The Death of Stalin

Some films like to spoil the story with its title. And that's what happens with The Death of Stalin. Directed and co-written by Armando Iannucci, this is a darkly satirical history lesson adapted from a French Graphic Novel. Let's see what we can learn here.

It's 1953 and Josef Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) rules the Soviet Union with an Iron Fist. Anyone who speaks out against him "disappears." Maria Yudina (Olga Kurylenko) is a pianist who hates Stalin. She decides to tell him off in a strongly-worded letter. Stalin gets a good laugh over it and immediately suffers a cerebral hemorrhage which later kills him.

The Central Committe, which includes Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), Georgy Malenkov (Jeffry Tambor) and Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale), scramble to take command. They have their own self-interests in mind and won't hesitate to advocate them. Their political scheming plays out as they organize Stalin's funeral. Fun times?

It all plays out for 107 minutes. The characters act like estranged siblings squabbling over their late father's estate. They argue over petty things like Bishops attending the funeral and whose car gets to go first out of Stalin's driveway. We get some laughs over their political blundering. But their darkest deeds are played seriously. It seems the point was to make us question laughing at villains. But it felt like jarring mood whiplash.

The cast was a fine bunch of schemers. Tambor as Malenkov was good as the most sympathetic of the bunch. Buscemi's Khrushchev was an unexpected casting choice, but he still made a fine "good guy" who reveals himself in due time. Beale's Beria was pure evil, but his karmic kangaroo court felt excessive even for him. Rupert Friend stole the show as Vasily Stalin, Stalin's bumbling son. Jason Isaacs was also awesome as General Zhukov.

The film's best technical comrade is composer Chris Willis. His classically-influenced score adds some epicness to the satire. The whole soundtrack is just waiting to join a concert set list. Zac Nicholson's cinematography helps accentuate the film's darkest moments. These moments make Cristina Castali's production design feel appropriately claustrophobic. Her recreation of Stalin's Dacha and the Kremlin were visually appealing, as were Suzie Harman's costume designs.

One might question what's so funny about The Death of Stalin, and I did too at times. But its greatest strength is its thematic discussions. Revolutionaries who turn out worse than the toppled. All-Powerful governments that aren't what they're cracked up to be. Nice guys corrupted by power. You'll laugh and cringe at how these issues still persist today. Especially cringe.

Avengers: Infinity War

I talked about it for years and now it's here.

Actually, it's been here.

I didn't see Avengers: Infinity War on its opening weekend because I was preoccupied with a 25th Anniversary screening of Super Mario Bros., a film I've seen plenty of times before since I was eight. It was worth it, just like this movie.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) the Mad Titan believes the universe is overpopulated. He just needs a way to get rid of half the universe. The Infinity Stones are that way but his minions haven't been much luck. So he sets off with his "Children" to get them himself. He already has two before the title appears. All the best Marvel Heroes, including the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, have to assemble to keep him from getting more. It's not that easy.

I think I've summed up this entire movie. But there's a bit more than that.

The film divides its massive cast into several groups. It's fun to see these disparate characters interact here as much as it was in the first Avengers. My personal favorites involve Thor and Rocket Raccoon's relationship and the banter from Iron Man and Spider-Man. It balances each front rather well considering the scale.  Its large personnel means that this film, perhaps more than any other, requires familiarity with the other Marvel films. Certain characters have less screentime than you'd expect.

The real star of the movie is Thanos. He opens the movie displaying his physical and psychological prowess on The Hulk and Thor. He never stops being menacing from that first scene onwards. He steamrolls through our heroes and is willing to chat with them. His beliefs are understandable even if his methods are madness. He gives us a lot to think about after the film's cliffhanger ending.

Marvel's technical standards shine through. There's plenty of great action scenes set to a rousing Alan Silvestri score. The digital and real environments are perfectly realized. But the best effects are the motion capture used on Thanos and his "Children." Brolin and the other actors strongly emote through their CGI characters, none of whom look out of place with real actors. A few of them, like Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), look so lifelike you'd think they were live actors.

Infinity War is probably the bleakest Marvel film around. Literally nothing the heroes do can stop Thanos from unleashing death and destruction. Its 149 minutes seems like needlessly putting off the inevitable. Those expecting the usual heroics will be disappointed. It ends rather quickly because it is part one of two.

On the other hand, I thought it moved along rather well. The character interactions made it worth it. The death and destruction is tragic, but the Infinity Stones can reverse that. Marvel's future lineup means that some of it will get reversed. The darkest part is that we have to wait a year for the epic conclusion. But it'll keep us talking until then. The prerequiste end credit scene sets up Captain Marvel, a major player in Part Two, and who gets her own movie next March.

Rampage

Midway's Giant Monster Mash Rampage bashed into the arcades in 1986. A few more arcade and home games followed before its last incarnation, Rampage: Total Destruction. The monsters are back from their decade of dormancy for a big screen escapade, also called Rampage. It's neither the worst nor the best video game movie. But it's a decent pre-summer monster movie.

Two bad humans, Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) and her brother Brett (Jake Lacy), run the evil Enegyne corporation. Their latest invention is a pathogen that makes animals bigger and angrier. "Project: Rampage" goes horribly right on their space-station, as its monster lab rat kills all but one crew member. Her escape pod blows up and sends three canisters of the monster pathogen across the States.

One such canister crashes into the San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary and is found by an albino gorilla, George. He becomes a big problem overnight. Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson), the ex-army man and primatologist who raised George, tries to help him. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), an ex-Energyne scientist, tells Davis what's happening to George. A secret agent man, Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), takes George into custody.

Meanwhile, the other crashed canisters create Ralph the Wolf and Lizzie the Crocodile. Claire uses a sonic transmitter to lure the giants to Chicago. It's up to Davis, Kate and Agent Russell, to go to Energyne headquarters to find a way to reverse the pathogen before the city goes down.

Director Brad Peyton realizes a screenplay by four people, including Lost showrunner Carlton Cuse. It opens with a scene that mixes Gravity with Aliens. Davis and George's first scene sets up their fun chemistry. And when George mutates, it rarely stops to breathe before another action scene. That's true with the Chicago rampage that takes up the last third of the movie. The relentless action may exhaust a few viewers and thrill many more. As for me, I liked the comic bits but the drama didn't faze me. And I can't help but think how short-sighted the villains were in attracting the monsters. Did they have a plan to keep their HQ from getting punched out by angry monsters? I didn't hear one.

The human cast is pretty good. The main humans are memorable for a movie this simple. Johnson and Morgan are their reliable tough guy selves, and Harris makes for a strong ally. Claire and Brett made some entertainingly short-sighted villains. Meanwhile, Burke (Joe Manganiello), an Engyne mercenary, is the most memorable waste of a character in recent cinema. He's got a lot of bluster but he's only here to give Ralph a named snack.

The film succeeds in its technical aspects. The monsters are perfectly rendered CGI characters. The motion capture work for George and his fellow gorillas is strong. Lizzie and Ralph make for formidable giant beasts. Even the mutant lab rat in the opening is creepy. Their rampages provide plenty of destruction and mayhem. The sound designers give them strong growls, snarls and roars. The best aspect is Andrew Lockington's thunderous score, especially in its opening scene.

Rampage is an adequate monster movie. It's sure to fill a good matinee spot before Infinity War comes next week. Its story and characters could've used more substance. But its monster smashing makes it worthwhile. Hopefully, its existence renews interest in the franchise. I'm willing to play the new arcade game out now.

Isle of Dogs

It's hard to believe Wes Anderson has only done two animated films. The first, Fantastic Mr. Fox, came out in 2009. His latest one, Isle of Dogs, is out now. It makes for a visually appealing animated movie even if it has some issues.

In the not too distant future, the city of Megasaki, Japan, is gripped with "Dog Flu." Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura, who is also one of Anderson's three co-writers) orders all dogs quarantined and dumped onto Trash Island. One such quarantined dog is Spots, the bodyguard of the Mayor's ward and nephew, Atari (Koyu Renkin). Atari commandeers a small plane to the "Isle of Dogs" to get him back. The plane sputters out and he crashes. But he's OK.

On the Isle, a pack of dogs, led by Chief (Bryan Cranston), try to stay alive. They find Atari and agree to help him find Spots. The Mayor and his personnel try to get Atari off the Isle. Meanwhile, a pair of scientists, Professor Watanabe (Akira Ito) and Yoko Ono (the same), discover a cure for Dog Flu that Kobayashi wants to cover up. An American transfer student, Tracy (Greta Gerwig), organizes a movement to expose the truth behind Dog Flu.

The screenplay, co-written with Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, is a good one. Anderson's deadpan wit sits and stays throughout the story. Its story and stakes play best with pet owners. The ending relies on a masterful bait-and-switch maneuver. The film renders the dogs and some humans in perfect English, while the majority are in unsubtitled Japanese. It renders the language barrier between humans and dogs well, but I understand why it might rub others the wrong way.

The cast is a strong bunch. Chief is a good dog. He starts the film as a loner trying to lead a pack, but the others don't take heed. His bond with Atari and the showdog Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson) makes him lovable. His pack, Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Boss (Bill Murray), King (Bob Balaban) and Rex (Edward Norton), are a funny pack of memorable characters. Atari is a flat protagonist with an understandable goal. Meanwhile, the strict Mayor Kobayashi has a change of heart. The language barrier surely makes me wish I could converse flawlessly in Japanese.

But the artistic and aural values aren't hampered by the language barrier. The puppet characters and their settings are uniquely designed and quirky. The animation is strong; the best bits involved the characters' scuffles mostly obscured by cartoon clouds. Tristan Oliver's cinematography renders the animation in a wonderfully wide field of vision. Alexandre Desplat has composed a memorable soundtrack in traditional Japanese styles; he even throws in bits of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Drunken Angel.

Isle of Dogs has me waiting for Wes Anderson's next animated film. His style translates that flawlessly into animated form. It never loses its quirky appeal throughout its 101 minutes. Hopefully, the film will inspire people to read up on Japan as it is. It's still a winner, though maybe not the winner. I'm waiting for the rest of this year's animated films.

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline's debut novel, Ready Player One, thrives on one's encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture. That sounds awesome, but an encyclopedia doesn't have the pace of a film. The book's concepts are distilled perfectly in Steven Spielberg's film version. It's a wondrous distillation.

In 2045, Wade Watts's (Tye Sheridan) reality is an overcrowded and poor Earth. He escapes the dreary existence of Columbus, Ohio into the VR world of the OASIS. As his Avatar, Parcival, he can do whatever he wants at anytime. There's an Easter Egg hidden in the OASIS left behind by its late creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance). The first person who gets all three keys to the Egg inherits Halliday's massive fortune and the OASIS itself. Wade spends his time deciphering Halliday's hints by exploring the man's virtual library.

Eventually, Wade finds the first key and gets the game going. He's soon joined by his pals, Aech (Lena Waithe), Daito (Win Morisaki) and Sho (Philip Zhao) and the enigmatic hacker Artemis (Olivia Cooke). The evil businessman Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) wants the Egg too for his own evil purposes. He'll even kill people to get it. The "High Five" will have to outwit Sorrento in both the real and virtual worlds to get there first.

The screenplay, by Cline and Zak Penn, is just as referential as its source. Most of the references take the form of the players' recognizable Avatars. You'll probably miss one or two references for every one you get in the film's massive crowd shouts. Your understanding won't live or die if you don't get every single reference. There's a meaningful story amongst the iconography. The key to the keys is understanding Halliday as a person and not repeat his mistakes. The film plays peoples' obsession with the OASIS for black comedy early on. But the resolution, which embraces the real world, is a strong one.

The human cast is a great one. Wade is a likable hero with an understandable goal to escape poverty. The in-game Quest and his time with Artemis helps him become selfless. His friends are a likable bunch of misfits in both realities. Rylance perfectly conveys Halliday as withdrawn, socially-awkward and warm. He's a great presence throughout the picture. Mendolsohn is a strong villain with moments of comedy. His henchman, I-ROK (TJ Miller), is wonderful comic relief and a formidable villain too. 

The film succeeds on its technical promises. The OASIS and its Avatars are stunning CGI designs. The Avatars are as photo-realistic as the Orcs in Warcraft.. Even the most obvious CGI is forgiven due to its Virtual Reality setting. Its recreation of the Overlook Hotel lobby from The Shining looks like actual footage. The rest of the production design results in one impressive world after another. That even includes the dreary real world. The soundtrack, whether Alan Silvestri's score or the classic standards, is a memorable mix.

Ready Player One is one of the most delightfully geeky movies in years. It's another great film from the man who helped invent the modern blockbuster. A few elements could've used more depth but its 140 minutes were a satisfying adventure. This is another film that needs to be seen on the big screen. It's worth any price.

Pacific Rim Uprising

Pacific Rim was one of those films that should've been a smash. But it wasn't in the States. It owed much of its success to the international box-office. It now has a sequel thanks to that international success. Pacific Rim Uprising is that sequel and it is surprisingly fine.

The first film ended with the Kaiju and their Creators defeated. Ten years later, the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps and their Jaegers keep the Pacific Rim safe from trouble. Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), son of the first film's Stacker Pentecost and a former Jaeger pilot, sells Jaeger parts on the black market. Jake fights over a part with street urchin Amara (Cailee Spaeny) and they're both arrested. They're drafted into the PPDC.

Jake is reunited with his rival co-pilot Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood). Amara has to deal with being the greenhorn. There's also a rogue Jaeger, Obsidian Fury, on the loose. The Shao Corporation threatens to render Jaegers obsolete with its drones. CEO Liwen Shao (Jing Tian) is unaware that her drones are part of a conspiracy to bring back the Kaiju. A surprise attack leaves Jake, Lambert and the Cadets to fight the Kaiju. They'll have to work together to stop them from igniting Mt. Fuji.

It's the directorial debut of Spartacus showrunner Steven S. DeKnight. He's one of four writers credited with the screenstory and screenplay. The film elaborates on its predecessor's plot points in acceptable ways. The mastermind's identity is one case. It's disappointing since he was likable, but it made sense considering what happened to him in the first film. A few plot points go by so fast and may confound a few viewers.

The human cast is OK. They make the best of this screenplay. Jake and Amara make for good co-leads. Lambert was a decent rival, though the center of his and Jake's rivalry, Jules, is barely there. Amara's co-cadets get some development, but not enough. It's a pity because one of them bites it during the final battle. The returning cast had a few highlights, though Ron Perlman's presence was sorely missed.

The film's visual style deeply contrasts the first film. The two follow different principles, but they still work. The Kaiju and Jaegers are both wonderfully designed and realized. Their designs are unique even if their names go by too fast. One of the best was Amara's personal diminutive Jaeger, Scrapper. The environments they inhabit, both real and CGI, are great feats of production design. The sound design was good as was Dan Mindel's cinematography.

Pacific Rim Uprising is a nice depiction of fighting robots and monsters. Its 111 minutes are paced well and make for an easy matinee. Its human cast is likable and the giants are still impressive. I thought the first film ended conclusively and it didn't necessarily need a sequel. But it was worth the wait. My screening was seventeen minutes late; hope yours is on time.

The Hurricane Heist

Now what do we have here? The Hurricane Heist? The title says it all. It's not a groundbreaking film but it's a fine movie for an easy distraction.

They say that when a hurricane's a-comin, you best get out of dodge. But if you're Perkins (Ralph Ineson), a Treasury agent, you use that storm to cover your tracks for a heist. The place is a Treasury Facility in Gulfport, Alabama, where the storm of the century, Hurricane Tammy, is a-comin'. There's $600 million in discontinued money waitin' for retirement. Perkins and his crew decide to make do with the cash. But mechanical failures wait to block 'em right away.

Agent Casey (Maggie Grace) decides she doesn't want part of it. So when Perkins tells her to get a mechanic, she uses the opportunity to rally some help. Breeze (Ryan Kwanten), said mechanic, and his storm-chaser brother Will (Toby Keebel), are the help. They saw their father crushed to death during a similar storm years back. They have to help her outwit the bad guys and keep the money safe. At least until they get to the shredder.

This film premise was realized by four writers and realized by director Rob Cohen. There's plenty of wild weather action but also plenty of flat characters. They're cliche character types you might've seen better in other movies. Perkins gets the honor of being flat and inconsistent. He prides himself in his plan to take the money without killing anybody. But he gets bloodlust when something goes awry. Hypocrite? Maybe. But there's little transition between the moods. It also gets needlessly complicated when the sheriff (Ben Cross) turns out to be in on the heist. He quickly gets discarded soon after without a fuss.

The characters are second-fiddle to the visual effects and they're pretty good. The demon face in the clouds was creepy, even if it was questionable. The weather provided opportunity for many wild stunts. The biggest of these is the climactic chase to outwit the worst of the storm and thwart Perkins. The sound design perfectly voiced the monster storm and kept it from overshadowing the characters.

The Hurricane Heist is big and dumb. But it's serviceable for an easy afternoon matinee. Don't raise your expectations too high or else you'll be disappointed. I wasn't. I thought it was decent. It'll probably build an easy audience if SyFy gets a hold of it. It'll fit right in with Sharknado.

A Wrinkle in Time

2003: Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time debuts as a TV movie in Canada and in the States the following year. It was instantly forgotten by all.

Present day. The iconic story is ready for its cinematic life. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the movie is visually delightful but it has some logical issues.

It was a dark and stormy night. Meg Murry (Storm Reid) can't stop thinking about her scientist father, Alex (Chris Pine). It's been four years since he vanished while studying instantaneous interstellar travel via Tesseract. Her adopted brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), is unnaturally smart and prone to befriending strange people. One of them is Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), who tells the kids that their father is out there. Meg's classmate Calvin O'Keefe (Levi Miller) visits them just as they meet Mrs. Who (Mindy Kalling) and Mrs Which (Oprah Winfrey). The three Mrs. are astral travelers who fold space and take the kids to another planet.

Yes, Dr. Murry discovered the ability to "tesser" through space. But he was seized by "IT," not the clown, but an evil black mass. IT is located on the planet Camazotz. The kids have to go there to extract Dr. Murry. But IT won't give up without a fight and the kids will have to do it alone.

Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell's screenplay does its best to realize the deeply philosophical book. While its basic story is understandable, there's a few logical issues here. A big one is that Charles Wallace turns evil because he saw through an illusion. How does that work? Apparently, he was hypnotized by IT's servant Red (Michael Pena), but it should've been clearer. The nature of Camazotz, and that name itself, were also bewildering. Calvin's issues with his abusive father is never resolved after it appears once in an exposition vision. It also takes a while to get going and is over somewhat quickly.

The kids have definite screen presence. McCabe is especially good at playing Charles Wallace's unnatural smartness and his brainwashed snide self. Reid makes for a good heroine who finds her confidence. Miller made for a good, loyal friend as  Calvin. Rowan Blanchard makes the most of her limited screentime as Meg's mean girl arch-nemesis, Veronica. The three Mrs. were perfectly eccentric characters.

There's much to admire with the visuals. There's an eclectic display of colorful alien worlds, creatures and costumes on screen. Tobias A. Schliessler's cinematography displays them perfectly. It almost felt like a live-action Ghibli film; in fact, a Ghibli film of this might be a good fit. Spencer Averick's editing had one glaring flaw early on: when the kids go to meet Mrs. Who, they're walking a dog. When they enter her house, the dog is absent (but turns up later). Ramin Djawadi's score is good, but you'll likely remember the songs more than the score.

A Wrinkle in Time is not a perfect family film but it's watchable. You might have to fill in a few logical gaps yourself but it's worth the astro trip. At least on a matinee budget on flatscreen. Perhaps someone can figure out what to do for the next film version by watching this. It's certainly more memorable than the TV movie.

Early Man

The chaps at Aardman Animations are here with another Plasticine romp. Early Man is a fun Stone Age adventure with Football (Soccer) and hi-jinks. Let's see if we can explain it.

In the film's pre-history, the first Football was the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. The Cavemen who found it knew not what it was, except that it was very hot, and passing it around like a hot potato made for a fun game. Years later, Football is worshiped as the "Sacred Game" by Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age kingdom. Nooth decides to make a nearby valley the site of a new mine.

That valley is where Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his Stone Age tribe live. He doesn't take kindly to the invaders and challenges them to a Football match with the valley at stake. The tribe's cluelessness is their own worst enemy. Goona (Maisie Williams), a friendly Bronze Age girl and aspiring Footballer, helps them learn the ropes. How will Nooth react if the Cavemen beat his Bronzemen?

Director Nick Park and his co-writers, Mark Burton and James Higginson, keep things going well for 89 minutes. There's plenty of silliness from the cast to keep kids entertained. A few notable characters include Grubup, a caveman with a pig head and Hognob (Park), an actual pig who acts like a dog. Lord Nooth makes for a funny, snooty villain. But some of the Football humor might not register for American audiences (I got a reference to "Early Man ... U(nited)," though). Its dramatic conflict is a bit light although the tribe's aversion to forced labor is understandable. A few other members of the tribe are just there.

The Plasticine characters look as memorable as their environments. The movement photographed by Dave Alex Riddett is pretty good but the opening sequence is amazing. A cockroach witnessing the meteor's explosion provided another great gag. Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe's score works as both a majestic and light soundtrack.

Early Man is a good start for animated films this year. It's not the best Stone Age parody but it gets things done. This is sure to be fun for kids and Football-savy adults. You might see a preview of Aardman's next adventure, starring Shaun the Sheep, during the trailers. It doesn't have a clear title or release date yet, but that trailer was funny.

Black Panther

Black Panther was one of the best characters in Captain America: Civil War. Now, once again played by Chadwick Boseman, he's back in his own same-titled movie. The end result is another win for Marvel and for director/co-writer Ryan Coogler.

The African nation of Wakanda formed around a meteorite containing the metal Vibranium. Their king, the Black Panther, gained super powers from a heart-shaped herb. Eventually, they secretly became the most advanced country in the world.

Years later, Prince T'Challa becomes king after the assassination of his father, T'Chaka (John Kani) during Civil War. His first order of business is to recover a Wakandan artifact from arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). T'Challa soon encounters Klaue's cohort, Erik "Killmonger" (Michael B. Jordan). Killmonger seeks to avenge the oppression of Blacks around the world by arming them with Vibranium weapons. His goal becomes easier when he usurps T'Challa's throne in ritual combat.

T'Challa recovers to face Killmonger again. T'Challa is aided by his ex-lover, agent Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), his all-female Dora Milaje bodyguards and CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). They have to hurry before the first weapons leave Wakanda.

There's much to praise about the supporting cast. Everyone, including Shuri, Nakia, the Dora Milaje member Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Ross are strong characters. They all get a memorable moment to help T'Challa take down Killmonger. Klaue makes for a funny, yet creepy villain; I have mixed thoughts about his eventual fate. The Shaman Zuri (Forest Whitaker) is a strong mentor figure. A grand highlight is M'Baku (Winston Duke), leader of the mountainous Jabari tribe, who goes from rival to ally.

Killmonger deserves his own paragraph. His smug attitude may rub people the wrong way but we understand his tragic story. His fighting ability backs up his boasts all the way. It's great to see T'Challa defeat Killmonger and take back the throne. But the audience is affected by the bitterness that turned him bad.

What about our hero, T'Challa? T'Challa is a good man learning to be a great leader. He spares M'Baku in ritual combat and gets an ally in the climax. He's not sure how to live up to the legacy but he learns soon enough. The moment he resolves to challenge Killmonger again is awesome. His story has him learn "might does not make right" and "with great power comes great responsibility." And it's a lesson certain people should learn.

Coogler's brings along his usual band of Marvels, consisting of editors Claudia Castello & Michael P. Shawver, cinematographer Rachel Morrison and composer Ludwig Göransson. This leads to some tense, colorful action scenes with a memorably sleek soundtrack. Wakanda is a perfectly designed Utopia and its colorful production and costume design is outstanding. T'Challa's Black Panther suit is alluring with its glowing purple highlights. Wonder Woman was ignored by the Oscars but hopefully they won't make the same mistake here.

Black Panther makes the best use of its 134 minutes. It's an exciting Marvel adventure which blends the past, present and future in one stunning vision. Its ending was one of the most meaningful ends to a superhero story in years. It leaves us a lot to think about our real world. T'Challa's next appearance in Avengers: Infinity War is even more anticipated now. This film definitely deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Call me by your name

I was disappointed last year that the Anime mega-blockbuster Your Name didn't play locally. As that title lingers in my mind, we now have Call Me By Your Name, which only now started playing locally. The coincidences end in the title and my review begins.

In 1983, Elio Perlman (Timothee Chalamet) spends the summer in the Italian countryside. His father (Michel Stuhlbarg), a professor, has invited grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer) over as a research assistant. Elio is perplexed by how Oliver uses "later" as a goodbye. But they hit it off once Elio learns that Oliver is Jewish like him.

Elio and Oliver become closer as they spend time with each other. Oliver tells Elio to "call me by your name and I'll call you by mine" as a sign of endearment. But they know that society might not accept their relationship. There's a lot of complicated feelings between them.

James Ivory, of Merchant-Ivory, adapted the screenplay from Andre Aciman's novel. Aciman also has a cameo as Mounir, a friend of Elio's father. Director Luca Guadagnino keeps the film going at a slow pace. It's a while before Elio and Oliver's relationship goes from subtext to text. One can emphasize with Elio and Oliver as they struggle with their feelings. Their chemistry is endearing and their relationship is great. Before long, they're separated when Oliver's stay ends. Elio is left with the memories of his summer romance. In the end, Mr. Perlman tells Elio that he has nothing to be ashamed of with his relationship.

There's not much of an original score, save for Sufjan Stevens's softspoken songs. One of the most memorable is the now-Oscar nominated Mystery of Love. It's a perfect summary of a summer romance and its aftermath. The scene it plays in highlights cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's great view of the Italian countryside. The last shot of the movie, during which most of the credits play, highlights another great song from Stevens, Visions of Gideon.

Call Me by Your Name is a fine movie. Its 130 minutes are slow, but the characters make it worth it. It's a movie where peoples' emotions are their worst enemy. The last few scenes leaves the film on a memorable note. Guadagnino wants to do sequels, but this can stand on its own just fine. If they are made, then hopefully the sequels are as equally memorable as this film.

I, Tonya

Imagine Rashomon mixed with the TV movie The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. Granted, I haven't seen that movie, but I'll guess that's the experience with another dark, real-life comedy, I, Tonya. It's off my to-see list.

Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) was a skating prodigy at age four. Her cruel mother, LaVona Golden (Alison Janney), took her out of school to skate. She proves herself as a professional skater, but she fails to impress the stuffy judges. She still makes the Winter Olympics in 1992 and 1994. Her closest competition is Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver). Tonya's unstable husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan), decides to threaten Nancy to give Tonya an edge. His accomplice, Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser), takes it a step too far. It doesn't go well for anyone.

Steven Rogers's script frames the story with "wildly contradictory, totally true interviews" with Tonya and others. Tonya and Jeff, in particular, try to paint the other as unstable and abusive. We see their mutual antagonism as their fights play out on screen. You'll laugh at some of the characters' less admirable acts. The actual assault on Nancy Kerrigan is dark, but her assailants' incompetence is funny. Characters break the fourth wall a few times, sometimes to address the last interviewee, including the last line.

The cast does wonders on the ice. Robbie, as Tonya, is equally sympathetic and contemptible. She displays no compassion for Nancy, but is understandably upset when the attack happens. Her unprofessional conduct fails to endear sympathy, but her breakdown after she is banned from the sport does.  Janney as LaVona has a rancid attitude, but she does care about Tonya in her own way. Stan as Jeff believably goes from loving to violent in any scene. Hauser as Shawn starts off a lovable idiot who reveals himself a psychopath ... who's still an idiot. Julianne Nicholson is also memorable as Tonya's longtime coach, Diane Rawlson, one of the few wholly sympathetic characters.

The film's technical achievements also stick the landing. Its Oscar-nominated editor, Tatiana S. Riegel, keeps it going smoothly for 119 minutes. Tonya's skating scenes are outstanding and fit nicely with the music selections. A few subtle visual effects and Nicolas Karakatsanis's long takes add to these scenes' energy. The surprisingly un-Oscar nominated makeup team convincingly age Tonya and the others throughout the years. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson's recreations of Tonya's self-made costumes are perfectly colorful designs.

I, Tonya is one of the darkest sports comedies around. We see its characters as self-serving jerks and as sympathetic characters. It doesn't entirely glorify or deride their selfish behavior. We're left wondering which of them is telling the truth. It'll leave you guessing while you laugh. It was worth waiting for it.

Phantom Thread

In 1971, Daniel Day-Lewis started his film career playing a young vandal in Sunday Bloody Sunday. We now get to see the film he's promised will be his last. It's Phantom Thread, a dark, yet happy love story.

Day-Lewis is Reynolds Woodcock, a fashion designer in 1950s London. His life is nice and orderly. His sister, Cyril (Leslie Manville), helps ensure it. But then he meets a waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps). They fall in love and she becomes his assistant. Reynolds soon doesn't take kindly to his routine getting disrupted. Alma just wants to be a part of it. She might have to do something desperate.

Writer/Director Paul T. Anderson keeps things going for a surprisingly quick 130 minutes. Not one minute felt a second longer. It was an involving Gothic Romance that was equally dark and funny. Reynolds' obsessive stubbornness is either one given the situation. Alma turns him around at the end, though. The ending might have some question their version of "happily ever after." I did.

Day-Lewis is great as usual as Reynolds. He's a soft-spoken man with a tortured past. We understand his mindset even if we don't agree with his outbursts. Krieps as Alma is just a strong performance as his. She's an endearing character who genuinely loves Reynolds. But she finds herself overwhelmed by his aloofness. She wins out with an extreme act of desperation. Manville's Cyril is relatively low-key but her dry wit makes her a memorable character.

Mark Bridges dresses the characters in memorable fashions. They're not extravagant but their colors are still striking. There's quite a few fascinatingly eerie scenes photographed by an uncredited cinematographer, such as a New Years Eve party. The production and makeup design complete another great recreation of the 1950s. Jonny Greenwood earned his first Oscar nomination for another memorably eerie score. Though, I must say the opening theme was a bit loud.

Phantom Thread is a film that'll keep you thinking after the end. I had a few conflicting thoughts about the movie. But it's not as completely off-kilter as I feared. So we must wish Daniel Day-Lewis the best with his future endeavors as he ends his film career in a memorable way. It's not a conventional love story but it's a well-told one.

Paddington 2

Everyone's favorite literary bear from darkest Peru is back in Paddington 2. It's easily the best film of the year so far. Did I give away too much? Perhaps, but let's continue.

Paddington (Ben Whishaw) lives a happy life with the Browns in London. He's also chums with the neighbors except for grumpy, paranoid Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi). Meanwhile, Paddington's Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) is about to turn 100 and he doesn't have a gift. Paddington finds an antique pop-up book of London in kindly Mr. Gruber's (Jim Broadbent) shop. Aunt Lucy always wanted to go to London and this book is the next best thing. Paddington decides to do odd jobs around town to buy it.

The pop-up book has the clues to a hidden treasure. That is why a has-been actor named Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant) wants it too. So he breaks into Mr. Gruber's shop and takes it. Paddington is accidentally pegged as the thief and thrown into prison. He annoys the prisoners by dying their uniforms pink while on laundry duty. He earns their respect when he befriends the hardened cook Knuckles (Brendan Gleason). Soon, the whole prison is bright and cheerful.

Meanwhile, the Browns set off to investigate the theft and exonerate Paddington. Paddington waits for them to set everything right. But the other prisoners want Paddington to join them on their escape attempt. What's a bear to do?

Director Paul King co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. It continues the adventures of Michael Bond's best bear with the same charm as the first one. It's an optimistic world where Paddington can charm even the most hardened criminal. In this movie, the most irredeemable people are grumps like Curry and Judge Biggleswade (Tom Conti). Its messages about friendship and acceptance are as relevant just as they were three years ago. If only this world was the real one.

What about Paddington's supporting cast? The Browns, including Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary (Sally Hawkins), are still a nice bunch. They each get a moment in the train chase climax. The prisoners, especially Knuckles, are gruff yet lovable chaps. Buchanan makes for a delightfully hammy villain who proves himself formidable in the climax. If not for his hubris, he might have gotten away with it. Paddington's neighbors are a nice bunch of characters and their unwavering support of him was nice. Curry and Biggleswade were capably mean folks.

The first film's visual style is maintained here. It seamlessly transitions between locales and time periods through great editing (by Mark Everson and Jonathan Amos), cinematography (Erik Wilson) and visual effects. The imagine spot where Paddington sees himself and Aunt Lucy explore the pop-up book is a highlight. Paddington himself is still a great creation of CGI. The jailbreak sequence is  perfectly visualized just like the doll house scene in the first film. The prison changing from gloomy to bright was a great feet of production design.

Paddington 2 came out in November in the UK last year. It's now a welcome diversion from the January slowness in the States. It's an amiable movie that kids and adults will love together. It's funny and meaningful and all around good natured. Let's hope there are more great family films on the way.

Molly's Game

I can't wait for this Oscar season to end ... and the nominations haven't been announced yet! There are plenty of movies left to see this year. There are even movies I could've seen already but didn't.

I can now scratch one item off my left-to see list: Molly's Game. Aaron Sorkin reworked Molly Bloom's memoir into the screenplay of his directorial debut. The end result has the same style and finesse from Sorkin's usual work.

Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) was a skier in her youth. A nasty fall on the slopes ended her skiing career and her Olympic dreams. She found work as the office assistant of the nasty Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong). Her duties include helping him organize his underground poker game. There, she meets influential people among her weekly players. When Keith unfairly fires her, she redirects her players to her own poker game. She soon finds herself very legally wealthy.

But the FBI still doesn't like it. They arrest her on the suspicion that she's working for the Russian mob. She hires Charles Jaffey (Idris Elba) as her lawyer, who takes the case even though she's broke. The FBI is willing to reimburse her if she gives up her client list. Molly and Jaffey have to persuade the Government that her business is legit.

Much of the film shuffles back and forth in time. We see Molly, as a child, trained by her stern father, Larry (Kevin Costner). We see her get involved with the poker game and its clientele, all of whom have their names changed in the story. And we see her and Jaffey prepare their case before the government. The exposition is stylish and fascinatingly detailed. We get to know Molly's mindset as she opens the film narrating about the worst things that can happen to an athlete. Her time running the poker game moved by nice and easy. The main story felt slower by comparison.

Jessica Chastain was excellent as Molly. She's determined, competitive and also honest. She goes to great lengths to ensure she's running a legal business and is willing to defend it. We can get on her side as she protects her clientele from the government. Elba as Jaffey is a great support for Molly. He proves that when he goes from temporarily defending Molly to full-time during her first hearing. Among the supporting cast, some of the best include a surprisingly against type Michael Cera as the sleazy Player X and Costner as Larry. There's also Strong as Dean Keith, who finds new ways to make the audience hate him.

Editors Alan Baumgarten, Elliot Graham and Josh Schaeffer move the film at a nice pace. Molly's opening narration is illustrated to a quick and clear montage which describes, among other things, the angle of the Great Pyramids. They emphasize the tension when Molly is confronted and robbed by a nasty mobster. The aftermath, as photographed by cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, perfectly shows Molly at her lowest point. And without much words. Daniel Pemberton contributes another memorable soundtrack which perfectly accentuates Molly's professions.

Molly's Game is a strong directorial debut. It's a memorable story about a strong-willed woman who made her own destiny. Her cinematic victory felt sort of rushed, even at 145 minutes, but it was still rewarding. Her backstory is just as fascinating on-screen as on the page. It might come up short on Oscar night but it's still a winner.

The Post

Newspapers often make the news for reporting the news. The Washington Post is one. Its newsmaking qualities were depicted by Alan Pakula in All the President's Men. Steven Spielberg now depicts another story of The Post in, The Post.

It's 1971. Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) is the publisher of The Washington Post. Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is the editor of The Post. They have a problem. They were just handed a shoe-box of documents related to the Vietnam War. The Pentagon Papers reveal the ugly truths behind the Vietnam War. The New York Times covered the Papers but were stopped by the White House. It's an important story that they can't publish. But newspapers such as theirs have to hold the government accountable. So what's a good newspaper to do?

Report.

Josh Singer and Liz Hannah's screenplay goes surprisingly quick for a wordy story. It's 115 minutes and it didn't feel like it. Graham's history was involving but I wish it was elaborated on. The New York Times, as a whole, was a way too minor character. The climactic Supreme Court showdown ends in both papers' favors, but we don't see the Times' part. The characters aren't really challenged by the Government until the very end. It's one of those movies that makes history a foregone conclusion. The movie even ends just as the Watergate break-in is discovered.

But a few technical choices make the film worth it. When whistleblower Daniel Ellsburg (Matthew Rhys) and his friends read the Pentagon Papers, we feel the magnitude of their disclosed contents. We also feel tension when someone brings up the possibility that the Times and the Post share the same source. The decision to rarely show Nixon, except from the back in a White House window, perfectly makes him an ominous threat. These are finely constructed scenes by editors Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshnar. John Williams provides another great score, as usual. There's also some finesse in the sound and production design.

There's a distinguished cast assembled. Hanks and Streep make for a likable pair of news-people. They're honest and diligent and you'll never doubt them. Alison Brie is memorable as Kay's daughter, Lally, as is Bruce Greenwood as Robert McNamara. Bob Odenkirk also makes an impression as Ben Bagdikian, The Post reporter who first receives the Papers. There's also some fine appearances by Michael Stuhlbarg (as Times reporter Abe Rosenthal) and Sarah Paulson as Bradlee's wife, Tony.

The Post is a good reminder for the importance of the free press. You might not agree with them but they have a big part to play. The film plays best for anyone not familiar with the whole story. It's still worth it even if you know the basic outcome of this whole affair. See it now while it's most relevant. And maybe find time to see All the President's Men.

All the Money in the World

I thought that swapping out Al Pacino for Benjamin Bratt in Despicable Me 2 a month before its debut was mind-blowing. But now we have a similar case in live action. It's the case of All The Money In The World, which threw out Kevin Spacey in favor of Christopher Plummer on short notice. It's a coherent film all things considered.

J Paul Getty (Plummer) built his fortune as an Oil Baron on the cheap. By 1973, he is the richest man in the world. Everyone, in his mind, wants a piece of his fortune. The Mafia does, which is why they nab his grandson, Paul (Charlie Plummer, no relation). They want $17 million for his release. But the old man refuses to pay a cent. He says he doesn't want to encourage more kidnappings of his family. But he's still motivated by his miserly ways.

Paul's mother, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams) sets off to get her son back. She's assisted by Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), one of Getty's negotiators. They try to negotiate with Cinquanta (Romain Duris), a sympathetic gangster for Paul's safety, even getting them to lower their demands. They'll have to hurry, for the crooks are getting impatient and are willing to cut their losses. In more ways than one.

Director Ridley Scott works from a screenplay by David Scarpa based on John Pearson's book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty. The film doesn't waste time as Paul gets nabbed immediately after the opening credits. The story keeps the audience on edge even if they know the outcome. Paul's imprisonment is appropriately tense and one major development will make you squirm.

Plummer deserves a paragraph to himself. His Getty easily goes between sympathetic and unsympathetic. One of his first scenes has give Paul a Minotaur statue like a nice grandpa. Later on, Gail finds out it's a gift shop trinket, not a priceless relic as Getty said. His refusal to pay up is both reasonable and unreasonable. You can agree with some of his points even if you find his miserliness extreme. He's one of the more sociable Scrooges since Scrooge.

Editor Claire Simpson and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski deserve some recognition for keeping the film cohesive. You'll hardly notice the differences when Plummer is on screen. There's no tonal clashes or any major editing gaffes. His scenes fit in together with the rest of the movie. It appears that Plummer was Forrest Gumped into some of Spacey's shots; a green hue gives it away. But that's a minor flaw in the story. Another strong technical achievement is Daniel Pemberton's score. Getty's Theme perfectly emphasizes the man's prominence.

All the Money in the World is an intriguing thriller and character study. It's one of those films that makes rather recent history exciting. Its portrayal of a rich man and his dysfunctional family was a strong one. It's a complex story that'll have you thinking for 133 minutes. It's amazing that the film turned out so well after its recent PR troubles. It deserves whatever recognition comes its way.

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, ended its long history last year. We now have a musical biopic about its co-founder, PT Barnum. Step right up and hear all about The Greatest Showman. And see if this is worth your time.

PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman) was a poor tailor's son. His father's client, Mr. Hallett (Frederic Lehne), didn't think much of him. But PT gets to marry the old man's daughter, Charity (Michelle Williams). They live a nice life in New York with their two daughters. PT finds good work at a shipping company until it's literally sunk. PT invests in a museum of curiosities. But nobody seems to care about the lifeless exhibits in Barnum's American Museum. So he puts on a show with living curiosities: little people, bearded ladies, Siamese twins, etc.

Barnum's Circus is the talk of the town. The public loves it but some don't like the "freaks" on display. One critic, James Gordon Bennett (Paul Sparks), denounces the show for its cheap exploitation of its performers. Barnum shows him off by booking opera star Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) for his show. But Barnum's ambitions threaten to isolate him from his family. What's a showman to do?

It's the directorial debut of effects artist Michael Gracy (Ned Kelly), who works from a script by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. The film's historical liberties may make or break the film. There's a lot of unsatisfactory parts of Barnum's life the film skims over. The film makes a point about Barnum shoving his performers aside when Lind arrives. That leads to their rousing number, This is Me. But their reconciliation with Barnum seems a bit rushed. A few of these performers are barely presences in the film. What were they like in real life? If there's one thing it gets right, it's that they never have Barnum brag "there's a sucker born every minute."

Jackman's performance makes the film work. His Barnum is still a great trickster even if he wasn't a scoundrel. He gets a bank loan through a swindle; that was pretty funny. His showmanship was entertaining to see. Zac Efron also makes an impression as Barnum's business partner, Phillip Carlyle (who's apparently a renamed James Bailey). His romance with African-American trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya) is the film's B-Plot. The main Circus performers, like diminutive Charles Stratton (Sam Humphrey) and especially bearded lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), were memorable characters. Gayle Rankin gets the film's best cameo as Queen Victoria.

A whopping six editors, including Oscar winners Tom Cross and Joe Hushting, managed the film. Their best trick is making it appear it was the work of one; it was that cohesive. Why six? I don't know. The production and costume designs, as well as Seamus McGarvey's cinematography, make a great vision of old New York. The makeup designs were also perfect. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have another fine playlist of musical numbers. A few of these numbers run a bit too long, but you'll remember them sure enough. There's also a score by John Debney and Joseph Trapanese but it's overshadowed by the musical numbers.

The Greatest Showman isn't a documentary of the real Barnum in anyway. It's still a fine fictionalization of the man. It makes a good effort to tell the story of how some people rose above prejudice. It's also a good reminder not to let fame swell one's head. It's not perfect but it's still a good movie musical. Maybe this will inspire people to read up on the history of Barnum. That's a lot of reading to do.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Chris Van Allsburg's book Jumanji is best known for its 1995 film version. The book had a sequel, Zathura, which had its own movie in 2005. The film now has a sequel of its own, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The end result is a surprisingly fun year-end blockbuster.

It's a normal day in detention. Spencer got caught writing homework essays for his jock ex-friend, Fridge. Bethany is a stuck up valley girl and Martha is socially awkward. They were supposed to prepare old magazines for recycling. But they get distracted when Fridge uncovers an Atari-ish console and the Jumanji video game. They start it up for a lark, but they get sucked up into the game's world.

In this world, Spencer is brawny Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge is "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha is the stunning Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) and Bethany is the smart guy, Prof. Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black). They have to return a MacGuffin Jewel to a big Panther Statue to beat the game. They'll return to reality if they win. But it's game over for them if they use up their three lives. The evil hunter Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale) wants to stop their progress. They'll have to join forces to beat him and their personal problems.

The screenplay was written by five people including director Jake Kasdan. It's a strong action/comedy story that keeps our attention for 119 minutes. It's a nice movie realization of a video game narrative and its quirks like NPCs with limited dialogue. Their personal problems lead to both fun and serious moments. Their deaths are as brutal as a PG-13 rating allows. We believe the stakes when the cast is down to their last lives. It's more than a mere video game story.

It helps that the main characters are likable. Both sets of actors playing our heroes are great. The game cast gets the mannerisms of their real life counterparts down perfectly. They cohesively play their characters which makes the body-changing bits believable. Martha/Ruby had the best story as she learns to be self-confidant. Bethany/Oberon was obnoxious at first, but not that much, which makes her redemption work. Fridge/Mouse and Spencer/Bravestone had great chemistry and their reconciliation was nice. Cannavale made for a formidable villain as Van Pelt. Nick Jonas also made an impression as Jefferson Seaplane, another Jumanji victim who joins their group.

There's much to like about Jumanji's design. The best aspect is Gyula Pados's cinematography, which has many grand scenery shots of Hawaii. It's some of the best filming of the Islands in an action movie since Jurassic Park. Editors Mark Helfrich and Steve Edwards set the pace nicely for the film's action and comedy scenes. Henry Jackman's score was good as was the sound design. The visual effects realize a fine display of animals and Jumanji's powers.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle stands on its own feet with pride. It's distinct from its predecessor and its borrowed story beats aren't a detriment. The main heroes are clearly having fun as their real/digital characters. It's easy to forget that they're two separate casts playing the same characters. The ending is perfectly dramedic. It's a nice way to end this year and prepare for 2018.

Please don't let the world end next year...

The Shape of Water

The Mummy tried and failed to illuminate Universal's Dark Universe last summer. Their new Bride of Frankenstein might not happen at all. What should Universal do? Get Guillermo del Toro, or at least learn from his take on The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Shape of Water. It's one of the most memorable monster movies of this or any year.

It's 1962 in Baltimore. Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is a mute janitor employed by a government research center. Her best friends are a closeted artist, Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her co-worker/interpreter Zelda (Octavia Spencer). She's present when the center receives a new "Asset." The cruel supervisor, Col. Strickland (Michael Shannon), thinks the Asset can help them win the space race. But the Asset bites his fingers off instead.

While she and Zelda clean the bloody mess, Elisa meets the Asset (Doug Jones), an Amphibian Man from South America. Elisa is instantly drawn to the Amphibian Man and starts to secretly see him during hours. She wins him over with kindness, hardboiled eggs and Benny Goodman. She hatches a covert plan to sneak him out of the facility and out to sea. But she'll have to hurry when Strickland decides to dissect "his Asset." Meanwhile, a Soviet spy named Dr. Hofstadler (Michael Stuhlbarg) is driven by conscience to help the plan.

Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor's screenplay tells a great genre-bending story. Elisa's time with the Amphibian Man makes for a charming love story. They even have a few funny moments. But it's also a legitimately tense Cold War movie. It's also a strong story about outcasts in an uncaring world. They even have time for an imaginary musical number! These moods flow together quite naturally. You'll know the stakes Elisa and the Amphibian Man face. You'll definitely feel it once the ending hits.

Hawkins and Jones are compelling leads. Neither one speaks, but say a whole lot by emoting. They're more compatible than their biology might suggest. The audience is on their side through the movie. Col. Strickland is a truly vile villain who finds new ways to offend the audience. Spencer is great as Zelda, as are Jenkins and Stuhlbarg as their characters. The best bit part is the "Pie Guy" (Morgan Kelly), a seemingly friendly pie shop man who turns out to be a bigot.

The technical crew gives this movie a great shape. There's quite a few subtle visual effects, mainly those that compliment Jones's Amphibian Man makeup. The completed image is a compelling movie monster. The most obvious effects are the film's grand underwater scenes which open and close the movie. The production design creates some alluring, yet dreary environments, such as the lab and Elisa's apartment. It's complimented by Dan Lausten's cinematography. The genre-bending is helped by editor Sidney Wolisky's work, who switches the moods quite easily. The sound designers create a variety of memorable noises for the Amphibian Man to vocalize with. Alexandre Desplat's score is another charming soundtrack.

The Shape of Water is a grand fairy tale as much as del Toro's earlier Pan's Labyrinth. Its story about unlikely romance keeps one's attention for 123 minutes. The characters are memorable people instead of props for an action scene. Its visual style wins you over as much as del Toro's other films. It's a great use of $19.5 million. See it as soon as you can. You won't forget it. It deserves its awards buzz.

Darkest Hour

So how many World War II movies this year? I think this makes four.

Dunkirk made its mark on the big screen last summer. The epic story of that moment in World War II is told again from a smaller, different perspective in Darkest Hour. This makes the second time British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had his own biopic this year. The first, Churchill, was a critical dud. That's the opposite of this movie.

May 1940. The Nazis are quickly invading Europe. Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) is forced to resign as Prime Minister. Parliament unanimously chooses Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as his successor. Churchill's outspoken personality makes him an uneasy decision. His plan to face down the Axis Powers instead of negotiate peace unnerves Parliament. Chamberlain and Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) decide to resign their positions in Churchill's cabinet as part of a scheme to get the latter appointed Prime Minister. Churchill has to prove them wrong when British soldiers get stranded in France.

Director Joe Wright and screenwriter Anthony McCarten keep things going for a brisk 125 minutes. It's surprisingly brisk given how verbose the movie is. Fortunately, the speeches drive the action rather than grind it to a halt. It's true when Churchill travels the Underground and meets a few folks. The awkwardness of the crowd to this unexpected traveler gives way to their declarations they support the good fight. It all leads to Churchill's climactic speech "we shall fight on the beaches."

Gary Oldman as Churchill makes it work.  His sarcastic personality doesn't win him many friends, but it wins a few laughs. One highlight is when he finds what the "V for Victory" pose also means. The story of him becoming a man of the people is a strong one. He starts the film being rude to his new secretary Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), but he soon learns how to be better to his closest confidants. His determination to face down Hitler wins him the audience's favor.

Oldman may be the highlight of the cast, but the other actors make great impressions. Pickup made a strong Chamberlain, a character more complex than the one depicted in history. Kristen Scott Thomas also did great as Churchill's wife, Clementine. Ben Mendelsohn was nicely cast as King George VI, and his performance is sure to draw comparisons to The King's Speech.

The technical highlight of the piece is the makeup supervised by Kazuhiro Tsuji. Oldman is believably sculpted into Churchill's image and other actors are perfectly aged up too. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel has several strong aerial shots. The claustrophobic production design is also a visual highlight. The editing by Valerio Boneli helps the film move along nicely. On the aural side, Dario Marianelli has another memorable score. The best use of sound is the silent opening montage of newsreels to highlight the Nazi menace.

Darkest Hour is a strong dramatization of early World War II. One can draw their own conclusions about its politics but it's the best film I've seen to realize Winston Churchill's quick wit. Nary a word is wasted in this screenplay. It more than makes up for Anna Karenina.

Downsizing

Who ever thought that Alexander Payne's biggest movie would be his smallest?!

Downsizing's $68 million budget makes it his most expensive film. It's also his first collaboration with his Sideways writing partner Jim Taylor since that movie. It's not a perfect movie. Let's work out why.

Paul (Matt Damon) and Audrey Safranek (Kristin Wiig) aren't happy with their cash-strapped existence in Omaha. Fortunately for them, a pair of Norwegian scientists have found a way to miniaturize people. It's their way to decrease humanity's collective carbon footprint. The Downsizing process is irreversible, but the affected become proportionately wealthier. Paul and Audrey agree to the process. But Audrey backs off at the last second, leaving Paul alone in the Leisureland community.

The rest of the movie has Paul adjusting to his life as a little person. His upstairs neighbor is Dusan (Christoph Waltz), a middle-age party man. He also meets Dusan's housekeeper, Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), a forcibly downsized political prisoner. Paul assists her in assisting the poor people in their shrunken world. As for the standard sized world, downsizing co-inventor Dr. Asbjørnsen sees no hope for it. So he's decided to seal himself and others away in a mountain. Paul's gotta choose something.

The first part of the movie is the best. It was intriguing to see the downsizing process explained. It was even better to see the little people interact with the standard sized. It led to some great visual gags. But the film soon acts as if the standard sized world doesn't exist. It's just Paul's time in the little world, which is now his standard sized world. His dour life and the poverty outside seem to imply a message that there's a downside to the downsized utopia. It gets sidetracked by the end of the world stuff.

Matt Damon as Paul was an average protagonist. He's not really a jerk, but he's kind of dull. His wanting to downsize, to live comfortably, is a valid one. But he's in the same rut the film opens him with until Ngoc Lan Tran shows up. And that's nearly an hour into the film. His climactic decision is bit of a headscratcher.

Hong Chau's performance makes the second half bearable. Her accent might rub people the wrong way (it's not the actress's actual accent), but her story is compelling. She still does good for the impoverished even when downsized. She'll help people even when the world is about to end. As we later find out, it took a while for her to adjust to her state. Again, it would be nice if the film developed its downside to utopia theme more.

I mentioned the great shrinking visual effects earlier. I can also mention the great production design too. The downsized environments, from Leisureland to the first downsized colony in Norway, are appealing. The cinematography by Phedon Papamichael illuminates them quite well. The upsized props were pretty good. The editing by Kevin Trent works when it reveals the size disparity between people. Or when it sets up its final, explosive joke. These technical aspects work even when the story didn't do that well.

Downsizing could've used some more focus to make it work. There are some great ideas here, but they disappear when the film goes off in a tangent. It was disappointing to see the size disparities vanish after the first part. But a few aspects made the rest of the film work. Hopefully, Payne's next film will keep its head out of the clouds, even if it reaches for the stars.

Wonder

The cinematic word of the year is Wonder.

In 2017, we've had Wonder Woman, Wonderstruck, Wonder Wheel, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and Wonder. It took forever for me to decide see Wonder, the film version of R.J. Palacio's novel. Now here's the review.

Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) was born with the facial deforming Treacher Collins Syndrome. His face is still disfigured even after numerous plastic surgeries. His parents, Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson), had him home schooled all his life. But they've decided to enroll him into a normal school this year. A few kids quickly become Auggie's friends, Jack Will (Noah Jupe) and Summer (Millie Davis). Another one, Julian (Bryce Gheisar), is far from friendly. Meanwhile, Auggie's sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) deals with her own issues in high school. They include joining drama club, reconciling with her jaded best friend Miranda, and meeting Justin (Nadji Jeter).

Tremblay as Auggie makes the film work wonders. As in Room, Tremblay's performance is emotional and funny. We can feel for him when the world becomes too much. We can laugh at his many jokes. His incisive narration resonates with the audience even if the audio is screwed up (which happened in my screening). He emotes perfectly through the makeup work, which was most recently shortlisted for Oscar consideration.

The screenplay, which director Stephen Chbosky wrote with Jack Thorne and Steven Conrad, gives plenty of story time to other characters. There are segments to develop Jack, Miranda and Via's perspectives. Jack, for instance, unknowingly taunts Auggie behind his back and it really stings. His segment to redeem himself redeems himself in the audience and Auggie's eyes. With Miranda, we learn about her home life and Via is about her being Auggie's sister. Both girls reconcile when the drama club stages Our Town. Julian grew to be unlikable, but his rich snob parents prove themselves even worse. The most sympathetic side character is Daisy the Dog, whose eventual fate is why I put off seeing the movie so long.

Editor Mark Livosi strings together the segments quite well. His best accomplishment is editing Auggie's fantasy sequences. He daydreams himself a famous astronaut and even counts Chewbacca and Emperor Palapatine as his imaginary friends. The Star Wars characters are pretty funny cameos if you see The Last Jedi and this movie back-to-back. Marcelo Zarvos's score was also fine, though I wish the audio issue was fixed. Don Burgess's cinematography gives us some nice views of New York City and Auggie's fantasy life.

Wonder is a strong family movie. It's poignant for anyone with a disability or a relative of said anyone. Anyone bullied for being different will identify with this movie. Its emotional story is well told with barely any overdone melodrama. You'll certainly identify with its optimistic messages. See it if it's still playing.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Force is still strong with Disney's Star Wars.

Two years after The Force Awakens stimulated the box office, The Last Jedi is ready to do the same. It's a grand space adventure which leaves its mark beyond its visuals. Let's elaborate.

The evil First Order have found that pesky Resistance Force base. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) leads a daring mission which gets the Resistance cleared out but leaves them without a Bomber Fleet. Unfortunately, Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and his fleet get the drop on the Resistance. The First Order have a tracking device so powerful not even lightspeed can save the Resistance. And the Resistance is almost out of fuel. They just need someone to hack the tracking device. So Finn (John Boyega), BB-8, and mechanic Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) head off to find a "master codebreaker" while Poe stays as mission control.

Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has found Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on the planet Ach-To. She wants the Jedi Master to teach her the ways of the Force and to help save the Resistance. But he considers the Jedi a lost cause and refuses. Rey also finds herself linked to the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who's not sure about his place in the Force. Ren's got a few secrets concerning him and Luke that'll test Rey's faith. And time's also running out for the Resistance.

Writer/Director Rian Johnson divides up the film's 151 minutes in several concise storylines. There's Finn and Rose's mission, Rey's time with Luke, Ren's Jedi angst and the Resistance fleet stuff. The main characters all get a few memorable bits even if some don't stick around for long. It all goes back and forth in a comprehensive manner and comes together in a climactic fight on a salt planet. There's a nice balance of action, humor and drama in this space adventure. Its last few minutes will leave you wondering how they'll continue the story in Episode 9.

The franchise's technical excellence continues here. The film looked and sounded great. The visual effects featured some of the best CGI in the franchise. The space battles and creatures were outstanding. The production design realized a new batch of wonderfully alien worlds. The most memorable locale is Snoke's chamber for its bright red paint job. The sound mix was also perfect. John Williams's score sets the galactic mood perfectly once again.

The Last Jedi continues the story of that "galaxy far, far away" with style and substance. It might not go down like you'd expect but it worked for me. I'd like to see how Episode 9 deals with the idea of shaping one's destiny that the film's reveals paved. That's a compelling idea. I also hope they'll find a good way to write off Leia after Carrie Fisher's death last year (the credits include a dedication to her). She was another highlight in the galactic ensemble. We have Solo: A Star Wars Story to look forward to next year. Let's see how that is.

Ferdinand

Munro Leaf's book The Story of Ferdinand was already adapted as a 1938 Disney short, the source of one of Walt's many, many Oscars. We'll see if this feature film version, Ferdinand, can follow its Golden Globe nomination this past Monday with an Oscar nomination. We can hope it'll breathe while The Last Jedi is taking over the multiplexes.

Ferdinand loves to smell the flowers. His fellow bulls in Casa del Toro love to butt heads and dream of getting picked by a matador. Ferdinand's dad, Raf (Jeremy Sisto), gets picked by a matador and never returns. Ferdinand makes a run for it and winds up with Nina (Lilly Day) and her florist father, Juan (Juanes). Ferdinand (John Cena) grows up big and strong and still a nice guy. But he's still big. So when he follows Nina to town, he gets stung by a bee and goes on an accidental rampage. He's immediately sent back to Casa del Toro.

Ferdinand is re-introduced to the bullies from his childhood, plus a few new faces. One of them is Lupe the Goat (Kate McKinnon), who wants to coach him to be a prime cut fighting bull. A matador named El Primero (Miguel Angel Silvestre) comes to Casa del Toro to choose an opponent for his swan song match. The bulls have to toughen up or else they'll go to the slaughterhouse. But Ferdinand would rather be "the champion of not fighting." His best option is to get out of Casa del Toro, again.

The screenplay/story was by six people and realized by director Carlos Saldanha. Many of its cutesy gags were teased for months in trailers going back to March. I'm especially referring to Ferdinand's actual bull-in-a-china-shop maneuver. The unfazed shop owner provided a great gag not shown in the ads, however. But its dramatic story was a endearing one. It's a story of a bull, his human, and him wanting to live in peace. It's an easy story to understand. His conversation with his dad was its most cliched; I could smell the retirony when Raf bragged how he'd make it out alive. The slaughterhouse plot point was a legitimately dramatic swerve, though once a second bull went there, I knew there'd be a rescue mission coming.

The cast is a prime selection. Ferdinand is a fun, nice bull who wants to smell the roses. He makes friends out of his enemies and refuses to give in to violence. This endears him to his audience in and out of this movie. Lupe is a fine mentor character with a pleasant, quirky personality. The other bulls were an eclectic bunch, the standouts being Valiente (Bobby Cannavale), Ferdinand's main rival and Angus (David Tennant), the Scottish bull Ferdinand befriends first. There's a trio of horses (Flula Borg, Boris Kodjoe and Sally Phillips) and trio of hedgehogs (Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs and Gabriel Iglesias) who provide some good comic relief. The horses' dance-off with the bulls (long story) ran too long, but they otherwise never overstayed their welcome. Borg's character, Hans, provides the best line "Help, I've fallen and can't giddy-up." El Primero made for a good antagonist; the resolution to his fight with Ferdinand shows him a man of honor.

The art style was exquisite. The view of Juan's farm from Ferdinand's favorite tree was the best scenery in the film. Its recreation of Madrid was also wonderfully stylish. The sound design is where it gets the most points. Switching between the actors' voices and animal sound effects was its most stylish feat. John Powell's score made for another fine soundtrack. The highlight was the source of the film's other Golden Globe nomination, the song Home, co-written and performed by Nick Jonas. It's an emotional and catchy song.

Ferdinand is an amiable family film which keeps going strong for 108 minutes. It doesn't write down to its audience with cheap gags and obnoxious characters. It knows how to be funny and serious when it needs to be. Its moral makes me think of a kid-friendly Hacksaw Ridge and it works just the same with this audience. If you can find the time, and if your local multiplex isn't flooded by Star Wars, take some time to get to know Ferdinand.