My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission

Let's get this done before Halloween ends and November begins. 

As with Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission takes a popular anime and manga franchise to the big screen. Unlike Demon Slayer, this is actually the third film based on Kohei Horikoshi's franchise and is not adapted directly from the printed page. Now for those who came in late:

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya used to be one of the 20% born without a superpower, a Quirk. That is, until he met his favorite superhero, All-Might, who shares his aptly-named Quirk, One for All, giving him momentary bursts of energy. He's enrolled in UA High for his superhero education. Lots of stuff happens and we're here:

Deku is one of many called to action to fight Humarise, a terrorist organization out to wipe out the Quirky. Even though a few members, including leader Flect Turn, have Quirks (but at least they admit it!). Their "Trigger Bombs" fatally drive Quirks out of control. Deku and his classmates, the literally explosive Katsuki Bakugo and the hot & cold Shoto Todoroki, head for Humarise's home-turf of Otheon. 

Deku runs into a streetwise guy named Rody Soul, who comes into possession of a Humarise defector's MacGuffin briefcase. Coincidentally, Deku is immediately framed as a mass murderer. So they head for the border with the case. Katsuki and Shoto join up later on. It's up to them to find Humarise's home base and stop their plan to Trigger Bomb the entire world.

The usual Quirky League - director Kenji Nagasaki, writer Yosuke Kuroda and animation studio Bones, et al - continue their work from the show and previous films. They create a decent standalone story for the main cast. Flect Turn's threat is quickly established with the first of his Trigger Bombs. There's some semblance of backstory for those who came in late. The main three and some of their peers get at least a few moments to shine. It milks some suspense and runtime with its climactic battles; at least we're on edge as we wonder how the main three will win.

This is very much Rody's movie. He's still a likable guy underneath the sarcastic exterior. We see him support his younger siblings with shady work. His time with Deku lets him open up. That's when we see his important connection to Humarise. There's some genuine suspense as we wonder if he'll stay on Deku's side. His bird sidekick, Pino, is more important than one first suspects. 

The animation includes some stunning long takes, such as one where Rody outruns Deku. It's somewhat diminished when characters obviously lack faces. But it's brought up by the Quirky character designs, especially of the new characters created by Horikoshi. Flect Turn's blue visage is instantly memorable; a few memorable lackeys include the handbow-wielding Beros and the oni-morphing Rogone. The heroes' side includes the living paperman Salaam, the aptly named Clair Voyance and an unnamed flying squirrel girl. Their battles are great displays of sight and sound. Some of the best bits of sound come from series composer Yuki Hayashi's score.

Deku's latest big screen mission continues My Hero Academia's standards of superheroic excellence. It's sure to thrill fans as they wait for the anime's sixth season next year. The uninitiated get a great audience surrogate with Rody Soul. The World Heroes' Mission has something for everyone. I saw the English dub but it's also available subtitled. Whatever language suits you will do just fine. It's sure to make slow Sundays go, as the show puts it, plus ultra.

Dune

David Lynch's 1984 film of Dune is a fascinating failure. It's got great concepts crammed into two and a quarter hours. That doesn't bode well for cohesive storytelling, does it? But now, director Denis Villeneuve and his co-writers, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, try their hand at adapting Frank Herbert's career-defining novel into cinematic form. 

Or, at least about half of it, considering it calls itself Dune: Part One.

In the way far-off future, the desert planet Arrakis, aka Dune, is the center of the universe. It's the only source of Spice, which lets people live longer, smarter and in the hands of the ominous Spacing Guild, allows them to navigate spaceships across the universe. The creepy Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) cedes control of the Spice Mining Operation to his arch-enemy, the goodly Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). It's a plot to lure the Duke to his death.

Meanwhile, Leto's son Paul (Timothee Chalamet) has prophetic dreams about Arrakis. These get the attention of the Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) of the Bene Gesserit, the order which his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Fergusson) was part of. The Rev. Mother is worried that Paul might be the prophesized Kwisatz Haderach. Arrakis's native Fremen view Paul as their prophesized Messiah. Paul's not happy with the future knowledge of a violent war in his name. The Harkonnens' sneak attack doesn't help either. He'll have to seek help from the Fremen to ward off the desert, its humongous sandworms and Team Harkonnen.

It's only half the story of Lynch's film but it's a better film. Its massive worldbuilding is spread across the story as opposed to the first film's college lecture exposition. Concepts that were barely defined or not at all in that film are better defined here. The Maud'Dib, a desert mouse whose survival skills inspire Paul to chose his Fremen name later in the novel, is a great example. You'll get the gist of this universe pretty well. The half-way story might not feel like a complete one. But the climax is still relevant for Paul.

Every role is perfectly cast here. Chalamet as Paul is a strong Messianic deconstruction. He's not happy about the future violence in his name and wants to change it. Still, he recognizes he needs to help free the Fremen. His friendship with soldier Duncan Idaho (Jason Mamoa) is strongly defined, which makes the latter's demise somewhat sad. Somewhat because he went down fighting. Isaac as Leto is a good man, while Skarsgard is perfectly repulsive as the Baron, as is David Bautista as Harkonnen's nephew Rabban. Zendaya is fine as Paul's literal dream girl, Chani, while Sharon Duncan-Brewster is better as Dr. Kynes. Other highlights include Josh Brolin as Paul's mentor, Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Fremen leader Stilgar and Chang Chen as Dr. Yueh.

Yes, I saw this on HBOMax, but on my largest TV. Its technicals were still amazing. The ludicrously massive spaceships, the dragonfly-esque Ornithopter and the sandworms are amazingly realistic CGI. Cinematographer Greig Fraser perfectly establishes the scale of this universe. Production Designer Patrice Vermette visualizes each world, from the Harkonnens' bleak Giedi Prime to the harshly serene Arrakis, splendidly. The aural side includes some great sound design and an eerie score from Hans Zimmer. I should make plans to see it in theatres eventually.

This is a movie I wanted to review for a long time. And I hope that the Part One in the title isn't tempting fate. Dune is a good start to this latest attempt at Herbert's universe. Its worldbuilding across 155 minutes is intriguing instead of soporophic. There's some welcome levity in this serious space story. It's quite an experience to compare it to past versions. You can have that experience too on HBOMax and theatres now.

The Last Duel

 Ridley Scott began his film directing career with The Duelists in 1977. And now, for the first of two films he has this year, Scott chronicles The Last Duel, based on Eric Jager's non-fiction book.

The screenplay is divided into three parts chronicling, Rashomon-style, the lead-up to one of the last Trial by Combats in France. Each part is written, in succession, by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener. Damon and Affleck also star as Jean de Carrouges and Count Pierre d'Alencon. Who are they?

 Well, during the 100-years War, Carrouges was a war hero serving alongside Squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). They used to be pals until Le Gris met d'Alencon. The Count gives Le Gris a coveted captaincy and a piece of land both promised to Carrouges. Carrouges doesn't take it well. The last straw comes when Carrouges's wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Le Gris of raping her. Carrouges decides to throw down the gauntlet. Whoever wins is telling the truth, so says God.

But Le Gris' version portrays Carrouges as a petulant brute. Le Gris and Marguerite have a mutual attraction towards one another. He recognizes his sins after the deed. But in Marguerite's version, which the film emphasizes is the truth, neither man is a saintly paragon. Carrouges is a petulant brute who only married her for an heir and dowry. Le Gris, while somewhat attractive, isn't much better. She's not into the Trial by Combat either; especially since she'll be burned at the stake if her husband loses.

The film shows neither man as perfect in their POV-parts either. In example, Carrouges has no sympathy as his men flee a flaming arrow ambush, while Le Gris has no sympathy for Carrouges's complaints. Damon and Driver convincingly sell us on their characters' good natures. It's all upended when their true selves are revealed. Comer as Marguerite captivates us with her story all the way through. And who can blame her for not wanting the duel? Affleck, nearly unrecognizable with blond hair, is fine as the libertine Count. Harriet Walter as Carrouges's mother is harsh but we understand her worldview in the end.

Now we get to the technical side. The bloody battle scenes lose their luster pretty quickly. I was more stunned by the patriarchal stiffs' backwards statements than the routine stabbings. The best battle scene is the titular battle; even though I knew who won, it was still a suspenseful brawl. It's a strong scene thanks to editor Claire Simpson. The scenery filmed by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski is stunning. The costume and production designs are convincingly medieval. Harry-Gregson Williams's score is impressive, as is the sound design.

The Last Duel is a slow medieval drama. It's 152 minutes long so we have to get through a lot to that duel. That duel doesn't disappoint but about ten minutes could've been shaved off. Still, its present-day medieval commentary is commendable. It's better than nothing for a slow Sunday afternoon. So see it if you have nothing else to do.

No Time to Die

 It wasn't 2015, or 2020, but this year, when Daniel Craig, the sixth James Bond, the first Bond I saw theatrically, has his final, for real this time, mission. It's a tall order for Bond's 25th overall mission, No Time to Die, which was written by director Cary Joji Fukunaga with three other writers.

This time, James and his one true Bond girl, Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux) enjoy a peaceful retirement in Matera, Italy. That is, until she inadvertently leads him into a Spectre ambush. He gets her on the next train out. 

Five years later, James is recruited by his CIA buddy, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), to a new mission. Spectre stole a nanobot virus, the Heracles, which kills anyone with specific DNA. But its creator, Dr. Obruchev (David Dencik), is working for the true villain, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), on a plot to destroy Spectre. Safin, as seen in the prologue, once tried to kill, then saved, young Madeline. He wants her for himself.

Bond's mission is to find Obruchev and stop Safin's plots. Does it sound convoluted? Ultimately, I don't think it is. Bond and Madeline's story is an engaging one even if one hasn't seen Spectre rather recently. We see their relationship - and her encounter with Safin - established in the 22 minute prologue. We understand the threat posed by the Heracles and its creators. We get to see Bond come to terms with his past, especially his lost love Vesper (Eva Green), who perished in Casino Royale. It leads to an almost unthinkable ending. It all plays out in a massive 163 minute runtime.

Among the new characters is Nomi (Lashana Lynch), the newest Agent 007. She's a strong partner for classic 00 and the confusion between them is kind of funny. Ana de Amares makes the most of her limited screentime as Paloma, an agent who helps Bond out in Cuba. Malek as Safin is sure to be among the franchise's most memorable villains. His soft-spoken entitlement complex makes him as creepy as his porcelain mask. Obruchev is such an unlikable twit that you might wish for his death long before it happens. There's also Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet), Madeline's five-year old daughter. It takes a long while to establish who the dad is but it's still emotional.

Hans Zimmer's score perfectly punctuates its romantic and action moods. Its somber title song by Billie Eillish and Finneas O'Connell exemplifies the former. Expect to hear it a lot in the score. Production designer Mark Tildesley gives Safin an impressively bleak villain base. Its scale is helped by Linus Sandgren's cinematography, which includes some amazing aerial shots of London. Editors Tom Cross and Elliot Graham put us on edge once Safin first appears in the prologue. We can tell what's gonna happen instantly.

No Time to Die is a strong finale to this Bond cycle. The end credits promise "James Bond will Return," but I hope it'll take a while. It feels like a grand finale even if it's not. You'll need all the time in the world to process its finale. What a way for Bond to go, that's what I'll say. It really earns its massive length. See it on the safest screen you can find.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

 At 97 minutes, Venom: Let There Be Carnage doesn't waste time. So I won't either.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) interviews Serial Killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson). Eddie's journalistic career is resurrected. He and his symbiote Venom are happy, at first. Cletus's execution gets fast-tracked and he's not happy. One scuffle later and Cletus accidentally ingests a bit of Venom. The bit becomes a full symbiote, Carnage, which foils Cletus's execution and revives his killing career.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Venom break-up over the latter wanting to eat brains. Cletus breaks out his childhood sweetheart, Frances (Naomie Harris), whose sonic shrieks are lethal to symbiote kind. That's a problem for Cletus and Carnage's relationship. Eddie and Venom realize they need each other just in time to fight off the villains.

The screen story was conceived by Hardy and Kelly Marcel and realized by director Andy Serkis. I must reiterate that it doesn't waste time on story. It's a simple one involving some complicated relationships. It does miss some opportunities to elaborate but it's not a fatal injury. We still get the gist of Venom and Eddie's symbiotic relationship. It's a funny and strangely endearing one. I must say that it does a better job than its predecessor at being intentionally funny. 

Harrelson as Cletus Kasady is a complicated sociopath. He's a bit self-righteous and ax-crazy but he still has a sympathetic side. That involves his relationship with Frances; let's say they were made for each other. Harrelson is also unrecognizable as the voice of Carnage. It's some impressive voice work.  Meanwhile, Det. Mulligan (Stephen Graham), was an OK side antagonist. Peggy Lu, returning as Mrs. Chen, stands out in the supporting cast.

There's some strong sound work. Maybe, too strong. The speakers at my showing made some of the sounds unbearable. That includes Carnage's roars. Cinematographer Robert Richardson helps make Carnage's emergence in San Quentin perfectly creepy. Carnage's red and black design is stunning as is his transformation effects. The same goes for Eddie and Venom, especially when the latter host jumps. There's some great photography of San Francisco, a city I really want to get back to.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage makes for a quick and easy matinee. Still, a few bits make one think hard about any follow-ups. The one that's sure to be the most talked about is the mid-credits scene. It's a perfect set-up for Spider-Man: No Way Home. We got a few months to guess what will result. A month after that is when Sony's next superhero movie, Morbius, debuts.

Blithe Spirit

 Blithe Spirit came out early this year and is now about to apparate stateside on physical media. If that title sounds familiar, then it's because it's the latest screen version of Noel Coward's 1941 play, which was previously filmed in 1945. How does this version fare?

London, 1937. Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) is a rich idiot novelist about to make his screenwriting debut. He's married to Ruth (Isla Fisher), whose father owns the studio filming the screenplay. But he's got writer's block and said screenplay is based on his novel. He decides he needs some supernatural help. So he hires the quack psychic Madame Arcati (Judi Dench) to conduct a séance. All's well and good, except Arcati might not be a quack...

Charlie's first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), apparates shortly afterwards. She's not a happy ghost and lets him know it. The poltergeist act frustrates Charlie, especially since only he can see and hear her, but sparks fly between them again. She even gets him out of his writer's block. But she still wants to take him to her plane of existence. If only Madame Arcati were here to exorcise Elvira...

Maybe...

Noted theatre director Edward Hall visualizes a screenplay by Meg Leonard, Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft for his first feature. The only lines recognizable from Coward are in the séance. That's not a problem by itself; wanna know what is? Charlie is an unlikable twit all the way. His unhappily wedded life to either of his wives can get tiresome. Ruth is just OK, while Elvira's best moments are when she turns vicious. "Til death do us part" means nothing to her. That's a scary thought. Madame Arcati is the best character of the piece by being the most likable. I would have done without the final twist about Charlie's writing career. Where did that come from? 

Production Designer John Kelly modified the Joldwynds House into the Condomine home. It's a visually interesting house both inside and out; Kelly's recreation of 30's London is also stunning. The costumes designed by Charlotte Walter give Elvira a new outfit in every scene. And they're all appealing. There were also some good ghostly effects, with the best being Elvira's creepy apparating. The ending (not the writing twist) has a great feat of editing. 

I suspect the biggest problem with Blithe Spirit is that it tries too hard to be funny. A few bits of overacting got a chuckle. But not the whole piece. It was free on-demand for me and with its physical release on Tuesday, it'll be cheaper on streaming for most. See it if you're curious. It's only 99 minutes so you won't have to spend too long with these people.

Respect

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, didn't get to see her biopic, Respect. But she approved Jennifer Hudson to play her in it. The end result sees theatre director Liesl Tommy in her film debut realizing a script by Tracey Scott Wilson and Callie Khouri. Let's see how it is.

Aretha (Skye Dakota Turner as a kid) starts out as the daughter of Minister C.L. Franklin (Forrest Whitaker), who shows off her singing talents to Black music royalty. Her childhood isn't easy; a few incidents include her mother, Barbara's (Audra McDonald) sudden death, her parents' quarrelling and an encounter that leaves her pregnant far too early. Eventually, she's singing to her father's parishioners. She meets and falls for producer Ted White (Marlon Wayans), a man her dad distrusts. She eventually gets a recording contract with Columbia Records.

Her career goes pretty much nowhere. She eventually switches to Muscle Shoals under producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron). A late night jam session with her sisters leads to R.E.S.P.E.C.T. with her first smash hit. Her superstar life isn't easy; Ted proves to be an abusive control freak, while she turns to the bottle. She needs help to confront her "demons." She has to stand up for herself to get the Respect she needs. It all leads to the filming of her Amazing Grace live album, which was finally released in 2018.

Aretha Franklin's faith in Hudson is well-rewarded. Hudson's performance as Aretha is a compelling one. She's optimistic but she's not afraid to assert herself. Her performance of Respect and her leaving Ted are audibly crowd-pleasing scenes. In fact, the musical performances are outstanding all around. The alcoholism leads to a stage mishap and a climactic conversation with her dead mother. Overall, she'll get your attention even if it's distracted by the 145 minute runtime.

Who else do we see? Whitaker as C.L. Franklin is a flawed, yet sympathetic stern father figure. He threatens to disown Aretha for seeing Ted, yet he finds it to forgive her later on. Wayans is utterly recognizable as Ted, an abusive jerk with a charming front. Their relationship puts the audience on the fence as to who to root for. But we figure it out at the end. Aretha's sisters, Erma (Saycon Senbloh) and Carolyn (Hailey Kilgore), are great support for her. Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington doesn't take kindly to one of Aretha's performances, but she gives good advice to her shortly after. 

It's a slow but steady movie. Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin's quest for Respect makes the long haul worth it. See it in theatres if you can. You'll have a larger crowd to hear cheering with her if you do. Like mine.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 … And a complicated tale of Public Domain.

Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu was created by Jim Starlin and Steve Englehart as the heroic son of Sax Rohmer's infamous supervillain Fu Manchu, who, in addition to being a racially insensitive character, is also not completely in the public domain. What would happen if he had a movie?

Simple. Retool Fu Manchu into The Mandarin, Iron Man's archenemy, a character impersonated in Iron Man 3 by Ben Kingsley's washed-up character actor Trevor Slattery. The end result, written by director Destin Daniel Cretton with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Who is Shang-Chi? He (Simu Liu) is the son of the long-lived warlord Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), aka The Mandarin. Wenwu leads the ominous Ten Rings Organization, named for his magical arm rings. Wenwu tried to be a family man until his enemies killed his wife (Fala Chen). So he trained Shang-Chi and his sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), to be killers. Shang-Chi escaped to San Francisco as "Shaun," and is now a hotel valet with his pal, Katy (Awkwafina).

Shang-Chi reveals his martial artistry when the Ten Rings come calling. They take him, Xialing and Katy back to their compound. Wenwu wants to find Ta Lo, his wife's mystical home village, where he thinks she's being held. He needs his kids' pendants to help find it. And if Ta Lo won't let him free her, he'll kill everything. Shang-Chi won't stand for it and he and the others make it to Ta Lo first. It's a good thing; turns out Wenwu's being tricked into releasing the ominous Dweller in Darkness.

Its supporting cast is good. Katy is a great sidekick, equally funny and battle ready. She gets even better when she helps defeat the Dweller. Xialing and Shang-Chi's aunt, Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh), is a warm presence. The aforementioned Trevor Slattery returns for some more comic relief; he's even better now than he was then. Special mention goes to Morris the Hundun, a faceless winged six-legged fuzzy creature. He's surprisingly cuddly. 

Now for the main family relationship. Shang-Chi is a decent hero made compelling by his strained family relationship. Xialing vents a lot of frustration when she reunites with Shang-Chi in the ring of her fight club. The flashbacks to their brutal training spells it out clearly. We see Wenwu be a great family man until his wife's murder. It's brutal to see him and Shang-Chi blame each other for her death. Their climactic fight lets them vent their own frustration perfectly. 

Let's talk about the technical style. Ta Lo and Xialing's fight club are excellent creations of production designer Sue Chan. Ta Lo, in particular, is populated by splendid mythological creatures from Guardian Lions to Nine-Tail Foxes. The Dweller-in-Darkness, and its good counterpart, The Great Protector, are formidable CGI dragons. And here's hoping the Academy take notice of costume designer Kym Barrett and her opulent wardrobe for Ta Lo's residents. The action is great, even if it felt like some parts were edited too fast. Still, the bus fight with the Ten Rings is an exciting showcase for martial arts and San Francisco scenery. Joel P. West's majestic score suits the film perfectly.

A few story beats sound cliched. But Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings perked my interest in one of Marvel's least well-known characters. Its end credits promise "The Ten Rings will Return;" how will they factor in the MCU? Its mid-credits scene promises the Ten Ring artifacts will play an important role somehow. These scenes leave us with a few interesting thoughts. Stay safe if you see it in theaters now. It'll be available on Disney Plus sometime later. Whichever the format, see it on the largest screen you can.

Annette

It's been a while since I went on Amazon Prime for a movie. By a while, I actually mean a month. So here I am with the musical Annette, the first English film by French director Leos Carax (Holy Motors), who co-wrote the screenplay with the songwriters, Ron and Russell Mael of the band Sparks. What did they create?

"What?" might be the question.

Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) and Ann Defrasnaoux (Marion Cotillard) get married. He's a stand-up comedian and she's an Opera soprano. They have a baby girl, Annette, who is played by a marionette (Yes, seriously). Henry's career flatlines while Ann's star rises. A particularly unfunny routine, and Henry's outrage over the audience's outrage, seals the deal.

One day, Henry and Ann go on their yacht. She goes overboard and he's stuck with the puppet. Eventually, Henry realizes Annette is a budding soprano herself. So he and Ann's former accompanist (Simon Helberg) decide to take her on tour. How long will that last before Henry's attitude craters his life?

That describes around 90 minutes of the film.

It opens with an ensemble number as the cast (Sparks and Carax, included) start recording the opening number, So May We Start, before they leave the studio and walk around LA to sing it. Yeah. Anyway, it's about forty minutes before Annette puts in an appearance. The lead-up is filled with OK songs that are mainly talk-sung. Expect a lot of repeated lyrics; Ann and Henry's love song is We Love Each Other So Much, a title that makes up about half the lyrics. Henry's meltdown song an hour in, You Used To Laugh, is the first entertaining song. It's surprisingly entertaining for this kind of song.

Henry is crass and rude, while Ann's simply good. We don't get context to how their relationship started. But it deteriorates somewhat quickly. Henry is somewhat sympathetic when he sings out his insecurities. But he's so hard to like. Their story is so dull I barely cared about the tragedy. It eventually got better when Annette took center stage. Her rising stardom made me think of a wackier take on Tommy. The wackiest part comes from a court clerk (Kait Tenison) suffering from hay fever.

What I found objectively perfect is its technicalities. The cinematography and production design is superb. Whether it's Annette's surreal concerts or Ann's opera performances (which has her step into a real forest at one point), this is a great movie to look at. Henry and Ann's mad waltz during their stormy yacht cruise is perfectly weird; the rear-projected storm fits the mood. This and You Used To Laugh are highlights of the editing and sound design. Annette herself sits atop the uncanny valley; there's still some great artistry to make her move.

Annette is a visually appealing and dramatically dull musical story. Its title character needs some time to get used to. But it makes some thematic sense, overall. It's certainly destined to join The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a midnight movie one day. Indeed, I found plenty of opportunity to call back at the movie during its 140 minutes. That made much of the movie bearable. See the movie for much more I haven't alluded to. It's free on Amazon Prime.

Free Guy

Free Guy had to wait a year to come out. But I'm glad it's here now. It's a delightful video game-inspired comedy from director Shawn Levy and writers Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn. Here's the review, at long last:

The main Free Guy is Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a bank teller in Free City. Everyday, he greets his goldfish, gets the same coffee and goes to work, which is robbed several times a day by folks in sunglasses. The same folks who shoot up, smash up and loot up the city. But everyone's chipper about it. There's a simple explanation for that...

That's because Free City is an online video game. Guy is one of its many NPCs. One day, Guy meets Molotov Girl, the avatar of programmer Millie Rusk (Jodie Comer), and decides to deviate from his pre-programmed routine. He stops the next robbery and steals the player's sunglasses which lets him see power-ups, the HUD, etc. Guy decides to level up with good guy missions. He becomes an internet star overnight.

It turns out that Free City was built with stolen code that Millie and her ex-partner, Walter (Joe Keery) developed. She needs proof, though, and Guy is the perfect partner for her mission. She doesn't have much time as the game's publisher, Antwan (Taika Waititi), is ready to release Free City 2. And that means a digital apocalypse for Free City 1. 

Its main Guy is walking optimism, which is bound to captivate and/or frustrate cynical players. His existential quest inspires other NPCs to reevaluate their lives. His existential crisis halfway through leads to an interesting discourse on the reality of fictional characters. Overall, he's sure to endear himself to his real-life audiences. The script's only flaw is Guy getting rebooted and temporarily memory wiped; it disrupts the flow of the impending digital apocalypse.

What about the supporting cast? Millie and Walter have a strong romantic subplot, while Antwan is a perfectly funny and dangerous manchild. Molotov Girl and Guy's own digital romantic subplot is as real as any great romcom's. The wanton mayhem in Free City and its NPCs' chipper reaction to it all is hysterical. It gets profound when they reevaluate their digital lives; it's especially so with Guy's NPC best friend, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery). The best surprise is Antwan's secret weapon, Dude, played by Aaron Reed with Reynolds' deepfaked face.

Oh yeah, the deepfaked face. It's so seamless and unnerving at the same time. It's an hysterical combination. There's also some obvious CGI used for some outstanding video game feats. A highlight is a scene where Guy evades two moderators (Walter and his co-worker, Mouser) in a shifting construction site with super shoes. Production Designer Ethan Tobman perfectly renders Boston into Free City. Editor Dean Zimmerman gets a few laughs by switching between worlds. Let's not forget a good score by Christophe Beck.

Free Guy seems like a bright and earnest action comedy. It actually is. It's also a smart and profound existential video game-inspired story. Free City's world gives one a lot to think about. See it in theaters if you can; stay safe if you do. It'll also make a great home matinee once it's ready. Just see it on the biggest screen you can. It's sure to be a winner in this dour year.

The Suicide Squad

Among the many issues people had with 2016's Suicide Squad was its poor attempt to mimic Guardians of the Galaxy. Well, now Guardians writer/director James Gunn is in charge of The Suicide Squad. The first film was OK but this is significantly better.

As before, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) assembles some of the most unsavory characters for a secret mission. Their mission, that they have no choice but to accept, is to infiltrate the Banana Republic country of Corto Maltese. They have to infiltrate the secret Jotunheim base and destroy all traces of something called "Project: Starfish." Anyone who falls out of line gets blown up by an implanted bomb. That includes Savant (Michael Rooker), the first character we even meet. He understandably AWOLS after fellow Squad member Blackguard (Pete Davidson) sells them out to the enemy, who massacres them.

Meanwhile, the actual "heroes" undertake the mission. They're Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melachor), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). They meet up with first team survivors Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). They also agree to help the Corto Maltese Freedom Fighters liberate the country. It gets serious when they discover the Junta's secret weapon is the ominous Starro the Conqueror.

Gunn's prologue quickly establishes the wacky carnage to come. The first team is hopelessly outclassed by the Corto Maltese military. Some more so than others, especially T.D.K (Nathan Fillion), a reworked version of a ludicrous character called Arm-Fall-Off Boy. The aptly named Weasel (Sean Gunn) doesn't make it to shore, at least initially. I know I complained about the first film's Slipknot dying so quickly. But the first team's decimation is the punchline to a hilariously gruesome joke.

The actual squad is a likable bunch of anti-heroes. They have their own issues to deal with in addition to Starro and the Junta. Polka-Dot Man's insecurity makes him the most sympathetic of the Squad. Bloodsport's strained relationship with his daughter gives him a compelling arc. King Shark's a laid-back guy who needs to watch his cravings for people. Ratcatcher II's good nature makes her the most endearing squad member. Peacemaker's absurdly blind jingoism goes from hilarious to creepy to sad. Their raid on what turns out to be the Freedom Fighters' camp barely dents their likability.

The Squad's elaborate and sometimes goofy costumes were designed by Judianna Makovsky. The makeup department adds some strong help to these designs. They fit in right well with the story's wackiness. Starro, in particular, is a goofy and creepy CGI monster. The same goes for his little Starros which latch onto unfortunate faces. King Shark is a much more pleasing CGI creature ... even when he eats people. John Murphy's score contains an alluring track when King Shark meets some fellow sea creatures. It's a strong setup for another gruesome punchline.

The Suicide Squad is a brutal yet endearing tale of super misfits and their problems. Its unlikely heroes are as memorable as its director's other super team. Its human villains are OK but its alien villain is better. Its final battle and resolution are awesome displays of super feats and super blackmail. See the film to get what I mean. See it all the way through to see the fates of a few characters. See it on HBOMax or theaters Now. 

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...