Booksmart

So I was looking for a movie this past Memorial Day. I thought the choice was between Brightburn and John Wick: Chapter 3. But I was curious and picked a third option, Booksmart. This marks the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde and the realization of a screenplay by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman. Was it worth it? Read on to find out.

Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are overachievers and proud of it. Why shouldn't they be? They're going to Ivy League! But on their last day of high school, Molly finds out that her slacker classmates are also going to Ivy League. Molly realizes how little she and Amy had fun during high school. So Molly decides to bring Amy along to the cool kids' party. All they know is that Molly's crush Nick (Mason Gooding) is hosting it and Amy's crush Ryan (Victoria Ruesga) will be there.

But they don't know where "there" is. Much of the movie is their odyssey across Los Angeles to locate Nick's house. A series of rude awakenings await them once they get to Nick's. And it all plays out for 105 minutes.

It's certainly a crazy odyssey. But it does wonders to dispel the notion that first impressions are everything. I've already mentioned the inciting incident. But there's one of the best supporting players, Jared (Skylar Gisondo), a seemingly shallow rich kid. He turns out to be a good guy despite his shallowness. His best friend, Gigi (Billie Lourd), the comic highlight, is too loopy to be a snobbish rich kid. Molly and Amy even learn more about their teacher, Ms. Fine (Jessica Williams) and their principal, Mr. Brown (Jason Sudeikis).

Molly and Amy are a likable pair of co-leads. Their whole night is a collective coming-of-age story. While Molly learns not to be so domineering, Amy learns to be assertive. They make some fumbles and utterly stupid decisions, but they never lose their audience sympathy. Their second act fight is devastating even when the film mutes their harshest words. Their reconciliation leads to one last crazy escapade.

Editor Jamie Gross show us how crazy it is. Molly and Amy's classmates end their last school day with wild partying before their parties. The girls' first stop, Jared's party, ends with a frantic encounter with Gigi and a security guard. Their next stop finds them thrust into a murder mystery party and a bonkers drug trip. Nick's party has an impressive tracking shot, which begins with Amy swimming in the pool and ending with her quarrel with Molly. Jason McCormack's cinematography is also highlighted by an alluring color scheme. Dan the Automator, best known as a producer for the Gorillaz, sets the movie to an energetic score.

Booksmart's an insightful story of teenage confusion and frustration. It's also a wild and sometimes odd film. You'll have much to learn if you can withstand the craziness. See it if it's playing locally. It's worth it. Let's hope it's not ignored early next year like last year's Eighth Grade ultimately was.

Aladdin

I'll bet you know about Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. But did you know Aladdin had two genies in Arabian Nights? One in a lamp and the other in a ring. So when's the Genie of the Ring gonna get his time in the spotlight?

Answer: not this year.

Disney's Aladdin is its latest live-action remake. It has only one Genie, he of the magic lamp, and he is played by Will Smith. Director Guy Ritchie and his co-writer, John August, conjur up an entertaining spin on an old story. It has some issues, but they're easy to overlook.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a "street rat" in Agrabah. He meets a disguised Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who passes herself off as her own handmaiden. Aladdin sneaks into the palace to see her again. That's when he's arrested and brought before Grand Vizier Jafar (Marwan Kenzari). Jafar needs Aladdin to retrieve a magic lamp in the Cave of Wonders. He does, but Jafar traps him in the Cave.

But at least Aladdin has the lamp. The Genie inside gets him out. Aladdin wishes himself to be a prince to win Jasmine's heart. He succeeds despite a few fumbles. But he doesn't want Jasmine to know that he's not a prince. That drives a wedge between him and Genie. In steps Jafar, who wants Genie to help him conquer Agrabah, and then, the World! Aladdin has to stop him from winning.

It's hard to imagine anyone but Robin Williams as Genie. But Will Smith's Genie fills the void spectacularly. He's a fun character whether he's subdued or in manic mode. He's also a capable mentor for Aladdin. His CGI-induced Blue Form is surprisingly easy on the eyes. The screenplay gives him a love interest in Jasmine's actual handmaiden, Dalia (Nasim Pedrad). Dalia, herself, is a great new character and her chemistry with Genie is endearing. The film's framing device tries to hide the identity of its narrator and his family, but it's beyond obvious it's them once you see them.

What about the rest of the cast? Mena Massoud is a capable Aladdin; sly and honest, he gets the audience's favor right away. Not even his second-act selfishness diminishes the "diamond in the rough." He has great chemistry with Naomi Scott's strong-willed idealist Princess Jasmine. Marwen Kenzari's Jafar is a formidable and intimidating foe. Billy Magnussen plays another new character, Prince Anders, a suitor for Jasmine, a dunce who barely plays a part. Navid Negahban has a much bigger part as the Sultan, a sympathetic man despite his stern ways. Numan Acar and Robby Haynes also stand out as the Sultan's main guards, Hakim and Razoul.

Alan Menken's score mixes some new material with his original work. The songs' arrangements are more extravagant than the original film's. They sounded too much at first but I got used to them overtime. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul revise some of Howard Ashman and Tim Rice's original lyrics and add a new song for Jasmine, Speechless. It's a strong ballad for Jasmine, though its reprise stalled the film rather than support it.

And for some technical highlights. The editing is fast-paced but it's not as frantic as Legend of the Sword. At least it fits with the fast paced music. Production Designer Gemma Jackson and Costume Designer Michael Wilkinson create the bright, colorful Arabian world of Agrabah. Every color stands out spectacularly. The CGI and Practical sets complete the film's visually appealing setting.

What else can I say? Aladdin's plot points are familiar but their executions aren't. It was intriguing to see these new ideas play out. There's rarely a dull moment or a baffling one during its 128 minutes. You can thank the all-mighty Genie for much of that. Oh yeah, and the leads too. Now let's see how this theoretically live-action The Lion King will do.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

I haven't kept up with Nintendo's ever growing list of Pocket Monsters in their Pokemon series in years. I don't even have a Nintendo 3DS to play the latest games. But I still have some interest in the franchise. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, based on a 3DS game, helps that interest.

So Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is an ordinary insurance salesman in a world of superpowered Pokemon. His dad, Harry, a detective, is killed in a car crash. Tim leaves Leaventown for Ryme City to settle Harry's affairs. Tim meets his dad's Pikachu, whose perfect English (vocalized by Ryan Reynolds) only he understands. Everyone else hears him squeak his own name (courtesy of his longtime anime voice, Ikue Ohtani). Pikachu is certain that Harry's not dead, so he and Tim set out to solve the mystery.

Joining our heroes is news intern Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) and her permanently-migrained Psyduck. Their investigation leads to "R," a substance which makes Pokemon stronger and feral. It leads to a conspiracy involving Ryme City's founder Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) and the clone Pokemon Mewtwo (Kotaro Watanabe and Rina Hoshino). Meanwhile, Harry is a lot closer than our heroes realize.

The film's screen story/screenplay is credited to five writers: Nicole Perlman, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Derek Connolly and director Rob Letterman. It's not a complex mystery but it tries. There's plenty of surprising twists and turns as our heroes investigate the conspiracy. There's also a bit of funny detective satire from Detective Pikachu and Lucy's mouths. The villain's endgame is equally silly and creepy. There are a few plot holes but they're easy to navigate around.

And how about the cast? Tim is a likable protagonist. Detective Pikachu is a fun electric mouse. Their chemistry together is entertaining and involving. Their "all is lost moment" in act 2 is somewhat cliche but it's also effective drama. Lucy and her Psyduck are endearing. Clifford is fine. But it's Mewtwo who's the best of the main cast. Of the overall cast? A Mr. Mime, who factors in a goofy interrogation scene.

Let's talk about the technicals. The CGI Pokemon look and feel real. Detective Pikachu, in particular, is as realistically furry as a dog-sized mouse might be. His expressive face bypasses the uncanny valley at lightspeed. Any too obvious effects actually works for the film's advantage. Want an example? The villain's shapeshifting Pokemon Ditto and its creepy eyes present in every form. Production Designer Nigel Phelps deserves praise for making Ryme City out of London. Cinematographer John Matthieson's use of color results in an alluring film noir. The sound designers' best work is fusing Watanabe and Hoshino's voices into the unearthly voice of Mewtwo. Henry Jackman's score fits the film's relatively dark and mysterious tone.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu requires some familiarity with the franchise. But it won't punish you for unfamiliarity unlike some other video game movies. You'll leave with a basic understanding of the Pokemon world. The film's attention to detail will wow longtime fans. Its 104 minutes go by quickly, perhaps too quickly. I'm ready for a sequel, but I question how they'll handle the film's final twist. 

But until then, at least we have the model for future game movies to build upon. Perhaps the first, true great video game movie is on the horizon. Maybe not this year.