Licorice Pizza

I've got one more film review to get out before New Year's. So, let's go.

Paul Thomas Anderson's newest film, Licorice Pizza, takes its name from an extinct record store chain in Southern California. Southern California is where we find young acting pro Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son and dead ringer to his late dad, Philip Seymour) in 1973. He meets Alana Kane (Alana Haim) when she works as a photographer's assistant at his picture day. He asks her out - even though he's 15 and she's 25 - and stuff happens.

He decides to be a waterbed entrepreneur. Alana dates and breaks up with one of Gary's costars, then joins Gary in the waterbed business. The energy crisis puts them out of business. But they have one last job with eccentric producer Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper). Gary decides to go into the arcade business. Alana decides to volunteer with Joel Wachs's (Benny Safdie) mayoral campaign. They appear to be on different career paths. But eventually, they realize they're made for each other.

I might've described the whole film already ...

It challenges attention spans with its slow plot and 133-minute runtime. Think of it as a series of episodes chronicling what I guess is the summer of 1973. Gary gets arrested on suspicion of murder and is quickly cleared. Jon Peters threatens Gary and his family if Gary mucks up the waterbed job. He never follows through on that. A few celebrities - some with their names changed - appear throughout the story. Some standouts include Sean Penn as daredevil movie star Jack Holden, Christine Baranski as Lucille Ball Lucy Doolittle, and John C Reilly, whose voice gives him away as Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster. The only thread that matters is Alana and Gary.

It's a great thread as Hoffman and Kane are stellar in their film debut. They're both likable together and apart. He's an amiable kid chasing whatever trend catches his eye. She wants to find a higher calling, but she hasn't outgrown her childish temper ("You're always thinking things, you thinker!" she tells her sister). They have a few arguments over their differing tastes. But they do have a few good moments to bond. Their climactic run for each other takes a hilarious twist. It still ends nicely for them.

There are quite a few standout moments. We have Cooper's memorable performance as the hilariously creepy Jon Peters. A scene where Alana and Holden undertake a motorcycle stunt. There's the aforementioned climactic run for Alana and Gary. Or my personal favorite, when Gary and Alana navigate a gasless truck as it careens across L.A. Editor Andy Jurgensen perfectly keeps the suspense going in these moments, which are highlighted with seventies standards and a Jonny Greenwood score.

Overall, Licorice Pizza is a fine romantic comedy. One is sure to be offended by minor character Jerry putting on an "Asian" accent. Others may be alienated by the age gap romance. But rest assured as the romance is kept nice and chaste. You'll never question why these two are meant to be together. I found this a good film to finish off my really busy movie year. May the next year put me on my regular schedule.

Sing 2

It's time for more singing cartoon animals. Sing 2 arrives five years after the original made the box office do just that. Let's see how it is.

Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) the koala thrives with his troupe at the New Moon Theater. But he wants them to make it to Redshore City (Las Vegas, definitely Vegas). They go there themselves after they fail to impress a talent scout. They want to appeal to the big bad wolf boss Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale) himself. Crystal decides to fund Gunter (Nick Kroll) the ham's sci-fi show idea when he promises them Clay Calloway (Bono), a reclusive rock star. 

Now they need to find Calloway and get the show together. The troupe have their own issues to deal with. Rosita the sow, cast as the lead astronaut, is demoted and replaced by Crystal's vapid daughter, Porsha (Halsey). Johnny the Gorilla deals with a strict choreographer; he finds his own in Nooshy the street dancer. Meena the elephant deals with stage fright and a self-absorbed scene partner. Buster tries to appeal to Calloway, but Ash the porcupine has better luck. The deadline - and Crystal's patience - wears thin.

It doesn't start with a compelling set-up (i.e., saving the theater from closure, like in the first film). But once again, the animal cast and their subplots make it worth it. Let's take our villain, for example. Jimmy only acts tough to motivate Buster, but he's a nice guy, right? We see later he's deadly serious about making sure Buster fulfills his contractual obligations. Meanwhile, Porsha's a pleasant, albeit self-absorbed girl, who wises up at the end. These subplots all come together nicely when they perform the show, Out of this World. 

Once again, the soundtrack is filled with recognizable plot standards. Its use of Bad Guy by Billie Eilish is particularly amusing, given its use in the trailer for Dreamworks's The Bad Guys, which you'll more than likely see before the main feature. Clay's comeback singing I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For could've been stronger if it wasn't heavily featured in this film's own trailers. At least Bono and U2 have a new song, Your Song Saved My Life, an Oscar-shortlisted number which ends the film on a nice note.

Let's talk about the outstanding visual design. Redshore City is as alluring as the real Las Vegas; it's the next best thing to visiting Vegas right now. Rosita and Porsha swinging around on harnesses provides some stunning cinematography. The space effects in Out of this World feel like an IMAX movie on a normal screen (guess it helps having a front row seat). The sets and costumes for the show are wonderfully surreal. 

Sing 2 is a harmless family film if one wants a matinee with the kids. There's plenty of slapstick and seriousness throughout its 110 minutes. It'll entertain adults too as long as they don't overthink it. I overthought it at first but then I had fun with it. It's a lot better than being cooped up in the house all day. It's a good way to liven up a rainy day or otherwise slow day. See it soon and you might agree with me.

Being the Ricardos

 Jethro, you've got some 'splainin to do!

Do I?

OK, I can tell you about why I think the sky is blue, why the Earth is round (and why anyone who disagrees with that doesn't know what they're talking about) and why Being the Ricardos is a good choice on Amazon Prime. But since this is a movie blog, I'll talk about the last thing.

Ayi, yi, yi...

Aaron Sorkin's third film as writer-director chronicles a week in the life of that pioneering TV sitcom, I Love Lucy, and its stars, Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem). Among other issues, Lucy's past with the Communist Party is front page news, as is Desi's extra-homelife activities; both deal with executives who won't let them write her real-life pregnancy into the show and they try to fine-tune this week's script. Meanwhile, flashbacks show how they met and got I Love Lucy started. Flashforwards show scenes from the show itself (re-enacted by this movie's cast, of course), as well as documentary-style interviews with the head writers. It sounds like a lot to take in but it's actually simple.

Let me start by highlighting the stars. Bardem and Kidman play Desilu rather well. They're a decade older than them during Lucy's second season, but they've got the speech patterns down. They've got great chemistry together; separately, they're charismatic people instead of wooden characters. There are some great highlights of their pre-Lucy days. We see a writer try to egotize Desi, only for Desi to forcibly rebuke him. A later flashback shows how hard Lucy fought to get him cast in the show.  So, it's a bummer when the only piece of epilogue is that they divorced in 1960.

The MVP of the ensemble is JK Simmons, as co-star William Frawley (Fred Mertz), a cantankerous old man who starts the movie by arguing with Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda), playing Ethel, over something. His rivalry with her is mainly played for laughs. His bickering with all is audaciously funny. He gets to show his warmer side as he sympathizes with Desi's plight in Cuba. Vivian, meanwhile, gets a few good scenes to bond with Lucy herself.

Being the Ricardos is a distillation of Desilu's lives. Let's just say everything that happens here did not happen in one week. It's still interesting enough to inspire one to catch a few episodes, especially the one they film here. The last time I saw an episode was a few years ago; that one guest starred Superman! It's especially fun to watch the TV filming week play out. I liked it better on my second time watching it. It's free on Prime, so watch it as many times as you want. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home

I wasn't thrilled when I realized a lot of films on my docket are two and a half hours. As in, one after the other after the other. But Spider-Man No Way Home is a film that earns its excessive time length (That, and Dune). There's so much to talk about here that I don't know if I can sum its plot in a few paragraphs.

I'll try ...

It starts immediately where Far from Home ended, when Peter Parker (Tom Holland) was forcibly outed by Mysterio (Jake Gylenhaal) and fringe newsman J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons) as being Spider-Man. He's also framed for Mysterio's untimely demise. The good news is that lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) cleared his name in legal court. The bad news is that the Court of Public Opinion is after him. No College even wants him or his pals, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya). So, he decides to get Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to magic away everyone knowing his secret identity. But it goes wrong when he tries to get Strange to make exceptions for the spell.

How wrong? A few characters from other dimensions - other Spider-Man movies - show up. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) show up first, followed by Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Curt Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans). Strange tasks Peter and friends to find them and send them back. Otherwise, a whole lot more people from across the multiverse will show up. 

Peter isn't happy knowing that some of them will die fighting their versions of Spider-Man. So, he decides to cure them of their problems. A few of the villains don't want to be depowered either. Peter has to stop them before they take over his world ... or the multiverse cracks apart. He's got help, including two of him (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), for this mission.

A lot easier than I thought ...

It's probably easier because the past villains of each dimension know about each other. They easily fill in this Peter - and the unfamiliar in the audience - about each other's fates. They all have great chemistry, not just as villains, but as people blessed with suck. Doc Ock and even Osborn are particularly sympathetic men driven mad, while Sandman is the token good teammate. It's easy to understand why Peter would want to help them. Even when Electro, Lizard and Green Goblin (there's a reason why I listed him twice) prove loose cannons.  That's just one way the story recontextualizes Spidey's classic creed - with great power comes great responsibility. The finale upends Spidey's life quite spectacularly.

Now for the Spider-Men. The main Spidey is still likable in-and-out of the suit. His biggest flaw, throughout his solo movies, is misguided goodness, which has tragic consequences this time. Then again, being forcibly outed like that isn't good for one's self-esteem. There's still some humor in his public secret, but you'll feel the tension just as much. The other two Spideys get some decent closure for their timelines mentoring the younger hero. Still, with all the Spideys, it was hard to tell who's who during the climactic battle.

The Oscar-shortlisted Visual Effects team visualize eerie magic and spectacular web-slinging. One of their greatest tricks is de-aging Molina to his 2004 self. Their greatest is de-aging Dafoe a few decades too; I had no idea he was digitally de-aged until I read up some more after the film. Their digital fountain of youth is seamless. Sandman lives up to his name and is spectacular now as he was in 2007. Electro apparating is another visual spectacle - and the creepy sound effects justifies why its Sound team is also shortlisted for Oscar notice. Let's not forget another rousing score by Michael Giacchino, which didn't get Oscar shortlist notice. Oh well.

Spider-Man No Way Home is a good motivation to get thee to the cinema. It's an epic superhero story which perfectly weaves together three separate cinematic timelines. It's a great coda for the earlier two timelines and a strong finale for this trilogy. Who knows if and when this Spidey will get another movie? I'd like to see some follow-up to the ending. But I can wait.

Anyone waiting for follow-up to Let There Be Carnage's mid-credit scene will get it in this movie's mid-credit scene. It's not much, but still enough, as we see Venom will be indirectly involved in the MCU. Somehow. Stay through the credits to get an actual trailer for Dr. Strange's next movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If you're lucky, you'll get a trailer for Spidey's next animated movie, Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse (Part One).

Nightmare Alley

After Kaiju & Ghosts & Demons & Fishmen, Guillermo del Toro deals with human terrors in Nightmare Alley. William Lindsey Gresham's novel previously haunted the screens in 1947. This new film is ready to haunt your Christmas movie season now.

It's 1939, shortly before World War II kicks off. Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) burns a wrapped-up corpse and his house down before leaving to seek his fortune. He takes a bus all the way to a traveling carnival. Owner Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe) hires him as a carny. Stanton meets Zeena and Pete (Toni Collette and David Strathairn), a psychic act who operate on a coded system. He turns their clairvoyance into his hustle when he bluffs a sheriff into not shutting them down. He then elopes with Molly (Rooney Mara), who electrocutes herself in her act, and we go to part two:

It's now 1941, and the War has come for the US. Stanton and Molly take their psychic act to Chicago. One night, he meets Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a psychiatrist who sees through his act. Nevertheless, she decides to join him in conning rich men. One such rich man is Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins), who'd like nothing more than to meet the ghost of his first love. Pete previously warned Stanton about the unpredictability of "spook shows." But Stanton thinks he can manage it. He's wrong, of course.

Del Toro wrote the screenplay with his now-wife, Kim Morgan. They introduce Stanton right as he commits his arson. Whose body he burns is silently established in a flashback and verbally explained in the second half. He doesn't even speak his first line until about fifteen minutes in. That's when he tries to coax the carnival's geek out of hiding. What's a geek? The film answers that in gory detail. The first half sets up the tricks to Stanton's trade, which pay off spectacularly in the second half. Pay attention, as Clem also sets up Stanton's final fate.

Let's talk about Stanton in further detail. The whole film is his rags to riches to rags again story. Cooper's performance makes him perfectly charismatic and amoral. His conversations with the geek and his clients show that he has some humanity. Is it genuine humanity? I don't know, but I bought into his nice guy act. But he's still a con man with a hidden violent side. His fatal flaw is his overestimating himself, and it surely is fatal. 

Now for a few more characters. Blanchett as Ritter is a formidable femme fatale. She spends the movie outconning the conman and the payoff is brutal. Jenkins as Grindle whose good nature gives way to his own violent side. Ms. Kimball (Mary Steenburgen), one of Stanton's clients, has the absolutely worst interpretation of a "seance" with her dead son. Molly is one of the few good characters in this bleak world. Perhaps the most sympathetic is the geek (Paul Anderson), a "feral beast" who is actually a drunken wreck of a man. It's also good to see Ron Perlman here, playing Bruno the Strongman.

Nightmare Alley's nightmarish world is conjured up by production designer Tamara Deverell and cinematographer Dan Laustsen. There are some creepy locales like the carnival, Ritter's office and the garden where the big spook job takes place. A haunted house truly looks like another dimension. Stanton dreaming himself inside his burning house, and his actual leaving that house, defines eerie. There's some strong makeup work for the carnival freaks & geek, as well as Stanton's evolving appearance. Nathan Johnson's score accompanies the creepiness rather well.

I bet you can tell that Nightmare Alley isn't family friendly. It's also rather long at 150 minutes. Despite some lulls, it's still a compelling story of an amoral man undone by his hubris. I can see why del Toro thought this nightmare was right up his alley. Anyone looking for a visually stunning thriller this holiday season will get their money's worth here. Anyone looking for something friendlier should look elsewhere in their neighborhood. I'm sure you've got options. 

Maybe something rather obvious...

The Power of the Dog

 The Power of the Dog?! 

What dog? There's nothing there!

Actually, Baxter, that's a reference to Psalm 22:20 and it appears at the very end. When did you tune out?

An hour.

.... 

Now that I've explained the title, let's explain the movie.

In 1925, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemmons) are cowboys with their own Ranch in Montana. One day, they stop at an Inn for food and relaxation. George falls for the widowed innkeeper, Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst). Phil doesn't take kindly to her or her awkward son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). It gets worse when George and Rose get married. Phil decides to take out his frustrations on her, which drives her to drink. But he and Peter take a mutual liking to each other. Phil decides to teach his new nephew the ways of the cowboy. It doesn't end well for him.

Jane Campion (The Piano) wrote and directed this take on Thomas Savage's novel. The film's more interested in character development than plot, which unfolds for 125 minutes. During which, we see Rose's alcoholism, Peter's morbid interests and George being there. Phil spends the plot taunting and mocking Rose. But his antagonism is quietly squashed before it culminates in a violent confrontation. We also get to understand why Phil is the way he is. It does an excellent job at spreading out clues towards his final fate. We're left wondering if it was a just one, too.

Let's talk about the cast. Cumberbatch perfectly plays Phil as a repressive Jerk. He's caustic towards people, but tender in private, especially when he brings up his late mentor, Bronco Henry. Smit-McPhee as Peter is no mere awkward pushover. Their relationship makes the second half a compelling one. Plemmons is OK as the nice George, but he's absent for a large chunk of the film. Dunst as Rose is a good woman trying to find her place in her new husband's household. Among which is Lola (Thomasin McKenzie), a servant with a surprising underreaction to Peter's dissection of a rabbit.

The technical stars of the film are Ari Wegner's cinematography and Jonny Greenwood's score. Wegner captures some astounding New Zealand (standing in for Montana) landscape imagery here. She also captures imposing closeups of its emotionally troubled characters. Greenwood's unnerving score accentuates the film's emotional conflicts rather well. Editor Peter Scibberas helps set up Phil's final fate with some telling cuts. One will understand what happened even if the characters can't.

The Power of the Dog's slow story might turn off first time viewers. But if you give it a second try, which is easy since it's on Netflix, you'll get some subtleties you missed. Its strong characterization makes up for its lack of an apparent plot. Overall, it's an interesting western; it's easy to see why it's the frontrunner for the next Best Picture Oscar. See it now and you may agree with the hype.

Or not.

West Side Story

 Now for the most anticipated remake nobody knew they wanted ...

West Side Story, also known as "Romeo and Juliet in New York City," was previously filmed in 1961 by Robert Wise and the show's original director, Jerome Robbins. That film, of course, won ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The new film by Steven Spielberg should look forward for a few Oscars of its own in March.

In 1957, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks are rival street gangs fighting in New York. Their neighborhood is established right away as the site of the future Lincoln Center. In the meantime, Jet leader Riff (Mike Faist) decides to set up a final "rumble" with Shark leader Bernardo (David Alvarez). Riff wants his best pal, Tony (Ansel Elgort), to rumble with him. But he doesn't want to break his parole after he nearly killed someone in his last rumble. Still, Tony decides to go to a local dance. That's where he meets Maria (Rachel Zegler), Bernardo's sister.

Tony and Maria fall for each other pretty quickly. Unfortunately, Bernardo is now amenable for the rumble. Maria hopes that Tony can persuade both sides not to do it. But just like Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, it doesn't end well. 

The screenplay by Tony Kushner reworks Arthur Laurents' libretto considerably. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are intact but plenty of the original spoken dialogue was rewritten. The main characters get strong new backstories. This helps us see how unpleasant the gang war is. One supporting character, Doc the grocer, is replaced with his widow, Valentina (Rita Moreno). Moreno won an Oscar for the first film as Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, now played by Ariana DeBose. So, her coming to Anita's rescue when the Jets harass her is cathartic. These changes and more help its 156 minutes go by quickly. 

Now for that ensemble. Elgort as Tony takes some getting used to. His singing is a bit flat, but you'll feel it when he gets emotional. Zegler's Maria is a triumphant film debut, perfectly giddy when she feels pretty and despondent in the finale. DeBose's Anita is initially optimistic about her being in America. But that's destroyed when Bernardo dies. As for Bernardo, Alvarez is a good man whose hot bloodedness is his downfall. Faist as Riff is full of pent-up rage. Meanwhile, Anybodys (Iris Menas), an aspiring Jet, makes the most of his minimal screentime. Chino (Josh Andres Rivera), the hypoteneuse of Maria and Tony's love, is a likable guy with a tragic ending.

Leonard Bernstein's iconic score was adapted by David Newman. It gets going great when the opening prologue takes us on a tour, photographed by Janusz Kaminski, of a desolate construction site. Editors Michael Kahn & Sarah Broshar show the Jets as they steal supplies to commit vandalism with. They help, rather than obscure, Justin Peck's elaborate choreography, not to mention the violence. Paul Tazewell's costume designs give the Jets and Sharks a muted, but still colorfully distinctive wardrobes. Let's not forget production designer Adam Stockhausen for recreating New York as it was.

Despite some flaws, 1961's West Side Story told a compelling musical story about the dangers of hate. So, it was surprising to hear it was going to be remade. Not anymore. Its revised script is a captivating new take on the famous story and its Shakespeare ancestor. You're never bored as you wait for the next song to happen. I don't know if it'll follow its originator to the Best Picture Oscar, but if it does, that's fine by me. It's really one of the best films of the year. See it as quickly as possible on the biggest screen you can find.

House of Gucci

We now get to Ridley Scott's second film of the 2021 Oscar season. This is House of Gucci, rewritten from Sara Gay Forden's nonfiction book by Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna. I found this more interesting than I thought it would be ... some issues notwithstanding.

In 1978, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) marries Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), heir to the Gucci fashion empire. His father, Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons), disapproves but not his uncle, Aldo (Al Pacino). Patrizia decides to play Lady Macbeth for her and Maurizio's sake. That involves tricking Aldo and his loser son, Paolo (Jared Leto), into signing away pretty much all their shares. Maurizio, once a promising law student, now becomes a corrupt mogul. Meanwhile, Patrizia makes friends with a TV psychic, Pina (Salma Hayek). They decide to take care of Maurizio when he threatens to divorce her. 

Its pileup of corporate and financial betrayals lasts for 158 minutes. Other bits include Paolo outing Aldo for Tax Fraud, Patrizia sicking the copyright police on Paolo, Maurizio cheating on Patrizia with a friend, Paola (Camille Cottin), and Maurizio heading for Switzerland to avoid arrest. This makes for a wacky soap opera season. It's fun to see it pile up despite its massive length. But it often plays its hijinks seriously as much as it goes over the top. One must remember it's a film where a TV psychic helps plot a murder. 

Theoretically, this cast is fine. Driver, Pacino, Irons and Hayek fit their parts like well-worn Gucci suits. Gaga as Patrizia is great as a scheming Lady Macbeth type; however, the film seems to flip-flop later whether she's that or the forgotten wife of a scheming suit. Some folks have questioned her accent, but it's subtle compared to Leto as Paolo. I rarely took any of his scenes seriously thanks to his over-the-top accent and mannerisms. A notable exception is when Rodolfo lambasts his gaudy fashion designs; his dejection is pitiable. But overdubbing his anguished cries when the copyright police strike with a car horn is unintentionally hilarious. He's Fredo Corleone if The Godfather was a Saturday Morning Cartoon.

Those aforementioned Gucci suits are recreated by costume designer Janty Yates. They make part of a memorable fall lineup that includes Paolo's gaudy fashion and Patrizia's extremely formal attire. A strong makeup team convincingly ages Lady Gaga nearly twenty years and renders Leto unrecognizable as Paolo. Production Designer Arthur Max and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski do a fine job of recreating the Guccis' fashionably sterile world. There's also a score by Harry Gregson-Williams, but there's a more memorable selection of oldies on the soundtrack, including some opera.

House of Gucci makes for a long soap opera episode. It's also a serious drama about the corrupting power of wealth. A few characters act like they're in one or the other. The Gucci brand is out of my price range, but its dysfunctional family story is easy to buy into. See it for yourself if you agree. Just be prepared for that massive length; there's several more films of that size to get through this year.

Tick, Tick ... Boom!

 Jonathan Larson died suddenly the night that his magnum opus rock opera, Rent, debuted on Off-Broadway. Before that, he sang about his life in another Off-Broadway piece, Tick, Tick ... Boom! That piece was revived and revised on Broadway in 2001 and revised once again for this Netflix film by writer Steven Levenson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the latter in his film directorial debut.

The film frames Larson's (Andrew Garfield) story within a performance of the musical itself. It's 1990, and Jon is on the verge of turning 30. He has spent eight years writing a sci-fi musical, Superbia, while waiting tables for the Moondance Diner. Fortunately, Superbia is about to have its first workshop performance. No less than Stephen Sondheim (Bradly Whitford) sees some potential in it. Still, he notes that it lacks an 11 O'clock number for its female lead.

His artistic lifestyle alienates his girlfriend, Susan (Alexandra Shipp). A few friends succumb to AIDS. And there's no guarantee that Superbia will get officially produced. He might have to follow his friend, Michael (Robin de Jesus), into advertising. His life is stuck and he literally hears it ticking away. 

Anyone with an existential crisis or about to have one will find themselves in Jon's shoes. Garfield portrays him as a likable man on the verge of getting older. I can relate to his anxieties about aging. Not just because I'm an aspiring creative person but because I'm a person. His fear of dying before his time is absolutely morbid in hindsight. The film is a strong case of how, as Sondheim put it, art isn't easy. Speaking of which, while Whitford plays Sondheim in person and does it well, the newly deceased man voices himself in a voicemail.

There's plenty of good supporting players. Shipp and de Jesus play the friends Jon needs. When Jon and Susan break up, set to a surprisingly entertaining number, we understand her frustrations with his obsessive lifestyle. Michael reminds Jon that he needs to take some responsibility in his life even if it is a lackluster job. Judith Light, as Jon's agent Rosa Stevens, reminds him of Sondheim's aforementioned point. Miranda also populates a few numbers with Broadway icons such as Joel Grey, Stephen Schwartz, Rent alumnus Daphne Rubin-Vega and himself.

 Miranda's technical team adds some style to Jon's existential crisis. Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum's editing is appropriately hectic. It frequently goes back and forth between Jon's daily life and him on stage. We see him go into a focus group with Michael, youthfully optimistic, and then it hits us with how dull it is. Jon and Michael going to the latter's new penthouse suite is set to an energetic number. Another number is a striking day dream which ends with the Moonshine opens up. That scene is where most of the cameos come in. Larson's score, which I don't think I've heard till now, is just as memorable as Rent's. You'll feel the pressure when you hear the ticking. The sound design is that great.

One can take solace that Rent became a success despite Larson's early death. While the film opens and closes with that point, Tick, Tick ... Boom! is a stylishly resonant portrayal of Jon's existential crisis. The 121 minutes easily tick away as Jon comes to terms with life. The ending private birthday party gives him and Susan a nice resolution. It's ready to stream on Netlfix whenever you are. You'll hear the boom once it's over.

Encanto

 Now that I've reviewed one Lin-Manuel Miranda animated musical, it's time to review the other. This is Disney's 60th animated movie, Encanto.

The Family Madrigal lives in the community of Encanto in the Colombian mountains. Their Abuela, Alma (María Cecilia Botero), created the Encanto with a magic candle that also created a living Casita. The candle also gives the Madrigals superpowers (strength, growing flowers, heals with meals, etc), as well as a magical matching bedroom. But not Alma's youngest granddaughter, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), for some reason.

One night, Mirabel starts seeing the Casita crack apart. The never-extinguishable magic candle is slowly extinguishing. Even her relatives' abilities start to falter. No one but her recognizes that something is seriously wrong. She decides to get to the bottom of this by investigating her reclusive prophesizing uncle Bruno's room. She finds herself at the center of Bruno's (John Leguizamo) prophesies. Then she finds the man himself...

Miranda and directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush are among the six names responsible for the screen story. Bush and Charise Castro Smith wrote the actual screenplay. It formally starts with Mirabel giving a quick rundown of The Family Madrigal (twice, even!). Mirabel's quest lets the plot slowly showcase her extended family members. It's a slow plot livened by the looming threat of Casita cracking. The story doesn't bother explaining why Mirabel doesn't have a super power. It's as if it's saying "does she need one?" It doesn't spell out why the Casita's falling apart, though by the time Mirabel and Alma have a third-act fight, you'll get it.

I'll take my time to rundown on (some of) The Family Madrigal. Mirabel is funny and nice, which makes her a good protagonist. One of her best scenes is when she talks it out with her oldest sister, Isabela (Diane Guerrero), the aforementioned flower grower, which helps the latter cut loose and be happy. Luisa (Jessica Darrow), Mirabel's super strong older sister, expresses her Surface Pressure in the catchy same-titled song. Bruno is the family pariah, with a surprisingly entertaining song to spell that out, but he's anything but creepy when we meet him. Aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitán), who changes the weather with her mood, is a nervous wreck, which isn't completely played for laughs. Finally, Alma, despite her "perfect" standards for her family, is a warm presence here. Her worst side comes in the third-act fight.

What can I say about Miranda's music? It's another good soundtrack. The Family Madrigal's double exposition is played for laughs, while the slow Dos Orugitas underscores a sad flashback. They all serve their purpose pretty well, as does Germaine Franco's instrumental score. The visuals they accompany include the splendid Casita, the surrounding village and the splendorous magical bedrooms. The character designers get points for designing people of every shape and color. Overall, it's another great film to look and listen to.

I didn't find Encanto as emotional as Coco or Vivo. But it's still a good movie about family togetherness. Its slow and steady story helps its Aesop develop naturally instead of bluntly. That's a great feat of storytelling many family films should copy. Its most emotional part is its opening short, Far from the Tree, a multigenerational story of a racoon and cub. It's a strong cartoon for parents and kids alike and a great lead-in for 99 minutes of a unique family story.

Vivo

 When I highlighted Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical year, I didn't take Vivo into account. This Sony Animated Film debuted on Netflix a few months ago. So, while I saw Encanto yesterday and was going to write on that, it didn't feel right without seeing Vivo first. Now I did. And you should to.

Miranda, in addition to the song-writing, is Vivo the kinkajou. He and his owner, Andres Hernandez (Juan de Marcos) are street performers in Havana. One day, a letter comes from his old bandmate, Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), asking him to come to her last show in Miami. But Death takes Andres in his sleep that night. Among the old man's belongings is a love song to Marta. Vivo decides to take the song to Marta himself. But how will he get to Miami?

Enter Andres's grandniece Gabi (Ynairaly Simo) and her mom, Rosa (Zoe Saldana). They come to Havana for his funeral; Vivo smuggles himself on the flight home. Gabi is happy to have the honey bear in her life. She agrees to help him get to Miami to deliver the song. What follows is a crazy adventure dealing with the Everglades, transportation issues, a giant snake named Lutador (Michael Rooker), and the Girl Scouts Sand Dollar Troop that Rosa wants Gabi to be in. It's quite a lot for a 97-minute movie.

Quiara Alegría Hudes co-wrote the film with director Kirk DeMicco. It doesn't take long for Andres to die but the opening establishes his and Vivo's relationship pretty well. It's quite tough when he does kick the bucket. Add Gabi's dad's (Andres's nephew) death in the backstory and we've got a surprisingly emotional film. It sometimes throws silliness at us to end such emotional moments. You will feel the mood whiplash.

But you'll also like the characters. Vivo and Gabi make for a great duo, even if she can't understand him. Their best moment is when they realized they've preserved the song after its sheet music is destroyed in the swamp. Andres and Marta make the most of their limited screentime. Their past and present feelings are easily understandable. The Sand Dollars are an entertaining trio of antagonists who eventually befriend our heroes. Lutador only appears in two scenes but is still a creepy villain. Dancarino and Valentina (Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer), a pair of spoonbills Vivo matchmakes, are surprisingly helpful characters.

There's plenty to like about the music. Vivo and Andres' relationship is established in the opening One of a Kind, an entertaining rapid rapping number. Gabi's My Own Drum is appropriate for her untrained musicality. Inside Your Heart, the central song, is the most resonant of its emotional numbers. Alex Lacamoire's score stands proudly on its own besides the memorable musical numbers.

There's also much to like about the visuals. It's primarily CGI, but a few musical numbers include some dazzling 2D animation. The Neon colors help these moments stand out. The animated characters are superb in either format. Its animated renditions of Havana, the Everglades and Miami are impressive CGI locales. 

Vivo is not merely some generic kids movie. Its love story subplot gives it plenty of resonance. The moods often clash, but its quirky characters help make it a great home matinee. Never heard of a kinkajou? This movie will give you plenty of education. So chill with Vivo if you've got Netflix. As for me, I'll get to reviewing Encanto next.

 For real this time.

Belfast

I've never seen John Boorman's Hope and Glory, his autobiographical film about his growing up at the dawn of World War II. I saw its poster once around 1994, but that's it. But seeing posters for Kenneth Branagh's similarly autobiographical Belfast is enough to remind me of the earlier film. A few other critics have already made the Hope and Glory connection; wonder if you'll make it.

Branagh represents himself with Buddy (Jude Hill), a Protestant lad growing up in Belfast, Ireland. His carefree life is disturbed on August 15th, 1969, when Protestant rioters attack his Catholic neighbors. This formally begins the decades-long Troubles. A few Protestant jerks, Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) and McLaury (Conor MacNeil), want Buddy's Pa (Jamie Dornan) to join them. Pa doesn't want to, despite their threats, and considers uprooting the family to England.

Meanwhile, Buddy tries to live his life. His Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Granny (Judi Dench) give him valuable life advice. His Ma (Caitriona Balfe) tries to keep up with Pa's debts. He pines for Catholic classmate, Catherine (Olive Tennant), his partner for an upcoming class assignment about the moon landing. He goes to the movies, which fill his life, and this black-and-white movie, with color. His cousin, Moira (Lara McDonnell), teaches him mischief. But that life won't last forever.

There's much to talk about with Haris Zambarloukos's cinematography. We see the camera circle around Buddy when rioters surround him. We see Pa stand tall when Clanton and McLaury first meet him. We see an intimidating hellfire sermon from a minister (Turlough Convery). Its black-and-white imagery has a major advantage; its full color movies dazzle us as much as they do Buddy. The effect must be seen to be believed.

The soundtrack is populated by Van Morrison songs, including a new one for the end credits. They're a good soundtrack for an easygoing life like Buddy's. Do Not Forsake Me, from High Noon, is Pa's soundtrack here. His final confrontation with the thugs is likened to Will Kane's battle with Frank Miller. This is after we see Buddy watch it on TV. It's an appropriate song choice.

How about the characters? Buddy is a likable kid even when Moira leads him astray. His relationship with Catherine is endearing. Ma's determination reaches a new height of audacity when she drags Buddy and Moira to a supermarket, in the middle of a riot, so he can return some laundry detergent he swiped. Pa proves himself a good man when he deals with the thugs, who are perfectly loathsome villains. Pop and Granny, meanwhile, get the best lines and are the warmest presences here.

Belfast runs a slow and steady story over a quick and easy 97 minutes. It's worth it thanks to its great ensemble, strong lead performance and unique technical style. I don't know if it's the Best Picture of the Year, but it's probably one of the best in my year. Its historical story certainly inspired me to read more on The Troubles. Will it have the same effect on you? Just see it and find out.

King Richard

 Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of Bel Air ...

And that's the extent of my Shakespeare jokes here. So, let's talk about the highly anticipated biopic King Richard, scripted by Zach Baylin and realized by director Reinaldo Marcus Green. 

The King is Richard Williams (Will Smith), who raises his five daughters in Compton with his wife, Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis). His youngest daughters are Venus (Sanjyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), who he plans to make tennis pros. His training regimen concerns a busy bee neighbor. But he presses on. 

Richard hires Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn) to coach Venus; Brandy secretly trains Serena. Eventually, both sisters get Rick Macci (Jon Berenthal) to coach them. Richard's overparenting doesn't endear him to potential sponsors. His strict regiments nearly threaten his familial relationships. He learns the humility he always preaches when Venus goes up against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

Let's talk about the King himself. Smith as Richard is front and center in this court. He's got good motives for his regimented training schedule. We often hear of his ego running wild on the court, though it's barely glimpsed here. What we do see of his ego is plenty. He threatens to desert the girls downtown when he doesn't see them humble enough. He micromanages Serena and Venus's first lesson with Macci. He argues with professionals when they won't let them skip to pro. Still, he deals with gang members coming onto his daughter, Tunde. One of his best moments is when he congratulates Venus for her good game against Vicario.

The King's court is made of plenty of excellent players. Ellis as Brandy is a formidable match with her on-screen husband, especially when she calls him out for his behavior. Sidney and Singleton are excellent as the future tennis pros. Berenthal as Macci is a great professional voice of reason for Richard. The gang members, whose names are in the credits somewhere, are a contemptable bunch. It's somewhat surprising when they pull an about face.

Editor Pamela Martin is the technical MVP here. There's plenty of exciting montages and tennis matches over 145 minutes. A few highlights include Venus defeating a row of sore losers at a club, Richard and Brandy training their girls separately, and the final tennis match. One formidable scene is when Richard contemplates dealing with the gang leader, only for rivals to get there first. Kris Bowers sets these moments and others to a stirring score.

I don't watch tennis often, if at all, but King Richard's court is a good one. It's got a strong title character and formidable supporting players. Its story makes for a captivating, if somewhat long, biopic. This is another excellent choice to watch next Father's Day. But do you know what's great about it being on HBO Max? You can watch it again immediately. 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

The 2016 Ghostbusters scared away a lot of potential viewers. It did somethings right and a few things less, but it's nothing to start World War III over. It was fine. We now have the Ghostbusters III after previous Ghostbusters IIIs were stuck in development. This is Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and this is more than fine.

Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) are forced to move to their late grandfather's farm in Summerville, Oklahoma, with their mom, Callie (Carrie Coon). Trevor finds work at a diner with Lucky (Celeste O'Connor). Meanwhile, Phoebe goes to summer school with a kid calling himself Podcast (Logan Kim). Their teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), starts dating Callie. Phoebe and Trevor find a few things around the farm that prove their grandfather was more than a mere "dirt farmer."

Their grandfather is original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), who moved there to prevent the second coming of their nemesis, Gozer. Summerville was even founded by Gozer's number one human fan, Ivo Shandor. Egon's provisions might not hold the Gozerian back forever. So, Phoebe, Trevor, Podcast and Lucky have to form a new team of Ghostbusters to vanquish the evil one.

Original series director Ivan Reitman gives the director chair to his son, Jason (who cameoed in Ghostbusters II as a rude kid). Jason and Gil Kenan's screenplay has a few references to the original films, yes. But it also has a strong story for Phoebe; initially as emotionally repressed as Egon, she learns to show emotions over time. The police chief insulting Egon's memory drives her to go for a proton pack. She even takes on Gozer directly in the climax; the first time with a really tense round of lame jokes. What's to hate?

Phoebe's fellow mortals are a great bunch. Fellow Ghostbusters Trevor, Lucky and Podcast are a likable crew and there's great chemistry between them all. Rudd as Grooberson is a likably eccentric teacher whose viewing material isn't kid friendly but still foreshadowing. Coon as Callie has plenty of pent-up resentment towards Egon, which leads to a strong scene when she discovers he really did care. Let's not forget the surviving Ghostbusters, who return to lend a hand against Gozer. Gozer is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo and played physically by Emma Portner and an unrecognizable and uncredited Olivia Wilde. It's an impressive arrangement.

I should start the technicals with Egon's portrayal. Aside from stock footage, he's played by a digitally-made up double. The opening shows his face in shadow, while the finale fully shows his digital ghost. I think the end result is well done. The ghosts and demons are a strong mix of CGI (the metal eating Muncher, the mini Stay Pufts), animatronics with CGI (Gozer's Terror Dogs, Vinz Clortho and Zuul). and human actors with CGI (Gozer, who has a creepy non-corporeal form). Beyond the visuals, composer Rob Simonsen mixes Elmer Bernstein's compositions from the first film with a few bits that would've fit right in. I can go on, but I won't.

I didn't think it was possible years ago. But Ghostbusters Afterlife is a strong continuation of one of the best 80s milestones. Its reverence for the past films goes beyond "I get it" moments. It's a strong story about coming to terms with the past. Oh yes, and it's also pretty funny. The new Ghostbusters are welcome to return should a sequel be made. Of course, the end credits gives us a potential sequel hook. It's one that I do hope they follow on. It's a great start to a long Holiday season. 

Spencer

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a renowned figure is fodder for biographical adaptations. People get to tell stories of figures that may or may not want them told. One such figure is Diana, Princess of Wales, the focus of two critical duds bearing her name, one of which is a Broadway musical. Faring better is Pablo Larrain's portrait of Lady Di, which bears her maiden name of Spencer. Let's check it out.

Steven Knight's screenplay portrays "a fable from a true tragedy." It's 1991, and Diana (Kristen Stewart) is well into her royal tenure. She drives herself to Sandringham on Christmas Eve for a Royal Holiday gathering. It's anything but festive as her marriage to Charles (Jack Farthing) is cracking. Her childhood home is next door but that's not on her agenda. Her agenda is strictly regimented by Royal orders. She does find a few sympathetic servants, including her dresser Maggie (Sally Hawkins) and Major Gregory (Timothy Spall).

Diana's mental health starts cracking under the strain. She even hallucinates Anne Boleyn (Amy Manson), Henry VIII's executed third wife. Eventually, she decides to break free before she metaphorically or literally loses her head.

Editor Sebastián Sepúlveda helps us get inside her head. We see her daydream eating her pearl necklace, among other things. These moments feel (film) real until we see otherwise. I even expected a cruel twist ending when Diana takes her little Princes, William and Harry, to London, but that fortunately wasn't the case. Her imagining herself in various parts of her life at the end is a highlight reel for Jacqueline Durran's colorful costumes. The dour mood is helped by Jonny Greenwood's foreboding score and the foggy countryside filmed by Claire Mathon. 

We don't see all of Diana's royal life over 111 minutes. But we get the context over the three day plot. Her marriage to Charles is extravagantly sterile and full of pent-up resentment. Her lack of a personal life greatly frustrates her. She's at her happiest when she's with her sons or Maggie. Overall, Stewart's performance draws us in to Diana's life as much as the editing. Her Diana is a person and not a character, if you get the point.

There's a good supporting cast here. Farthing as Charles is stubbornly traditional, which makes the ending, where he acquiesces to Diana taking the boys to London, very surprising. Maggie is a sympathetic ear to Diana the Person, while Gregory is the same for Diana the Royal. Stella Gonet makes the most of her screentime as Queen Elizabeth, even indirectly supporting her royal wardrobe diversions. Finally, there's Sean Harris as the stern but fair head chef Darren McGrady.

Spencer is about a royal in turmoil. Its central performance is a strong hook into its theoretically true story. Of course the person was real, but a few events are creative license. I get the hype now that I've seen it. You might too if you see it. I'll get to another biopic real soon, but my next review is far from realistic. We'll see how it is.

The French Dispatch

 It's about time for another eccentric Wes Anderson comedy. This time, he brings us stories from The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun. I'll give my thoughts on them as they come.

The titular newspaper, a pastiche of The New Yorker, ceases publication upon the death of founder and editor, Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray). After Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson), the "cycling reporter," takes us on a tour of the town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, we're presented the three classic stories that make up the final issue.

The Concrete Masterpiece: J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) chronicles Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro), an imprisoned mad artist and his muse and prison guard, Simone (Lea Seydoux). A shallow idiot named Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody) agrees to buy his works. It's an easy partnership until Moses gets artist's block. 

Revisions to a Manifesto: Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) gets a first-hand account of Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet), the leader of the "chessboard revolution." Let's just say it's more than first hand. 

The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner: Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) tells us about the crazy night he had dinner with the police commissioner (Mathieu Amalric), which is derailed when the commissioner's son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is snatched by crooks. He also tells us about the commissioner's chef, Lt. Nescaffier (Stephen Park), who plays a part in resolving the matter.

These segments are co-written by Anderson with Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and Hugo Guinness. Their tone ranges from dry wit, to melancholy, to silliness. I preferred the third segment with its madcap caper plot and a nice coda between Wright and Nescaffier as they bond over being ex-patriots. The second segment was OK, while the first one has delightful hamming from Del Toro and Brody. The first segment also has a great gag in the form of a running bribe counter.

These segments are almost always filmed by Robert D. Yeoman in black-and-white (with color when appropriate). It's a great way to emphasize certain details like one criminal's (Saorise Ronan) eyes. The third segment includes some exciting animated chases. Whether in monochrome or fullchrome, production designer Adam Stockhausen creates a vivid world in Ennui-sur-Blase. Milena Canonero's costume designs are just as splendid as her work in The Grand Budapest Hotel. The soundtrack includes a few oldies and another good Alexandre Desplat Score.

You're bound to miss a few faces in its huge cast. I didn't recognize Schwartzman as the Dispatch's cartoonist. We also have Willem Dafoe as an imprisoned accountant, Edward Norton as one of Gigi's kidnappers, Angelica Houston as the narrator and Liev Schrieber as the talk show host who interviews Wright, to name far more than a few. They're all a memorably quirky ensemble. 

This was supposed to come out summertime, last year. The French Dispatch arrives hot off the press at a fortunate time. Anderson's quirky comedy still lives. It's somewhat too long, but it's still an engaging character piece. There's plenty of stylish gags amidst its introspective story. Get your own first-hand accounts when you see this film.

Eternals

Jack Kirby's Marvel Super Heroes have been movie stars many times over. It's time for one of his most obscure sets to make their movie debuts. The Eternals, loosely inspired by Chariots of the Gods, are visualized by Chloe Zhao as her follow-up to her Oscar wins for Nomadland. I've a few issues with this film. But this is nowhere near the dumpster fire some of its most negative critics peg it as.

Who are The Eternals? They were created by the Celestial Arishem - basically God - to fight the monstrous Deviants. Led by the motherly Ajak (Selma Hayek), their ranks include the superperfect Ikaris (Richard Madden), the illusionist Sprite (Lia McHugh), the inventor Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), the superfast Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), the fireball shooting Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), the mind-controlling Druig (Barry Keoghan), the superstrong Gilgamesh (Don Lee), the warrior Thena (Angelina Jolie) and the central character, the transmuting Sersi (Gemma Chan). Their Anti-Deviant crusade got them to inspire myths, legends and advancements in human technology. But they're not supposed to get involved unless Deviants show up. They split up just after they kill the last Deviants, right as the Aztecs fall.

Everybody got that?

Anyway, the Eternals get back together when Deviants show up again. They find Ajak dead, so there's that. They spend most of the film's 157 minutes getting back together and reminiscing about their long history. They eventually learn the awful truth of their existence. There's also a Celestial, Tiamut, awaiting to emerge; once he does, no more Earth. So the Eternals have to stop that from happening. Though not everyone's on board with it.

The screenplay feels like the longest episode of Star Trek ever. And that's not an insult. There's plenty of philosophizing as the Eternals debate their place on Earth. Druig wants to solve conflicts by mind-control, Phastos is gutted by humanity's violent advancements, Sprite hates being young forever and Ikaris's undying loyalty to Arishem causes problems. It's an intriguing philosophical discussion. There's a lot to take in between the exposition and the philosophy.

The massive ensemble makes the massive runtime worth it. We get plenty of great character moments as The Eternals get the band back together. A highlight is Karun (Harish Patel), Kingo's valet, a great comic relief and sympathetic human character amongst gods. Sersi and Sprite's stories are captivating, while Ikaris is an understandable antagonist. You might have to keep notes on a few characters' names.

It nearly kneecaps itself with Kro (Bill Skarsgaard), the Deviant leader, who feels like an after-thought. It doesn't dwell on his motivations too long and he's simply killed in battle. He's a nobody caught up in inter-God conflict. It's a pity considering there's a decent spark in his story.

Zhao's technical Marvels are more than well-suited for the job. Its strongest visual effects are The Celestials, who are nightmarishly huge and awe-inspiringly colorful. Tiamut's aborted emergence alone warrants another Oscar nomination. Cinematographer Ben Davis and Production Designer Eve Stewart visualize plenty of amazing international spots across the years. Costume Designer Sammy Sheldon provides the Eternals with a stunning wardrobe. Ramin Djwadi's thoughtful and epic score is just as great as his work on Iron Man. Plenty of choices for the Oscars here.

Eternals' massive runtime is not easy to get through. Its slow plot could've been kickstarted a bit more. But its equally huge cast gives it their all. Its esoteric philosophy is an interesting one. The technical crew fail to disappoint on any scale. Overall, perhaps a few years will give it another chance. 

It ends on quite the cliffhanger. There's no sequel planned yet, but perhaps they'll come back in Thor: Love and Thunder or Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3. Its mid-credit scene introduces a few characters, one with a surprising relation and actor. Its end-credit scene briefly introduces, as a voice, a much anticipated character waiting for his MCU debut.

My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission

Let's get this done before Halloween ends and November begins. 

As with Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission takes a popular anime and manga franchise to the big screen. Unlike Demon Slayer, this is actually the third film based on Kohei Horikoshi's franchise and is not adapted directly from the printed page. Now for those who came in late:

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya used to be one of the 20% born without a superpower, a Quirk. That is, until he met his favorite superhero, All-Might, who shares his aptly-named Quirk, One for All, giving him momentary bursts of energy. He's enrolled in UA High for his superhero education. Lots of stuff happens and we're here:

Deku is one of many called to action to fight Humarise, a terrorist organization out to wipe out the Quirky. Even though a few members, including leader Flect Turn, have Quirks (but at least they admit it!). Their "Trigger Bombs" fatally drive Quirks out of control. Deku and his classmates, the literally explosive Katsuki Bakugo and the hot & cold Shoto Todoroki, head for Humarise's home-turf of Otheon. 

Deku runs into a streetwise guy named Rody Soul, who comes into possession of a Humarise defector's MacGuffin briefcase. Coincidentally, Deku is immediately framed as a mass murderer. So they head for the border with the case. Katsuki and Shoto join up later on. It's up to them to find Humarise's home base and stop their plan to Trigger Bomb the entire world.

The usual Quirky League - director Kenji Nagasaki, writer Yosuke Kuroda and animation studio Bones, et al - continue their work from the show and previous films. They create a decent standalone story for the main cast. Flect Turn's threat is quickly established with the first of his Trigger Bombs. There's some semblance of backstory for those who came in late. The main three and some of their peers get at least a few moments to shine. It milks some suspense and runtime with its climactic battles; at least we're on edge as we wonder how the main three will win.

This is very much Rody's movie. He's still a likable guy underneath the sarcastic exterior. We see him support his younger siblings with shady work. His time with Deku lets him open up. That's when we see his important connection to Humarise. There's some genuine suspense as we wonder if he'll stay on Deku's side. His bird sidekick, Pino, is more important than one first suspects. 

The animation includes some stunning long takes, such as one where Rody outruns Deku. It's somewhat diminished when characters obviously lack faces. But it's brought up by the Quirky character designs, especially of the new characters created by Horikoshi. Flect Turn's blue visage is instantly memorable; a few memorable lackeys include the handbow-wielding Beros and the oni-morphing Rogone. The heroes' side includes the living paperman Salaam, the aptly named Clair Voyance and an unnamed flying squirrel girl. Their battles are great displays of sight and sound. Some of the best bits of sound come from series composer Yuki Hayashi's score.

Deku's latest big screen mission continues My Hero Academia's standards of superheroic excellence. It's sure to thrill fans as they wait for the anime's sixth season next year. The uninitiated get a great audience surrogate with Rody Soul. The World Heroes' Mission has something for everyone. I saw the English dub but it's also available subtitled. Whatever language suits you will do just fine. It's sure to make slow Sundays go, as the show puts it, plus ultra.

Dune

David Lynch's 1984 film of Dune is a fascinating failure. It's got great concepts crammed into two and a quarter hours. That doesn't bode well for cohesive storytelling, does it? But now, director Denis Villeneuve and his co-writers, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, try their hand at adapting Frank Herbert's career-defining novel into cinematic form. 

Or, at least about half of it, considering it calls itself Dune: Part One.

In the way far-off future, the desert planet Arrakis, aka Dune, is the center of the universe. It's the only source of Spice, which lets people live longer, smarter and in the hands of the ominous Spacing Guild, allows them to navigate spaceships across the universe. The creepy Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) cedes control of the Spice Mining Operation to his arch-enemy, the goodly Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). It's a plot to lure the Duke to his death.

Meanwhile, Leto's son Paul (Timothee Chalamet) has prophetic dreams about Arrakis. These get the attention of the Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) of the Bene Gesserit, the order which his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Fergusson) was part of. The Rev. Mother is worried that Paul might be the prophesized Kwisatz Haderach. Arrakis's native Fremen view Paul as their prophesized Messiah. Paul's not happy with the future knowledge of a violent war in his name. The Harkonnens' sneak attack doesn't help either. He'll have to seek help from the Fremen to ward off the desert, its humongous sandworms and Team Harkonnen.

It's only half the story of Lynch's film but it's a better film. Its massive worldbuilding is spread across the story as opposed to the first film's college lecture exposition. Concepts that were barely defined or not at all in that film are better defined here. The Maud'Dib, a desert mouse whose survival skills inspire Paul to chose his Fremen name later in the novel, is a great example. You'll get the gist of this universe pretty well. The half-way story might not feel like a complete one. But the climax is still relevant for Paul.

Every role is perfectly cast here. Chalamet as Paul is a strong Messianic deconstruction. He's not happy about the future violence in his name and wants to change it. Still, he recognizes he needs to help free the Fremen. His friendship with soldier Duncan Idaho (Jason Mamoa) is strongly defined, which makes the latter's demise somewhat sad. Somewhat because he went down fighting. Isaac as Leto is a good man, while Skarsgard is perfectly repulsive as the Baron, as is David Bautista as Harkonnen's nephew Rabban. Zendaya is fine as Paul's literal dream girl, Chani, while Sharon Duncan-Brewster is better as Dr. Kynes. Other highlights include Josh Brolin as Paul's mentor, Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Fremen leader Stilgar and Chang Chen as Dr. Yueh.

Yes, I saw this on HBOMax, but on my largest TV. Its technicals were still amazing. The ludicrously massive spaceships, the dragonfly-esque Ornithopter and the sandworms are amazingly realistic CGI. Cinematographer Greig Fraser perfectly establishes the scale of this universe. Production Designer Patrice Vermette visualizes each world, from the Harkonnens' bleak Giedi Prime to the harshly serene Arrakis, splendidly. The aural side includes some great sound design and an eerie score from Hans Zimmer. I should make plans to see it in theatres eventually.

This is a movie I wanted to review for a long time. And I hope that the Part One in the title isn't tempting fate. Dune is a good start to this latest attempt at Herbert's universe. Its worldbuilding across 155 minutes is intriguing instead of soporophic. There's some welcome levity in this serious space story. It's quite an experience to compare it to past versions. You can have that experience too on HBOMax and theatres now.

The Last Duel

 Ridley Scott began his film directing career with The Duelists in 1977. And now, for the first of two films he has this year, Scott chronicles The Last Duel, based on Eric Jager's non-fiction book.

The screenplay is divided into three parts chronicling, Rashomon-style, the lead-up to one of the last Trial by Combats in France. Each part is written, in succession, by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener. Damon and Affleck also star as Jean de Carrouges and Count Pierre d'Alencon. Who are they?

 Well, during the 100-years War, Carrouges was a war hero serving alongside Squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). They used to be pals until Le Gris met d'Alencon. The Count gives Le Gris a coveted captaincy and a piece of land both promised to Carrouges. Carrouges doesn't take it well. The last straw comes when Carrouges's wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Le Gris of raping her. Carrouges decides to throw down the gauntlet. Whoever wins is telling the truth, so says God.

But Le Gris' version portrays Carrouges as a petulant brute. Le Gris and Marguerite have a mutual attraction towards one another. He recognizes his sins after the deed. But in Marguerite's version, which the film emphasizes is the truth, neither man is a saintly paragon. Carrouges is a petulant brute who only married her for an heir and dowry. Le Gris, while somewhat attractive, isn't much better. She's not into the Trial by Combat either; especially since she'll be burned at the stake if her husband loses.

The film shows neither man as perfect in their POV-parts either. In example, Carrouges has no sympathy as his men flee a flaming arrow ambush, while Le Gris has no sympathy for Carrouges's complaints. Damon and Driver convincingly sell us on their characters' good natures. It's all upended when their true selves are revealed. Comer as Marguerite captivates us with her story all the way through. And who can blame her for not wanting the duel? Affleck, nearly unrecognizable with blond hair, is fine as the libertine Count. Harriet Walter as Carrouges's mother is harsh but we understand her worldview in the end.

Now we get to the technical side. The bloody battle scenes lose their luster pretty quickly. I was more stunned by the patriarchal stiffs' backwards statements than the routine stabbings. The best battle scene is the titular battle; even though I knew who won, it was still a suspenseful brawl. It's a strong scene thanks to editor Claire Simpson. The scenery filmed by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski is stunning. The costume and production designs are convincingly medieval. Harry-Gregson Williams's score is impressive, as is the sound design.

The Last Duel is a slow medieval drama. It's 152 minutes long so we have to get through a lot to that duel. That duel doesn't disappoint but about ten minutes could've been shaved off. Still, its present-day medieval commentary is commendable. It's better than nothing for a slow Sunday afternoon. So see it if you have nothing else to do.

No Time to Die

 It wasn't 2015, or 2020, but this year, when Daniel Craig, the sixth James Bond, the first Bond I saw theatrically, has his final, for real this time, mission. It's a tall order for Bond's 25th overall mission, No Time to Die, which was written by director Cary Joji Fukunaga with three other writers.

This time, James and his one true Bond girl, Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux) enjoy a peaceful retirement in Matera, Italy. That is, until she inadvertently leads him into a Spectre ambush. He gets her on the next train out. 

Five years later, James is recruited by his CIA buddy, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), to a new mission. Spectre stole a nanobot virus, the Heracles, which kills anyone with specific DNA. But its creator, Dr. Obruchev (David Dencik), is working for the true villain, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), on a plot to destroy Spectre. Safin, as seen in the prologue, once tried to kill, then saved, young Madeline. He wants her for himself.

Bond's mission is to find Obruchev and stop Safin's plots. Does it sound convoluted? Ultimately, I don't think it is. Bond and Madeline's story is an engaging one even if one hasn't seen Spectre rather recently. We see their relationship - and her encounter with Safin - established in the 22 minute prologue. We understand the threat posed by the Heracles and its creators. We get to see Bond come to terms with his past, especially his lost love Vesper (Eva Green), who perished in Casino Royale. It leads to an almost unthinkable ending. It all plays out in a massive 163 minute runtime.

Among the new characters is Nomi (Lashana Lynch), the newest Agent 007. She's a strong partner for classic 00 and the confusion between them is kind of funny. Ana de Amares makes the most of her limited screentime as Paloma, an agent who helps Bond out in Cuba. Malek as Safin is sure to be among the franchise's most memorable villains. His soft-spoken entitlement complex makes him as creepy as his porcelain mask. Obruchev is such an unlikable twit that you might wish for his death long before it happens. There's also Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet), Madeline's five-year old daughter. It takes a long while to establish who the dad is but it's still emotional.

Hans Zimmer's score perfectly punctuates its romantic and action moods. Its somber title song by Billie Eillish and Finneas O'Connell exemplifies the former. Expect to hear it a lot in the score. Production designer Mark Tildesley gives Safin an impressively bleak villain base. Its scale is helped by Linus Sandgren's cinematography, which includes some amazing aerial shots of London. Editors Tom Cross and Elliot Graham put us on edge once Safin first appears in the prologue. We can tell what's gonna happen instantly.

No Time to Die is a strong finale to this Bond cycle. The end credits promise "James Bond will Return," but I hope it'll take a while. It feels like a grand finale even if it's not. You'll need all the time in the world to process its finale. What a way for Bond to go, that's what I'll say. It really earns its massive length. See it on the safest screen you can find.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

 At 97 minutes, Venom: Let There Be Carnage doesn't waste time. So I won't either.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) interviews Serial Killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson). Eddie's journalistic career is resurrected. He and his symbiote Venom are happy, at first. Cletus's execution gets fast-tracked and he's not happy. One scuffle later and Cletus accidentally ingests a bit of Venom. The bit becomes a full symbiote, Carnage, which foils Cletus's execution and revives his killing career.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Venom break-up over the latter wanting to eat brains. Cletus breaks out his childhood sweetheart, Frances (Naomie Harris), whose sonic shrieks are lethal to symbiote kind. That's a problem for Cletus and Carnage's relationship. Eddie and Venom realize they need each other just in time to fight off the villains.

The screen story was conceived by Hardy and Kelly Marcel and realized by director Andy Serkis. I must reiterate that it doesn't waste time on story. It's a simple one involving some complicated relationships. It does miss some opportunities to elaborate but it's not a fatal injury. We still get the gist of Venom and Eddie's symbiotic relationship. It's a funny and strangely endearing one. I must say that it does a better job than its predecessor at being intentionally funny. 

Harrelson as Cletus Kasady is a complicated sociopath. He's a bit self-righteous and ax-crazy but he still has a sympathetic side. That involves his relationship with Frances; let's say they were made for each other. Harrelson is also unrecognizable as the voice of Carnage. It's some impressive voice work.  Meanwhile, Det. Mulligan (Stephen Graham), was an OK side antagonist. Peggy Lu, returning as Mrs. Chen, stands out in the supporting cast.

There's some strong sound work. Maybe, too strong. The speakers at my showing made some of the sounds unbearable. That includes Carnage's roars. Cinematographer Robert Richardson helps make Carnage's emergence in San Quentin perfectly creepy. Carnage's red and black design is stunning as is his transformation effects. The same goes for Eddie and Venom, especially when the latter host jumps. There's some great photography of San Francisco, a city I really want to get back to.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage makes for a quick and easy matinee. Still, a few bits make one think hard about any follow-ups. The one that's sure to be the most talked about is the mid-credits scene. It's a perfect set-up for Spider-Man: No Way Home. We got a few months to guess what will result. A month after that is when Sony's next superhero movie, Morbius, debuts.

Blithe Spirit

 Blithe Spirit came out early this year and is now about to apparate stateside on physical media. If that title sounds familiar, then it's because it's the latest screen version of Noel Coward's 1941 play, which was previously filmed in 1945. How does this version fare?

London, 1937. Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) is a rich idiot novelist about to make his screenwriting debut. He's married to Ruth (Isla Fisher), whose father owns the studio filming the screenplay. But he's got writer's block and said screenplay is based on his novel. He decides he needs some supernatural help. So he hires the quack psychic Madame Arcati (Judi Dench) to conduct a séance. All's well and good, except Arcati might not be a quack...

Charlie's first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), apparates shortly afterwards. She's not a happy ghost and lets him know it. The poltergeist act frustrates Charlie, especially since only he can see and hear her, but sparks fly between them again. She even gets him out of his writer's block. But she still wants to take him to her plane of existence. If only Madame Arcati were here to exorcise Elvira...

Maybe...

Noted theatre director Edward Hall visualizes a screenplay by Meg Leonard, Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft for his first feature. The only lines recognizable from Coward are in the séance. That's not a problem by itself; wanna know what is? Charlie is an unlikable twit all the way. His unhappily wedded life to either of his wives can get tiresome. Ruth is just OK, while Elvira's best moments are when she turns vicious. "Til death do us part" means nothing to her. That's a scary thought. Madame Arcati is the best character of the piece by being the most likable. I would have done without the final twist about Charlie's writing career. Where did that come from? 

Production Designer John Kelly modified the Joldwynds House into the Condomine home. It's a visually interesting house both inside and out; Kelly's recreation of 30's London is also stunning. The costumes designed by Charlotte Walter give Elvira a new outfit in every scene. And they're all appealing. There were also some good ghostly effects, with the best being Elvira's creepy apparating. The ending (not the writing twist) has a great feat of editing. 

I suspect the biggest problem with Blithe Spirit is that it tries too hard to be funny. A few bits of overacting got a chuckle. But not the whole piece. It was free on-demand for me and with its physical release on Tuesday, it'll be cheaper on streaming for most. See it if you're curious. It's only 99 minutes so you won't have to spend too long with these people.

Respect

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, didn't get to see her biopic, Respect. But she approved Jennifer Hudson to play her in it. The end result sees theatre director Liesl Tommy in her film debut realizing a script by Tracey Scott Wilson and Callie Khouri. Let's see how it is.

Aretha (Skye Dakota Turner as a kid) starts out as the daughter of Minister C.L. Franklin (Forrest Whitaker), who shows off her singing talents to Black music royalty. Her childhood isn't easy; a few incidents include her mother, Barbara's (Audra McDonald) sudden death, her parents' quarrelling and an encounter that leaves her pregnant far too early. Eventually, she's singing to her father's parishioners. She meets and falls for producer Ted White (Marlon Wayans), a man her dad distrusts. She eventually gets a recording contract with Columbia Records.

Her career goes pretty much nowhere. She eventually switches to Muscle Shoals under producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron). A late night jam session with her sisters leads to R.E.S.P.E.C.T. with her first smash hit. Her superstar life isn't easy; Ted proves to be an abusive control freak, while she turns to the bottle. She needs help to confront her "demons." She has to stand up for herself to get the Respect she needs. It all leads to the filming of her Amazing Grace live album, which was finally released in 2018.

Aretha Franklin's faith in Hudson is well-rewarded. Hudson's performance as Aretha is a compelling one. She's optimistic but she's not afraid to assert herself. Her performance of Respect and her leaving Ted are audibly crowd-pleasing scenes. In fact, the musical performances are outstanding all around. The alcoholism leads to a stage mishap and a climactic conversation with her dead mother. Overall, she'll get your attention even if it's distracted by the 145 minute runtime.

Who else do we see? Whitaker as C.L. Franklin is a flawed, yet sympathetic stern father figure. He threatens to disown Aretha for seeing Ted, yet he finds it to forgive her later on. Wayans is utterly recognizable as Ted, an abusive jerk with a charming front. Their relationship puts the audience on the fence as to who to root for. But we figure it out at the end. Aretha's sisters, Erma (Saycon Senbloh) and Carolyn (Hailey Kilgore), are great support for her. Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington doesn't take kindly to one of Aretha's performances, but she gives good advice to her shortly after. 

It's a slow but steady movie. Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin's quest for Respect makes the long haul worth it. See it in theatres if you can. You'll have a larger crowd to hear cheering with her if you do. Like mine.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 … And a complicated tale of Public Domain.

Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu was created by Jim Starlin and Steve Englehart as the heroic son of Sax Rohmer's infamous supervillain Fu Manchu, who, in addition to being a racially insensitive character, is also not completely in the public domain. What would happen if he had a movie?

Simple. Retool Fu Manchu into The Mandarin, Iron Man's archenemy, a character impersonated in Iron Man 3 by Ben Kingsley's washed-up character actor Trevor Slattery. The end result, written by director Destin Daniel Cretton with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Who is Shang-Chi? He (Simu Liu) is the son of the long-lived warlord Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), aka The Mandarin. Wenwu leads the ominous Ten Rings Organization, named for his magical arm rings. Wenwu tried to be a family man until his enemies killed his wife (Fala Chen). So he trained Shang-Chi and his sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), to be killers. Shang-Chi escaped to San Francisco as "Shaun," and is now a hotel valet with his pal, Katy (Awkwafina).

Shang-Chi reveals his martial artistry when the Ten Rings come calling. They take him, Xialing and Katy back to their compound. Wenwu wants to find Ta Lo, his wife's mystical home village, where he thinks she's being held. He needs his kids' pendants to help find it. And if Ta Lo won't let him free her, he'll kill everything. Shang-Chi won't stand for it and he and the others make it to Ta Lo first. It's a good thing; turns out Wenwu's being tricked into releasing the ominous Dweller in Darkness.

Its supporting cast is good. Katy is a great sidekick, equally funny and battle ready. She gets even better when she helps defeat the Dweller. Xialing and Shang-Chi's aunt, Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh), is a warm presence. The aforementioned Trevor Slattery returns for some more comic relief; he's even better now than he was then. Special mention goes to Morris the Hundun, a faceless winged six-legged fuzzy creature. He's surprisingly cuddly. 

Now for the main family relationship. Shang-Chi is a decent hero made compelling by his strained family relationship. Xialing vents a lot of frustration when she reunites with Shang-Chi in the ring of her fight club. The flashbacks to their brutal training spells it out clearly. We see Wenwu be a great family man until his wife's murder. It's brutal to see him and Shang-Chi blame each other for her death. Their climactic fight lets them vent their own frustration perfectly. 

Let's talk about the technical style. Ta Lo and Xialing's fight club are excellent creations of production designer Sue Chan. Ta Lo, in particular, is populated by splendid mythological creatures from Guardian Lions to Nine-Tail Foxes. The Dweller-in-Darkness, and its good counterpart, The Great Protector, are formidable CGI dragons. And here's hoping the Academy take notice of costume designer Kym Barrett and her opulent wardrobe for Ta Lo's residents. The action is great, even if it felt like some parts were edited too fast. Still, the bus fight with the Ten Rings is an exciting showcase for martial arts and San Francisco scenery. Joel P. West's majestic score suits the film perfectly.

A few story beats sound cliched. But Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings perked my interest in one of Marvel's least well-known characters. Its end credits promise "The Ten Rings will Return;" how will they factor in the MCU? Its mid-credits scene promises the Ten Ring artifacts will play an important role somehow. These scenes leave us with a few interesting thoughts. Stay safe if you see it in theaters now. It'll be available on Disney Plus sometime later. Whichever the format, see it on the largest screen you can.

Annette

It's been a while since I went on Amazon Prime for a movie. By a while, I actually mean a month. So here I am with the musical Annette, the first English film by French director Leos Carax (Holy Motors), who co-wrote the screenplay with the songwriters, Ron and Russell Mael of the band Sparks. What did they create?

"What?" might be the question.

Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) and Ann Defrasnaoux (Marion Cotillard) get married. He's a stand-up comedian and she's an Opera soprano. They have a baby girl, Annette, who is played by a marionette (Yes, seriously). Henry's career flatlines while Ann's star rises. A particularly unfunny routine, and Henry's outrage over the audience's outrage, seals the deal.

One day, Henry and Ann go on their yacht. She goes overboard and he's stuck with the puppet. Eventually, Henry realizes Annette is a budding soprano herself. So he and Ann's former accompanist (Simon Helberg) decide to take her on tour. How long will that last before Henry's attitude craters his life?

That describes around 90 minutes of the film.

It opens with an ensemble number as the cast (Sparks and Carax, included) start recording the opening number, So May We Start, before they leave the studio and walk around LA to sing it. Yeah. Anyway, it's about forty minutes before Annette puts in an appearance. The lead-up is filled with OK songs that are mainly talk-sung. Expect a lot of repeated lyrics; Ann and Henry's love song is We Love Each Other So Much, a title that makes up about half the lyrics. Henry's meltdown song an hour in, You Used To Laugh, is the first entertaining song. It's surprisingly entertaining for this kind of song.

Henry is crass and rude, while Ann's simply good. We don't get context to how their relationship started. But it deteriorates somewhat quickly. Henry is somewhat sympathetic when he sings out his insecurities. But he's so hard to like. Their story is so dull I barely cared about the tragedy. It eventually got better when Annette took center stage. Her rising stardom made me think of a wackier take on Tommy. The wackiest part comes from a court clerk (Kait Tenison) suffering from hay fever.

What I found objectively perfect is its technicalities. The cinematography and production design is superb. Whether it's Annette's surreal concerts or Ann's opera performances (which has her step into a real forest at one point), this is a great movie to look at. Henry and Ann's mad waltz during their stormy yacht cruise is perfectly weird; the rear-projected storm fits the mood. This and You Used To Laugh are highlights of the editing and sound design. Annette herself sits atop the uncanny valley; there's still some great artistry to make her move.

Annette is a visually appealing and dramatically dull musical story. Its title character needs some time to get used to. But it makes some thematic sense, overall. It's certainly destined to join The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a midnight movie one day. Indeed, I found plenty of opportunity to call back at the movie during its 140 minutes. That made much of the movie bearable. See the movie for much more I haven't alluded to. It's free on Amazon Prime.

Free Guy

Free Guy had to wait a year to come out. But I'm glad it's here now. It's a delightful video game-inspired comedy from director Shawn Levy and writers Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn. Here's the review, at long last:

The main Free Guy is Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a bank teller in Free City. Everyday, he greets his goldfish, gets the same coffee and goes to work, which is robbed several times a day by folks in sunglasses. The same folks who shoot up, smash up and loot up the city. But everyone's chipper about it. There's a simple explanation for that...

That's because Free City is an online video game. Guy is one of its many NPCs. One day, Guy meets Molotov Girl, the avatar of programmer Millie Rusk (Jodie Comer), and decides to deviate from his pre-programmed routine. He stops the next robbery and steals the player's sunglasses which lets him see power-ups, the HUD, etc. Guy decides to level up with good guy missions. He becomes an internet star overnight.

It turns out that Free City was built with stolen code that Millie and her ex-partner, Walter (Joe Keery) developed. She needs proof, though, and Guy is the perfect partner for her mission. She doesn't have much time as the game's publisher, Antwan (Taika Waititi), is ready to release Free City 2. And that means a digital apocalypse for Free City 1. 

Its main Guy is walking optimism, which is bound to captivate and/or frustrate cynical players. His existential quest inspires other NPCs to reevaluate their lives. His existential crisis halfway through leads to an interesting discourse on the reality of fictional characters. Overall, he's sure to endear himself to his real-life audiences. The script's only flaw is Guy getting rebooted and temporarily memory wiped; it disrupts the flow of the impending digital apocalypse.

What about the supporting cast? Millie and Walter have a strong romantic subplot, while Antwan is a perfectly funny and dangerous manchild. Molotov Girl and Guy's own digital romantic subplot is as real as any great romcom's. The wanton mayhem in Free City and its NPCs' chipper reaction to it all is hysterical. It gets profound when they reevaluate their digital lives; it's especially so with Guy's NPC best friend, Buddy (Lil Rey Howery).. The best surprise is Antwan's secret weapon, Dude, played by Aaron Reed with Reynolds' deepfaked face.

Oh yeah, the deepfaked face. It's so seamless and unnerving at the same time. It's an hysterical combination. There's also some obvious CGI used for some outstanding video game feats. A highlight is a scene where Guy evades two moderators (Walter and his co-worker, Mouser) in a shifting construction site with super shoes. Production Designer Ethan Tobman perfectly renders Boston into Free City. Editor Dean Zimmerman gets a few laughs by switching between worlds. Let's not forget a good score by Christophe Beck.

Free Guy seems like a bright and earnest action comedy. It actually is. It's also a smart and profound existential video game-inspired story. Free City's world gives one a lot to think about. See it in theaters if you can; stay safe if you do. It'll also make a great home matinee once it's ready. Just see it on the biggest screen you can. It's sure to be a winner in this dour year.

The Suicide Squad

Among the many issues people had with 2016's Suicide Squad was its poor attempt to mimic Guardians of the Galaxy. Well, now Guardians writer/director James Gunn is in charge of The Suicide Squad. The first film was OK but this is significantly better.

As before, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) assembles some of the most unsavory characters for a secret mission. Their mission, that they have no choice but to accept, is to infiltrate the Banana Republic country of Corto Maltese. They have to infiltrate the secret Jotunheim base and destroy all traces of something called "Project: Starfish." Anyone who falls out of line gets blown up by an implanted bomb. That includes Savant (Michael Rooker), the first character we even meet. He understandably AWOLS after fellow Squad member Blackguard (Pete Davidson) sells them out to the enemy, who massacres them.

Meanwhile, the actual "heroes" undertake the mission. They're Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melachor), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). They meet up with first team survivors Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). They also agree to help the Corto Maltese Freedom Fighters liberate the country. It gets serious when they discover the Junta's secret weapon is the ominous Starro the Conqueror.

Gunn's prologue quickly establishes the wacky carnage to come. The first team is hopelessly outclassed by the Corto Maltese military. Some more so than others, especially T.D.K (Nathan Fillion), a reworked version of a ludicrous character called Arm-Fall-Off Boy. The aptly named Weasel (Sean Gunn) doesn't make it to shore, at least initially. I know I complained about the first film's Slipknot dying so quickly. But the first team's decimation is the punchline to a hilariously gruesome joke.

The actual squad is a likable bunch of anti-heroes. They have their own issues to deal with in addition to Starro and the Junta. Polka-Dot Man's insecurity makes him the most sympathetic of the Squad. Bloodsport's strained relationship with his daughter gives him a compelling arc. King Shark's a laid-back guy who needs to watch his cravings for people. Ratcatcher II's good nature makes her the most endearing squad member. Peacemaker's absurdly blind jingoism goes from hilarious to creepy to sad. Their raid on what turns out to be the Freedom Fighters' camp barely dents their likability.

The Squad's elaborate and sometimes goofy costumes were designed by Judianna Makovsky. The makeup department adds some strong help to these designs. They fit in right well with the story's wackiness. Starro, in particular, is a goofy and creepy CGI monster. The same goes for his little Starros which latch onto unfortunate faces. King Shark is a much more pleasing CGI creature ... even when he eats people. John Murphy's score contains an alluring track when King Shark meets some fellow sea creatures. It's a strong setup for another gruesome punchline.

The Suicide Squad is a brutal yet endearing tale of super misfits and their problems. Its unlikely heroes are as memorable as its director's other super team. Its human villains are OK but its alien villain is better. Its final battle and resolution are awesome displays of super feats and super blackmail. See the film to get what I mean. See it all the way through to see the fates of a few characters. See it on HBOMax or theaters Now. 

Jungle Cruise

We could have had a Jungle Cruise last year.

But, no. Disney's film of its famous boat ride took a detour to this year. Director Jaumet Collet-Serra and his many screenwriters turned it into a mix of Pirates of the Caribbean and The African Queen (itself an inspiration for the ride). How does this mixture work?

It's 1916 and World War I is happening. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and her brother, McGregor (Jack Whitehall), go to the Amazon to search for the "Tears of the Moon," a tree whose petals cure anything. They were laughed out of the Royal Society for proposing their exposition. So they go there themselves. They have a MacGuffin arrowhead to help them find it. They hire Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) as their "skippy."

Meanwhile, Prince Joachim of Prussia (Jesse Plemmons) pursues our heroes. He revives the cursed conquistador Lope de Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez) and his men to help him find the tree. While Frank normally captains staged Jungle Cruises for gullible tourists, he now has to guide Lily and McGregor past these real dangers and more to get to the tree.

Let's start with the characters. Frank is a groaner pungeon master with a twist of a backstory. He's a good guy, especially when McGregor all but comes out to him. McGregor, meanwhile, is quite a fop but he proves himself capable. Lily's story sounds like nothing new but it's sufficient. Paul Giamatti does well in his small role as Nilo, Frank's pompous Italian "boss." The villains, Prince Joachim and Aguirre, are fine; slight edge to Aguirre and his creepy conquistadors, though.

How creepy are the conquistadors? One's merged with a beehive, and Aguirre himself is filled with snakes. Its quite obvious CGI, as are most of the animals, but the designs are perfectly creepy. The action scenes are mostly entertaining, especially Lily's escape from Joachim at the start. But Lily getting nabbed by surprise mercenaries just before she sets sail is jarring. The finale is overlong and somewhat tedious. At least there's a good score from James Newton Howard to listen to. Still, the most memorable piece is the opening instrumental of Nothing Really Matters.

I actually rode the Jungle Cruise in 2016. So how does the movie compare to the ride? Other than it's longer? It's an OK action film that could have shaved a few minutes. It's 127 minutes long, but it's a bit too long. I don't think it's gonna start a franchise. But who knows. It's cheaper to see it in theaters than on Disney Plus right now. But it'll be free on the latter in a few months or so. So take your pick. As for me, it makes me wish I could be on the ride again.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

 Let's agree on something. 

Is Space Jam the best Basketball movie ever made? I don't know. But I'm sure it's the best cartoon basketball movie ever made. It's been twenty-five years since Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes teamed up. We now have a sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, which sees LeBron James team up with the Looney Tunes.

What's the set up? LeBron wants his (fictional) sons Darius (Ceyair J. Wright) and Dom (Cedric Joe) to follow his footsteps on the court. Dom wants to make video games. He even made one, a literal free-for-all ball game called "Dom Ball." One day, Warner Bros. comes calling. They have a new server, Al-G Rhythm, that can put LeBron into any movie. LeBron says no but Dom's interested. So the self-aware Al-G (Don Cheadle) takes the two into the "Warner Server-verse." LeBron has to beat Al-G at basketball to get Dom back.

LeBron gets sent to Tune World, where he meets Bugs Bunny. They assemble the dream team, namely the other Looney Tunes, across the Server-verse. Meanwhile, Al-G tricks Dom into creating his dream team, the Goon Squad. It all comes ahead on the digital basketball court. There's not much at stake except the Tunes' existences and the freedom of Al-G's "captive audience." So there's a lot.

Director Malcom D. Lee and his six screenwriters create a sufficiently looney tale. There's a good story between LeBron and his fictional family. I'm sure you've seen the basics before. But it ended rather well. Still, you won't believe a certain someone's sacrifice for an instant. Its metafictional jokes are entertaining. Wile E. Coyote on the Fury Road, Granny and Speedy in The Matrix, and the countless cameo spectators. You'll see those and more.

Now for the technicals. The 2D and CGI animation, and their blending with live-action, is spectacular. It's especially so when LeBron and the Tunes are inserted into old films. Their time in DC World perfectly recreates the art style of the DCAU. It's so seamless. The Goon Squad's designs are perfectly creepy. The main event's quirky effects were cool too. It's all set to a good score from Kris Bowers.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is ready to watch in theaters or HBOMax. I don't think it's better than the original. But it's still an entertaining matinee on any screen. It's a good showcase for LeBron and the Looney Tunes. Here's hoping they both get more movie roles. You might have to watch it again and again to pick out the cameo characters. You've got a bit of time left.