Jungle Cruise

We could have had a Jungle Cruise last year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Space Jam: A New Legacy

 Let's agree on something. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Gang

 This review is brought to you by the letter S. 

S lets you spell words like Smart, Silly and Street Gang, Marilyn Agrelo's documentary based on Michael Davis's book about Sesame Street. How do you get there? A streaming service of your choice, of course.

Argelo takes us back to the mid 60's. An America where TV was commercialized, politicized and uneducational. TV executive Joan Gantz Cooney and psychologist Lloyd Morrisett collaborated to create an entertaining and educational kids program. Their newly developed Children's Television Workshop brought along Muppeteer Jim Henson and writer Jon Stone to help their creation. Sesame Street debuted in November 10, 1969. 

It's pretty educational. The "Street Gang" set their show on the Street to appeal to inner-city kids. The Muppets went from simply the stars of separate segments to co-stars with human actors. We also see the Muppeteers in-action on set. Anyone curious how Big Bird's suit was operated? The film shows you how. There's plenty of on-screen bloopers from men and Muppets. There's quite a bit of off-set conflict, exemplified by the tale of Muppet Roosevelt Franklin. Not to mention the Deep South stations that wouldn't air it.

It's still moving even if you haven't been on the Street in years. Its saddest moment is the death of longtime human cast member Will Lee and his character, Mr. Hooper. I wasn't around for either of those events. But it still got to me. That and the death and funeral of Henson. At least it doesn't bring up when Big Bird himself, Carol Spinney, was almost on the Challenger.

There's plenty of humor to balance things out. We get to see some of Henson's earliest Muppet commercials. They have some of the best dark humor of the 1950s. The Sesame skits are some of the brightest and catchiest the show has aired. We get to see how the music was produced and the musical guest stars that came on the street. Of course, it also mentions the $5 million lawsuit over Letter B.

You'll learn and feel a lot no matter your age. Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street is for everybody. So find it on your favorite streaming service and press play. My choice, of course, was Amazon Prime. It might renew some interest in the show. It's on HBOMax, which is where the subject of my next review is...

Black Widow

 The Marvel Cinematic Universe skipped a year.

I bet you knew that. But now it's back with four theatrical films and at least three Disney Plus shows. Its first theatrical release is Black Widow, which gives Scarlett Johansson's spy heroine her own solo adventure. It's also the first American film for Australian director Cate Shortland. Let's see how it is.

In 1995, Natasha and her sister, Yelena, lived a good life in Ohio with their "dad" Alexei (David Harbour) and "mom" Melina (Rachel Weisz). Alexei and Melina were Russian spies stealing secrets. They flee to Cuba when SHIELD comes after them. Alexei gives the girls over to General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) of the Red Room. Dreykov trains them and other abandoned girls into his elite supersoldiers: Black Widows. Natasha blew him up years later.

In 2016, just after the Civil War, Black Widow Yelena (Florence Pugh) gets red-dusted by a target. The red dust de-brainwashes Black Widows. Yelena procures some red dust and decides to use it on her fellow Widows. But she needs Natasha's help. A very much alive Dreykov decides to stop them with his best warrior, The Taskmaster. Natasha and Yelena need their "parents'" help to find Dreykov. This family reunion is pretty awkward.

Let me guess what you'll guess what I'll say. You need to be familiar with the past films. Of course, but one pivotal plot point is first introduced off-handedly in The Avengers. I forgot about it until I re-watched it. That slight mention foreshadows The Taskmaster's true identity. The Taskmaster is a capable heavy able to mimic any fighting style. The symmetry is impressive and Lorne Balfe's score gives The Taskmaster a suitably creepy theme. But The Taskmaster turns tragic once the reveal happens. It still works even if you don't remember that bit from nine years ago...

It's a well-crafted spy thriller. Natasha's first "present day" scene has her easily elude capture from General Ross (William Hurt). When I mean "easily," I mean he's in L.A. and she's in Norway. It's a great use of editing by Leigh Folsom Boyd and Matthew Schmidt. We see Natasha and Yelena evade The Taskmaster in Budapest and later free Alexei from a Russian Prison. We get some great scenery shots from cinematographer Gabriel Beristain. The Production Design and Visual Effects collaborate the best with the Red Room, a flying fortress, and its eventual destruction. 

What about the characters? Natasha and Yelena are compelling leads as they deal with the "red on their ledger." Neither are happy with Alexei or Melina for very understandable reasons. Alexei is a former superhero, the Red Guardian, and a braggart, but he pulls through in the end. Melina programs pigs to stop breathing, but she's not callous to let them suffocate. That's good foreshadowing of her seeming betrayal. Dreykov is an efficient creep who brags about recycling the abandoned. A sympathetic goal until you remember what he recycles them into. 

This packed Marvel year is off to a good start in theaters. Black Widow is also ready to watch on Disney Plus for $30. Its super spy action makes the most of 133 minutes. See it on the biggest and safest screen you can get. Its prerequisite end credit scene is apparently foreshadowing for the next Disney Plus Marvel show, Hawkeye, scheduled to air this year.

Luca

It's time to take a trip to Pixar Italy. Their latest film is Luca, which debuted on Disney Plus a few weeks ago. It's free on the platform. So let's see what others have seen.

Luca Paguro is a sea-monster who lives under the Italian Riviera. His parents, Lorenzo and Daniela, forbid him to go to the surface. They fear "land-monsters" will hate and hunt him. But fellow sea-monster Alberto Scorfano takes Luca up-water anyway. Fortunately, sea-monsters will turn human when they're dry and change back when wet. Alberto wants a Vespa of his own. Luca's parents plan to send him to the deep with his uncle, Ugo. So Luca and Alberto head off to the town of Portorosso to procure a Vespa.

In Portorosso, the two meet Giulia, a girl who aims to win the local triathlon (swimming, pasta-eating and biking). They join Giulia's quest to unseat the reigning champion, an odious jerk named Ercole. They stay with Giulia and her one-armed fisherman dad, Massimo. They'll have to keep their true selves hidden from the sea-monster fearing townsfolks. Meanwhile, Lorenzo and Daniela surface to track down Luca. 

It's directed by Enrico Casarosa (Oscar nominee for the short La Luna) and written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones. The undersea world they conjure up is splendorous. The sea-monster designs are visually appealing. Ugo, in particular, is a delightfully weird see-through sea creature. The funniest part comes from the goatfish - which behave like actual goats - that Luca herds. The sea creatures turning human when dry is an interesting aspect. Luca and Alberto get into hilarity trying to hide their secret - even from Giulia's cat. It turns serious once the secret is out.

The film is all about Luca and Alberto's summer together. They meet, become friends, fight and make-up over 95 minutes. Giulia's involved too; her introducing Luca to such wonders as planetary science is nice. It's such an easy story that Lorenzo and Daniela don't ruin the summer. Instead, the third act problem is Luca and Alberto's fight and its fall-out. But they makeup in good fashion. The scariest parts might be when Ercole goes full villain. Overall, it's not much of an emotional roller-coaster.

Luca will make a great home matinee. You'll get to see the Italian Riviera with another set of great Pixar characters. You'll experience another great Pixar score, this one by Dan Romer. It's a soothing summertime story. Press Play on Disney Plus to see what I mean.

Dynasty Warriors

 The 14th-Century Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong has been adapted into everything several times over. One of these adaptations now has a movie of its own. Dynasty Warriors, based on Koei Tecmo's videogame series, debuted in China on April 30th. It's now ready to watch on Netflix.

Our story opens in the late Han Dynasty. The heroic Liu Bei (Tony Yang) and his brothers-in-arms, Guan Yu (Han Geng) and Zhang Fei (Justin Cheung), come to the aid of General Dong Zhuo (Lam Suet) to help quash the Yellow Turban Rebellion led by the Taoist Sorcerer Zhang Jiao (Phillip Keung). The General thanks them by scoffing at their humble upbringings. He then turns full evil and usurps the throne. The Righteous decide to take down Dong Zhuo.

One of the Righteous is the scheming warrior Cao Cao (Wang Kai). He and team Liu Bei get special weapons from the Master of Sword Forge Castle (Carina Lau). These weapons help them mow down their enemies by the dozens, a trademark of the games. They'll get stronger the more they defeat. They'll be helpful to defeat Dong Zhuo's best warrior, Lu Bu (Louis Koo).

Let's talk about the screenplay. The film doesn't delve into team Liu Bei's history together. It already has them ready to face the Yellow Turbans. It's probably because their story is so ubiquitous in China. However, that doesn't excuse Dong Zhuo's rise to villainy. He goes from rude general to evil chancellor in a nanosecond off-screen. A few other events also get rushed with narration. Faring the worst is Lu Bu's subplot with Dong Zhuo's intended, Diaochan (Gulnazar), a character introduced in the last half-hour. We think we'll get a confrontation between the men, like in the novel, but no. 

Meanwhile, Cao Cao fluctuates between schemer and tragic villain. He murders an innocent man and his family over a misunderstanding. It's a likely hallucination given the red filter. How'd that happen? Neither he or the film dwell on the question. His callousness over the affair disgusts his friend, Chen Gong (Eddie Cheung). But his patriotism is still admirable. Still, his character needed some more time.

Its technical style is its strongest asset. Especially in the opening scene. We see massive armies converge to do battle in New Zealand, standing in for ancient China. Armies are sent flying into the air with a single blow. Zhang Jiao even turns his soldiers into zombies (not in the novel) who dogpile on Dong Zhuo. It's that kind of movie. The remaining fights are as over-the-top as the games. Team Liu Bei's final battle with Lu Bu is chaotic, but stylish. The cinematography, costume and production design are top notch. The CGI is somewhat noticeable but not painful.

If anything, Dynasty Warriors sparked my interest in playing the actual games. Or, any of its spin-offs. But I don't think I can get a game console hooked up in my home set-up. Oh well. I have one translation of the novel, so I can go there. The movie works best if you don't dwell on it too much. Its video game action is handled better than its famous story. 118 minutes is to short to tell its tale; another half-hour would suffice. Its story already covers the first nine chapters out of 120!

F9: The Fast Saga

F9 bills itself as The Fast Saga, but my showtime was The Slow Saga. It took about 20 minutes to get from the ads to the trailers (there's a difference). Then, quite a bit in, the picture cut out and it took a few minutes to get it back. This film already clocks in at 145 minutes. A few less, or no, delays could've been nice.

But I got a free ticket for next time...

Anyway, the latest part of The Fast Saga sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew called back into service when Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) disappears in Central America. His plane was shot down there while transporting supervillain Cipher (Charlize Theron) and half of a MacGuffin called Ares. Dom refuses to get involved until he looks a bit further...

It turns out Dom's brother Jakob (John Cena) is with the bad guys. Jakob killed their brotherly love by sabotaging their dad's race car. Jakob now plans to assemble Ares for his benefactor, a spoiled rich man named Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen). Our heroes split up internationally to get some help. In Tokyo, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) find Han Lue (Sung Kang), who was seemingly killed off in Fast & Furious 6 (and Tokyo Drift). Han and his ward, Elle (Anna Sawai), prove very relevant for the villains' plan.

Of course, the film indulges in wild car chases and stunts. I mean, the climax has two of our heroes going into space in a rocket car. But that's mundane compared to the giant magnet they procure from the villains. Cars, tables, phones and more are thrown around town whenever it's used. It's stylized mayhem at its best. 

A story still exists amidst the carnage. The crew's family dynamic is still entertaining. Dom and Jakob's rivalry has a few surprising twists, especially Jakob's reason for the sabotage. But sometimes, the film speeds along too quickly into action. Mia and Letty finding Han's apartment and meeting Elle immediately segues into an ambush by the bad guys. Talk about whiplash. Its themes of mortality amongst its mainstays is undermined by Han's sudden reappearance. Expect the best when the film sets up the worst for its cast. A lot. It must be a running gag. 

Now for a few cast highlights. The best scene is Helen Mirren's cameo as Magdalene Shaw. She makes off with a few jewels and slips away from the cops. An impressive car chase ensues when they notice. Rasmussen as Otto is an OK supervillain, though Theron as Cipher is an even better one. Otto's mute brute henchman is a memorable sight even if his name is not. Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) get the best laughs of the crew. And of course, Vin as Dom is the strong lead driver here.

Universal has promised The Fast Saga will end in two more movies. It's probably a good thing. Its piling-up continuity and retcons strains the story. It's full of mayhem worthy of the big screen but its length is too much. Its family dynamic is still strong here, though. There's much to like and much to nitpick. See it for yourselves to see what I mean. All this and more in F9: The Fast Saga.

In The Heights

 Long before he made the founding fathers sing and rap, Lin Manuel Miranda made contemporary New York dance and sing in his musical, In The Heights. It's now a big-screen musical adapted by its original librettist, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and directed by John M. Chu. It's ready to watch in theaters or HBOMax.

Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) runs a bodega in Washington Heights, NYC. His eclectic neighbors include the neighborhood matriarch, Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega) the salon owner, taxi owner Kevin Rosario (Jimmy Smits) and his employee, Benny (Corey Hawkins), and Usnavi's cousin, Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV). Usnavi wants to return to his native Dominican Republic and to ask out Vanessa (Melissa Barrera). 

Vanessa plans to move uptown to pursue her little dreams (or, Suenito, as the film phrases it) of fashion design. Usnavi's dreams get a little easier when he learns he sold a $96,000 winning lotto ticket. Meanwhile, Kevin's daughter, Nina (Leslie Grace), drops out of college and returns home. She's also dating Benny. The neighbors' personal problems get worse when a blackout hits. 

The film isn't an exact replica of the stage musical. But I think it gets the original points across pretty well. Hudes textually alters her libretto into a naturally flowing screenplay. It discusses a few political topics relevant since its original inception, for instance. It's still recognizably the same story from back then. Its 143 minutes are somewhat slow, but let's talk about the aspects that make them zip by.

Usnavi and his neighbors are a great ensemble. Usnavi, in particular, is a likable lead with a compelling dream. He's a good neighbor and friend to the Heights. He never loses his drive or decency easily. Benny is a cool guy. Their relationships with Vanessa and Nina, respectively, are strong ones. Not easy, but still good. Abuela is a warm maternal figure for Usnavi and the Heights. You'll miss her when she's gone. Daniela and her fellow salon employees, Carla (Stephanie Beatriz) and Cuca (Dascha Polanco), are fun supporting characters. Miranda gives himself the role of a Piragua vendor, while Broadway's first Benny, Christopher Jackson, is his arch-enemy, the ice cream man. Their rivalry is pretty funny.

Meanwhile, Chu and his technical team envision a fantastical New York for Usnavi and Co. I don't just mean the massive and magnificent numbers choreographed by Christopher Scott. I also mean a city where Benny and Nina dance on an apartment wall like Fred Astaire. It's that kind of city. Editor Myron Kerstein and cinematographer Alice Brooks give perfect visual form to Miranda's energetic music and lyrics. The opening number, the city post blackout and Abuella's last number are visual highlights. Production designer Nelson Coates and Costume Designer Nelson Coates bring splendor to the Heights.

In The Heights is worth the one-year delay. It embraces the fantastical in the musical to tell a compelling story of neighborhood dreamers. I've already seen it on HBOMax, but maybe I'll see it on the big screen sometime soon. It's just that great. Stay tuned this year as Miranda will direct another musical, Tick, Tick … Boom and compose for Disney's Encanto.

Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon came out on Disney Plus and theaters back in March. But it's only now available for free on the former. Time to see what others have seen.

Once upon a time, there was Kumandra, where dragons and people lived. Evil mist monsters called Druun petrified people and dragons until Sisu, the Last Dragon, stopped them with a magic gem. Kumandra broke apart into five tribes based on where they live along their Dragon River: Tail, Spine, Talon, Fang, and Heart, the last being the actual holders of the gem.

Our heroine is Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), Princess of Heart and the newest gem guardian. One day, her dad Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) invited the other tribes for a meal. But Raya got tricked into revealing the gem's hiding spot. The tribes fight over it, break it and accidentally bring back the Druun. Benja gets Raya to safety before the Druun stone him.

We now get to Sisu (Awkwafina) herself. Raya finally summons her after a six-year quest to save the world. But they need the other gem fragments to do it. Namaari (Gemma Chan), Princess of Fang and Raya's deceiver, is on their tail. They pick up a few allies across Kumandra; Boun (Izaac Wong), the littlest shrimp boat captain, Noi (Thalia Tran), a toddler con-artist raised by monkey-like Ongis and the warrior Tong (Benedict Wong). They'll have to hurry before either Namaari or Druun get to them.

Directors Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada are among the eight names with writing credits. Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen wrote the actual screenplay. The story has quite a few surprises in its 107 minutes. The funniest one is Noi being a con-artist. Namaari betraying Raya is the most serious. The story never lulls thanks to its great characters and action scenes. It all leads to a strong ending with one last "surprise." Some might question the "surprise" but I didn't.

Now about the characters. Raya is a compelling lead all the way through. Her being betrayed is a legitimate surprise and not really a facepalm moment. She does her best to remedy her mistake by saving the world. Namaari tests the audience's sympathy with her callous betrayal and antagonism. But she pulls through in the end. The best character is Sisu, who is delightfully hilarious and warm & serious. Boun, Noi, and Tong are funny as well. Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), Raya's giant pill bug/armadillo is a memorable animal sidekick. 

The technicals make it great to listen and watch. James Newton Howard's score sets the majestic tone pretty well on its own. Combine it with the dragons at flight, for example, and it's superb. The dragons are wonderfully designed creature characters and their magical powers are splendorous. The tribal lands are visually superb; a highlight is the Talon marketplace. The Druun are perfectly fearsome evil things. The action scenes are excellent, especially when Raya's whip sword is used.

Raya and the Last Dragon is still playing in some theaters (like mine). But I want to make the most of my Disney Plus subscription. So I went there instead. However you watch it is a good option. It's that great of a film. The theatrical release has a short called Us Again, about a couple dancing in the rain like Gene Kelly. It's also available on Disney Plus; I gotta check it out.

Cruella

 Now for a choice. Either pay $30 for Cruella on Disney Plus or $9.50 for a movie theater ticket in a still spooky world. Maybe it wasn't much of a choice; I went with the less expensive option.

Cruella, of course, is Cruella de Vil, the fashionista who wanted to make fur coats out of those 101 Dalmatians in Dodie Smith's novel and Disney's prior versions. It's Emma Stone's turn to turn her hair black and white.

Cruella was once Estella Miller, a schoolgirl with a wicked side named … Cruella. Her mom, Catherine (Emily Beecham) met her end by the guard Dalmatians of the wealthy Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson). Estella escapes to London with her puppy, Buddy, and meets pickpockets Jasper and Horace (Jordan Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as adults) and their chihuahua, Wink. Years later, they busy themselves with grifts disguised as honest work.

Estella finds honest work at a Department Store. One drunken night gets her a job with the Baroness herself. The prestige isn't worth the Baroness's abuse, though. She even finds her mom's necklace on the Baroness. So she takes up the name Cruella once again to upstage the Baroness. It becomes more vicious when she learns the Baroness directly caused her mom's death. Then she gets a surprise...

Five names, including Dana Fox and Tony McNamara on the screenplay itself, have writing credits. There's some logical question presented here. First, how old are the dogs? We see Buddy age from puppy to adult over ten years. But the Dalmatians look no older than they did in the prologue. Second, we see Estella fully embrace the Cruella name at the end. But how does she become the fur-obsessed fashionista prior versions depict her as? The film depicts her as the sort who wouldn't kill puppies. At least some other prequels end with a clear direction to the present. Let's see what a sequel says.

I can say its villain is great. The Baroness is hilariously petty and vain; she'll throw anyone out just for accidentally upstaging her. Anyone who tries to accidentally upstage her get her worst. Her directing the Dalmatians to kill Catherine is villainous on its own. But then we learn her true connection with Cruella. That's when the film truly gets creepy. You'll remember her as much as Cruella from the original films.

Stone is great as Cruella's two halves. One half is a sympathetic young woman trying to survive, and the other half is a confident woman with a devious mind. Both are likable characters. Cruella tests her audience sympathy by mistreating Horace and Jasper. But she comes through in the end. We're in shock with her as she learns of her past. And we're in awe as she outsmarts the Baroness. Again, how will they explain the plot of 101 Dalmatians in a sequel?

Now for the supporting cast. Horace and Jasper are Cruella's likable moral anchors and sidekicks. Buddy and Wink are great dog sidekicks. John (Mark Strong), the Baroness's butler, proves himself a great father figure for Cruella. There's also Anita (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) and Roger (Kayvan Novak), the future owners of the 101 Dalmatians. Both are OK supporting characters.

The technical star of the film is costume designer Jenny Beavan. Her wardrobe for Cruella and the Baroness is massive and elaborate. One standout is the cloak Cruella sets on fire in her debut. The makeup and hairstyling department gives Estella and Cruella striking dos and the Baroness massive wigs. Production Designer Fiona Crombie visualizes the imposing Hellman Hall and the stylish 70s London it inhabits. Nicolas Karakatsanis's cinematography is good, but the long take inside the Department Store threatened to make me dizzy. There is a score by Nicholas Britell but you'll notice the set list of oldies even more.

Cruella is a stylish take on the infamous villainess. Its title character is engaging throughout its 135 minutes. She's not much of a villainess by the end, but her nemesis is a modern highlight in villainy. Their banter and more make the film worth it. You can choose where and when to see it. As for me, another recent film just became available for free on Disney Plus. I'll go there next.

A Quiet Place Part II

I once again go to the movie theater. This time to see the sequel to a film I skipped at the cineplex, but caught on-demand. The first film is called A Quiet Place and this is Part II.

Anyway, the film starts on "Day 1" of the Invasion of the Blind Aliens that kill everything that makes noise. Lee (director and writer John Krasinski) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) Abbot survive the onslaught of their town with their kids. The story picks up proper at the end of the last film. The Aliens killed Lee, but his deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simonds) exposed their weakness for high-frequency sound. The Abbots have to leave their farm.

They find themselves sharing a steel mill with a family friend, Emmett (Cilian Murphy). Regan decides to spread her monster-killing method to the world. But Emmett thinks it's a waste of time. Regan goes off anyway when she finds a radio station playing "Beyond the Sea" on a loop. Emmett reluctantly goes with her to find the source. Meanwhile, Evelyn and her sons, Marcus (Noah Jupe) and the newborn, hunker down. But then Evelyn has to go to town for supplies. Marcus has to take charge while she's away. Can he do it?

Anything above ambience in the original film amounted to sensory overload. This sequel has much more talking and action than its predecessor. Talking is mostly whispered here, or "spoken" in sign language, but it sounds normal. The climax even sees Emmett and Regan on a free-speaking island. The action is where the senses are overloaded. The audience is on edge as the characters silently circumnavigate their surroundings. It's more often paid off with one or more of them. The sound designers deserve a lot of credit for building up the audible suspense and putting us in Regan's audio perspective. Marco Beltrami's score helps a lot.

The characters and writing also help a lot. The film splits up the Abbots in two plots once Regan heads off. Both plots are highly involving tales which chronicle Marcus and Regan's toughening. They even win against simultaneous encounters with the Aliens. We also see Emmett overcome his tragedies to help Regan. Their quest sees them encounter scavengers and the free-speaking island. Scoot McNairy plays the leader of the scavengers while Djimon Hounsou is the main "man on the island." Hounsou makes the most of his limited screentime.

Any flaws in the writing? Pay close attention to the opening baseball game to see pre-crisis Emmett. Otherwise, it seems like a case of "remember the new guy." Others may roll their eyes at how many times the characters praise Lee as the number one super guy. And it's a shame Hounsou probably won't be in a Part III.

Still, A Quiet Place Part II is a welcome return of the summer blockbuster. Its sci-fi horror thrills are contained in a tight 97 minute runtime. Anyone not into horror will appreciate its story of a family surviving tough times. In any case, its thrilling climax will leave you anticipating a Part III. Let it come whenever it can. See it on the biggest and safest screen you can find.

Even if it's on TV.

The Woman in the Window

 Anyone still shut in after all this time? 

There's a new movie heroine to watch. She's Anna Fox (Amy Adams) of The Woman in the Window, the long delayed thriller that recently premiered on Netflix. She's confined herself to her Manhattan apartment ever since she separated from her husband, Ed (Anthony Mackie). She'd rather watch the outside world than join it. She does get some outside visitors; like her tenant, David (Wyatt Russell) and the new neighbor boy, Ethan Russell (Fred Hechinger). She even meets Ethan's mom, Jane (Julianne Moore), during a dreadful Halloween.

One night, Anna spots Jane getting murdered at the Russell place. When she calls the cops, they're joined by Ethan's dad, Alistair (Gary Oldman), and a living Jane, now played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Anna's convinced something's wrong and decides to investigate. While everyone doubts her sanity, and with good reason, there's actually something to the mystery. Some spoilers.

Tracy Letts, who adapted A.J. Finn's novel for the screen, also stars as Anna's psychiatrist, Dr. Landy. The final result directed by Joe Wright mostly works. One of the scariest scenes is when Anna tries to confront some obnoxious brats egging her house on that Halloween. Not the brats, but trying to go outside, is the scariest part. Her agoraphobia is a relatable problem these days. Overall, there's some strong character relationships between Anna and everyone else.

It's kneecapped by the film's climax. It's not surprising that the murder actually happened. It's surprising who the murder victim actually is. What is beyond surprising is the actual culprit and his motivations. A likable character turns out to be a one-note serial killer. That twist comes absolutely out of nowhere. The midway revelation of what actually happened to Anna's family was better foreshadowed than that. As in, from scene one. Apparently, the climactic twist was better explained in the novel.

The midway twist is a good leadoff into the acting. Adams as Anna's breakdown once she realizes the truth is a stunning scene. We feel for her as it all comes back to her. Nothing more than wide eyes of shock. As for everyone else, Oldman as Alistair isn't a nice guy; though one can tell it's more from stress than simple cruelty. Russell as David is a good, snarky guy while Ethan is, perhaps, the most sympathetic character. Perhaps. A better character is Brian Tyree Henry as Detective Little, the one on Anna's case.

There's some unexpected panache for this type of film. None more unexpected than seeing an overturned car in snow in Anna's living room. That maybe a first for a movie (is it?). The cinematography by Bruno Debonell shows flashes of searing color amidst Anna's dour apartment. There's also Anna transitioning into the void during the midway twist. The editing by Valerio Bonelli constructs that dreadful Halloween and a brutal climactic fight. It's all set to another great Danny Elfman score.

The Woman in the Window isn't exactly Rear Window or several other similar films we see glimpses of on Anna's TV. It's a mostly good mystery drama with a baffling climactic twist. But it's not that boring. The inciting murder happens a half-hour into its 100 minutes. Its central performance makes the wait bearable. So see it if you have nothing else to do. See anything else if you do.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

 ... are going to have to wait their turn.

(Hi.)

Anyway, Those Who Wish Me Dead is anything but boring. Michael Koryta adapted his novel with Charles Leavitt and director Taylor Sheridan into screenplay form. Let's discuss the end result.

Most boys Connor Casserly's (Finn Little) age might like to play hooky. But he's understandably surprised when his dad, Owen (Jake Weber), makes him skip school for an indefinite family trip. Mr. Casserly, an accountant, found some unspecified dirt on kingpin Arthur Phillip (Tyler Perry). His assassins, brothers Jack and Patrick Blackwell (Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult), are in pursuit. The Blackwells finally get Owen in the Montana woods, but Connor escapes with the dirt. The Blackwells need to get the police off their backs. So Jack sets the forest on fire. 

An act that's sure to get police attention.

Meanwhile, Connor runs into smokejumper Hannah Farber (Angelina Jolie). Hannah is still traumatized by an earlier blaze that killed another firefighter and three stray campers. Connor reluctantly accepts her help to get in touch with civilization. They'll have to move fast to avoid the rapidly growing blaze. Oh yeah, and the Blackwells too.

The first half hour alternates between the Casserlys, the Blackwells, Hannah and Deputy Sheriff Ethan (Jon Bernthal) and his wife, Allison (Medina Senghore), who also get involved in the search for Connor. The storylines are not boring, but they're a bit slow. Hannah and Connor don't meet until a half hour into the 100 minute runtime. Their relationship is good but it could've been stronger had they met about ten minutes sooner. Allison and Ethan's relationship is great; overall, Allison is the best of the heroes.

The plot gets going good when the forest fire starts. The technical crew - editor Chad Galster, cinematographer Ben Richardson, the sound designers and visual effects team - create a formidable natural threat. Add in Brian Tyler's score and it's a strong disaster thriller. 

The Blackwells are memorable villains. They're anything but subtle; the sort who'd run a pest control service by blowing up houses. Their first act is to blow up a house, by the way, but they pretend to be gas company guys. They're Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men if he was a supervillain. They're both smug and detestable all the way through. One example is their torture of Allison. But it's still exciting to see her scorch Jack with an improvised blowtorch. She also personally kills him later. In fact, anytime the heroes clobber the Blackwells is a good time.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is still available on HBOMax for about two more weeks. Hurry up and see it in the biggest screen in your house. It's also in theaters if you're ready for them. Whichever medium suits you best is worth it. Its story isn't complex but it's still intense. You'll find a lot to like in its unusual mix of disaster and action movies.

The Mitchells vs The Machines

I'm back to Netflix for my latest reviewed film, The Mitchells vs The Machines, which was called Connected at one point. This animated film is directed by Mike Rianda, a head-writer for Disney Channel show, Gravity Falls, and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The end result is a delightfully silly sci-fi story.

Katie Mitchell (Abbi Johnson) is off to film school in California. Her dad, Rick (Danny McBride), doesn't quite understand her dreams or technology, for that matter. So he decides on a family road trip to her college as one last big family thing. Also in the family are mom Linda (Maya Rudolph), younger brother Aaron (Rianda) and Monchi the Pug (Doug the Pug). Katie is understandably upset that her dad cancelled her plane ride to California. But it might be for the best...

Meanwhile, techno billionaire Mark Bowman (Eric Andre) unveils the latest edition of his PAL AI in his new line of PAL MAX robots. PAL original (Olivia Colman) is understandably upset that her creator declared her obsolete. So she reprograms the robots to take over the world. Her machines nab all of humanity and plan to rocket them all into space. Only the Mitchells escape the nabbing, and together with a few defective PAL MAXs (Fred Armisen and Beck Bennett), they'll have to confront PAL herself to cancel the Robot Apocalypse.

Rianda and co-director Jeff Rowe created this zany story. It's an entertaining mix of road movie and sci-fi disaster movie. There's some great comedy in its rapid-fire presentation, like killer furbies and wi-fi obsession. Quite a few gags pay off in the climactic battle against PAL. But it knows when to slow down. There's a strong story about a dysfunctional family learning to function. It takes its family arguments seriously … but it finds a few laughs too. 

Now for the villain. The film quickly reveals PAL to be the robot mastermind; once she's declared obsolete, you'll know where it'll go. She's a delightfully smug take on Skynet and the like. Her faux airline safety video (listen for a surprise cameo) is hilarious. She throws away any sympathy by ignoring Katie's heartfelt family speech. A welcome atypical twist.

The Mitchells are an entertaining bunch. Katie is an artistic dreamer who can't wait to leave the house. But she still has a great relationship with Aaron and Monchi. Aaron is an entertaining kid. Rick is a backwards dad who tries to go forward (slowly, but still). Linda lets loose during the final battle. And Monchi is just perfect. It's great to see them use their dysfunctionality to save the world. 

The artistic style is a frenetic mix of 3D and 2D animation. So expect to see CGI characters accentuated with 2D graphics (like emojis or phone filters). A few live-action videos and photos are thrown in. Of course, the 3D characters and animation look great. PAL's wonderfully expressive face and the later PAL MAX PRIME robots are animation highlights. Overall, it's a visually appealing kid-friendly robopocalypse. It also sounds great with an entertaining Mark Mothersbaugh score.

The Mitchells vs the Machines will make a great home matinee. Its cast of human, machine and dog characters are sure to entertain kids and adults. Its 113 minute or so runtime goes by pretty fast. Its story is easy to comprehend, though. So see it if you can't find anything at the movie theater. It's worth seeing once and more than once and more than more than once...

Demon Slayer

A movie in an actual movie theater. Yes, I did it. 

I hope to see more.

The motivator is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, which is not only the highest grossing film of 2020, but the highest grossing Japanese film of all time. The film assumes its audience is familiar with the cast of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga and its anime adaptation, which will have its second season sometime this year. Let's assume you haven't and start with a recap:

In the early 20th century, Tanjiro Kamado finds his mom and siblings slaughtered by a demon. The exception is his sister, Nezuko, who is now a demon. Tanjiro joins the local Demon Slayer Corps to cure Nezuko and avenge himself on their attacker, supreme demon Muzan Kibutsuji. They join up with the cowardly Zenitsu Agatsuma and the literally boarish Inosuke Hashibira to form their own Slayer group.

The movie starts at the end of the first season. Our heroes board the Mugen Train looking for demons to slay. An elite Demon Slayer (a Hashira), Kyojuro Rengoku, is on the case too. One of Muzan's finest, Enmu, has commandeered the train in more ways than one. He takes the passengers on a one-way trip to Dreamland. Tanjiro and Kyojuro, for example, get some differing family time. Four humans working for Enmu enter their dreams to make sure they don't wake up. They'll have to get up to drive the Mugen Train back to reality.

The screenplay is credited to production company Ufotable. I must re-emphasize that familiarity is required here. It barely explains the lore of the franchise, if at all. A few character quirks and plot points are understandable with little familiarity; plenty more are not. The momentum is slightly slowed down during the dream sequences, but Inosuke and Zenitsu's dreams are delightful comic interludes, especially when their dream selves torment Enmu's human minions. It gets going great when it gets to the Demon Slaying.

A major factor is Kyojuro Rengoku. We first meet him enjoying a massive meal with a permanent smile. He unhesitatingly accepts Team Tanjiro as his apprentices. His dream shows us his determination in spite of his uncaring father. He's such a strong presence that it's almost insulting when a surprise villain shows up to snuff him out. Sorry for the spoilers.

A few character highlights. Enmu is a perfectly loathsome antagonist. His human minions are compelling characters even if their names are buried in the credits. The strongest of that bunch is the one who went after Tanjiro. Tanjiro is a good lead, while Inosuke and Zenitsu are riots. Nezuko's cute muteness is irresistible. 

The show's technical flair is present and accounted for. The mixture of 2D and 3D animation produces some stunning results. A few highlights include the center of Tanjiro's dream, Enmu's monstrous merger with the Mugen Train and very realistic water. The battles are exciting showcases of sight and sound. The vibrant colors stand out when the Slayers use their elemental breathing techniques. It also helps that they're accompanied by some strong sound mixing. Yuki Kaijura and Go Shiina's score is just as good as their work on the show. This movie surely was made for the big screen.

But see it on the biggest and safest screen you can. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train, is sure to thrill its fans and confound the unitiated. I watched a good chunk of the show myself and I still had questions. But its demon slaying makes the 117 minutes a good trip. It's available both in Japanese and English screenings; I saw the former. It's a good motivator to get people to try the cinema thing again.

As I said before, here's hoping I see more.

Bill & Ted Face The Music

Whoa, dudes. How have I not gotten to this movie yet? It came out, like, in August last year. But I'm now seeing it. Bogus, dudes.

Translation: It's true that I didn't check out Bill & Ted Face The Music a lot sooner. I finally saw it on free video-on-demand. Let's check it out, dudes.

The main dudes are Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves). They had their Excellent Adventure collecting historical dudes for their history project in 1989. They had a Bogus Journey through literally Hell and Back in 1991. They are the Wyld Stallyns, the rock band destined to unite the world with their music. But they're has-beens in 2020; they have yet to write the prophesized song. They have literally seventy-seven minutes to come up with the song or reality will wipe out.

Don't worry, they have a plan. They decide to time-hop in their old phone booth time machine to a point where they have the song. They'll get it then from their future selves. But they meet a few future selves who hate them for being losers. The Great Leader of 2720 (Holland Taylor) decides to save reality with a killer robot named Dennis (Anthony Carrigan). Meanwhile, their daughters, Thea Preston (Samara Weaving) and Billie Logan (Brigette Lundy-Paine), decide to collect some historical music dudes to help their dads. How will they face the music?

Yes, the story is incredibly daffy with its time-travel shenanigans. But it's still an entertaining adventure crafted by series creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. The dudes are still a likable pair of idiots in their middle-age. They not only have to save reality but save their marriages from themselves. Both plots make the resulting 91 minutes a compelling watch. Billie and Thea's subplot gives them their own excellent adventure like their dads. They collect figures like Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and Louis Armstrong in their own fun ways.

Billie and Thea are a great set of new characters. They're as likable as their dads and their chemistry is strong. Kelly (Kristen Schaal), the daughter and replacement of Bill & Ted's original time guide, Rufus (George Carlin), is a fun character too. Dennis is a nice surprise when he turns out to be an insecure android rather than a cold machine. Another surprise is rapper Kid Cudi, as himself, who is quite adept in the time travel logic. A few good returning characters include The Grim Reaper (William Sadler) and Captain Logan (Hal Landon), both of whom have issues with the Wyld Stallyns. They resolve them in a nice fashion. 

Now for the technicals. It's equally hysterical and awesome to see the Wyld Stallyns interact with themselves. The present and future pairs are brought together with seamless editing and reverse angles. A great makeup team ages the future selves quite significantly. It's really something to see them as muscle-bound prisoners who are still airheads. Dennis's design is another impressive makeup feat (why it wasn't Oscar shortlisted I'll never know). There's some good time travel effects and an impressive CGI future city. There's also some good music by Mark Isham and some great purposefully-awful pieces by the Stallyns. The pivotal song was cool.

Bill & Ted Face The Music is a most excellent continuation of a dormant franchise. The main characters are as likable now as they are then. The new characters are welcome additions. Don't think too much about the silly time travel logic and you'll have fun. It'll make a delightfully goofy watch on your medium of choice. What can I say but press play and party on, dudes.

The New Mutants

 We'll know what the Best Picture of 2020 (and the first two months of 2021) will be in twenty-four hours. So I'll get some reviews out for a few films nominated for nothing this year. But they would've been on my radar had things not gone haywire. The first reviewed film is The New Mutants, an X-Men spin-off that waited over two years to get released. Was it worth it?

The New Mutants are five mutant kids who wind up in an abandoned hospital under the care of Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton) propels himself like a cannonball, Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams) is a werewolf, Bobby da Costa (Henry Zaga) plays with fire and Ilyana Rasputin (Anna Taylor-Joy) has access to limbo. Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt), the newest mutant, has psychic powers that manifest others' fears. Her fears manifest as a monstrous Demon Bear. Soon, her fear powers manifest on the others.

So what about the rest of the movie? The new mutants try to get along with each other. They think that Dr. Reyes will send them to join the X-Men. But they learn that Reyes and her employers have other plans. They'll have to escape by facing their fears and controlling their powers. Somewhat in that order.

Director Josh Boone and his co-writer, Knate Lee, keep the story at a compact 94 minutes. It's mainly interested in showing the new mutants get along with each other. Dani and Rahne develop a nice romantic relationship, while Ilyana seems to fluctuate between sour and sweet. Sam and Bobby are OK guys with troubled backstories. Dr. Reyes starts off as a warm mentor to the new mutants. But her true colors are so cold it's terrifying. The fear manifestations are creepy up to a point. See the next paragraph for more.

The visual effects once again manifest some good mutant powers. A few highlights include Ilyana's pet dragon, Lockheed, Bobby's ignited form and Sam's blast-offs. Ilyana's fears manifest as eyeless "Smiling Men," whose creepiness is almost threatened by their goofy fanged smiles. But the others, including Rahne's former Priest (Happy Anderson), are perfectly creepy. Meanwhile, the Demon Bear is an excellent CGI monster. The abandoned hospital is a great manifestation of Molly Hughes' production design. It's especially creepy at night. 

The New Mutants obviously won't get any sequels now that Disney's involved. This installment is a decent horror film and a better superhero film. It makes the most of its minimal cast and single setting. It's worth at least a watch on your medium of choice (mine was HBOMax). It's better than nothing as we wait for the X-Men to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whenever that happens...

Mortal Kombat

I'm old enough to remember the early days of Mortal Kombat. The ultra-violent video games kreated by Ed Boon and John Tobias made their big screen debut in 1995 in a less-bloody form. Its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, krippled the franchise for over twenty-years. But it's back with a bloody vengeance in a new live action spectacular. 

So what's the backstory? There's a tournament kalled Mortal Kombat fought amongst the multiverse. The evil Outworld is allowed to konquer Earthrealm if it wins ten straight tournaments. They just need one more. But the evil host Shang Tsung (Chin Han) decides to win the tournament by default by killing Earthrealm's fighters. A dragon birthmark identifies them as the chosen ones.

One of the chosen ones is MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan). One night, he and his family are attacked by Shang Tsung's icy ninja Sub Zero (Joe Taslim). Special Forces agent Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks) saves them and directs Cole to his partner, Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee). She explains all the backstory of destiny to him. They need to get to the temple of Thunder God Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) to prepare for Kombat. Meanwhile, Cole has visions of another ninja, Hanzo (Hiroyuki Sanada), better known as Scorpion, who Sub Zero killed in the prologue. What do they mean?

This Mortal Kombat kompensates for the original film's bloodlessness. We see folks rip out hearts, smash heads in, split others down the middle and immolate. The Kombat scenes are realized with good visual effects, kool cinematography by Germain McMicking and a strong score by Benjamin Wallfisch. These fight scenes are where the Kombat is at its liveliest. 

What about the non-action scenes? A lot of the backstory, including Sub Zero and Scorpion's klan history, is left unexplored. The stiff dialogue is hard to get through. The section set at Raiden's temple is especially sluggish. A lot of good stuff appears to be saved for a sequel.

The dialogue scenes are livened by one factor: Kano. Kano (Josh Lawson) is a brutish mercenary chosen for Kombat who later defects to Shang Tsung. He's so unrepentantly loutish that he's hilarious. He's klearly having the most fun in a super serious movie. The second best factor is Kabal (Daniel Nelson/Damon Herriman), Kano's rival and one of Shang Tsung's warriors. His banter stands out quite a lot. Too bad they won't appear in a sequel.

What about the rest of the kast? Lewis Tan is fine as Cole Young; basically, his scenes with his family were more kompelling than his Kombat training. Kombat mainstays Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Kung Lao (Max Huang) are good friends, but their screentime isn't enough to make the latter's death a gut punch. Taslim is quite watchable as Sub Zero and is more formidable than Shang Tsung. Sanada gets two great fight scenes, but he only appears as Scorpion in the klimax. A few konversations with Cole could've fleshed out their relationship.

Mortal Kombat's action scenes were more kompelling than its talking scenes. Its technical aspects kompensate for plenty of story lulls. But a few villains help spark some life. Overall, it's not dull but it's not a flawless victory. It's ready to watch on HBOMax or in your local cineplex. I'll leave you to decide where to watch it. 

Pieces of a Woman

I'm not going to see all of this year's Oscar nominees. But I can try to squeeze some in before Sunday. The last feature I'll see on this year's lineup is the Netflix drama Pieces of a Woman. Let's see how it is.

Kata Weber adapted her stage play into the screenplay directed by her husband, Kornel Mundruczo. The titular woman is Martha (Vanessa Kirby), who's about to have her first baby. Her husband, Sean (Shia LaBeouf) is pretty excited. They decide to have a home birth with Barbara (we never see her) as the midwife. It all goes...

Anything but according to plan. When the moment comes, Barbara is busy, so she sends Eva (Molly Parker) as her replacement. The whole scene lasts twenty-four minutes and is photographed by Benjamin Loeb as a single take. What's the kicker? The baby girl dies within minutes of birth.

Martha struggles through her grief. Her friends and other family assure her that Eva "will rot in prison" for her alleged incompetence. Her mother, Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn), is especially interested in seeing justice done. Meanwhile, Sean has an affair with Suzanne (Sarah Snook), Martha's cousin, and coincidentally, the prosecutor for the upcoming case against Eva (what happened to conflict of interest?). Will their marriage survive?

The film's central moment is its long and painful home birth. As I said, it's a twenty-four minute long take, which lets us see and feel the entire painful process. The only levity comes with Sean's groaner puns. Our insight lets us know who exactly is not responsible for the tragedy. That'll greatly effect one's ability to sympathize with much of the supporting cast. But then again, they're probably not you.

Let's talk about Kirby's Oscar-nominated performance. The film is about Martha struggling to comprehend the aftermath of the aforementioned scene. She starts off withdrawn and ends up assertive. She argues with her mother when the latter pushes her "to seek justice," says no to Sean's loutish behavior and ultimately forgives Eva in the courtroom. It's a strong performance all the way through.

The supporting cast is good. LaBeouf as Sean is a likable guy at first. That likability plummets when his grief-fueled loutishness worsens. He still realizes he's not a perfect man, which gets some points back. Burstyn as Elizabeth starts out as a domineering mother-in-law. But her argument with Martha shows she has her own grief to work through. Parker as Eva is perhaps the most sympathetic supporting character, but she has depressingly little screen time. Just that scene and the trial. Where's her side of the story?

Pieces of a Woman is ultimately not much of an endurance test. That one scene is tough but it's easy once you get through it. It helps that it resists the urge to explode into melodrama every scene. Its main character's arc is compelling. It all leads to a hopeful ending for her. See it on Netflix if you want. There's always the option to fast-forward.

Crip Camp

That makes five again.

There are Five Documentaries nominated for the Oscar, and now, I've seen Five Documentaries. The last film on the list is Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. It's been on Netflix for over a year and I've seen it now.

James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham chronicle Camp Jened, a Catskills summer camp for disabled teens. LeBrecht was a camper there in the summer of 1971. The film's first half chronicles that eventful summer. The campers were marginalized and forgotten by society due to their disabilities. But Camp Jened was their utopia. They felt like real kids. That summer eventually ended.

The second half chronicles their lives after that summer. They took action as disability rights activists. Judith Heumann organized protests in New York against their lack of accessibility. She later helped organize the 504 Sit-in in 1977 to spur the enactment of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Her actions and those of others helped pass the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

LeBrecht supplies the film with footage shot by the People's Video Theater. We see them voting on dinner, dealing with Crabs, and simply bonding. Campers Neil Jacobson and Denise Sherer are still married today. We also get to know the hippy camp counselors. These fifty-year-old movies are an entertaining time window. A few of the campers, including the Jacobsons, give equally entertaining modern interviews. We also see LeBrecht as a sound engineer at a theater. What's awesome is that LeBrecht had "hours to live" as a baby, but he's still here and doing a lot.

The second half shows the world outside Jened. We see Willowbrook Institution, a place where severely disabled kids were neglected. We see how hard it is to circumnavigate traffic-heavy Manhattan in a wheelchair. We see how the kids were virtually ignored at school. It's a grim reality that needed to be changed. Thankfully, their efforts mostly succeeded.

Crip Camp runs at a brisk 108 minutes. It's a strong chronicle of the early days of the disability rights movement. The movement has much work left but they've accomplished a lot. It's still ready for a Netflix matinee any time. You still have to hurry if you want to see it before the Oscars.

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Now we get to five.

Five International Films up for the Oscar, and now, Five International Films seen. The last film on the list is Tunisia's entry, The Man Who Sold His Skin. Kaouther Ben Hania's film is loosely based on the story of Wim Delvoye's "living exhibit," Tim. What does the story offer?

Syria, 2011. Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) and Abeer (Dea Liane) are very much in love. One day, Sam proposes to Abeer in a crowded train, an act which gets him arrested. His sister sneaks him over to Lebanon just as the Arab Spring begins. Abeer moves to Brussels after her family marries her off to diplomat Ziad (Saad Lostan). Sam wants to get her back but he can't afford a Visa. 

Sam starts frequenting art galleries for food. One day, he gets the attention of artist Jeffrey Godefroi (Koen De Bouw) and his assistant, Soraya (Monica Bellucci). Jeffrey offers Sam to tattoo a Schengen Visa on his back as "a flying carpet" to Europe. Sam accepts the offer and he becomes Jeffrey's living exhibit in Brussels. At first, he's happy with the arrangement, even as Human Rights Activists are not. But he soon wants his autonomy back. How will he get the world off his back?

I'll cut to the chase and answer that question. Sam gets free with a gallingly-clever ruse. It's perhaps the most striking subversion of a cruel twist ending in recent film. You'll just have to get through most of the 103 minute film to get to that ending. 

Mahyani is a pretty good lead as Sam. His proposal to Abeer is endearing, albeit misguided, especially with him saying "it's a revolution." So he's willing to try anything to get her back. He's fine as long as he can be with Abeer. He even rudely objects to a Human Rights Activist's offer to help him. But he soon realizes his living exhibit job isn't good; he can't even interact with museum patrons. His plan to get out of his situation starts with a rather desperate hoax.

Now for a few others. Liane as Abeer is just as compelling as Mahyani. Bouw as Godefroi flatly admits he's Mephistopheles to Sam when they meet. Their deal is Faustian, but we see Godefroi's good side by the end. Belluci is OK as the icy Soraya. We even get a cameo from Delvoye as an insurer. There's quite a few highlights in the technicals. Amin Bouhafa's score is striking, as are Christopher Aoun's cinematography and the production design. 

The Man Who Sold His Skin is both an angry satire of the art world and a love story. It's an odd mix, and it felt slow at first, but its story got me interested in due time. The audacity of its twist ending perked my attention a lot. It's ready to watch on a few streaming services. But you'll have to hurry if you want to watch it before Sunday's Oscars. Tick tock.

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Quo Vadis Aida? is Bosnia & Herzegovina's entry for the International Film Oscar. It's the first film from that country to be nominated after 2001's winner, No Man's Land. Let's see how it is and what I recommend afterwards.

Jasmila Zbanic's bleak drama is set in July, 1995. The Bosnian war is underway. Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić) is a UN translator in the city of Srebrencia. The town was declared a UN safe zone but the Serbian army invaded anyway. The citizens flee for the nearest UN base, but only a few hundred are allowed in. Among those on the other side are Aida's family; husband Nihad (Izudin Bajrovic) and sons Hamdija (Boris Ler) and Sejo (Dino Bajrovic). She needs to get them to safety.

Serbian General Ratko Mladic (Boris Isakovic) decides to "negotiate" with the Base Commanders. Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh) needs a few negotiators to help out. Aida gets Nihad, a former principal, to join the negotiating team. She also gets her sons inside the base. Mladic promises Karremans that he'll get the civilians to safety. But Aida is not convinced of his honesty. She needs to work fast to get past the red tape to get her family to safety.

This all leads to the Srebrencia Massacre. 

It starts out bleak and never ceases. Aida starts the film interpreting a meeting between Srebrencia's mayor (Ermin Bravo) and Karremans. The Serbians immediately invade and the Mayor is executed. The numerous refugees at the base sells the desperate situation afoot. Aida's attempts to save her family are frustrated by the aforementioned red tape. Not to mention Mladic and his forces paying a visit. It's sure to drain your emotions thoroughly before the climactic twist. There's some hope for Aida in the end. Some hope.

The best part of the film is the knowledge that Mladic was eventually convicted of war crimes. He's perfectly played by Isakovic as nothing less than detestable. He tries to convince the civilians he wants to help but neither he nor the audience are convinced. Similarly vile is Joka (Emir Hadzihafizbegovic), a Serbian commander who marches in the base to look for undercover Bosnian soldiers. You will hate them completely and thoroughly by the end.

Đuričić is a compelling lead as Aida. We follow her all the way through as she deals with the red tape. Her family time is endearing and her UN job shows off her resourcefulness. She's a good woman doing her best to deal with a cruel world. She'll never lose your attention during the film's 102 minutes. You'll be devastated as she is when the massacre plays out.

The film spares us the sight of blood but its brutality is plain to see. Quo Vadis Aida? is a compelling and claustrophobic tale of terrible modern history. Can you figure out the ending twist by my vague hints? It's ready to see on Hulu, but if you watch it, you might want to find something lighter quicker.

The One and Only Ivan

I lived in Atlanta for about seventeen years. I visited Zoo Atlanta quite a few times. I remember Willie B. the Gorilla, but I barely remember his fellow Silverback, Ivan. Maybe now I'll remember him after The One and Only Ivan, the film version of K.A. Applegate's novel loosely based on his life.

Ivan the Gorilla (Sam Rockwell) is the star of the Big Top Mall owned by Mack (Bryan Cranston). His fellow performers include Stella the Elephant (Angelina Jolie), Snickers the Poodle (Helen Mirren), Henrietta the Chicken (Chaka Khan) and Murphy the Rabbit (Ron Funches). There's also a stray dog, Bob (Danny DeVito), who secretly lives with Ivan. His closest human friend is Julia (Ariana Greenblatt), daughter of the Mall's janitor.

Anyway, life is good for Ivan until the Mall starts to lose business. Mack gets a new baby elephant, Ruby (Brooklynn Prince) to draw in customers. She's a hit with the audience, especially when paired with Stella. But Stella soon succumbs to old age and asks Ivan to set Ruby free. How will he do it? It just so happens that Ivan likes art. Julia starts sharing her crayons with him and soon, he's drawing some unique works. Mack rebrands the circus with Ivan's artistry. Ivan advocates for the troupe's freedom with art.

Director Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) works from Mike White's screenplay. It's a cutesy family film with a touch of seriousness. That's not a bad thing. Ivan's friendships with Stella, Julia and Ruby are endearing. His relationship with Mack is OK, while Stella's death is genuinely sad. The climax is so compact it's simplistic, but the last scenes are moving. Any crass jokes in between didn't affect my enjoyment at all. It's an engaging story even if you've seen some of its clichés before.

The film's Oscar-nominated Visual Effects visualize some good CGI animals. These animals lack dull surprise unlike The Lion King's CGI menagerie. They were believable both as characters and as animals. The CGI is somewhat obvious but the emotiveness more than compensates. Any scene with Ivan and his troupe is a highlight.

There's a strong cast here. Ivan and his troupe are a likable bunch of animals. As for highlights, Ivan and Ruby are compelling co-leads, Bob is pretty funny while Snickers is a delight. Cranston headlines the live-action cast pretty well as Mack. He's a bit rough with the animals (he hates Bob!) but he's still a good man. Greenblatt and Ramon Rodriguez, as Julia's father George, were likable too. Owain Arthur is good as Castello the bumbling security guard.

The One and Only Ivan debuted on Disney Plus back in August. It's still ready for you to press play. It's a crowd-pleasing story about talking animals and their human friends. It's not as emotionally devastating as some animal films are. But prepare to feel a bit. It's a relatively short movie at 95 minutes and it'll never lose your interest.

The Father

Now we tell the tale of The Father. This Oscar nominee was adapted by Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton from Zeller's play. Zeller also directed it. Let's see why it's good.

Anthony Hopkins is Anthony, an 80-year-old man living in London. He prefers living alone while his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), prefers he have a caretaker. One day, she tells him she's moving to Paris to be with her new boyfriend. Anthony's not happy. He then sees a guy, Paul (Mark Gattis) in his flat, who says it's his and Anne's flat. Anne (Olivia Williams) is perplexed by his sudden behavior. She's not the only one perplexed.

Anthony is slowly succumbing to dementia. His perception of reality keeps changing; that's why, for instance, Anne appears as two different actresses. Anne finds Anthony a caretaker he likes, Laura (Imogen Poots). But she slowly realizes that her father might need a better place. 

The Oscar-nominated Editing does a good job with portraying Anthony's psyche.  The film's jumbled narrative is as confusing to us as is to Anthony. Anne wants to move to Paris and she doesn't; she's married to Paul and she's not; she has chicken for dinner and you get the point. Its oddest moment comes when Anne thinks about killing her father. Out of nowhere. 

The editing is helped by the also Oscar-nominated Production Design. The film is mostly confined to the flat, whether it's Anne or Anthony's. It's an imposing place which subtly changes from scene to scene. You might not notice anything amiss until Anthony does. But look for items suddenly shifting around.

Now for the acting. Hopkins is fun to watch when he's showing off tap dancing for Laura. He loses his charm when he yells at her, then gains sympathy when he realizes something's off. His mood swings are understandable given his cracking psyche. His performance is engaging all the way through. Anne, whether played by Olivia Colman or Williams, tries to maintain composure in the face of adversity. But she soon realizes what needs to be done. And no, it's not death. 

The Father is a strong stage-to-screen rendition. It has two good leads and a perfectly jumbled narrative. Don't despair if you're confused; now you'll know how its star feels. Its resolution is sad, but a bit hopeful. It'll keep your attention for 97 minutes. Find it on your favorite streaming service or see it in a safe theater near you.

Love and Monsters

We now go from towering behemoths to smaller but deadlier critters. Love and Monsters surprised a lot of people when it got itself an Oscar nomination for Visual Effects. Now that I've seen it, it's time to see why it's not that surprising.

The opening narration explains how humanity stopped a fatal asteroid, Agatha-616. It created a new problem when the fallout mutated all cold-blooded life into (mostly) man-eating monsters. Seven years later, the mutants have killed around 95% of humanity. They now live in underground colonies where they just try to survive. This is where the narrator, Joel (Dylan O'Brien), finds himself. He had a girlfriend, Aimee (Jessica Henwick), who he hasn't seen since the apocalypse began. At least there's ham radio.

One day, Joel decides to leave the increasingly-flimsy security of home. He wants to get back with Aimee, but she's 85 miles away. He doesn't care, though. He'll try to survive whatever mutants he finds. Along the way, he meets Boy the Dog, and humans Cylde and Minnow. Clyde and Minnow teach him how to survive the outside world. Will he be prepared when he finally reaches his destination?

Director Michael Matthews (Five Fingers for Marseilles) works from a script by Brian Duffield and Matthew Robinson. The darkly hilarious prologue efficiently spells out the mess the world's in now (not like the mess it's in now). It also efficiently establishes Joel's place in the world. He's not a good fighter as he freezes up in danger. But at least he makes some good minestrone. The colony clearly sees him as a kid sidekick, which is what any other movie would make him. So this movie is about him becoming a man. It's an engaging journey all the way. 

Now for the mutants themselves. Throughout the movie, Joel encounters mutated frogs, centipedes, and earthworms. The mutants have spectacularly creepy designs; sometimes, making out what they used to be is difficult. The earthworms, aka Sand-Gobblers, are among the creepiest crawlers. The sympathetic mutants include a "boulder snail" and a "killer" crab. There's even a swarm of flying jellyfish at night; I wouldn't be surprised if that scene is what earned its Oscar nomination. The seamless mix of CGI and animatronics make these mutants convincing as any animal.

Love and Monsters is an unexpected but welcome contender at the Oscars. It's got a great lead, wonderful supporting characters and an array of creepy mutants. It's a strong story about a man learning to toughen up. Pay attention to the survival tips, they'll help you with the climactic reveal. It's pretty cheap on demand; I paid $5.99 on Amazon Prime. It's a good bargain.