the feel bad movie of Christmas." Maybe that's why it didn't set the world on fire in 2011. Only now has Columbia Pictures brought Stieg Larsson's antisocial computer genius Lisbeth Salander from hibernation. Their latest cinematic adventure skips past Dragon Tattoo's two immediate followups - The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - in favor of David Lagercrantz's continuation, The Girl in the Spider's Web.

Salander (Claire Foy) roams Stockholm as an avenger of battered women. She takes up computer jobs too and Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant) has a job for her. He created Firefall, a program which accesses all the world's nuclear codes. He wants her to steal it to keep it out of the wrong hands. She hacks into the NSA to get it. Agent Needham (LaKeith Stanfield) spots the hack and tracks down Salander. Some shady goons find her first, take the program and blow up her warehouse apartment.

Salander survives the attack. She gets her hacker friend Plague (Cameron Britton) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnasson) to help her. The goons find Balder and Salander is forced to go on the run with his son, August (Christopher Convery).

Salander's long lost twin sister Camilla (Sylvia Hoeks) is the criminal mastermind behind the plot. She and her gang, The Spiders, plot to use Firefall for evil. They need August's savant talents to help them unlock Firefall. Lisbeth has to confront her past to save the present.

Director Fede Alvarez's (Don't Breathe) aesthetic matches nicely with the first film. Pedro Luque's cinematography is dark and alluring; the vast snow is a spectacular sight. Editor Tatiana S. Riegel makes the action nice and concise. Roque Banos's eerie score works wonders for the nightmarish opening credits. It's a great investment for $43 million.

The screenplay by Alvarez, Jay Basu and Steven Knight is a mixed bag. Lisbeth's payback on a wife-beating businessman was perfectly executed. Lisbeth and Blomkvist's reunion was a nice moment. But a few details seem to allude to the last two novels which the film skipped over. Characters seem to know about Alexander Zalachenko (Mikael Persbrandt), Lisbeth's abusive father, when they didn't in the last film. Lisbeth considers Camilla a sociopath before she finds out she's a criminal mastermind?! The double and triple crossing amongst the bad guys was pretty convoluted. It felt longer than its 117 minutes, which is a half-hour shorter than Dragon Tattoo.

Foy makes for a memorable Lisbeth. She's a brutal character, though considerably softer than last time. She's clearly traumatized by her past but moves on. That's a heroine. Her supporting cast is a nice bunch. Hoeks as Camilla is a compelling villain. Gudnasson's Blomkvist was a likable guy. Stanfield as Needham was cool too. While Persbrandt as Zalachenko only appeared in the prologue, we didn't need much to tell what kind of man he is.

The Girl in the Spider's Web is a fine reintroduction to Lisbeth Salander. It might've helped had they adapted the previous two novels. It would've helped transition between Dragon Tattoo Lisbeth and this one. Its convoluted plot is confounding, but its action doesn't disappoint. There's enough good here for a quiet fall matinee. Don't worry. It's not the feel bad movie of the holiday season.

The Grinch

Yes, it's The Grinch, that Dr. Seuss fiend
who stole Christmas 'til his scruples intervened.
Played once by Karloff and then by Jim Carrey,
Benedict Cumberbatch is him in film number three.

The Grinch would rather avoid the Whos on Christmas
But the Whos' holiday this year is ambitious.
It's three times bigger than ever. It's almost here.
If only the Grinch can make the pain disappear.

But that's what he'll do with his dog, Max.
Dress up as Santa and take all their knick-knacks,
And their presents and fun and decorations galore
Christmas won't bother him anymore!

But one Cindy-Lou Who, who's older than two,
Wants none for herself but mom Donna Lou.
But her plan to catch Santa and let him know
Will make The Grinch's little heart grow.

This Seussical expansion gives The Grinch a sympathetic backstory and new characters to interact with. The most memorable are the cheery Who Mr. Bricklebaum (Kenan Thompson), the mayor of Whoville (Angelea Lansburry), and Fred the Reindeer. Cindy Lou Who's new subplot has some funny and nice bits. Pharrel Williams was great as the Narrator; his dialogue fits right in with the story. It breezes by for a nice 90 minutes.

And the Grinch himself? Cumberbatch delightfully hams it up as Whoville's resident grump. His maniacal scheming is entertaining. His desperate and lonely side is believable. When his Grand Theft Christmas fails, he is emotionally confused rather than supervillain confused. And his acceptance into Who society was great.

The character and scenic designs are appealing CGI realizations of Seuss. Details like the Christmas decorations and the Grinch's gadgets are diverse and colorful. Danny Elfman's score fits right in with the silliness and sadness. It makes wonderful use of the cartoon version's Welcome Christmas.

The Grinch is a fun take on the oft-told story. It doesn't hit low like the 2000 film. But its pace wasn't that tight. Was it just me or were the Grinch's backstory flashbacks too sparse? Then again, its story of redeeming the grumpy and bitter is as great now as it was back then. It's a good matinee for the holiday season. It's not exactly Christmas now, but it's sure to get you in the mood.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

The Nutcracker is perhaps the most famous ballet in the world. So, of course, it's been adapted into a few movies before. The last film version, The Nutcracker in 3D, crashed and burned in 2010. Let's see if Disney can do any better with its version, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Clara Stahlbaum's mind was at unease. Eek! Is that a mouse?!
Her mother was dead, like many a movie mom was ...
She left her family all gifts for this day before Christmas.
Clara got a mechanical egg. What does it do?
It's locked. She needs the key to see through.

Her godfather Drosselmeyer has a Christmas Party.
He leaves Clara the key, which is under a tree.
It's down a weird hall and how's this for ya?
She finds the key in the tree on the set of Narnia?

No. It's the Land of Snowflakes, one of four realms.
They each have a regent right at the helm.
The Lands of Sweets and Flowers are two more
And the last realm is trouble galore.
The Land of Amusements is at its nadir
It's ruled by bad mice and one Mother Ginger.

Clara's mother ruled the four realms once before.
So now Clara has their peace to restore.
The Nutcracker Hoffmann joins her mission
But the real enemy is someone beyond suspicion.

The film started with Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog, The Cider House Rules) as sole director before it added Joe Johnston. The screenplay by newcomer Ashleigh Powell gets points for its original twists. The actual villain was amusing to find out. Its main plot is otherwise cliche. The lack of dancing might disappoint some, but the original story (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by ETA Hoffmann) wasn't so dance heavy either. There's a problem, though, when the title character is very much a supporting character.

The cast, including Mackenzie Foy (Clara), Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer) and Helen Mirren (Mother Ginger), are well-suited for their character types. The biggest surprise is Keira Knightley as the squeaky-voiced Sugar Plum Fairy. She's all cutesy and nice, a bit too much, but she's got a strong mean side. Jayden Fowora-Knight does his best as Hoffmann the Nutcracker. There's also a pair of "comic relief" Toy Soldiers who are just forgettable.

Tchaikovsky's iconic score was adapted by James Newton Howard. Quite a bit is recognizable while other tracks are eerily distorted. Listen closely for some new music. The visuals accompanying the score are a mixed bunch. The colorful production and costume designs (by Guy Hendrix-Dyas and Jenny Beavan, respectively) is appealing. The makeup design is a bit too much, especially with Sugar Plum. The visual effects have some noticeable CGI, though it works for the villain's Tin Soldiers. Mother Ginger's Matryoshka Clown is a suitably creepy creation. The best work goes with The Mouse King, imagined here as a conglomerate of Mice.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a fine take on a ballet. I've seen the ballet multiple times already and I appreciate the few divergences from the many times told tale. Most of them, anyway. Its story is acceptable even if it's in familiar movie terms. It's 99 minutes of matinee goodness. You'd probably be better off here than with the 2010 film.

Bohemian Rhapsody

INT. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - DAY

JETHRO walks the halls. He reaches the Dinosaur Exhibit and finds FOUR PIRATES making off with bones. They have a fight and Jethro's overwhelmed.

JETHRO:
To gain a brief advantage you've contrived,
But your proud triumph will not be long lived.

PIRATES
Don't give us a sad face, for we know the game.

JETHRO
On my allegiance I make a stronger claim.
I command you yield, I command you yield

... in Freddie Mercury's name!

The Pirates drop what they're doing.

JETHRO
You yield?

PIRATES
We yield at once, with humbled mien,
Because, with all our faults, we love our Queen.

Before we waste any more time wasted because of this Pirates of Penzance parody, let's discuss Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of four men who took the name Queen.

In 1970, Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek) meets the band Smile just a minute after their frontman quit. Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) are impressed with Farrokh's vocal abilities and hire him. Farrokh becomes Freddie Mercury and Smile becomes Queen. They become a sensation with their six-minute opus of the film's title.

But it's not easy for Freddie. He finds himself falling for men and women. Among them are his manager Paul Prenter (Allen Leach) and girlfriend Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). He hopes to make his traditional Parsi parents proud. The Band struggles with creative differences. A record executive wants to sign Freddie to a solo career. And there's the looming threat of AIDS.

While Bryan Singer is credited as director, Dexter Fletcher took over after Singer left the film under certain circumstances. The screen story they realized was by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan. Freddie's introduction to the band and their success following the title song goes by pretty quickly. Almost too quickly. The story overshadows the other members of Queen, especially with John Deacon (Joseph Mazello). They are important but Freddie is the overall frontman of the story. On a positive side, them creating their songs led to highly energetic scenes. Their fight with executive Ray Foster (Mike Myers) over the title song's length was entertaining.

The film's greatest strength is Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. His story follows the familiar musical biopic route but Malek's performance brings him front and center. He's a likable, sympathetic man off-stage and a dynamic showman on-stage. And we see him live up to his stage persona in real life. His reaction to his diagnosis - to keep on playing - is courageous. Great sound mixing allows the real Freddie's recordings to dub over Malek's voice.

Editor/Composer John Ottman and Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel get high marks for the concert scenes. The shear magnitude of concert goers, especially in the climactic performance at Live Aid, is mind-blowing. I'm sure a lot of the crowd were CGI extras and if they were, it was great CGI. The film's soundtrack is a great setlist of Queen's music. Though it's a pity that the film skims over their involvement with Flash Gordon. That song was awesome.

Anyway, Bohemian Rhapsody is a finely paced music biopic. It's not an accurate depiction of Queen's history but it's a good introduction to the band. And, to reiterate, it's a great showcase for Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. It's sure to rock you for 135 minutes. Even for a bit.

First Man

After two musical tales, Damien Chazelle goes to the moon and back for First Man. The screenplay by Josh Singer visualizes James R. Hansen's biography of Neil Armstrong. It's an epic that deserves the big screen. It's a drama that needs an audience. I should know, for I was the audience in my screening. The only man for First Man.

Anyway...

In 1961, Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) is a test pilot for NASA. He loses his daughter, Karen, to cancer, and throws himself into his work. He joins the Gemini program in Houston. There, he undertakes a few missions to help win the Space Race. Eventually, the Gemini program gives way to the Apollo program. His friends, Ed White (Jason Clarke) and Elliot See (Patrick Fugit), perish in separate accidents. Naturally, this gives his wife, Janet (Claire Foy), reason to worry. Armstrong is eventually recruited for Apollo 11. And of course, he makes that first step for man...

We know that the Apollo 11 mission worked. The film's 138 minutes keep us invested in Armstrong's journey. We get to know him perfectly as dedicated and reserved. His mind's on the mission instead of the glory. He's affected by the tragedies in his life. A good motivator, as he says, "to fail down here so we don't fail up there." He's not exactly interpersonal but he's a good family man. We're in awe as he is when he takes that first step.

The film's sound design has the right stuff. You hear all the intricate creaking sounds as the astronauts wait to blast off. You're blasted with fearsome roars when missions go wrong. And when it's appropriate, nothing. While some movies make space travel eerie, this movie makes the anticipation of going to space terrifying. Justin Hurwitz's score perfectly emphasizes the wonder and danger of space.

And let's talk about the visuals. The visual effects department, editor Tom Cross, production designer Nathan Crawley and cinematographer Linus Sandgren deserve equal praise..Moments like Neil's troubled X-15 flight and the Gemini 8 mission keep us on edge when they go awry. The model work for the space craft is extraordinary. The highlight, of course, is the moon itself. The view is spectacular and you can't tell it was filmed in a quarry in Atlanta.

First Man is a great biopic of an American icon. Neil Armstrong might've thought it was another day in the office. But the ending emphasizes the importance of his mission to history perfectly well. In the end, we get to know the man behind the story as much as the story. The journey was worth it. Give it a chance.

The Sisters Brothers

It's a name that I've seen for years in my local used bookstore. But I didn't think much of it. There's much to think about Patrick deWitt's The Sisters Brothers as it goes from page to screen. It's not like most westerns you've seen.

Eli (John C. Reilly) and Charlie (Joaquin Phoenix) Sisters are Brothers. More precisely, they're master assassins in The Old West. They take orders from an enigmatic Commodore. This time, the Commodore orders them after Hermann Kermit Warm (Riz Ahmed). Warm invented a formula which lights up all the gold in riverbeds. Naturally, the Brothers' job is to get Warm, the Formula and Warm, again.

But Eli feels dissatisfied with the hired gun life. And he's worried about Charlie's obnoxious drunkenness and violence. The Gold Formula might give them a way out. Another hired gun, Mr. Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal), was supposed to lead the Sisters to their targets. But he decides to join Warm on his prospecting. The Sisters soon follow. They're soon targeted by more hired guns. It's complicated.

Director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet) and his co-writer, Thomas Bidegain, start things with a dark opening sequence. Cinematographer Benoit Debie shows the Sisters at work in a pitch black plain. The only light is their gun flashes. And then a barn fire with panicking horses. What an introduction. Later scenes, including an eerie nightmare, emphasize the dark in dark comedy. You might ask what's so funny about it all.

The film works best as an introspective character study. Reilly and Phoenix are believable as brothers. They're both bummed out with the world, but they have their own coping methods. Eli's "think of the future" clashes with Charlie's "think of now." Meanwhile, Ahmed's Warm is an idealist whose worldview makes Morris reconsider his life choices. The backstories we gradually learn makes their worldviews understandable. They're likable enough that the audience is on their side. The price of the formula is tragic.

The film editing (by Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss and Juliette Welfing) keeps the movie going good for two hours. There's some pacing issues when Morris first appears, but they got better down the line. The best of the technicals, other than the cinematography, were the makeup designs and Milena Canonero's costumes. The makeup, in particular, gives us the disturbing side effects of Warm's formula.

Don't let the odd title dissuade you. The Sisters Brothers is odd but interesting. It's like Unforgiven done by the Coen Brothers. The characters and their world are memorable. Their story is unforgettable. The moral issues are gripping. It's not playing anywhere close to everywhere now. So see it if you're theater is lucky. You'll have much to think about if you do.

Venom

Venom debuted in 1988 and he instantly became an iconic member of Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery. His portrayal in Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace was perhaps the most criticized part of the film. But it's OK. Venom has his own movie now. Which sees him without Spider-Man. That's the least of its problems.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is an investigative reporter engaged to lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle Williams). Anne's lawfirm represents the shady Life Foundation. One day, Eddie interviews Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), the CEO of the Life Foundation. Eddie confronts Drake over the Foundation's dealings, which he skimmed from Anne's files, and Eddie and Anne both lose their jobs.

Six months later...

Eddie is an ex-reporter with no fiancee. Scientist Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate) lets Eddie know that the Life Foundation is up to no good. They have three alien "symbiotes" that need to fuse with an organic host. Eddie sneaks into the Foundation's headquarters and becomes host to a symbiote, Venom.

Venom (also Hardy) and Eddie bicker over who gets the latter's body. This sometimes involves Eddie morphing into a fanged monster, also called Venom. Anyway, they mutually take on evil people like the Life Foundation's goons. And a fourth symbiote, Riot, who takes on Drake as its host. Eddie and Venom have to stop Drake from bringing more symbiotes to Earth.

Director Ruben Fleischer works from a script by Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel. It does a good job keeping Venom independent of Spider-Man. It's a good premise that needs better pacing. It takes about 45 minutes before Eddie first suits up as Venom. Still, those 45 minutes weren't boring. But then we jump from plot point to plot point for the remaining 67 minutes. The resolution came out of nowhere and the denouement felt like it could've been set earlier.

But I still had fun with it. Hardy as Eddie/Venom makes the film worthwhile. It was good to see Eddie learn from his mistakes by the end. It's even better when Venom comes in. Eddie acting under Venom's influence is hilarious, though I'm convinced some of it's unintentional. Eddie bickering with Venom was definitely intentionally hilarious. It's creepily endearing to see the symbiote support Eddie and Anne's relationship.

The visual effects for Venom and Riot make the most of $100 million. Their monster forms are wonderfully realistic CGI creatures and their transformation effects are outstanding. The sound designers deserve praise for distorting Hardy and Ahmed's voices as their symbiote selves. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique's has some great nighttime views of San Francisco. And sometimes, its other filming location of Atlanta. 

Venom is a flawed, yet goofy superhero adventure. There's some bright spots that make its disjointed narrative enjoyable. The brightest spot of all is Tom Hardy's delightful overacting. Here's hoping Sony has a better grip on the concept next time around. Its prerequisite mid-credit scene introduces us Cletus Kassidy (A Surprise Cameo), better known as Venom's chief symbiote enemy, Carnage.

A Star is Born

... again.

One of the most remade Oscar Bait movies is born again. A Star is Born rose in 1937, 1954 and 1976. Now, it rises again with Bradley Cooper directing and starring with Lady Gaga. Let's say this story hasn't shown its age yet.

Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a boozing, pill-popping rock star. Ally (Lady Gaga) is an aspiring singer-songwriter who works a dead-end waitress job. They meet when he stops at a bar where she's performing. They are instantly attracted to each other. He recognizes her talent and helps her pursue a professional music career. He gets her to perform with him at a concert. And thus, A Star is Born.

But it's not happy ever after. Ally finds the star life overwhelming. Meanwhile, Jackson's addictions cause trouble for them. Ally still loves him despite his flaws. Jackson's flaws are killing his career. This won't end well.

Cooper co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth and Will Fetters. The remake's template is similar to the originals. Moments like Jackson's drunken disruption of the Grammys are present and accounted for. But it was never routine. Its story told a fascinating tale of two people and their struggles with fame. There were times I actually thought the film's traditional tragic ending wouldn't happen. But it did.

Amongst the supporting cast, Sam Elliott and Andrew Dice Clay standout as Sam's much, much older brother Bobby and Ally's father, Lorenzo, respectively.

Its leads make the film work. Their chemistry is believable and their romance is endearing. Their struggles are compelling. Cooper's Jackson Maine is likable and pitiable. His drunken disruption of the Grammys is funny until he passes out. That and his drunken argument with Ally are a tragic result of his alcoholism. His efforts to change are believable. His final outcome is inevitable and sad. Gaga as Ally is believable as a rising star. Her nervousness and fears earn the audience's sympathy.  Her rise to fame makes for great viewing.

Gaga and numerous collaborators created the film's memorable soundtrack. Ally's breakout song, Shallow and the finale, I'll Never Love Again, are the standouts of the playlist. The sound mixing makes each song loud and clear. The musical sequences are rousing scenes thanks to cinematographer Matthew Libatique and editor Jay Cassidy.

A Star is Born shines alongside its past incarnations. Its tragic love story is as compelling as it was in 1937. Its melodrama works because of its great leads. Its 135 minutes go by pretty quickly. You'll eagerly await Bradley Cooper's next directorial effort after it's done. It deserves to be seen on the big screen. It's that good of a musical drama remake.

The Wife

Today was supposed to have seen the announcement of this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. That's not happening due to ugly circumstances. The award plays a part in director Bjorn Runge's first English-language film, The Wife.

Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is the wife of Joe (Jonathan Pryce), an acclaimed author and now, Nobel Laureate. They immediately fly to Stockholm for the ceremonies. Their son, David (Max Irons), and aspiring biographer Nathaniel Boone (Christian Slater), tag along.

Meanwhile, we see Joan and Joe begin their relationship. He (Harry Lloyd) was her (Annie Starke, Close's daughter) literary professor. He left his first wife for her. Joan was a literary genius and he was ... a quack. She pretty much ghostwrote his acclaimed literature. Naturally, this marriage isn't easy. It all reaches a breaking point in Stockholm.

Meg Wolitzer's 2004 novel was visualized in Jane Anderson's screenplay. It's a comprehensible character study. It doesn't shift time periods rapidly. It also takes a while before it first shifts to the past. But you'll get the picture of Joan and Joe's tense marriage. It would've been nice to hear samples of the Castlemans' acclaimed literature. But that's me.

Close as Joan is the obvious highlight of the film. We first see her and Joe enjoying their life. She tries to stay strong in Joe's shadow. But we feel her resentment build in every argument with Joe. In fact, they argue a lot and usually make up rather quickly. She has the right to be angry, though. You'll know so when the film reveals her struggles. Her emotions are perfectly accentuated by Jocelyn Pook's melancholic score.

Don't take your spouse for granted. That's one takeaway from The Wife. It's a fascinating study of a long-lived marriage and its free-falls. There's a lot of conflicting emotions involved. But I hardly think it's a comedy as some have described it. But it's good for a quiet movie experience.

Smallfoot

Yeti Tracks, an unpublished book by Sergio Pablos, creator of the Despicable Me movies, is the basis for the mythbusting Smallfoot. It's a decent early fall kids movie. It's not perfect but it'll get you by for a matinee.

Migo the Yeti lives with his fellow Yetis in their mountain village. Everything they need to know is written in stones held by the Stonekeeper. Migo lives and obeys the stones. His dad, Dorgle, is the human cannonball who rings the gong which wakes the sun each day. As far as he knows. But anyway, Migo is ready to follow in his dad's footsteps. He overshoots his first test ring and he meets a human - the mythical "Smallfoot" according to the stones.

Nobody believes Migo. The Stonekeeper even throws him out of the village. Meechee, the Stonekeeper's daughter, and her friends, believe Migo. They help him go below the clouds. Down there, Migo finds a washed-up TV personality named Percy Petterson. They get over their misunderstandings and become pals. Migo and friends bring back their Smallfoot. But while the village enjoys Percy, The Stonekeeper decides to tell Migo the awful truth.

Director Karey Kirkpatrick and his brother Wayne wrote the film's musical numbers. It's a great playlist which my showing hampered with poorly-balanced sound. The music was often louder than the lyrics; that wasn't fun. Despite that, Meechee's song Wonderful Life and her father's song Let it Lie were fun. Heitor Pereira's delightful score stands tall among the musical numbers.

The technical achievements are Yeti-good. The character designs are appealing and unique. The Yeti's mountain village was an artistic winter wonderland. The sound designers' best trick was its depiction of the Yeti/Human sound barrier. The high-pitched mumbles of "human speech" are never not amusing.

What about the story? A lot of the gags, like Migo's protracted descent to Earth, were in trailers for months. But the film had surprises, like an encounter with an angry bear which takes an unexpected twist. Migo and Percy's bonding was nice. The sun-waking ceremony had some funny satire to it. There's some meaningful discussion about blind faith vs logic and the downside of fear. The climactic encounter between Yeti and Human societies resonates among the pratfalls.

Smallfoot's setup gets points for creativity. It bends fear and superstition like a pretzel with its perspective flip. It's a film aimed mainly for kids. But there's quite a bit to think about for the adults. Its 96 minutes are well spent.

The House with a Clock In Its Walls

John Bellairs' novel The House with a Clock In Its Walls has a high reputation in kids literature. That's what I'm told. I never grew up with the novel or its sequels. But I'll know it exists after its film version.

The film is directed by Eli Roth, best known for grizzly horror films such as Hostel and Cabin Fever, and who did this year's ill-received Death Wish remake. His first family friendly film stars Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro). Recently orphaned, he's sent to New Zebedee, Michigan in 1955, to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), Jonathan's neighbor, frequently visits them. One night, Lewis finds out that the house is alive and Jonathan is a Warlock. Lewis begs his uncle to take him on as his apprentice. He does.

The house was owned fellow Warlock Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan), who hid a clock somewhere in its walls before he died. Jonathan suspects it's ticking down to the end of the world. So he, Zimmerman and Lewis have to find it before it's doomsday. Their deadline gets shorter when Lewis accidentally raises Izard from the dead.

The cast is fine. Vaccaro's Lewis is an average kid hero, but he's still likable. Black and Blanchett are good verbal sparring partners and allies. Their zingers are funny, but it's easy to miss the "friendly subtext." MacLachlan's Izard was a capable undead villain. Izard's wife, Selena (Renee Elise Goldsberry) spends most of her time disguised as other characters; her time as herself is too brief. Perhaps the best acting came from Sunny Suljic's Tarby Corrigan, a rotten kid who "befriends" Lewis. Tarby's nice guy act was very convincing.

The technical stars of the film are production desinger Jon Hutman and the visual effects crew. The titular house is spooky and alluring. Its sentient chair and topiary Griffin were great comic relief. Smaller details like the menagerie of clocks adds to the house's appeal. The titular clock is a marvelous CGI creation. The film's use of magic, save for some rough spots, was also great.

But they're not the only ones who excel. Marlene Stewart's colorful costume designs are as appealing as the sets. Zimmerman's purple wardrobe is the highlight of her work. Roger Stoffer's cinematography sets the family horror mood well. The makeup team render some creepy villains in Izard and the demon Azazel. And finally, there's a delightfully spooky score by Nathan Barr.

The House with a Clock In Its Walls is a good preparation for Halloween. Perhaps too good; scenes like Azazel's scene make one question the PG rating. A few silly moments bring on the mood whiplash hard. Its story is somewhat familiar but you'll get invested in it. You won't get lost in this House if you don't know its literary pedigree. At least it doesn't set up a sequel it thinks it'll get.

The Predator

The Predator has come a long way since he fought Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. Shane Black, who played The Predator's first victim in that first film, occupies the director's chair in The Predator. He and co-writer Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad) create a fun action film that has no time to bleed. Even when it does.

Army Sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) has a problem. A Predator attacked him and his men one night. Quinn stole some of the Predator's gear and mailed it to his estranged family. But stuffy Agent Traeger (Sterling K. Brown) put him in an insane asylum to keep him quiet. He meets a bunch of "Loonies" who become his new pals. Meanwhile, the Predator is kept under surveillance in a lab.

Quinn's son Rory (Jacob Tremblay) finds the Predator's gear. He tinkers with it and accidentally alerts a second, much-larger Predator to his location. The "Ultimate Predator" wants the gear bad. Quinn and The Loonies drive by the lab just as the first Predator breaks free. Naturally, the first Predator wants his gear back bad. Quinn and The Loonies team up to save Rory before one or both Predators make a trophy of him.

The film runs by nicely, but not smoothly, at 107 minutes. A few action scenes, including the first Predator's escape from the lab, are strong set pieces. But the film jumps from scene to scene abruptly a few times. Traeger's first scene just ends a few minutes after he shows up. The first Predator's ship plummets at day then crashes at night. And a major plot point should've been done a lot sooner than the last scene. At least the story and its ideas are comprehensible.

The cast is good. Quinn is a fine action hero, but Rory is even better as a lead. Casey Brackett (Olivia Munn), a teacher who gets caught up in the mess, is a capable action heroine. The Loonies have un-PC banter but they're a likable and sympathetic bunch of rogues. Nebraska (Trevante Rhodes) and Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key) & Baxley (Thomas Jane) are the best of the wild bunch. Traeger is capable as a stubborn agent, but his demise was too sudden. Keyes (Jake Busey) was a great minor character who should've had more screentime. And the titular Predators were formidable presences here.

There's quite a bit to admire on the technical side. The scene jumping not withstanding, the editing was good. The creature effects were great. The first Predator's practical effects are as strong as they were in '87. You can hardly tell the Ultimate Predator is a CGI creature. The Ultimate Predator's Predator Dogs are more obvious, but they're still cool. Their technology was impressive. Henry Jackman's score is memorable and Alan Silvestri's themes from the first film are welcome. The sound design was perfect.

Much of The Predator's problems were due to studio interference. But they're easy to overlook thanks to its strong first half and fun cast. That escape scene left an impression as strong as a Predator's laser blast. I'm now interested in seeing an unedited version on home video.

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians debuted a few weeks ago, but I've only now seen it this week. The film version of Kevin Kwan's novel deserves whatever praise it gets. It's a funny and endearing romantic comedy. It's a great way to start the fall.

Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is an economics professor at NYU. Her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), is the heir to Singapore's largest real-estate empire. Rachel is unaware how "crazy rich" Nick is. He invites her to fly to Singapore with him for his best friend, Colin's wedding. Rachel gets to meet Nick's family, including his mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), who sees her beneath her. The cultural differences between Rachel and the Youngs are vast. She'll have to assert herself to stand a chance.

Director Jon M Chu and screenwriters Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli make the film's two hours worth it. Its story elements are familiar but you'll be invested in their outcome. It's especially so with Rachel and Nick's temporary break-up and ultimate reconciliation. They're endearing leads and their struggles are understandable. You'll be pleased when they assert themselves. Mahjong plays a part in the resolution, though you might get lost if you're not familiar with it.

The supporting cast makes it better. Yeoh's Eleanor is a strong antagonist; she's harsh, yet warm matriarch, and her motives are understandable.  Her handling of some racist hotel clerks is a masterstroke. Lisa Lu is a good presence as Nick's stern grandmother, Shang Su Yi. The standouts are Awkwafina as Rachel's best friend Peik Lin, Ken Leong as her father, Wye Mun and Nico Santos as Nick's Cousin Oliver. They're great comic relief and moral support for Rachel. Gemma Chan is also great as Nick's cousin Astrid, who's essentially the tritagonist of the story. So many names, so little space for the SAG Ensemble nomination it deserves.

Its technical merits are crazy rich for $30 million. The production design gives us many extravagant mansions, a serene beachside resort and the elaborate wedding. You wouldn't know, unless you were told, that its London and New York scenes were filmed in Malaysia. The cinematography by Vanja Cernjul gives us an appealing look at Singapore. Brian Tyler's score is good, while the soundtrack is a great collection of Chinese and English songs.

I don't go to many romantic comedies. So Crazy Rich Asians is one of the best I've seen. Its themes are universal and its ensemble cast is wonderful. It's a feel-good movie that needed to be made. See it as soon as possible. It's that good. It has me curious how they'll handle the inevitable sequel, China Rich Girlfriend, considering how this film's source ended. It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

Alpha

The long-delayed Alpha finally gets its day. Anyone who wants to imagine how humans domesticated dogs will get an answer. It also raises another question; why delay it?

It's the Paleothic Era. Keda (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) is the son of his tribe's chief, Tau (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhanness). Keda gets to go on his first Steppe Bison hunt. He and his tribe drive a herd off a cliff. But one of the Bison takes it with him. Tau has to leave him for dead. Keda escapes death and heads home with a broken foot.

Keda is attacked by a pack of wolves. He injures one (Chuck) and the others scram. He nurses the wolf back to health. "Alpha" becomes his best friend, though Keda doesn't realize it. Keda needs Alpha to help him get back to his people.

Albert Hughes, best known for co-directing Menace II Society and The Book of Eli with his brother Allen, makes his solo directorial debut. His screen story was rendered in screenplay form by Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt. The story relies on visuals rather than dialogue. What little dialogue is here is subtitled from a fictional language. But the actors, human and canine, say a lot by expressions alone. It's only 96 minutes, so it's not stretched out too thin.

The technical star here is cinematographer Martin Gschlacht. The desolate landscape also says a lot with its visuals alone. The ancient world is both beautiful and scary in its emptiness. It's especially so in winter, where some of the darkest moments happen. We understand the stakes as Keda and Alpha deal with the cold. The night scenes are also impressive. The only real visual flaw is that it's sometimes obvious when CGI is used.

The best scenes are those with Alpha. Alpha makes for a good canine companion. It's funny and nice when Alpha starts acting like a modern dog. When Alpha runs off for a short bit, we feel the absence. We feel it when Alpha is injured and near death. Of course, Alpha recovers when a plot twist hits at the end.

Alpha has much to admire. The action scenes are highly improbable, yet well done. The story makes one think of their own animal companions. It's a wonder why Sony chose to delay it (hopefully, it was just a crowded market). It's a pity the film is currently underperforming. See it before it gets the boot.

BlacKkKlansman

President Woodrow Wilson allegedly described the extremely controversial blockbuster The Birth of a Nation as "like writing history with lightning." That quote easily describes Spike Lee's latest joint, BlacKkKlansman, his take on Ron Stallworth's memoir. And you'll be struck when its 135 minutes are up.

In 1972, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) becomes the first African-American officer in the Colorado Springs Police Force. He wants to go undercover, but he's assigned to the records room. His condescending superior officer, Chief Bridges (Robert John Burke), sends him undercover to spy on a rally by pioneering Black Power activist Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins). It goes off without a hitch. He even meets and falls for student power activist Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier).

Stallworth sees an ad for the Ku Klux Klan. He gives them a call, posing as an extremely racist white man, and is understandably surprised when he's called back. Now he has to meet them in person. His white partner, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), puts on a reasonable impression of his voice and plays his stand-in. "Ron Stallworth" impresses the Klan with his over-the-top bigotry, while Ron Stallworth surveys the meetings. They even get the attention of David Duke (Topher Grace), the Grand Wizard himself. They'll have to stop the Klan from carrying out a terrorist attack on a civil rights rally.

The film opens as Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard (Alec Baldwin) fumbles through a "white superiority" speech. It's a way to take these racists down a peg. You'll laugh and cringe at the over-the-top bigotry the Klan and "Ron Stallworth" display. The film's Klansmen include the idiotic Ivanhoe (Paul Walter Hauser) and the psychotic Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Pääkkönen). A few lines are purposefully ironic given recent events. It even ends with footage of last year's Charlottesville rally and its aftermath. It's a dark reminder that racism hasn't really gone away.

Washington is as great a screen presence as his father, Denzel. Stallworth is a good man trying to change the system from within. He wins over the audience with his determination and quick wit. His romance with Patrice presents a compelling dilemma. They're great together and her discovery of the truth drives them apart. We're rightfully outraged as crooked cop Landers (Frederick Weller) antagonizes Ron and cheer when he's busted. His denunciation of Duke was another hilarious and awesome moment. And after all those highs, the abrupt end of his operation is a bummer.

Driver is also great as Flip Zimmerman and "Ron Stallworth." We buy his "Ron Stallworth" act even if he's not a 100% imitation of Stallworth. We're on edge as he nearly gets exposed as a cop or Jewish several times. We empathize as he learns to work out of his comfort zone and become friends with Stallworth. 

There's never a dull moment here. We're on edge as editor Barry Alexander Brown builds tension and laughs. One powerful moment sees "Ron Stallworth" inducted into the Klan, while Ron Stallworth listens to activist Jerome Turner (Harry Belafonte) tell an utterly horrifying story of vigilante justice. Felix's first attempt to expose Flip is tense, and we're relieved when Stallworth's quick wit saves the day. The climactic rush to stop the terror attack is a memorable movie moment.

BlacKkKlansman is one of the best films of the year. It's a tense, funny, powerful story of a man who took on the Klan and pretty much won. It sticks with us long after the movie ends. It's a movie I'm eager to see on home release. It deserves whatever praise comes its way.

Christopher Robin

Oh, Pooh. It's you.

A.A. Milne's bear of very little brain saw his creation depicted in last fall's Goodbye Christopher Robin. We now have the similarly titled Christopher Robin. It's sentimental and simple but it's a nice romp through the Hundred-Acre Wood.

The film opens as Christopher Robin bids his stuffed animal friends adieu. He's off to boarding school. He and Pooh promise not to forget each other. Years later, Christopher (Ewan McGregor) is worn out by his stuffy job at a luggage factory. His bosses force him to work one weekend to save the company from failure. He was supposed to go to Sussex with his wife, Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and their daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael), but they'll have to go alone.

Pooh Bear (Jim Cummings) finds Christopher pondering the situation. Pooh needs Christopher to find his missing friends. He also thinks a Heffalump is around. Christopher reluctantly agrees to help. He's not happy with this diversion at first. But he learns to have fun again as he saves the day.

Director Marc Forster works from a screenplay by Alex Ross Perry and Allison Schroeder. The opening credits bring us nicely to speed with Christopher Robin's life post-Pooh. That even includes a stint in World War II. You won't be surprised with his jaded outlook on life after that. The truth behind the Heffalump is a big nothing, but it's not out of character for Pooh and friends, so that's something. Any scene with Pooh and friends is the best one. You'll get the references to the first Disney shorts even if you haven't seen them in ages.

McGregor is good as Christopher Robin. He's convincing as a dour workaholic who learns to have fun again. As I said before, you'll understand his outlook after the credits. Atwell and Carmichael are strong in their supporting roles; the latter takes the lead in the action-filled climax. The voice cast is especially good in their parts. Cummings reprises his roles as Pooh and Tigger and does it awesomely. The best new casting is Brad Garrett as Eeyore, who fits in the role perfectly. If only the film had more of Rabbit (Peter Capaldi) and Owl (Toby Jones).

There's plenty of technical goodness in the Hundred Acre Wood. The visual effects are great for a $70 million movie. Pooh and company look like actual stuffed animals rather than obvious CGI. Their interactions with the human cast are believable. Cinematographer Matthias Koenigswieser sets the story to a sentimental mood. Geoff Zanelli and Jon Brion emphasize the mood with their score. And Disney legend Richard Sherman provides a few new catchy songs, including one he performs in a mid-credit scene.

Christopher Robin is sentimental and sweet and sometimes slow. Its story will resonate with adults right away but might take longer with kids. But it'll be worth it if and when it does. It's a story of finding your lost happiness in adulthood. I can relate to that. Its 2 hours are an easy summer breeze in a season of big blockbusters.

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Tom Cruise and his superspy alter-ego, Ethan Hunt, are still taking missions 22 years after Mission Impossible made its big screen debut. For the sixth mission, Fallout, the franchise's revolving director's chair sits stationary as Christopher McQuarrie returns from the last film, Rogue Nation.

This time, Hunt and his fellow spies Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames) are hunting the supervillain John Lark. Lark and the Apostles, remnants of the last film's The Syndicate, want some nuclear cores to make weapons with. Our heroes try and fail to stop them at first. But they can try again in Paris. That's where the arms dealer The White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) is to sell the cores to Lark. CIA director Sloane (Angela Bassett) sends the brutish August Walker (Henry Cavill) to make sure the mission works.

The mission mostly works. But the White Widow wants our heroes to extract The Syndicate's Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) in exchange for one core. They do. The Apostles have already made weapons with the other two. Our heroes have to find the weapons and disarm them. It gets complicated when Hunt is suspected of being Lark. Hunt has to find the real man and save his ex-wife, Julia, from the nuclear attack.

McQuarrie's screenplay gives plenty of insane stunts for Cruise to do. There's his HALO jump during a lighting storm. A lengthy car chase in Paris. And a helicopter chase for the climax. Of course, there are plenty of writing stunts McQuarrie pulls masterfully, like how Hunt tricks an Apostle scientist (Kristoffer Joner) into giving his secrets. A few plot details might flyby during the film's 144 minutes. It's especially so if you're not familiar with the entire film series. Those are minor compared to Sloane's decision to act like an obstructive bureaucrat at the worst possible time.

All the action and drama is paced nicely by editor Eddie Hamilton. The cinematography of Rob Hardy makes the movie worthy of the big screen. The HALO jump looks and sounds great. Hunt and Walker's tag-team against a Lark decoy is a memorably brutal fight. The climactic rush to stop the bombs is a thrilling set piece. It helps that Lorne Balfe's score emphasizes the action spectacularly.

I wouldn't know if Mission Impossible: Fallout is the best of the series or one of the best sequels ever. But it is one of the best films this summer. Its action scenes are sure to be icons in the genre. Its cast of characters (especially Pegg) make the long run time worthwhile. See it at any price in the largest screen available. 

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

DC's young superhero team, the Teen Titans, made a name for themselves with their animated series in 2003. Their 2013 revival, Teen Titans Go!, took the show's goofy side and ran with it, allegedly, in the wrong directions. Few thought one such direction was to the big screen. But that's where they went in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

The Teen Titans - Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire - are Jump City's resident childish superheroes. Nobody takes them seriously, not even DC's other superheroes. Film director Jade Wilson (Kristen Bell) is making movies of DC's superheroes; even Batman's Batmobile and Utility Belt have movies. Robin decides to increase the Titans' prestige by getting their own movie. But first, they must have an arch-enemy.

Slade (Will Arnett), a gruff, armored supervillain, enters the scene. He wants to use a crystal to take over the world. The Titans want to stop him. But Slade doesn't take them seriously. But the Titans' efforts get Jade to take them seriously. That Teen Titans movie might finally get made. But fame and fortune might split them up before the premiere. How will they get out of this one?

The film's goofy humor has its hits and misses. There's not many misses, though. A few bits of childish humor and loud goofiness went a bit longer than needed. But the hits are plenty. A darkly funny scene has the Titans prevent, then un-prevent numerous superhero origins, including Superman's (Nicolas Cage), Batman's (Jimmy Kimmel) and, though their names aren't mentioned, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Batman v Superman's most derided moment gets a welcome mocking. And even Stan Lee gets to cameo here. It's that kind of movie.

It does know when to get serious, though. You'll feel it when the Titans are mocked by the other heroes. The Titans' temporary break-up was sad even if you knew it was temporary. And their home movie was silly but it had a good pay-off at the end. It's not an Oscar-caliber screenplay but at least it admits it.

The production values are a bit bigger than the TV show. Its characters look the same but the backgrounds are more elaborate. It even changes animation styles for a few scenes, including a surprising parody of The Lion King's Circle of Life number. Jared Faber's score is pretty good, but its best moments incorporate the 2003 show's famous theme. There were a few musical numbers, some forgettable, with the best one featuring Michael Bolton and a funny closing gag.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a delightfully silly superhero parody for kids. It goes by pretty good at 88 minutes even if it drags a bit at places. It's both a louder, longer and smarter episode of the TV show. Doesn't that sound weird? It's at least worth a matinee.

The silliness starts with a new short for DC's girl-centric franchise, DC Super Hero Girls. It was fun even if it ended abruptly. Its mid-credit scene homages the 2003 show. It ends the credits on the Challengers of the Unknown, Jack Kirby's classic, yet relatively obscure super team, whose comical mistreatment made for a funny running gag.