Haunted Mansion

 Christmas in July is a thing, so why aren't people open to Halloween in July? When Hocus Pocus underperformed thirty years ago, folks partially blamed its off-season release that aforementioned month. They'll likely do the same for Haunted Mansion, Disney's second attempt at making a theatrical movie based on its Disneyland attraction. Let's see how they did it this time.

Single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase Dillon) move into an old house in New Orleans. They immediately move out once they realize that it's occupied by ghosts. But the ghosts refuse to leave them alone until they move back in. So, they do. Everybody got that?

They're eventually forced to hire some outside help. Their ghostbusters are astrophysicist Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), Father Kent (Owen Wilson), history professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), and medium Harriet (Tiffany Haddish). Like them, they're also forced to stay at the mansion. Their investigation leads them to the ominous Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto), who really wants them to stay. Permanently. Perhaps the ghost of Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) can help them send Hatbox back to the other side.

I admit that the original attraction was one I skipped when I went to Disneyland in 2016. So, all the references director Justin Simien (Dear White People) and writer Kate Dippold threw together mostly flew over me. That's not to say I wasn't impressed. Actually, this is a surprisingly visually inventive ghost movie. Production Designer Darren Gilford, cinematographer Jeffrey Waldron and the visual effects team conjured up a splendidly surreal mansion. We get such sights as a rotating hall, vanishing windows, a stretching room and a variety of ghosts. The climax with numerous ghosts flying around is spectacular. Leto is virtually unrecognizable under the CGI and modulated voice as Hatbox. His facial expressions and lip-synch were a bit off, but it's mostly marvelous.

The acting was mostly good. Gabbie and Travis are fine protagonists, but they're often overshadowed by the others. Stanfield's Ben gets the most compelling arc as he comes to terms with his wife, Alyssa's (Charity Jordan) sudden death. We feel it when he reminisces about her in front of the others. Bruce's joke afterwards makes for welcome levity, while a stray cat Ben keeps meeting is surprisingly relevant. Bruce and Madame Leota are entertaining, while Kent and Harriet get their best moments when they help rally the ghosts against Hatbox. A pair of tour guides’ (Winona Rider and Dan Levy) exposition about Hatbox’s human identity is even scarier than Hatbox himself. Meanwhile, JR Adduci doesn't get to do much as William Gracey, the ghost of the mansion's previous owner, which is unfortunate as his backstory is involving.

Haunted Mansion is a peculiar film. The visual effects are outstanding to the point they deserve an Oscar-nomination. But they're often prioritized over the film's human cast. The protagonists are often overshadowed by their colorful supporting players. It's still entertaining, though, and it runs at a quick-paced 122 minutes. It maybe off-season, but it's still a good diversion from the obnoxious heat. See it soon, for there's no telling if it will actually be on Disney Plus this Halloween. For all we know, it could be ... December!

Nimona

The only thing depressing about Nimona is that it almost never existed. It started development under Blue Sky Studios in 2015, shortly after ND Stevenson's eponymous graphic novel was published. But its years of development were nullified when Disney killed the studio in 2021. Annapurna resurrected the project as a Netflix release. And now, it’s here.

And you’re going to hear about it.

In an unnamed kingdom, knights in shining Armor exist with laser blasters and flying cars. These Knights are trained by a massive Institute. Here, we find Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) about to be knighted alongside his boyfriend, Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang). Nearly everyone except Ambrosius and Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint) looks down upon Ballister for him being a commoner. That gets worse when Ballister’s sword laser blasts the Queen point-blank. Ballister is literally disarmed in the mayhem, and he goes on the run.

Ballister hides away with his new robot arm until the shapeshifter Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) storms into his life. Nimona senses a kindred spirit in Ballister and offers to help him clear his name. He only accepts her help when his solo-quest ends in jail. But he’s still unnerved by her impishness and her shapeshifting. Meanwhile, Nimona hides a painful past with Gloreth, the legendary heroine who founded the Kingdom. The Institute's Director (Frances Conroy) drives them apart with fear and distrust. It all leads to a gigantic scene.

The film and its title character are animated forces of nature. The film’s wild sense of humor is embodied by Nimona herself. Her and Ballister’s prison break is a wonderfully manic exercise in slapstick. That scene is loaded with great shapeshifting gags. Her firecracker personality is infectious the second she shows up on-screen. Her and Ballister’s bickering is entertaining until it's not. A few scenes have Ballister basically tell her to pick a form and stick with it. It's a lot less funny once we see Nimona's backstory. You'll fully understand her lifetime of ostracization once she transforms into the living embodiment of depression. That makes their reconciliation all the sweeter.

Ballister isn’t fully upstaged by Nimona. He’s an earnest knight with an endearing relationship with Ambrosius. So, we’re fully on his side when Ambrosius (reluctantly) leads the manhunt against him. It’s quite fun to see him loosen up under Nimona’s influence. We definitely feel it when they fall out and ultimately reconcile. I won't spoil how the latter happens, but it's quite moving.

Now for the other characters. Ambrosius is just as likable as Ballister and not even him disarming Ballister changes that. In fact, it's quite effective when he realizes he's in the wrong. Fellow Knight Todd (Beck Bennett) maybe a bully but he's an amusing bully. The same can't be said about the Director, who turns fully loathsome at the midway point. Still, how she rebounds from being outed as the villain is so simple it's clever. Diego the Squire (Julio Torres), the Director's unknowing accomplice, is the victim of an entertaining interrogation from Nimona. We get some good cameos from Indya Moore and RuPaul as news anchors and Stevenson himself as a cartoon mascot.

Everything about its cel-shaded visuals, from its production design to its characters, is appealing. Its anachronistic aesthetics leads to some fun results. Nimona’s usual range of forms are cuddly, while her depression form is truly nightmarish. It’s all set to an amazing score from Christophe Beck; Nimona’s main theme, in particular, is alluring. The modern song choices perfectly punctuate its most frenetic action.

I just have one problem with Nimona being on Netflix. It's that I won't be able to witness a live crowd's reactions. Nimona is both a wild good time and a profound story of acceptance. It's got me interested in reading the original graphic novel. Maybe you'll have the same reaction once you Netflix and chill with it. Now, if you excuse me, I need to prepare for the last review of the month.

Shin Kamen Rider

I would have loved to have seen Shin Kamen Rider on the big screen. But just like with Shin Ultraman, its theatrical release was just two nights. Fortunately, it’s ready to stream on Amazon Prime, albeit as Shin Masked Rider. Either way, it’s free, so let’s go talk about it.

Hideaki Anno once again revitalizes another Japanese pop-culture icon. But unlike with Shin Ultraman, and the earlier Shin Godzilla, he goes it alone without his frequent collaborator, Shinji Higuchi. As a rundown, Kamen Rider was created in 1971 by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, who, among other works, also started the Super Sentai franchise, the eventual source of Power Rangers, with Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. There have been multiple variations of Ishinomori’s concept throughout the years. But the original one has persisted with them.

The film opens up with Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu) and Ruriko Midorikawa (Minami Hanabe) on the run from the evil Shocker organization. Takeshi was to be their latest cyborg mutant warrior, the Grasshopper-Aug, but Ruriko set him free. He’s quite unnerved by his new inhuman power; he can smash Shockers’ goons’ faces in with a single punch. But after a pep talk from Ruriko’s father, Professor Hiroshi (Shinya Tsukamoto), Takeshi reinvents himself as Kamen Rider and saves Ruriko from the evil Spider-Aug (Nao Omori) and his goons. 

Takeshi and Ruriko are recruited by Agents Taki and Tachibana (Takumi Saitoh and Yutaka Takenouchi) to help them defeat Shocker. Takeshi struggles to do the right thing without killing anybody else. But that’s complicated when Ichiro (Mirai Moriyama), Ruriko’s brother and the leader of Shocker, steps up to bat. His master plan is to assimilate all of humanity’s lifeforce (aka Prana) into the single Habitat Realm (much like the Human Instrumentality Project that Evangelion hinged on). Fortunately, Takeshi’s fight is easier when another Shocker warrior, Hayato Ichimonji (Tasuku Emoto), joins him as Kamen Rider #2.

Anno’s episodic screenplay breezes through Shocker’s mutants. Our heroes meet a new mutant who gloats evilly, they fight, and the mutant loses, dissolving into foam upon death. One mutant, the Scorpion-Aug (Masami Nagasawa), doesn’t even meet Takeshi. These episodes are held together by Takeshi and Ruriko’s developing platonic relationship. This plot thread amplifies the third act, where Takeshi fights Ruriko’s former friend, Hiromi (Nanase Nishino), now the Wasp-Aug. Another plot thread, where Takeshi flashbacks to his policeman dad’s murder, hits the hardest at the end. 

Any problems with the story? We only get fleeting flashbacks to Takeshi’s "recruitment." They're all in the opening. Hayato barely figures into the plot until about an hour in. The Bat-Aug's (Toru Tezuka) virus scheme is nearly, almost accidentally, confusing, not helped by Amazon’s mistimed subs. A few lines are left without subtitles at all. Other than that, there's not much to gripe about.

Let’s highlight a few characters. It’s great to see Takeshi and Ruriko open up to each other. You’ll feel it after the fight with KK-Aug (Kanata Hongo), a part chameleon and mantis mutant. Hayato makes up for his late arrival with his bravado. Hiromi/Wasp-Aug’s childish personality and spectacular fashion sense leaves quite an impression. Ichiro is a decent antagonist, but K (Tori Matsuzaka), his stoic robot aide, is the most likable of the villains. K is actually an update of the titular character in Ishinomori's Robot Detective, and his design is spot-on. 

The Kamen Riders and their mutant adversaries were all impressively redesigned by Anno and a few collaborators. The mutants' lairs are as splendid as they are. The fight scenes are spectacular, especially when Takeshi and Hayato face a literal swarm of knockoffs near the end. Veteran anime composer Taku Iwasaki's rendition of the show's theme song, Let's Go! Rider Kick, perfectly punctuates that fight, as well as Takeshi's first fight as Kamen Rider. The most impressive effects are the CGI-enhanced makeup job underneath Takeshi's mask. Some effects aren't flawless, namely Bat-Aug in flight, but they're still creepy.

Whether it's Shin Kamen Rider or Shin Masked Rider, it is still a good superhero movie. Its story isn't fully elaborated, but it makes for an interesting two hours. Anyone who missed the theatrical run have a nice home matinee waiting for them. Just beware of the subtitle problem. Then again, that seems to be a problem with Prime.

Oppenheimer

A Christopher Nolan movie is highly anticipated by itself. After all, their first trailers generally debut a full year before their release. We get plenty of time anticipating Nolan's latest. But Oppenheimer's hype skyrocketed when the internet paired it with its biggest weekend rival. Both movies are well on their way to recouping their budgets. And now, I'll explain the other half of the most anticipated double feature in cinema history.

Nolan adapted American Prometheus, the biography written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, of J. Robert Oppenheimer. We see Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) progress from university student to university professor right when World War II hits. Gen. Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) hires him for the Manhattan Project that would invent the first atomic bomb. He soon has grave reservations about the A-Bomb’s ethicality. This nearly leads him to be ruined as a Communist sympathizer.

All of this is depicted in full color in the film’s Fission storyline. The Fusion storyline follows Oppenheimer’s archenemy, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), the chairman of the AEC, in monochrome. Strauss believes Oppenheimer has it out for him. So, he set up Oppenheimer for his eventual fall. But a nasty surprise awaits him when he aims for a Cabinet post.

The non-linear storylines are generally easy to follow. We learn quite a bit of Oppenheimer’s life during its massive three-hour runtime. Murphy's compelling performance as Oppenheimer helps the runtime breeze on by. Its most significant subplot concerns his relationships with his wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt), and mistress, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), both of whom have Communist ties. It's an interesting subplot, though how the Bhagavad Gita figures into it is pretty odd. Meanwhile, Downey Jr.'s Strauss plays the subtle schemer for most of the movie. His vindictiveness explodes in a climactic speech. And then we understand it all.

A bigger challenge is keeping up with the film’s massive cast. I lost track of one Haakon Chevalier (Jefferson Hall), a bit ironic considering his significance. In fact, much of the cast is filled with recognizable actors in unrecognizable roles, including Benny Safdie as Edward Teller and James Remar as Henry Stimson. Kenneth Branagh is more recognizable as Niels Bohr, but you won't recognize Gary Oldman and Tom Conti as President Truman and Albert Einstein, respectively, unless you saw their names in the credits. The makeup team is just that good. Even Murphy's Oppenheimer is that stunning a dead ringer for the real man.

The sound design is generally better than Tenet. There's only a few instances where Ludwig Goransson's stunning score overwhelms the dialogue. A few bits of dialogue are cut off by some atomic imagery. But it's generally discernible. What matters is the explosions. We see them, and after a lull, we hear them. The arrangement gives them quite the punch, especially with the Trinity Test. Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography and the visual effects team perfectly amplify the nightmarish splendor. Equally shocking is when Oppenheimer hallucinates a crowd getting vaporized. The editing just works.

Oppenheimer is a captivating biopic. Its double storylines perfectly capture its main characters' central perspectives rather well. This can mitigate some of the film's incomplete perspectives. Both men are compelling whether as optimists, cynics or egotists. It's a good motivator to read up on their histories. See it on the biggest screens you can find. It will be a while before it comes to home media. You bet I'll get it and the published screenplay by year's end. It's certainly worthy of its hype. And more.

Barbie

You would have never guessed years ago that Barbie would among the most anticipated films in history, much less half of the most anticipated double feature in cinematic history. But that's exactly the case as Barbie and Oppenheimer make their cinematic debuts. The latter film is three hours long and I'm not made of time. So, it's off to Barbieland.

Barbieland is where all the Barbies and Kens live and party. One particular Barbie, the Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), suddenly questions her mortality during a dance number. She tries to laugh it off until those questions interfere with her life. Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) sends her off to the real world for her answers. Her Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) tags along for the ride.

Their misadventures in Los Angeles draw the attention of Mattel's CEO (Will Ferrell). Barbie joins with Mattel employee Gloria (America Ferrera) and her daughter, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt). Ken, meanwhile, discovers patriarchy and toxic masculinity, and brings them back to Barbieland. The resulting "Kendom" threatens to mess with the real world. Barbie, Gloria and Sasha have to hurry before Ken and the Kens make their Kendom permanent. That's basically it.

Greta Gerwig and her co-writer Noah Baumbach visualize a surprisingly profound story. Sure, Helen Mirren's deadpan narrations comprise some of the film’s funniest lines. But she's also insightful as she narrates Barbie's history in the opening. Who knew that "stereotypical" Barbie was quite the trendsetter? Barbie even meets her maker, Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman), who gives her a much-needed pep talk. The patriarchy exemplified by Kendom and the Mattel board personifies their stupidity. That's some great satire, there.

Mirren's on-screen costars are clearly having fun whether they're playing humans or dolls. The Barbie and Kens are fully committed to playing their toyetic roles. That's what makes Robbie's buoyant performance as Barbie so endearing. We're on her side whether her problems are mundane (flat feet!) or serious (her existence). You'll have fun asking, "which one?" when Gosling's Ken complains about another Ken (the most significant one is played by Simu Liu). Ken's goofiness is entertaining even when he turns bad. The supporting Barbies (including Issa Rae's President Barbie and Hari Nef's Doctor Barbie) make for a fun bunch. Sasha and Gloria get their best moments with rousing speeches that exposit on the film's thesis. Even the Mattel board of directors show some hidden depths. 

The film's commitment to its doll aesthetics is commendable. The Barbieland visualized by Sarah Greenwood is an astonishing life-sized playset. Everything from the Dream Houses to the Vehicles are convincingly toyetic. That makes it delightfully surreal whenever we see Barbie driving overhead. You'll think they're actually toys come to life. Mattel's oppulent boardroom gives the real world its own splendor. Jacqueline Durran dresses the Barbies and Kens with equally appealing wardrobes. The soundtrack includes a decent score from Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt and some appealing songs, including the opening Pink, which has a hilarious reprise.

Overall, Barbie is a film that'll entertain kids and cynics alike. It's hard to frown when everyone on screen is having a ball. You'll even learn a thing or two during Barbie's existential crisis. Its 114 minutes will breeze by in no time. What's to hate about it? Not much. Just see it. I'll get to the other half of this "double feature" this weekend. Watch for the review.

Psycho-Pass: Providence

Once again, I'm reviewing a theatrical spin-off of another anime I never followed. This is Psycho-Pass: Providence, which is actually a prequel to the anime's third season, which aired in 2019. This will fill in whatever plot details the season opened with. Let me fill in some more with the general setting:

This is basically Minority Report: The Anime. In this crummy future, Japan is monitored by the AI Sibyl System, which rates a person's likelihood of committing crimes on the "Psycho-Pass" scale. Anyone with a "Crime Coefficient" reading of 100 is likely to meet an Agent of the Public Safety Bureau, who will likely rehabilitate, incarcerate, or - in extreme cases - kill them. The latter is usually accomplished with their special Dominator guns. A few agents still advocate for the traditional justice system, including the series protagonist, Inspector Akane Tsunemori. 

This time, Akane and her usual Agents are called to investigate the murder of Professor Milicia Stronskaya. She was researching a worldwide expansion of the Sibyl System. But her papers have gone missing, and our heroes have to find them before her killers, a militia called the Peacebreakers, get them first. The Japanese Government is more than willing to negotiate with the Peacebreakers and their fundamentalist leader, Tsugumasa Tonami. But Akane and her partner, Shinya Kogami, are more than willing to see the investigation to the end.

The film opens with text explaining the setting. It goes by a bit too quickly, but it's there. The film's discussions of futuristic law and order are quite interesting. It's especially interesting during the film's shocking swerve finale, during which the Sibyl System is spectacularly circumvented. In the meantime, we're introduced a bit too quickly to Akane's many co-workers. But I found the two mentors, Dr. Shindo and Professor Saiga, the most likable for their affability. You'll feel it when they both take their lives. Akane herself is quite likable; her relationship with Shinya gives the serious story some needed levity.

Now for the new characters. Kai, a double agent infiltrating the Peacebreakers, is the one who personally killed Prof. Stronskaya. We soon learn he had a good reason for it. It's just so compelling to see him more than a cold soldier. You can almost believe Tonami preaching of peace despite his followers' violence. He's so affable that he can circumvent the heroes' Dominators. That's a problem when he possesses his followers with their "Divider" chips. It's quite creepy when he does so. What makes him so memorable is his villainous breakdown. He throws off the cloak of affability and fully turns ax-crazy to battle Akane. That makes it grander when Akane finally takes him down. 

The film looks and sounds great thanks to Production I.G. The futuristic production design includes some massive high rises, but its most appealing scene is a holographic Lunar New Year parade. Shinya fighting Kai in a holographic prairie is unintentionally surreal. But the final shootout with the Peacebreakers is spectacular once our heroes get to use their Dominators. The Peacebreakers opening raid on Stronskaya's ship is made all the more tense with Yugo Kanno's score. The film's overall sound design is as appealing as its visuals.

Psycho-Pass: Providence makes for a good future crime thriller. It's a bit dense a starting point for anyone unfamiliar with the franchise. But it has a few legitimately surprising plot twists along the way. Certain events have made the film's themes of giving AI too much power more relevant. It's available in both subbed and dubbed formats, though my theater only has it subbed. Whichever language you see it in is fine. But see it soon if you want to before it makes its theatrical exit. As for me, I'll prepare for my next reviews. 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Everybody went all out last summer for Tom Cruise's return as Maverick. But will they do it again when his superspy alter-ego, Ethan Hunt, accepts his latest Mission: Impossible? His latest mission is too big for one movie to contain; thus, we have Dead Reckoning Part One.

This time, Ethan his fellow spies Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames) are on the hunt for a key so important, the IMF won't tell them what it does. Except we already know. The key controls "The Entity," an evil AI housed in the submarine Sevastopol, which sits at the bottom of the Bering Sea after it tricked the crew into torpedoing themselves. The key splits in halves, and fellow agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) has one of them. Ethan gets Ilsa's half after he gets some bounty hunters off her trail. It's off to the races.

They try to get the other half at the Abu Dhabi Airport. But the mission turns impossible when a few factions intervene. One of them is Gabriel (Esai Morales), Ethan's old enemy and The Entity's favorite human. Agents Biggs and Degas (Shea Wigham and Greg Tarzan Davis) pursue Ethan as a rogue agent. A professional thief, Grace (Hayley Atwell), gets involved with Ethan and his team as an unofficial newbie. Not everyone's going to make it out alive.

Director Christopher McQuarrie sits firmly on the franchise's formerly rotating director's chair. He and his co-writer Erik Jendresen provide more opportunities for Ethan to show off. Its most advertised scene is Ethan driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to reach the Orient Express. It's pretty cool, but his dynamic entry on the train itself is spectacular. An earlier car chase in Rome is pretty thrilling and amusing. Ethan's infiltration of an Intelligence Community meeting and Benji's disarming of a suitcase nuke are the film's tensest moments, by far. The film runs an unusually massive 163 minutes, but you'll rarely be bored.

I think it's because of the cast. Ethan and his team once again form a great ensemble of agents. They and the new characters get plenty of time to shine. Of the new characters, Grace and Gabriel's henchwoman Paris (Pom Klementieff) get the most meaningful character arcs. Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) returns from the first film, now higher up in the Intel community, and his worthy opponent relationship with Ethan is quite interesting. Agent Biggs and Degas's compelling subplot gets its best moment when they help Ethan evacuate the Orient Express. Director Denlinger is a perfectly smug villain, but you may not recognize his actor unless you look at the credits: Cary Elwes. 

This may be a part one, but its story isn't lacking. Ethan and Gabriel's rivalry concerns a woman named Marie, who's only seen in flashbacks. We don't know who she was to them. But we're intrigued enough to stick around for Part Two to find out. It's also a rare part one where the good guys win. You'll just have to wait to see how the villains catch up. Part Two is supposed to come out next year, but who knows with the Double Hollywood Strike going on (Go SAG and WGA).

This part is still a great spy thriller. Its runtime is barely noticeable thanks to its characters and set pieces. A good time is guaranteed for many if you choose to accept Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, as your next movie mission. Now, if you excuse me, it's time for the next review.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

 Did you know that Dreamworks had a new movie last week? Apparently not with its box-office figures. The good news is that Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken only cost $70 million, so its current $18.8 million gross isn't as catastrophic as its pricier competitors.

Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor) tries to live among the land dwellers in the town of Oceanside. She and her family pass off their Kraken-ness by claiming to be Canadian (it works). Her mother Agatha (Toni Collette) forbids Ruby from going into the ocean. Unfortunately, that means she can't go to prom either, since it's on a yacht. She's forced to dive in to save her crush Connor (Jaboukie Young-White) from drowning. Although the new girl, Chelsea (Annie Murphy), takes credit for the rescue, Ruby has bigger things to worry about.

Ruby and her fellow Krakens maybe humanoid on land, but they revert to full sea monster size in the ocean. Ruby, in particular, is the granddaughter of the sea queen (Jane Fonda). Grandmamah, as she insists on being called, helps Ruby hone her Kraken powers. Ruby later bonds with Chelsea after the latter reveals herself a mermaid. But mermaids are actually the evilest of sea creatures, according to Grandmamah. And, as the ads show, Chelsea is no exception. A giant sea battle is imminent.

It's not a complex film, but it's decently entertaining. The Gillmans' "we're from Canada excuse" is surprisingly plausible because the rest of Oceanside blindly believes it. That makes it funnier. Ruby's "panic attack" when she's named royalty was "trailer fodder," but it's a bit funnier in context. Her training with Grandmamah gives us an amusing montage. She puts her skills to great use to defeat Chelsea. I'm kind of mixed on Chelsea's true nature. Her being evil could have been better if it wasn't advertised that much. Her true identity is a bit better of a surprise. But it's quite reminiscent of the plot twist for 2005's Sky High. Anyone remember that? Anyway, her final form's raging water hair is impressive.

It helps that Ruby is a likable protagonist. Her peppy personality is infectious, and we really feel for her at her lowest. She and her supporting Krakens have such cuddly designs whether as humanoids or sea monsters. Grandmamah is entertaining, while Chelsea is surprisingly believable when she acts the nice girl. Human antagonist Captain Gordon Lighthouse (Will Forte) is actually an entertaining braggart. Ruby's human friends - Margot (Liza Koshy), Trevin (Eduardo Franco), and Bliss (Ramona Young) - are a delightfully quirky bunch. The same goes for the other Gillmans, especially their pet Nessie and Ruby's Uncle Brill (Sam Richardson). 

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is sure to entertain the youngest filmgoers the most. The biggest surprise for older filmgoers is how short it is - 91 minutes. It's sure to amaze both sets with its impressive visuals and Stephanie Economou's alluring score. All in all, it's a decent family matinee. But see it soon if you want to see it on the big screen. It might not last longer with that box office.

Shin Ultraman

Eiji Tsuburaya co-created Godzilla with Tomoyuki Tanaka and Ishiro Honda in 1954. But he alone created Japan's biggest superhero, Ultraman, in 1966. Last year, writer Hideaki Anno (creator of anime staple Neon Genesis Evangelion) and director Shinji Higuchi (the Attack on Titan duology) revitalized Ultraman's movie career in Shin Ultraman. It's finally ready to purchase digitally after a two-night theatrical release this past January. I got it on Amazon on the Fourth. 

And now, the review...

The film's opening montage details the origins of the SSSP (S-Class Species Suppression Protocol) organization, which defends Japan from giant monsters. During one such attack, a giant spaceman codenamed Ultraman shows up and defeats the rampaging monster. The SSSP try to make contact with Ultraman as they fend off more monsters. A new recruit, Hiroko Asami (Masami Nagasawa) leads the investigation with her "buddy," Shinji Kaminaga (Takumi Saitoh). Unbeknownst to her, Shinji is Ultraman (sort of), and while the Japanese Government is wary of their "ally," a few more spacemen aren't as benevolent as he.

Yes, that's basically it. Anno's screenplay is as episodic as the TV show. Ultraman beats up a monster and another comes in. The consecutive spacemen Zarab (Kenjiro Tsuda) and Mefilas (Koji Yamamoto) sort of blend together even if their methods don't. But it's not boring. It's barely ten minutes before Ultraman makes planetfall. That's how fast this 112-minute film moves. Act Five is its most profound as the SSSP and Japanese Government try to cope with impending annihilation from the living satellite Zetton. Naturally, Ultraman defeating Zetton made for a thrilling climax.

Let's talk about the hero himself. Ultraman is quite compelling as he goes from neutral observer to stalwart guardian. He refrains from blowing up the highly dangerous Gabora, instead using his fists, and as Shinji, he opens up to the SSSP. The film's final moments let him plead his case to his superior, Zoffy (Koichi Yamadera), who set Zetton on Earth. It's as compelling as any of the fights. Saitoh doesn't get much time as normal Shinji, but he's good as Ultraman as Shinji. Anno himself plays Ultra-sized Ultraman using some decent motion capture effects. A key scene has Ultraman played by his original suit actor, Bin Furuya, who turned 80 this week. His real voice is provided by Issey Takahashi.

The SSSP are all likable characters. They're not Ultramen, but Commander Kimio Tamura (Hidetoshi Nishijima), nerdy Akihisa Taki (Daiki Arioka) and biologist Yumi Funaberi (Akari Hayami) are still memorable. Hiroko is a strong deuteragonist as she appeals to Ultraman's better nature. Their comedic moments are much needed relief. Zarab's is perfectly unsettling, while Mefilas has the slickest look. They're both formidable villains, though Mefilas' affability gives him a slight edge. Zoffy is unnerving as he deploys Zetton, but his climactic talk with Ultraman lets one empathize with him. 

The opening montage features monsters from Ultraman's predecessor, Ultra Q, and even features Kunio Miyauchi's groovy theme tune. Shiro Sagisu's rendition of that theme, Miyauchi's score from Ultraman itself, and his original work, results in a strong soundtrack. The CGI creature designs are cool and mesh well with their real environments. The fight scenes are dynamically shot and edited. One can't help but delightfully smirk with Ultraman's goofy spin attack and accompanying sound effect when he fights Gabora. Ultraman's fights with Zetton are the visual highlights of the film. Especially the second.

Shin Ultraman is a strong reinvention of a classic superhero. It's also a good introduction to that superhero. Its characters and story are as great as its visuals. Whether physical or digital, see it as soon as possible. If all goes well, I'll be able to review Anno's follow-up, Shin Kamen Rider, sooner than later.

Please be sooner.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

You thought The Last Crusade would live up to its title. You wanted his last destination to be The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But Indiana Jones wasn't done. He is now. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny promises to be the last adventure for Harrison Ford's whip-wielding alter ego. But I, Vance, have to give the floor to Jethro, why?

It's my blog.

Fair enough.

Steven Spielberg hands the director's chair to James Mangold, who also co-wrote the film with Jez & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp. Their story begins with Indy getting into one last tussle with the Nazis at the end of the War. Chief among them is Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), who will be the bad guy for this movie. He finds part of the Antikythera, a time-travelling dial built by Archimedes of Syracuse. But Indy and his cohort, Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), take it back.

A few decades later, Indy faces retirement and divorce shortly after losing son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf in Crystal Skull) to 'Nam. Adventure makes a direct call to Indy in the form of goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Shaw's daughter. She needs the Antikythera really bad. That's when Voller, now a NASA scientist, makes his move for the Dial. Helena makes off with the Antikythera and leaves Indy to Voller's goons. But he escapes for Tangier to stop her from auctioning it off. Voller wants the full Antikythera to help the Nazis win the war, with a twist. Indy and Helena have to team up to stop him.

Let's start a bit with Helena. Her self-serving attitude, especially when she leaves Indy to the Neo-Nazis, isn't appealing. But she gets better when she lends a sympathetic ear to Indy when he reveals Mutt's fate. Her sidekick Teddy (Ethann Isidore) helps humanize her a bit more, too. Her best moment comes when she pulls Indy out of his funk at the climax. She made for a fine character by the end. She's not as iconic as Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) but she is hardly one of the film's biggest problems.

Let's look at the film's massive runtime for its issues. Its prologue makes up the first 15 of 152 minutes. But it's a fun prologue as Indy outwits Col. Weber (Thomas Kretschmann) and his Nazis. The digital de-aging for Ford and Mikkelsen is seamless and John Williams's score is reliably buoyant. Afterwards, the film is cluttered by double-crosses and overextended set pieces. We get two characters who are killed far too early. One of them is Agent Mason (Shaunette Renee Wilson), the only good guy on Voller's crew, and probably the best new character. The other is Renaldo (Antonio Banderas), touted as an old friend of Indy's, but is really a mauve shirt. There's also a subplot of Indy being framed for Team Voller murdering two of his colleagues - that is never resolved.

It does a few things right, though. A few of the set pieces were still entertaining. The best of them was Indy's escape from Voller's Villains during the Apollo 11 Crew's ticker tape parade. Indy riding a horse through the New York Subway made for some audacious fun. A close second is the climactic travel through time and the characters' surprise destination. The set pieces are still visually impressive despite their overlength. Voller made for a memorable new villain, and it was satisfying to see him realize his impending demise. John Rhys-Davies made the most of his few scenes as returning ally Sallah. It was also intriguing to learn of Archimedes' inventions during the Siege of Syracuse. See, history can be fun.

The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull could have been a swell ending for Indy's adventures. But The Dial of Destiny gives him an endearing coda, too. It takes him and the audience quite a while to get there. But they'll still have some fun along the way. Whatever price suits your fancy is worth it. But see it before a few other longer films leave their box office carbon footprints. I've got those lined up soon.