DC League of Super-Pets

Christmastime sees Shazam take on the Fury of the Gods. Before that, his archnemesis Black Adam headlines his own movie in October, where he's embodied by Dwayne Johnson. Before that, meaning now, Johnson headlines another DC movie, the animated DC League of Super-Pets. Let me fetch you a description.

Kal-El and his puppy were both saved from Krypton's destruction. They grow up as Superman (John Krasinski) and Krypto (Johnson), defenders of Metropolis. Krypto, alias Bark Kent, sees his best friend position threatened when Clark plans marriage with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde). Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Marc Maron), sets his eye on some Orange Kryptonite to give himself superpowers. It doesn't work on humans, but it works on Lulu (Kate McKinnon), Luthor's literal ex-guinea pig. Lulu now seeks revenge on Superman for separating her and Luthor.

Lulu's Kryptonite piece accidentally empowers her shelter-mates. Ace the Dog (Kevin Hart) is supertough, PB the Pig (Vanessa Bayer) can change her size, Chip the Squirrel (Diego Luna) can shock-and-awe, and Merton (Natasha Lyonne) is now the world's fastest turtle. That comes in handy after Krypto is tricked into eating some Green Kryptonite. The newly formed league comes together to stop Lulu from enacting her revenge on the Justice League with her army of superpowered guinea pigs.

How silly is this movie? It's so silly that even the live coverage of the super guinea pigs' rampage is baffled. But director Jared Stern and his co-writer, John Whittington, make it work. They begin with Superman and Krypto's endearing relationship. You'll feel it when you see them share a rocket to Earth. You'll laugh when you see how Krypto wakes up Superman. You'll feel it again when Krypto discovers Superman in danger. Anyone with a pet can relate to them - even if neither of you are super.

Lulu makes for a delightfully devious villain. She's fun to watch as she plots her evil plans and is formidable when she puts them in motion. You almost feel bad for her being separated from her "owner." It's mostly treated as a joke considering who her "owner" is. But her final form shows how dangerous a Kryptonite-powered guinea pig can be. Meanwhile, her number one kitten, Whiskers, is a hysterical surprise. Amongst the guinea pig army are the sympathetic Keith and Mark (Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch) and another surprise.

Now for the rest of the League. Ace gets the most focus, complete with a legitimately sad backstory. That makes it fun to see him get through Batman's (Keanu Reeves) flimsy loner exterior. Merton's censor beeps and fixation on leafy greens made for a few good laughs. PB and Chip are mostly fine, but they excel when they finally master their powers. Aside from Batman, Aquaman (Jemaine Clement) and The Flash (John Early) are easy standouts.

What else is there to say? It's got some decent character designs, an enthusiastic cast (especially Johnson) and some exciting action. There's also a good score by Steve Jablonsky which works in classic hero themes at the right moments. Overall, it's sure to appeal to animal lovers and comic book fans alike. Anyone looking for a fun DC movie can wait for Fury of the Gods or fetch a ticket now to DC League of Superpets. Any option is fine by me.

Nope

 It's true. 

I never reviewed Jordan Peele's directorial debut, Get Out, and only saw it on-demand a few weeks before it won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. It was pretty good. But while I skipped his follow-up, Us, I didn't skip his latest effort, Nope. Let's see how it is.

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywood (Keke Palmer) are descendants of the unnamed man Muybridge filmed riding The Horse in Motion. Their dad, Otis Sr. (Keith David), runs a Hollywood Horse Ranch until he's suddenly killed by a falling nickel. OJ and Em are left in charge of the Ranch and struggle to keep it going. OJ even resorts to selling horses to former child star Ricky Park's (Steven Yeun) Boom Town theme park. Their earthly concerns give way to something unearthly.

OJ and Em soon see a flying saucer roaming around. It sucks up anyone it finds and spits out their bloodied remains. They recruit Fry's techie Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) to help them get proof of their close encounter. They get their proof, but it's soon up to them to stop the UFO, which they call "Jean Jacket," from eating more people.

Oh yeah, eating people. We get to see inside its gullet as it devours an unfortunate crowd. It's a brief, yet merciless scene, which is made worse when we hear their screams outside it. One can only hope it's mimicking its victims. The visual effects team supervised by Guillaume Rocheron and the sound designers went above and beyond in making Jean Jacket an unearthly presence. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema captures Jean Jacket's final form in its majestic, eerie glory. 

Peele excels at unseen horror, too. The film introduces us to Gordy (Terry Notary), Ricky's former chimp co-star who literally goes ape on the set of their sitcom. Gordy's viciousness is thankfully obscured, but we see plenty as he goes after anyone and everyone, until he's ironically put down just as he makes nice with Ricky. Jean Jacket's presence is telegraphed by electronics sputtering out. Expect a few rounds of tense silence to follow. Editor Nicholas Monsour deserves as much credit as the visual effects team and sound designers for these terrifying scenes.

Kaluuya and Palmer have great sibling chemistry as OJ and Em. They're both strong-willed people trying to make sense of their circumstances, even if the titular word is a valid response to them. Perea is quite likable as Angel, while Yuen as Ricky has his best scenes when we see he's not as unfazed by the Gordy incident as he appears. Michael Wincott is decent as Antlers Holst, a cinematographer recruited to help film Jean Jacket. The one-scene wonder is Devon Graye as a motorcyclist reporter with hilariously skewed priorities.

Nope is a Yes. Its earthly heroes are compelling, while its unearthly menace is unsettling. Anyone looking for a strong sci-fi spooktacular will get their money's worth. You won't want to leave your seat or divert your eyes during its 131-minutes. Yes, not even during its most gruesome moments. See it soon and see what I mean.

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

Mel Brooks said that his Western opus Blazing Saddles is a film that can't be made today. Yes, it's politically incorrect, but it also shows how stupid bigotry is. There's value in that. So, it's surprising to know that it's been made again as an animated kids movie with Brooks himself co-starring! 

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank was announced seven years ago as Blazing Samurai. It was an independent film that is now a Paramount release. It's also surprising that it's got some good laughs even if not to its predecessor's extent.

Writers Ed Stone and Nate Hopper (who share credit with Brooks and his Blazing Saddles co-writers) trade the original Wild West setting for essentially Cat Japan. There, the evil Ika Chu (Ricky Gervais) has it out for the village of Kakamucho. He sends his lacky Ohga (George Takei) and his ninjas to drive off the good kitty villagers. They only succeed in driving off their Samurai. 

The villagers ask their Shogun (Brooks) to ask Ika Chu for a new Samurai. Ika Chu sends them Hank (Michael Cera), an aspiring beagle samurai, which doesn't sit well for Cat Japan's no-dogs policy. One cool cat, Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson), reluctantly agrees to train Hank in Bushido. Hank's got a lot to learn about being a Samurai and not enough time to thwart Ika Chu's master plan. Let's say there's some hilarity and third-act complications involved.

Obviously, they couldn't replicate Blazing Saddles' audacity, but they do try to replicate its jokes. A few of them fall flat without that audacity, while others get a good chuckle. Kids are sure to get a kick out of Sumo (Djimon Hounsou), the film's answer to the original's Mongo. A few new gags (the world's longest game of telephone, pulling out a film projector for flashbacks) are better; others are worth a mild groan. Its meta-fictional gags include some of the film's best laughs. What's surprising is that plenty of these gags weren't advertised to death for the last few months.

One of the best surprises is the (formerly) title song, written by Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, and sung by Michael K. Lee. Blazing Samurai, at least, replicates the grandeur of Blazing Saddles' own title song rather well, and is worked in perfectly into Bear McCreary's also-grand score. It's accompanied by some stylish visuals and topped off by a good logo joke. There's some admirable visual flair during its flashbacks and action scenes. Hank and Kakamucho's climactic rush to save the town from a flood is pretty thrilling.

The film runs a brisk 85-minutes, minus credits, per Hank's estimate (with them, 97). I was rarely bored by Hank's hero's journey even if it was rather routine. He's a sufficiently good boy who goes from wimp to warrior in due time. He's got a good supporting cast beginning with Jimbo, an entertaining rough mentor, whose troubled backstory involves a silly misunderstanding. Ika Chu is a purrfect bad cat, while Ohga is an entertaining henchcat. It's good to hear Brooks as the Shogun and know he's still funny at 96. Kylie Kumioka also stands out as Emiko the Kitten, Hank's biggest fan.

The only time I questioned myself being there was in its opening cartoon. In it, Big Nate of Lincoln Peirce's comic strip and his friends have an ice cream nightmare involving a hamster. It's an exercise in gross-out humor that ran far longer than the main film's homage to its predecessor's "bean scene." But there was a good time waiting once that was done. It's no Blazing Saddles, but Paws of Fury is still entertaining on its own merits. It reminds us of what curiosity does to cats, though I don't think a little curiosity will harm you in this case. But keep the short in mind if you see it. 

Thor: Love and Thunder

 The space Viking has returned.

Chris Hemsworth once again embodies Marvel's version of the Norse God of Thunder in Thor: Love and Thunder. Taika Waititi once again helms another a rollicking space adventure. It nearly buckles due to its villain's plans, but he's quite spectacular. Let's see why.

Gorr (Christian Bale) lost his planet, his daughter and his faith in his God, Rapu (Jonny Brugh) after an apocalyptic famine. He actually meets Rapu, who couldn't care less about his plight. He picks up the cursed Necrosword, a God-killing weapon, and quickly dispatches Rapu. He goes on a galactic God killing spree with his new sword and shadow monsters. The Galactic order is disrupted by "the God-Butcher," and Thor, now a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, leaves the group to help.

Meanwhile, Thor's former mortal love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has terminal cancer. She seeks out Thor's shattered hammer Mjolnir to help her after Earthly treatments fail. The hammer pulls itself together and makes her "The Mighty Thor" just in time to help regular Thor fight Gorr when he stops by New Asgard and steals their kids. The two Thors and company head off to find the kids before Gorr reaches the Supreme Being, Eternity, who can make his total Galactic Deicide a reality.

Gorr is a standout Marvel villain. The prologue effortlessly shows him turn from desperate to vengeful. The next time we see him, he's a jovially sinister madman, though it's excusable as due to the Necrosword's influence. Bale is simply having a blast as the possessed-Gorr and is quite sympathetic as the normal Gorr. The movie could have helped him had it given him a plan for the kids (like throw them in a black hole) or had it not regulated his Galactic Deicide campaign to mostly off-screen. But I appreciate what's there.

What can I say about Thor? His personality is reliably Marvelous as he comes to terms with his loneliness. Jane, meanwhile, is sympathetic as she comes to terms with her approaching mortality. Their rekindled romance is rather involving, especially when Korg (Waititi) narrates a montage of their time together set to ABBA's Our Last Summer. Her terminal cancer probably shouldn't have been used in her first movie back as a main character. But I digress. At least the end credits give her a strong coda. Amongst their supporting cast, the easiest standout is Russell Crowe as a delightfully hammy Zeus.

There is much to love about the technicals here. The makeup team deserves an Oscar nomination for bringing Thor "from Dad Bod to God Bod" and Gorr from sun-scorched human to chalk white ghoul. Production Designer Nigel Phelps' best work includes Eternity's domain, the Shadow Realm, and the Gods' Omnipotence City. The Shadow Realm is a visual standout as it's mostly in black-and-white save for some glimpses of color. There's some good costume designs by Mayes C. Rubeo, though Thor's new outfit is quite tacky with the helmet on.

There's quite a bit to love about Thor: Love and Thunder. It's funny, creepy, visually splendorous and endearing all at once. The Guardians of the Galaxy's brief appearance easily builds anticipation for their Volume 3, while the mid-credits promise another Olympian in Thor's future. Its narrative isn't perfect, but it's not the catastrophe some people think it is. It aims to please and I think it succeeds. 

Minions: The Rise of Gru

It turns out that a Despicable Me 4 is in the works for a 2024. But for now, you can satisfy your Minion-need with the long-awaited and delayed prequel sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru. Let's see how it is.

In 1976, Gru (Steve Carell) is the "mini-boss" of the Minions (all Pierre Coffin), whose rank-and-file include Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto. Gru tries to join the Vicious Six, who recently deposed their founder Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) during their last heist. He doesn't impress them, so he steals their new MacGuffin, a Zodiac Stone. The Vicious Six Minus One go after him.

Wild Knuckles returns and nabs Gru for the Stone. But Otto traded it for a Pet Rock. So, he, Kevin, Stuart and Bob set off to San Francisco to save Gru. Meanwhile, Gru wins over Wild Knuckles, who makes him his evil apprentice. The Minions, Knuckles and Gru confront the Vicious Five in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

A lot of its jokes have been trailered for months, even years. But the end result has quite a few surprises. One of the biggest is that the puntacular Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Strongarm (Danny Trejo), Nun-Chuck (Lucy Lawless) and Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren) fill up the Vicious not Six. Their ringleader is Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), who's as despicable as this film allows. It's such a silly film that anyone will recognize that a seemingly dead character is not. Their "funeral" scene almost makes one feel it.

Also in the picture is Master Chow (Michelle Yeoh), who trains Kevin, Stuart and Bob in Kung-Fu. Her segment has some zany action which pays off in the final battle in Chinatown. Otto's crosscountry trek to San Francisco on a tricycle is also worth a few laughs. We see how Gru hired the Minions with a spectacular bait-and-switch. Overall, the Minions haven't changed much since the first Despicable Me. They still find ways to surprise us.

It's got the same technical flair as its predecessors. San Francisco is alluring and the Vicious really Five have appealingly wacky designs. There's plenty of delightful gadgets and action scenes to entertain throughout its 88-minute runtime. Its soundtrack is once again filled with Heitor Pereria's score and some old standards. A downside is that there's not enough Minion musical moments.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is sure to make a despicably fun matinee. It's a simple story that'll entertain kids and amuse many an adult. I've had some fun with it; it helps there's quite a bit I forgot about its first trailer from 2020. Its denouement is rather nice. It's not the most profound animated film ever, but I think some cinematic amusement is always welcome. See it and you might agree.

Or not.

Elvis

No other name needed.

There've been quite a few films about the King of Rock n Roll, but only one of them has that Moulin Rouge quality. Yes, Baz Luhrmann is back with his first film in nearly a decade. Is it nothing but a hound dog? Or is it shiny like a pair of blue suede shoes?

Elvis is narrated by his manager, Col. Parker (Tom Hanks), as he dies from a stroke. He tells us how he met the King (Austin Butler) and persuaded him to make him a star. Elvis's wild dance moves make him a hit with the ladies. But stuffy prudes see his wild dance moves as a threat to their moral order. Parker and Elvis have their own ideas on his subsequent public image.

We see Elvis drafted, mourn his mother Gladys (Helen Thomson), romance Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge) and struggle with drug addiction. That's among other things in this 159-minute film. It zips by his life a few times and slows down to a crawl a few more. It's quite disorienting. 

There's a problem with the narration. It's that Parker's perspective often overshadows Elvis. We spend quite a bit learning about Parker before Elvis officially comes in. He's not as nice as he thinks, even if his "snowmanship" is often audaciously clever. Hanks is perfectly sleazy as Parker and the makeup team deserves mention for aging him over the years. 

Elvis is doomed to be a supporting character in his own biopic until his first big show. That's when we see how dynamite Butler's performance is. His stage persona is captivatingly defiant. His off-stage persona is an idealistic and likable man eventually withered down by life. One highlight is his last show, when it seamlessly switches between Butler and Elvis himself, another good showcase for the makeup team. Overall, he feels like how you remember Elvis.

The musical performances are aided by a great sound team and editors Chris Villa and Jonathan Redmond. You'll understand Elvis's appeal in no time when he sings Baby, Let's Play House. Similarly electric is Alton Mason's one-scene cameo as Little Richard. Still, its frantic back-and-forth time-skips are quite off-putting. Luhrmann's wife and artistic collaborator, Catherine Martin, shows off her stellar artistry once again with her sets and costumes. The flashy visual transitions, including those for the dying Parker's mindset, suit the film really well. The comic book rundown of Elvis's backstory is especially fun.

Anyone looking for a showcase of the iconic performer will get one right here. You'll also get a good tale of the men behind the persona. Just be prepared for its shear length and chronological franticness. Elvis is currently in the building, but it won't be long before he leaves for HBOMax. Either way is fine, but the big screen is the closest you'll get to see the King in person. It's sure to make a memorable summer matinee.