Bo the Pig gets this summer's latest sequel.
Really? I thought Toy Story 3 was it. The last one. It ended so perfectly. I thought it was a silly joke when the Muppets mentioned it in Muppets Most Wanted. But we finally have Toy Story 4. And after all my misgivings ... it's actually pretty good.
At least, I think that's what Jethro will say.
Yes.
Yay.
Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) and their plastic friends get plenty of playtime with their new owner, Bonnie. Or rather, everyone but Woody has. Bonnie prefers cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) to be the sheriff of playtime. Woody still tags along with Bonnie to her kindergarten orientation day. He gives her the materials to make a friend - Forky the spork figure. Forky becomes her favorite toy.
Once Forky (Tony Hale) becomes sentient, he tries to trash himself. Every day, every minute. He finally makes a break for it when Bonnie and the folks go on a road trip. Woody pursues him, and they come to a small town antique store. An old doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) wants Woody for his voicebox to replace her broken one. They make a run for it but only Woody gets out.
Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who we saw given away at the start, comes to Woody's aid. A new bunch of toys, including Canada stuntdoll Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) and Ducky and Bunny (Key and Peele), tag along. But they better hurry, for Bonnie has noticed Forky's absence.
Jethro, go.
The film marks the directorial debut of Josh Cooley, who collaborated on Inside Out's screenplay. He and his seven co-writers find ways to top Toy Story 3's "concise ending." The existential crises the toys face are dramedic. Woody's feelings of obsolescence is relatable. Forky's runs for trash cans are subtly sad, but his over-persistence borders on hilarious. Bo, at least, has a purpose in life. And while Gabby Gabby starts off as a little creepy, she turns out to be sympathetic. The film's climax is about as emotional as Coco's, though we have the veteran toys messing with Bonnie's dad's RV.
The film's 100 minutes start off with a strong prologue. In it, Woody and the other toys team up to save RC the Car from going down a storm drain, while a man comes for Bo Peep. Editor Axel Geddes keeps us on edge for those first few minutes and beyond! The film's running gags, including Forky's trash runs and Ducky and Bunny's imagine spots, grab our attention. The climax, as previously mentioned, is an emotional rollercoaster.
And of course, we have a great soundtrack by Randy Newman. It's highlighted by a catchy, yet poignant song called I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away. Another song, The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy, is the highlight of the ending credits. Speaking of the end credits, stay for the first half to see a nice epilogue.
Toy Story 4 is a welcome sequel which we never know we wanted. But for the sake of brevity, let's hope that this is the final, final Toy Story. We don't need a Toy Story where the toys really do get thrown into an incinerator. This Toy Story, meanwhile, is a strong human parable in toy form. Humans of all ages can relate to these plastic characters and their emotional struggles. See it now.
About Me
- Jethrotcat
- This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Late Night
Daisy Mae the Sheep gets to introduce the next film.
Thank you, Jethro, thank you kindly. Tonight's movie is Late Night, the first feature film written by Mindy Kaling and the second movie this month starring Emma Thompson. Or, first; depends on when you see it.
Katherine Newbury (Thompson) is the pioneering host of her own late night talk show, Late Night with Katherine Newbury. After twenty-eight years, she's gone so out of touch with contemporary viewers that her ratings are falling. She's less receptive to her all-male writing staff. She even fires a writer because he asked for a raise to support his growing family!
Katherine decides to fill the void with her first woman writer. Said first woman writer is Molly Patel (Kaling), a chemical plant worker from Pennsylvania. Katherine and the other writers aren't exactly welcoming. But Molly is determined to prove to them that she's not a "diversity hire."
Meanwhile, station boss Caroline (Amy Ryan) decides to replace Katherine with a younger, hipper man named Daniel Tennant (Ike Barinholtz). Katherine decides to listen to Molly and adjusts her show to the times. Things go great until Katherine is caught with writer Charlie (Hugh Dancy).
And why do I have to give it to you?
It's my blog.
Fine.
Nisha Ganatra, who, among other works, previously directed episodes for shows such as Transparent and The Mindy Project, sits in the director's chair. Kaling's screenplay is lighthearted, but the humor has a deep point. We can understand how unfair societal double standards are with Kaling's skewering of the late night production process. Katherine's first attempts at contemporary humor are painfully stale. But she comes around when she spins a routine mocking her career opportunities as a woman of her age.
Let's continue with Molly herself. Her first scene has her recite Yeats, optimistic about her dream job, but gets a trash bag thrown at her by a careless garbageman. She may, by her own admission, have no experience in TV, but she's ready to work for the job and prove her naysayers wrong. It's a bumpy road, but it works out in the end.
Thompson is great as Katherine Newbury. She's not exactly a people person, as her dismissal of the unlucky writer makes clear. She nearly fires Molly for skipping a meeting until she sees it's for a stand-up fundraiser. Her ice queen persona melts soon after. We see her as a self-loathing wreck with an imperfect marriage to Walter (John Lithgow). It's easy to miss the signs of the affair between her and Charlie. But her reconciliation with Walter and her owning up to the affair is awesome.
What else can I say? Amy Ryan and Max Casella (as showrunner Burditt) are standouts of the supporting cast. But the biggest standout is Lithgow as Walter, a loving man with secrets of his own.
Let's wrap it up. Late Night stands out in the crowded summer movie season. It'll give you an idea of how stressful and rewarding television is. It also gives you much to think about societal double standards. Tune into Late Night if this summer's current sequels and re-dos won't do. To quote Katherine's sign-off phrase, I hope it earns the pleasure of your time.
Thank you, Jethro, thank you kindly. Tonight's movie is Late Night, the first feature film written by Mindy Kaling and the second movie this month starring Emma Thompson. Or, first; depends on when you see it.
Katherine Newbury (Thompson) is the pioneering host of her own late night talk show, Late Night with Katherine Newbury. After twenty-eight years, she's gone so out of touch with contemporary viewers that her ratings are falling. She's less receptive to her all-male writing staff. She even fires a writer because he asked for a raise to support his growing family!
Katherine decides to fill the void with her first woman writer. Said first woman writer is Molly Patel (Kaling), a chemical plant worker from Pennsylvania. Katherine and the other writers aren't exactly welcoming. But Molly is determined to prove to them that she's not a "diversity hire."
Meanwhile, station boss Caroline (Amy Ryan) decides to replace Katherine with a younger, hipper man named Daniel Tennant (Ike Barinholtz). Katherine decides to listen to Molly and adjusts her show to the times. Things go great until Katherine is caught with writer Charlie (Hugh Dancy).
And why do I have to give it to you?
It's my blog.
Fine.
Nisha Ganatra, who, among other works, previously directed episodes for shows such as Transparent and The Mindy Project, sits in the director's chair. Kaling's screenplay is lighthearted, but the humor has a deep point. We can understand how unfair societal double standards are with Kaling's skewering of the late night production process. Katherine's first attempts at contemporary humor are painfully stale. But she comes around when she spins a routine mocking her career opportunities as a woman of her age.
Let's continue with Molly herself. Her first scene has her recite Yeats, optimistic about her dream job, but gets a trash bag thrown at her by a careless garbageman. She may, by her own admission, have no experience in TV, but she's ready to work for the job and prove her naysayers wrong. It's a bumpy road, but it works out in the end.
Thompson is great as Katherine Newbury. She's not exactly a people person, as her dismissal of the unlucky writer makes clear. She nearly fires Molly for skipping a meeting until she sees it's for a stand-up fundraiser. Her ice queen persona melts soon after. We see her as a self-loathing wreck with an imperfect marriage to Walter (John Lithgow). It's easy to miss the signs of the affair between her and Charlie. But her reconciliation with Walter and her owning up to the affair is awesome.
What else can I say? Amy Ryan and Max Casella (as showrunner Burditt) are standouts of the supporting cast. But the biggest standout is Lithgow as Walter, a loving man with secrets of his own.
Let's wrap it up. Late Night stands out in the crowded summer movie season. It'll give you an idea of how stressful and rewarding television is. It also gives you much to think about societal double standards. Tune into Late Night if this summer's current sequels and re-dos won't do. To quote Katherine's sign-off phrase, I hope it earns the pleasure of your time.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Men in Black: International
This time, the co-hosting duties fall to Buck the Duck.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones took charge as the Men in Black for three films. But it's time now for some new agents to protect the Earth from the scum of the universe. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth are those agents, and they are part of Men in Black: International.
Molly Wright (Thompson) wants to join the Men in Black. One night in 1996, she saw them mindwipe her folks and met a fuzzy alien. So she hopes the MIB will give her the answers to life, the universe and everything. One day, she finally tracks down their headquarters. Agent O (Emma Thompson) gives Molly a chance and sends the newly minted Agent M to MIB's London Branch. M is introduced to the Branch's best agent, Agent H (Hemsworth) and the chief, High T (Liam Neeson).
This time, the MIB have to keep a potential solar-system destroyer cannon from evil hands. Twin cosmic energy assassins (Larry and Laurent Bourgeois) want it for their masters, the body-snatching Hive. Vungus the Ugly (Kayvan Novak), a royal party animal, had it for safe keeping, but the Twins killed him. M has it now. She and H have to keep it away from the Twins and other villains. One of them is a mole within the MIB.
And now, over to Jethro, to review it.
Yes.
New director F. Gary Gray works from a script by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. It's a good script that could've been better. The film's 115 minutes are nicely paced as it moves from New York to London and more. It plays a great guessing game with the mole's identity. The revelation of their identity is executed wonderfully even if it should be obvious. It shines a new light on the film's opening battle on the Eiffel Tower. There was a plot point with Earth facing destruction should something happen to Vungus. Spoiler Alert: nothing comes out of it.
A lot comes out of Agents H and M. Agent H, in particular, starts out as an egotistical clown. But we find he's a competent clown with dark secrets, including one hidden from him. Meanwhile, Agent M is a smart character who sometimes gets in too deep (i.e. joining Vungus's security detail when she's not that fluent in his language). But she's a quick learner. Our leads' chemistry is entertaining and it gets better when the sarcastic Pawny (Kumail Nanjiani), an Alien Chess Pawn, joins them.
Now for the aliens. The film eschews the franchise's usual practical makeup and puppets for digital aliens. They mesh with the live-action actors pretty well. The one exception was a purple time-controlling alien, whose one scene, I'll admit, was amusing. The Twins don't have much personality and barely speak. But their true cosmic energy forms are scary. The Mole's true form is a creepy plant monster. Riza (Rebecca Ferguson), a three-armed arms dealer, made for a memorable one-scene antagonist. Her bodyguard, Luca (Spencer Wilding), was also memorable. The film also sees a cameo by Frank the Pug (Tim Blaney).
Another technical highlight is production designer Charles Wood for visualizing the MIB's London headquarters and the Eiffel Tower's secret room. The alien gadgets and weaponry were wonderfully unique. Danny Elfman and Chris Bacon's score made great use of the first film's theme. Cinematographer Stuart Drybaugh gives us some stunning imagery of the film's international settings. One establishing shot of New York was so pristine it was surreal. In other words, it's a visually and aurally appealing film.
Men in Black: International is an entertaining film for an afternoon matinee. Its lead Agents make up for any narrative shortcomings. Its expansion of the franchise makes for interesting worldbuilding. See it at least once. You might not need to get mind...
Get that thing out of my face...
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones took charge as the Men in Black for three films. But it's time now for some new agents to protect the Earth from the scum of the universe. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth are those agents, and they are part of Men in Black: International.
Molly Wright (Thompson) wants to join the Men in Black. One night in 1996, she saw them mindwipe her folks and met a fuzzy alien. So she hopes the MIB will give her the answers to life, the universe and everything. One day, she finally tracks down their headquarters. Agent O (Emma Thompson) gives Molly a chance and sends the newly minted Agent M to MIB's London Branch. M is introduced to the Branch's best agent, Agent H (Hemsworth) and the chief, High T (Liam Neeson).
This time, the MIB have to keep a potential solar-system destroyer cannon from evil hands. Twin cosmic energy assassins (Larry and Laurent Bourgeois) want it for their masters, the body-snatching Hive. Vungus the Ugly (Kayvan Novak), a royal party animal, had it for safe keeping, but the Twins killed him. M has it now. She and H have to keep it away from the Twins and other villains. One of them is a mole within the MIB.
And now, over to Jethro, to review it.
Yes.
New director F. Gary Gray works from a script by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. It's a good script that could've been better. The film's 115 minutes are nicely paced as it moves from New York to London and more. It plays a great guessing game with the mole's identity. The revelation of their identity is executed wonderfully even if it should be obvious. It shines a new light on the film's opening battle on the Eiffel Tower. There was a plot point with Earth facing destruction should something happen to Vungus. Spoiler Alert: nothing comes out of it.
A lot comes out of Agents H and M. Agent H, in particular, starts out as an egotistical clown. But we find he's a competent clown with dark secrets, including one hidden from him. Meanwhile, Agent M is a smart character who sometimes gets in too deep (i.e. joining Vungus's security detail when she's not that fluent in his language). But she's a quick learner. Our leads' chemistry is entertaining and it gets better when the sarcastic Pawny (Kumail Nanjiani), an Alien Chess Pawn, joins them.
Now for the aliens. The film eschews the franchise's usual practical makeup and puppets for digital aliens. They mesh with the live-action actors pretty well. The one exception was a purple time-controlling alien, whose one scene, I'll admit, was amusing. The Twins don't have much personality and barely speak. But their true cosmic energy forms are scary. The Mole's true form is a creepy plant monster. Riza (Rebecca Ferguson), a three-armed arms dealer, made for a memorable one-scene antagonist. Her bodyguard, Luca (Spencer Wilding), was also memorable. The film also sees a cameo by Frank the Pug (Tim Blaney).
Another technical highlight is production designer Charles Wood for visualizing the MIB's London headquarters and the Eiffel Tower's secret room. The alien gadgets and weaponry were wonderfully unique. Danny Elfman and Chris Bacon's score made great use of the first film's theme. Cinematographer Stuart Drybaugh gives us some stunning imagery of the film's international settings. One establishing shot of New York was so pristine it was surreal. In other words, it's a visually and aurally appealing film.
Men in Black: International is an entertaining film for an afternoon matinee. Its lead Agents make up for any narrative shortcomings. Its expansion of the franchise makes for interesting worldbuilding. See it at least once. You might not need to get mind...
Get that thing out of my face...
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
The Secret Life of Pets 2
For the rest of June, I've decided to give a guest co-spot to characters from my debut poem, http://jethrotcat.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-original-jethro-cat.html. Vance was in the last review, and here is Baxter the Dog.
Howdy, fellas. Baxter here. My first collaborative review is on The Secret Life of Pets 2. It's a sequel to that animated movie from three years back. Let's get to describing it.
Max (Patton Oswalt, replacing Louis CK due to certain circumstances) and Duke (Eric Stonestreet) the dogs love their human, Katie. But then, she brings home another human, Chuck, and then, a littler human, Liam. The dogs love Chuck, but aren't certain about Liam. But they warm up to him. Max gets so overprotective of Liam that he starts itching. Then, the whole family goes upstate to a farm. Max meets Rooster the Sheepdog (Harrison Ford), a gruff old guy who teaches him courage.
Meanwhile, Gidget the Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) loses Max's favorite squeaky toy in a cat lady's apartment. Chloe the Cat (Lake Bell) teaches Gidget how to be a cat so she can infiltrate the place.
And also, meanwhile, Snowball the White Rabbit (Kevin Hart) decides he's a superhero. Daisy the Shih Tzu (Tiffany Haddish) asks "Captain Snowball" to help her save a white tiger, Hu, from an abusive circus ringmaster, Sergei (Nick Kroll). Liberating the big white cat's easy; hiding him is another issue.
Do you want to review now?
Yes.
OK
It's only 86 minutes, but it feels longer than that. Its three storylines would make great shorts. But they slow the plot down when it switches between them. That's because there aren't that many looming stakes until the end. That's when Sergei shows up at the Pets' neighborhood to find Hu. Still, the resulting climax on Sergei's train is a fun romp. Any more positives?
Unlike the first film, there were a few surprises the trailers didn't spoil. Snowball and Daisy's rescue of Hu involves a silly battle with Sergei's guard wolves at the circus. Where Hu ends up was blackly hilarious. The Cat Lady is more proactive than we think. And finally, the "main storyline" with Max and Duke showed their bonding with Liam in a great montage. They're pretty stable when Liam goes to Pre-School for the first time - unlike his parents.
For the new characters. Daisy's assured and commanding presence made her the best new character. It's a shame we didn't get to see her normal life. Sergei is a vile villain, but the film doesn't let him go even further. At least he got humiliated in the end. Rooster was fine. Just fine. The Cat Lady's cats were a fun and eclectic bunch of kitties. The pets Max meets at the Vet's lobby - including the pyromaniac cats - were creepy and hilarious.
Its narrative bark is still quieter than its bite; but it still tries to bite. You'd be surprised with the risque humor from returning character Pops the Basset Hound (Dana Carvey) and his obedience school pups. Still, if you're in the mood for The Secret Life of Pets 2, it's an OK matinee to start the actual summer with. Don't expect too much before you go in and you'll do fine.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Dark Phoenix
This is Vance. I haven't collaborated on a review in years. I don't know if the review aged well, but here.
Anyway, I'm here now to talk about what may or may not be Fox's last X-Men film. That depends on if the absurdly long-delayed The New Mutants finally sees the light of day next April. Right now, we have Dark Phoenix (notice no X-Men in the title), which sees the directorial debut of the franchise's longtime producer and writer, Simon Kinberg.
It's 1992. The X-Men have given mutants a good name with their superheroics. One day, they're called to save the Space Shuttle Endeavour from calamity. Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) plucks out the crew, but Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) has a close encounter with the space oddity that wrecked the shuttle. She returns with a major boost to her psychic powers and is subsequently nicknamed "Phoenix." But that's not the only thing that comes back.
It turns out Professor X (James MacAvoy) sealed some of Jean's traumatic childhood memories. Jean realizes what's up and she's mad. A melee at her childhood home leaves one of the X-Men dead. Thus, the cause of mutant rights is set back a good twenty-forty years, while the X-Men are split between saving her or killing her in revenge.
Meanwhile, alien body-snatchers called the D'Bari show up. Their leader, Vuk (Jessica Chastain), wants Jean's new power to rebuild their world. On Earth. She says she wants Jean to be her own free person. But that's not true. The X-Men and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) have to be on the same page to stop them and save Jean.
This is Jethro. And I'm here to review the film.
Kinberg's screenplay adapts a comic storyline previously done in X-Men: The Last Stand. Its overall plot is focused, even if it's a bit long winded. But some plot threads get less focus, perhaps due to its protracted production. A major offender is the the threat of mutants getting placed in internment camps after Jean goes wild. The internment camp idea almost never comes up again. Meanwhile, Jean's appeal to Magneto to help her control her violent urges goes nowhere. Magneto and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) get revenge-happy too fast. So where did it go right?
Well, it starts with the X-Men as public superheroes. It's great progress for mutant civil rights, which is something Professor X acknowledges. Too bad it's set back haphazardly. What else did it do right?
The visuals, of course. The opening shuttle mission is a great display of X-Men teamwork. From Nightcrawler's teleportation ability to Quicksilver's (Evan Peters) superspeed, the X-Men get to shine. Cinematographer Mauro Fiore's outer space imagery needs the largest screen possible. The final train battle between the X-Men and the D'Bari makes for a long, memorable battle. There were some signs of progress in aging characters like Professor X and Magneto; subtle, but still there.
Dark Phoenix promises the end for the current cinematic X-Men. It's not perfect but it was hardly boring. Its opening shuttle scene made the 116 minutes worth it. Right now, I am hoping that The New Mutants is finally released, so that all the mystery leads to something. Let's see how Marvel can reinvent its mighty mutants for their Cinematic Universe.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Rocketman
Last fall, Dexter Fletcher stepped in for Bryan Singer to finish Bohemian Rhapsody. His newest film, Rocketman, is another biopic of a glamorous 70s British rock star, namely Sir Elton John. Let's see the end result.
As a child, Reggie Dwight (Kit Connor/Matthew Illesley) was a musical prodigy raised by his loving grandma Ivy (Gemma Jones) and cold mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard). His father, Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), wasn't a real family man, to say the least. Ivy encourages him to study at the Royal Academy of Music. He soon goes from shy Reggie Dwight to showman Elton John (Taron Egerton).
Elton is teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). He also meets manager and lover John Reid (Richard Madden), who introduces him to sex, drugs and too-much rock'n'roll. Elton's excessive lifestyle threatens to wreck his personal relationships. Sheila, in particular, warns him he'll never find true love. Can Elton rebound?
Spoiler warning: He's still standing.
Lee Hall's screenplay is a jukebox musical with Elton's greatest hits. It starts with Elton rushing to AA in full devil costume, then tells us how he got there. That's like a lot of biopics. But most of them don't have fantastical musical numbers like Rocketman. The highly-stylized numbers show off editor Chris Dickens and the visual effects' team's technical prowess. My personal favorite is the wild Pinball Wizard, which Elton performed in Tommy. The real-fantastical blend makes me think of what Nine could've been if it was styled on 8 1/2 instead of Chicago.
The film's other top selling point is Egerton as Elton John. He's seamlessly both a confidant showman and self-loathing mess. His wild costumes (designed by Bohemian Rhapsody's Julian Day) mask his personal issues. During the title number, we see him running on fumes on-stage after a drug-induced suicide attempt. His personal drama drags the fun factor down, but his return to glory is crowd-pleasing. Egerton's renditions of Elton's songs are as dynamic as the real man.
The rest of the cast perfectly fit their roles. For instance, Madden's Reid is a ruthless svengali, while Howard and Mackintosh are capably cold and distant parents. Another highlight of the supporting cast is Tate Donovan as Doug Weston, the owner of the Troubadour nightclub, where Elton got his big break. Weston's laidback and funny persona were most welcome.
Rocketman is not exactly a cheerful musical biopic. Its intense drama might turn off some viewers, young and old. But they'll soar when things get musical. It's sure to get people interested in Elton John and, by proxy, Tommy. It's gotten me interested in a possible stage version. It feels like a stage musical. It might be a great one.
As a child, Reggie Dwight (Kit Connor/Matthew Illesley) was a musical prodigy raised by his loving grandma Ivy (Gemma Jones) and cold mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard). His father, Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), wasn't a real family man, to say the least. Ivy encourages him to study at the Royal Academy of Music. He soon goes from shy Reggie Dwight to showman Elton John (Taron Egerton).
Elton is teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). He also meets manager and lover John Reid (Richard Madden), who introduces him to sex, drugs and too-much rock'n'roll. Elton's excessive lifestyle threatens to wreck his personal relationships. Sheila, in particular, warns him he'll never find true love. Can Elton rebound?
Spoiler warning: He's still standing.
Lee Hall's screenplay is a jukebox musical with Elton's greatest hits. It starts with Elton rushing to AA in full devil costume, then tells us how he got there. That's like a lot of biopics. But most of them don't have fantastical musical numbers like Rocketman. The highly-stylized numbers show off editor Chris Dickens and the visual effects' team's technical prowess. My personal favorite is the wild Pinball Wizard, which Elton performed in Tommy. The real-fantastical blend makes me think of what Nine could've been if it was styled on 8 1/2 instead of Chicago.
The film's other top selling point is Egerton as Elton John. He's seamlessly both a confidant showman and self-loathing mess. His wild costumes (designed by Bohemian Rhapsody's Julian Day) mask his personal issues. During the title number, we see him running on fumes on-stage after a drug-induced suicide attempt. His personal drama drags the fun factor down, but his return to glory is crowd-pleasing. Egerton's renditions of Elton's songs are as dynamic as the real man.
The rest of the cast perfectly fit their roles. For instance, Madden's Reid is a ruthless svengali, while Howard and Mackintosh are capably cold and distant parents. Another highlight of the supporting cast is Tate Donovan as Doug Weston, the owner of the Troubadour nightclub, where Elton got his big break. Weston's laidback and funny persona were most welcome.
Rocketman is not exactly a cheerful musical biopic. Its intense drama might turn off some viewers, young and old. But they'll soar when things get musical. It's sure to get people interested in Elton John and, by proxy, Tommy. It's gotten me interested in a possible stage version. It feels like a stage musical. It might be a great one.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Five years after his last Hollywood film, Godzilla is back in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Director Michael Dougherty and his co-writers, Zach Shields and Max Borenstein, have created a certifiably colossal sequel. Let's see how it is.
Scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) lost their son, Andrew, during Godzilla's brawl with the MUTOs in San Francisco. Both work for Monarch, the organization which researches Godzilla and other Giant Monsters called Titans. They're also divorced. Their daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), lives with Emma at a Monarch research facility. Emma created a device called the Orca, which communicates with Titans with sonic frequencies. Emma tests it on a newborn Titan Caterpillar, Mothra, before she and Madison are nabbed by Eco-Terrorists.
The main bad guy, Alan Jonah (Charles Dance), wants Emma to help him release the ominous three-headed dragon Ghidorah, aka "Monster Zero," from ice. Emma is all too willing to help him. Mark is recruited to help Monarch stop them. Godzilla shows up to fight Ghidorah for Titan supremacy. A bunch of Titans awaken, including Rodan, the Pteranodon.
Emma thought the Titans could save the world from man-made destruction. But that has nothing on the monstrous weather Ghidorah causes with his presence. It's up to Godzilla to stop Ghidorah, but he needs an atomic boost to do so. Mothra is there to lend a wing for the fight.
The film delivers on its Titanic promises. Godzilla and his Titan co-stars appear early and often compared to the 2014 film. There's plenty of city destruction in their colossal brawls. Basically, a classic Godzilla movie for the 21st century. The human stories are often dwarfed by their Titan co-stars. Emma suffers the worse, for her allegiances change too quickly and unclearly.
Now for the technical aspects. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher gives the main Titans an individual theme color. It's a marvelous sight when these colors come front and center. Case in point is Mothra's emergence as a Moth, illuminated by green luminescence. Bear McCreary's stunning arrangement of her classic theme by Yuji Koseki helps a lot. The rest of McCreary's score suits the Titanic visuals. A highlight is the arrangement of Akira Ifukube's Godzilla Theme at the end credits.
The Titans' designs are great. Sure, the old man in a rubber suit routine is classic, but the CGI Titans are intimidating, towering beasts. Godzilla himself is as formidable as he was in 2014. Wait till you see the climactic fight. Ghidorah's visage and the "Category 6" hurricane he brings makes him a living nightmare. Special credit goes to the three motion capture actors who play his heads, each with its own personality. Rodan's emergence from a volcano is as formidable as his magma body. Mothra is great as a Caterpillar and a Moth. My favorite minor Titan is the Behemoth, a Mammoth/Ape hybrid.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a strong monster mash. Anyone looking for a sensible plot may have to look elsewhere. But come on down if you want plenty of giant monster fights. While it could've developed its human characters better, there were some moments that stood out. To elaborate would spoil. It's a good matinee as long as you're in the right mood.
Stay through the credits to see some hints into Godzilla's future. That includes his impending showdown with King Kong.
Scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) lost their son, Andrew, during Godzilla's brawl with the MUTOs in San Francisco. Both work for Monarch, the organization which researches Godzilla and other Giant Monsters called Titans. They're also divorced. Their daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), lives with Emma at a Monarch research facility. Emma created a device called the Orca, which communicates with Titans with sonic frequencies. Emma tests it on a newborn Titan Caterpillar, Mothra, before she and Madison are nabbed by Eco-Terrorists.
The main bad guy, Alan Jonah (Charles Dance), wants Emma to help him release the ominous three-headed dragon Ghidorah, aka "Monster Zero," from ice. Emma is all too willing to help him. Mark is recruited to help Monarch stop them. Godzilla shows up to fight Ghidorah for Titan supremacy. A bunch of Titans awaken, including Rodan, the Pteranodon.
Emma thought the Titans could save the world from man-made destruction. But that has nothing on the monstrous weather Ghidorah causes with his presence. It's up to Godzilla to stop Ghidorah, but he needs an atomic boost to do so. Mothra is there to lend a wing for the fight.
The film delivers on its Titanic promises. Godzilla and his Titan co-stars appear early and often compared to the 2014 film. There's plenty of city destruction in their colossal brawls. Basically, a classic Godzilla movie for the 21st century. The human stories are often dwarfed by their Titan co-stars. Emma suffers the worse, for her allegiances change too quickly and unclearly.
Now for the technical aspects. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher gives the main Titans an individual theme color. It's a marvelous sight when these colors come front and center. Case in point is Mothra's emergence as a Moth, illuminated by green luminescence. Bear McCreary's stunning arrangement of her classic theme by Yuji Koseki helps a lot. The rest of McCreary's score suits the Titanic visuals. A highlight is the arrangement of Akira Ifukube's Godzilla Theme at the end credits.
The Titans' designs are great. Sure, the old man in a rubber suit routine is classic, but the CGI Titans are intimidating, towering beasts. Godzilla himself is as formidable as he was in 2014. Wait till you see the climactic fight. Ghidorah's visage and the "Category 6" hurricane he brings makes him a living nightmare. Special credit goes to the three motion capture actors who play his heads, each with its own personality. Rodan's emergence from a volcano is as formidable as his magma body. Mothra is great as a Caterpillar and a Moth. My favorite minor Titan is the Behemoth, a Mammoth/Ape hybrid.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a strong monster mash. Anyone looking for a sensible plot may have to look elsewhere. But come on down if you want plenty of giant monster fights. While it could've developed its human characters better, there were some moments that stood out. To elaborate would spoil. It's a good matinee as long as you're in the right mood.
Stay through the credits to see some hints into Godzilla's future. That includes his impending showdown with King Kong.
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