The Black Phone

 I've already discussed four adaptations of Stephen King's works already. It might be five this year if that Salem's Lot movie materializes in September (where's the trailer?). In the meantime, we've got a film of his son, Joe Hill's short story, The Black Phone. Let's see how that is.

It's 1978 in Denver. Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) is a bully magnet who lives with his abusive dad Terrence (Jeremy Davies) and psychic sister Gwen (Madeline McGraw). Finney gets grabbed by the local serial killer, The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), and is held in his soundproof basement. There's a black phone that could bring the police over. If only it wasn't disconnected ...

But it still rings. The ghosts of The Grabber's victims call to help Finney survive their predicament. Finney spends much of the movie trying their escape plans. Meanwhile, Gwen uses her dreams to try to help Detectives Wright and Miller (E. Roger Mitchell and Troy Rudeseal) find Finney. A local weirdo, Max (James Ransone), has no idea how vital he is to the case. It all comes to ahead when Finney is forced to fight The Grabber himself.

It feels longer than the half-hour before Finney meets The Grabber. By then, we get to see how brutal Finney's dad and bullies are, and already wish ill on them. On the positive side, we get to see Finney and Gwen's endearing sibling bond. So, we're already invested by the time Finney gets grabbed. Finney growing from a timid kid to an action survivor is a captivating watch. Equally compelling is Gwen trying to make sense of her powers. It also helps that she has the best lines and a tough personality. Their final reunion is well worth it.

The Grabber is a perfectly eccentric scumbag. He presents himself as a jolly magician to lure his victims. He still tries being chummy even when he masks himself like a Kabuki Oni. His voice barely rises even when he's angry. We're given little reason to trust him, which becomes justified when he seemingly lets Finney go free. Overall, he's just as memorable as many of King's vilest villains, especially Pennywise.

Now for the rest of the cast. Terrence started out a hate sink, but surprisingly proved himself redeemable in the end. The bullies start out hate sinks and mostly stayed hate sinks, though one of them and Gwen share an awkwardly funny moment after she bashes his head with a rock. Max was entertaining, while Wright and Miller are fine good cops. The most memorable of the ghostly victims are tough kids Vance (Brady Hepner) and Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora), the latter of whom gives Finney the means to fight back.

The sound designers perfectly punctuate the film's jump scares. What's spookier than seeing a bloody ghost? Hearing them speak with static in their voices. Anyone in this situation has the right to be spooked out. Editor Frederic Thoraval gets some genuine suspense out of Finney's many escape attempts. A few scenes wear out their welcome, though, including when Robin beats a bully well-beyond KO. The Grabber's basement isn't that welcoming, but when de-luminated by cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz, it and The Grabber himself are perfectly nightmarish. One strong moment is when The Grabber's mad face is hidden in shadows.

Anyone looking for a good scare should pick up The Black Phone. Anyone looking for a good story about a kid surviving impossible odds should pick up The Black Phone. Anyone looking for something family friendly should pick up something else. It's a bit slow but it'll keep you invested for 103 minutes. It's sure to fill that horror need for another month or so. Accept the charges and see for yourself.

Lightyear

 It's been ages since Pixar had a movie in theaters. Yes, two years does feel like infinity and beyond. It's perhaps fitting that its return feature stars the space ranger who goes there. Lightyear sees Chris Evans take on the role Tim Allen played four times already. 

Sort of...

The opening text tells us that this movie is what the Buzz Lightyear toy from the Toy Story films was based on. The movie itself shows Buzz and his fellow Space Rangers crash-land on T'Kani Prime, a planet full of living vines and giant bugs. They set up a colony where they research hyperspeed crystals that'll help them get off. Buzz flies each test, not quite making hyperspeed, and losing four years each time. During which, his partner Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) makes a family, grows old and dies. His robot cat Sox (Peter Sohn) perfects the hyperspeed crystal mix and they head off, again...

They land twenty-two years later, where the colony is under attack from the evil Zurg (James Brolin) and his robots. Alisha's granddaughter Izzy (Keke Palmer) leads a ragtag bunch of misfits, including clutzy Mo Morrison (Taika Waititi) and trigger-happy parolee Darby Steel (Dale Soules) to resist them. Buzz and Sox join them on their mission. Zurg takes special interest in Buzz for temporal reasons.

This marks the full directorial debut of Angus MacLane, who, among his other Pixar work, co-directed Finding Dory. The story he conceived with Matthew Aldrich and Jason Headley is emotionally simple, barring a montage highlighting the time dilation in Buzz's flights, but it's highly entertaining. Izzy and her misfits are a great ragtag bunch, including a robot (whose name I forgot) who sidelines himself with an overlong gag. Zurg is a formidable foe, even if his secret is relatively nothing new. Let's not forget Sox, whose cuddly personality and appearance almost make me want a robot cat.

It's fun to recognize elements from Toy Story in this "realistic" incarnation. This Buzz Lightyear is a likable, though stubborn hero. His comradery with Alisha is pretty good in spite of their short time together. Him bonding with Izzy's crew leads to a few nice moments. One of the best is the climactic moment he finally uses his wings. His rejection of Zurg's deal seems rushed, but it's a minor nitpick. 

Its visual style does a good job emulating live-action sci-fi films from 1995 and beyond. You're sure to recognize 2001, Interstellar and (at least for me) Enemy Mine in the mixture. Its cinematography and production design easily lets one imagine these intergalactic locales in live action. Zurg's bots, however, look too advanced for the time (but I digress). The space travel and space battles are amplified by Michael Giacchino's heroic score; its most emotional theme comes, of course, from the time dilation montage. 

Lightyear is a fun adventure film for anyone lamenting no Toy Story 5. It's a fun adventure film for anyone who wants those. It's a good way to spend a summer afternoon indoors. Its story isn't that groundbreaking, but it's sure to keep your attention for 105 minutes. It's a technically appealing film that might just send you to infinity and beyond. Let's just hope this won't be Pixar's last theatrical film...

Jurassic World: Dominion

 I finally made the trip to Universal Studios Hollywood in 2018, being one of the last people to experience its Jurassic Park ride. I'd like to go again for its Jurassic World ride. But considering the state of the world, I'd settle for a movie substitute, Jurassic World: Dominion, the "epic conclusion of the Jurassic saga."

The Dinosaurs of Isla Nublar's shuttered theme parks roam freely around the world. Jurassic World's former operation manager, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), works for the "Dinosaur Protection Group," while she and raptor trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) guard McGuffin girl Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) in the Sierra Nevada. The last raptor, Blue, somehow has an offspring, Beta. Beta and Maisie are targeted by the evil Biosyn company. Owen and Claire go globe-hopping when Biosyn's goons take them.

Biosyn's evil CEO Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), who indirectly caused the Jurassic Park fiasco, is also investing in giant locusts that eat everything but his crops. JP survivors Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) investigate the matter in Biosyn's HQ. Owen and Claire end up there with pilot Kayla (DeWanda Wise). Both groups are endangered by Dodgson's machinations and the formerly extinct life there, especially its Giganotosaurus. 

A lot happens over its 146-minute runtime. The plot does struggle a bit with its loads and loads of humans and dinosaurs. Take Beta for instance; after she escapes Biosyn captivity, it takes a long while before she pops back up. It's easy to forget she was there. It's also hard to disseminate Biosyn's master plan when it has two. A few returning heroes and new villains become irrelevant once they reach Biosyn HQ. And no, I am not talking about the poacher who gets munched on.

Another dinosaur, the Therizinosaurus, is introduced slapping a deer away with its oversized claws. That audacious scene could have been a great intro for the main Dino villain. But other than menace Claire, its only significance is to tag with Rexy against the Giganotosaurus. The Giga should have had a few more scenes to establish its threat. 

A lot more could have happened too, including with the loose Dinosaur plotline. The opening does show the inconveniences of the new wildlife. But these problems fade away when the super locusts appear. The most we get after that is a scene in a Maltese Dino black market, which ends with carnivores on the loose. The ending shows Dinos & modern life co-existing and not much in between.

It's a lot easier once you ignore the intricacies. It's got plenty of great Dino action and moments (even if the Maltese chase is a bit overlong). The Therizinosaurus and fellow newcomer Pyroraptor make for spectacular Dino designs. The super locusts are creepy and their swarming around is nightmarish. The Velociraptors' CGI is still obvious after all this time, but the related Atrociraptors are much better realized. Once again, the Dino action is set to yet another spectacular score by Michael Giacchino.

There's some great character focus amidst the large cast. The best focus is on Dr. Wu (BD Wong), who has finally repented for his mistakes from the last films. Maisie also learns about her true genetic origins in a few good scenes. There's a nice scene where she helps a few mill workers redirect some errant Apatosauruses. Malcolm and Biosyn whistleblower Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie) have some tense moments spilling the beans to our heroes amidst heavy security. Malcolm also has some of the best lines, again.

It promises to be the end of the Jurassic Saga. But who knows nowadays? As it stands, Dominion is a good way to spend a summer matinee as you wait further blockbusters. It works best if you don't ask questions and watch the Dinos. It's not a perfect movie but it's not unbearable. You can choose when and how to see it or even wait those further blockbusters. I'll be ready to review a few.