Power Rangers

As the decades have gone by, we have seen a plethora of films based on comic books, TV shows, video games and the like. The list is endless: "Batman", "Spider-Man", "Captain America", "Ironman", "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Dr. Strange", "Pacific Rim", "Thor", etc. Once again, we have yet another film based on a TV show in the form of "Power Rangers".

Five teenagers, Jason/Red Ranger (Dacre Montgomery), Kimberly/Pink Ranger (Naomi Scott), Billy/Blue Ranger (RJ Cyler), Zack/Black Ranger (Ludi Lin) and Trini/Yellow Ranger (Becky G.) become super-powered warriors in this reboot of the long-running kids' action franchise. The outcast teens are thrust into battle against the evil witch and former Ranger Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks)in a fight for the fate of the world.

Of course, before all this happens, the green Rangers must go through a rigorous training period taught by Alpha 5 (voice of Bill Hader) and lead up by nemesis of Repulsa, Zordon (Bryan Cranston). Their powers came from inadvertently finding a strange spacecraft and obtaining these abilities. Through Zordon and Alpha 5, the teens must harness their abilities in order to save the world as we know it.

Others to round out the cast are David Denman as Sam Scott, Jason's father, Matt Shively as Damo, Cody Kearsley as Hawkeye and Robert Maloney as Ted Hart.

Considering the limited feature film experience in the director's chair, Dean Israelite ("Project Almanac" '15) plus shorts and TV definitely caught the angst of these outcast teenagers so they seemed so real. Through proper staging and pacing, these five teens seemed to connect well as they continued getting to know one another--this is good direction. It was cleverly written by John Gatins ("Summer Catch" '01, "Hardball" '01, "Coach Carter" '05, "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" '05, "Reel Steel" '11,  "Flight" '12), based on a story by Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney based on "Power Rangers" created by Haim Saban which is based on "Power Rangers" created by Shuki Levy. After seeing the trailer of this film, I had great trepidation of this--the trailer did not sell it, but after viewing it, it was certainly much better than I ever thought it would be. Of course, Gatins is a seasoned writer and I'm sure this had everything to do with it. This had a couple of slow places in script and it was a bit predictable, but given the premise, a small amount of predictability can be forgiven. If you like this writer, he is slated to write "Reel Steel 2" which has been announced. And the visual effects predominantly created by Digital Domain, Method Studios and Scanline VFX were stunning and actually helped tell the story.

Certainly the audience demographic here is that of the child to teenager bracket, but there's something for everyone here--interesting plot, good writing and knockout visual effects. This is true and pure escapism at its best. Grab the popcorn!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                  Rated: PG-13                                   124mins.

Life

The genre of sci-fi is not exactly one of my favorite ones, except ones that are based in some sort of reality--i.e. based in or around Earth or isn't centuries in the future, etc. Even if they have regular type people, then it can work for me, so when I saw my first trailer of "Life", I thought this was going to be one of those sci-fi flicks I can sink my teeth into, and I definitely got my money's worth.

 

Six astronauts including David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds), Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare), Ekaterina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichaya) and Sho Murakami (Hiroyuki Sanada) aboard the international space station in order to retrieve and examine a specimen from Mars that could provide evidence for extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet. The crew determines the sample contains a large, single-celled micro-organism--the first example of life beyond Earth. But... things aren't always as they seem. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences, realizing the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected. All of a sudden, the specimen shows signs of aggression, threatening the entire mission. Discovery turns to primal fear when they realize this rapidly evolving form was what caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.

 

This was intensely and grittily directed by Daniel Espinosa ("Babylonsjukan" '04, "Outside Love" '07, "Easy Money" '10, "Safe House" '12, "Child 44" '15) plus TV and a short. This filmmaker definitely knows intense hence his resume, and his ability to get his actors to emit the pathos and emotions needed for a particular scene is amazing. You could feel the pain, fear and desperation these actors were displaying, and this is talented direction. It was creatively written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick ("Zombieland" '09, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" '13, "Zombieland" (TV movie) '13, "Deadpool" '16). For not being based on a novel, this was incredibly creative. If I had to akin it to any other film out there, it would be "Alien" '79. And with that, it was more than a homage than a copy. There were differences in this as opposed to :Alien", but there were enough similarities to understand and be really OK about. This premise is totally far-fetched, but has great fodder for a intriguing plot. If you like this screenplay, not to worry, because these guys have teamed up, once again, and have written both "Zombieland 2" and "Deadpool 2" which are both in pre-production. And, of course, the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Double Negative are seamless and awe-inspiring. You feel as though you're looking at a space station orbiting Earth, not to mention the interior of the station is designed so realistically. Not to spoil anything, but you will not see the end coming! It is a mind-blower personified.

 

Certainly if sci-fi is your favorite genre, the liking of this is a no-brainer, however if you're like me and am not really fond of them, this will still be intriguing just by the way this is written, directed and acted. And it's all in a nifty IMAX format to boot!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                Rated: R                                    104mins.

 

Get Out

Scary movies have been a staple genre in Hollywood forever, and periodically they hit a nerve with its audience. Ever since "Frankenstein" and "Dracula", we've all been scared out of our collective theater seats for decades. Since then, there have been films of this genre that have definitely stood out: "Psycho", "The Birds", "Silence of the Lambs", "The Sixth Sense" to mention a few. I had extreme trepidation in seeing "Get Out" which is why I hesitated so long, however after viewing it, it was certainly better than I ever thought it would be.

 

A young African-American photographer, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is nervous at the thought of meeting his white girlfriend, Rose's (Allison Williams) parents, Dean and Missy Armitage (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) for the first time during a trip to the latter's country estate. However, his anxiety soon turns into outright terror when he discovers that the family's seemingly idyllic community is hiding a sinister conspiracy, one that involves the disappearance of several black people in the area. As Chris slowly becomes suspicious of something odd going on, at a party, one fellow black man, Andrew (Lakeith Stanfield) at the estate warns him to "get out". He soon learns this is easier said than done.

 

Others to round out the cast are Caleb Landry Jones as Jeremy Armitage, Rose's brother, Betty Gabriel as Georgina, Stephen Root as Jim Hudson, Marcus Henderson as Walter, Lil Rel Howery as Rod Williams, Chris's buddy, and Ashley LeConte Campbell as Lisa Deets.

 

Considering this is his first directed film, Jordan Peele excelled well with this thriller. I was all over my theater seat at certain pivotal places of this film. His ability to showcase these characters in strategic scenes was impressive. If this film is any indication, he has a future in the director's chair. It was also written by Peele ("Keanu" '16) plus a lot of TV. Considering the experience he has in writing, his ability to direct far exceeds his ability to write. Certainly, as stated prior, this was better than I expected, however as the story was unfolding, there were too many unanswered questions by film's end. The continuity was effective, but this script never asked why this community was doing what they were doing, and why target black people? Plus, how did the community know who to abduct and who not? These questions were either not addressed and/or not answered, so there was a bit of assuming that had to take place. What did impress me about this was that this filmmaker is a comedian, and this being a horror/thriller, it was surprising. Of course, this did have some comedic moments, it is still odd that it was created by a comedian. Possibly considering that "Keanu" was horribly written, maybe this was the direction to take.

 

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a wash, there were some interesting aspects to this--strong character development, and talented directing. Scary, spooky, quirky? Yes. M.Night Shaymalan would definitely approve of this.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                            Rated: R                                104mins.

                          

Oklahoma!

Musicals have been a long-standing way audiences have been able to escape into another world in, perhaps, a different time with a multitude of interesting characters. I was invited by a friend to see a musical revival of Rogers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" today and after seeing it I was impressed by the production on many levels.

 

Most people have undoubtedly seen a production of this play somewhere along the way since it has been around since 1943 and Hollywood produced a version in 1955. It's a story that involves the tension between farmers and ranchers and how they dealt with every day life. Set in 1906 in the Oklahoma Territory, this story centers on a myriad of characters, including Curley McLain (Tanner Vidos), Laurie Williams (Lindsay Jolliff), Jud Fry (Bryce Ayers), Aunt Eller Murphy (Joanne Kissinger), Ado Annie Carnes (Rachael Hodge), Will Parker (Timothy Cabal), Judge Andrew Carnes (John McCoy) and Ali Hakim (Samuel Hayden Sproul), and how their lives intertwine into each other--whether for the best or not. Between feelings of the young couples and the difficulty they have with each other to the difficult time people of that era had in co-existing, especially this being a new territory of our country, this musical is a testimony to the endurance of a land at its origins and how its people were able to cope.

 

Others to round out the cast are Sawyer Henderson as Gertie Cummings, Maxwell Dannenberg as Ike Skidmore, Don Naegele as Cord Elam, Alex Smith as Tom, Zachary Ryan Elliott as Joe, Lucas Goodman as Mike, Josef Emmenegger as Fred and Alex Tanner as Slim.

 

As aforementioned, this production excelled on many levels between its choreography, direction, lighting and acting. It was cleverly directed by Tracy Williams. She has quite the gift of being able to extract just the right emotion out of her actors that transcend above a lot of local theater I have seen. This is certainly not her first rodeo and it shows in this production. Kudos to her! The next 'star' of this has got to be the choreographer, Dave Massey. The original choreographer was Agnes de Mille, but Massey's work on this play was every bit as consummate as de Mille's. The synchrony of the dance numbers were executed with precision and the actors were able to make it look effortless. The lighting by Justin Smiley in conjunction with Andrew Layton's set design melded so well, one could only imagine being sent back to 1906 Oklahoma. And what can I say about the cast? Certainly Tanner Vidos' Curley along with Lindsay Jolliff's Laurie was simply amazing. Their chemistry and soul in their respective roles was a delight. The comic reliefs in Timothy Cabal's Will, Rachael Hodge's Ado Annie and Samuel Hayden Sproul's Ali Hakim practically stole the show. Certainly the seasoned pro here is Joanne Kissinger's Aunt Eller. she was the rock of this performance as she is with all her work. The entire cast was amazing. In fact the friend that invited me to this play, Anjelid Menses was involved in that her daughter Annabella Rojas played the Skidmore daughter, and although this was a small role, she has promise to continue in this field for sure. This is the last performance, so there aren't any future shows, but I just had to write this up, because of the polished production that it was. And since I review so many films, it is a pleasure to, not only see a theater production, but to review one as well.

 

Between Williams amazing direction to Massey's stunning choreography, this production had it all. And all with a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II music and lyrics, how could this play fail? This was a gem for all to see.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                        Rated: NR                           2:35 (w/intermission)

Beauty and the Beast

Walt Disney Studios--love them or not, when they hit a homer, credit has to be given objectively. When I saw the 1991 animated version of "Beauty and the Beast", I felt that nothing could ever improve on that film until I viewed this version. The story is a charming fairy tale that speaks of an inner beauty we all seem to miss in others consistently, and so when seeing this, it reminds us of that attribute we all must obtain to enable us to truly love others.

 

This rendition is a live-action retelling of the Disney animated classic from 1991. As before, this fairy tale centers on a young woman named Belle (Emma Watson), who is forced to live in an enchanted castle with a prince who is cursed to resemble a hideous Beast (Dan Stevens). Belle's father, Maurice (Kevin Kline)gets caught in a storm only to find retreat in the castle, so the Beast decides to imprison him. Word gets out to Belle, so she opts to take her father's place. Eventually, the pair fall in love as Belle learns to see the good man behind the Beast's monstrous exterior. But this end only happens through the Beast's staff (they too being cursed). Through his staff, including Lumiere (Ewan McGregor), Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), Cogsworth (Ian McKellen), Chip (Nathan Mack) and others, they encourage both the Beast and Belle to have patience with each other, amongst other things.

Meanwhile, back in the village, Gaston (Luke Evans) is still attempting to woo Belle in order for her to become his wife with his help from his nice, but bumbling sidekick, LeFou (Josh Gad). Unfortunately, Gaston is so much in love with himself that he simply won't accept Belle's rejections of him.

 

Others to round out the cast are Hattie Morahan as Agathe/Enchantress, Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette.

 

This was brilliantly directed by veteran, Bill Condon ("Sister Sister" '87, "Dead in the Water" (TV movie) '91, "Gods and Monsters" '98, "Kinsey" '04, "Dreamgirls" '06, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1" '11, "Tilda" (TV movie) '11, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 2" '12, "The Fifth Estate" '13, "Mr. Holmes" '15) plus others and TV. By his very resume, this filmmaker can take any character and is able to get his actors to emit any emotion that is needed to get that scene to work and be ultimately convincing to his audience. This is what makes him stand out. His directing is only matched by his ability to be a creative screenwriter. It was creatively written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos based on the 1991 screenplay by Linda Woolverton which is based upon the tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Certainly this was a virtual copy of the 1991 version, however there were a couple of places of difference, and just seeing these characters literally come to life was a treat. And what can I say about Alan Menken's music and Howard Ashman and Tim Rice's lyrics? Nothing short of perfection! With musicians like these, how could this production be at a loss? With Tim Rice's lyrics, it gave a couple more numbers to add to this already family classic. All were cast well in this, especially Watson, Stevens, Thompson and McGregor.

 

I f you liked the original 1991 version, you will love this, and if not, this live version may be what you need to really appreciate this story. This film has it all: action, love, compassion, adventure, redemption, with amazing visuals and production values. This must be seen on the large screen, because of the impact it has. A film to be seen by one and all for sure. This film ROCKS!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG                                       129mins.

 

Table 19

Interestingly, it seems that as of the last 20+ years films that are written as solely comedic are typically poorly written, whereas films that are deemed as drama/comedy, or what's known as dramedies, are typically a much better grade of the genre of comedy. Not to say there haven't been comedies that haven't shined, but all too many times they fall flat. So when I realized that "Table 19" was a dramedy, I had to see it since I really like comedies and miss well written ones.

 

Ex-maid of honor, Eloise McGarry (Anna Kendrick)--having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man, Teddy (Wyatt Russell), who happened to be her boyfriend, via text message--decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend, Francine's (Rya Meyers) wedding anyway. She subsequently finds herself seated at the 'random' table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, including Jerry Kepp (Craig Robinson), his wife Bina (Lisa Kudrow), Jo Flanagan (June Squibb), Renzo Eckberg (Tony Revolori) and Walter Thimple (Stephen Merchant), most of whom should have known to just send regrets (but not before sending something nice off the registry). As everyone's secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of the dreaded Table 19. Friendships--and even a little romance--can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.

 

Others to round out the cast are Charles Green as Mr. Manny, Thomas Cocquerel as Huck, Amanda Crew as Nikki, Margo Martindale as Freda Eckberg, Renzo's mom, Carlos Aviles as Jalapeno and Richard Taylor as Roger Millner as Francine's dad.

 

Even though the director, Jeffrey Blitz ("Spellbound" (Documentary) '02, "Rocket Science" '07, "Lucky" (Documentary) '10) plus TV, doesn't have extensive experience, his ability to extract the right emotion out of his characters is intriguing. Going from laughter to a dramatic tone  is a difficult task and this filmmaker pulls it off with poignancy and finesse. It was executed well by team writers Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass. Each writer has a fair amount of film experience which pays off here whereas at a certain point of the film, they are basically asking us which people are the 'normal' ones: the outsiders at table 19 or all the others in the room? There were a few places of lack of continuity, but what makes this storyline most intriguing is the social statement it is clearly making. Typically our society believes that the majority dictates the norm. This can't always be a formula which can be used--it depends on the situation and/or people involved. As this story starts unfolding, we soon see that the norm are actually more at Table 19 than in the room--kind of negates that adage. Even though the room full of people, at first, came across as together and 'normal', we soon see that this becomes clearly not the picture, and I believe these two writers were attempting to convey this to us--the audience. And on the other side the coin, even though the one's at Table 19 are quirky, they were still real and could, at least, empathize with others unlike their counterparts in the room. If you liked these writers, they have two other films in the works.

 

The commentary of this film is certainly more intriguing than the story or the script, and with this, is a film all should see. It's subtlety is a bit preachy, however written in a way that doesn't come across that way. It's got a plethora of meaty eclectic characters which were rich in development. A fun film with a dramatic appeal indeed.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: PG-13                              87mins.

 

Kong: Skull Island

King Kong. How many incarnations have we seen on the silver screen with this big ape emblazoned in full glory? Let me count the ways. A truck load! Ever since the first "King Kong" in 1933 was released, Hollywood has been fascinated with the big monkey. Since then, "King Kong vs. Godzilla" '62, "King Kong Escapes" '67, "King Kong" '76, "King Kong" '05 and others have captured audiences worldwide. Now, for the next generation, we have "Kong: Skull Island" to add to that already huge list.

1973. The Vietnam War is coming to a close. A secret government organization mounts an expedition to Skull Island, an uncharted territory in the Pacific. Led by an explorer, Bill Randa (John Goodman) and a lieutenant colonel, Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), the group recruit a disillusioned soldier, James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) and a photojournalist, Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) to investigate the island's peculiar seismic activity. But once there, they discover that Skull Island is home to a gigantic ape called King Kong. Soon after, they stumble upon a WWII soldier left from that time, Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly) and together find themselves caught up in an ongoing war between the beast and the area's indigenous predators.

Others to round out the cast are Corey Hawkins as Houston Brooks, John Ortiz as Victor Nieves, Tian Jing as San, Toby Kebbell as Capt. Jack Chapman, Terry Notary as Kong, Jason Mitchell as Mills, Shea Whigham as Cole, Thomas Mann as Slivko, Eugene Cordero as Reles, Marc Evan Jackson as Landsat Steve and Will Brittain as Young Marlow/Marlow's son.

This was intensely directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts ("Mash Up" (TV movie) '11, "The Kings of Summer" '13) plus shorts and TV. Even though this filmmaker has limited experience in the director's chair, he truly knows how to build momentum in his characters as each scene becomes more and more frenetic. He will go far. It was intriguingly well written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly based on a story by John Gatins. This has got to be the best written Kong film since the inception of this franchise. It builds its characters carefully and thoroughly without dragging out the plot development. The film doesn't cut to the chase, however it also doesn't belabor the story and character development, so the audience isn't getting fidgety after a certain length of time. All the writers have limited to excessive experience, but all quality. Connelly wrote "Jurassic World" '15 and has also written "Jurassic World 2" which is being filmed as I'm writing this review. Certainly as I was watching this film, the Jurassic feeling was so similar to Kong: scientists and explorers going to a remote island and all terror starts to ensue and they are fighting for survival to get off the island. I've got to say, I'm a bit bias since I'm an avid fan of the Jurassic Park franchise, so this film allowed me to totally escape into another, fantastical world. I can't end this review without mentioning the visual effects which was creatively designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic). This is the quintessential and granddaddy visual effects company. This is their 40th anniversary of creating visuals all starting with "Star Wars" '77, so what a better film to release on their 40th but this Kong film.

If one plans to see this, it has got to be seen on the large screen, because anything less would be a waste of time. I only which I had seen this in the IMAX format. It definitely had that look as though that format would be an awesome viewing. This simply has it all: action, high-adrenaline, incredible visuals, even a story that you can sink your teeth into. Grab the popcorn and have fun with this. I sure did!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                Rated: PG-13                                    119mins.

The Shack

Without looking at a calendar, I can typically tell what time of year it is, because this is the time when a majority of inspirational films are released. This, being one of he dead zones of the year, it's actually a sad commentary that the makers of these films feel that if these films are to make a profit, it's going to have to be at this time. So, along with other inspirational films typically released at this time of year, we are offered "The Shack".

 

After a loving father, Mack Phillips (Sam Worthington) endures the abduction and presumed death of his young daughter, Missy (Amelie Eve) that rocks him to his core, he subsequently receives a mysterious invitation to 'The Shack', a decrepit shelter where Missy was presumably murdered. But, much to his surprise, his visit prompts a divine intervention from a series of strangers, Papa or God (Octavia Spencer), Male Papa or God (Graham Greene), Jesus (Avraham Aviv Alush) and Sarayu or Holy Spirit (Sumire), and the group soon lead him on a theological inquiry in the hope of getting him unstuck from his grief by reminding him of the all-encompassing love of God.

 

Others to round out the cast are Tim McGraw as Willie, Radha Mitchell as Nan Phillips, Mack's wife, Megan Carpentier as Kate Phillips, Mack and Nan's daughter, Gage Munroe as Josh Phillips  Mack and Nan's son, Alice Braga as Sophia, Ryan Robbins as  Emil Duchette and Jordyn Ashley Olson as Emily Duchette.

 

This was passionately and compassionately directed by Stuart Hazeldine ("Exam" '09) plus a short. At times, this type of film can get maudlin and sappy in how its actors are conveyed, however this filmmaker was truly able to convey a true realism of how a parent can grieve and how those that are receiving his grief are realistic in their compassion as well. There can be a fine line between compassion and sappiness and Hazeldine was able to pull it off in spite of his limited experience. It was written with compassion yet directness by John Fusco, Andrew Lanham and Destin Cretton based on a book by William P. Young with collaboration of Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings. Before Mack went through the unimaginable event he went through, his belief and especially his trust in God was already in question, so this path he subsequently took was one of discovery, fear, love and redemption he had to trek in order to let go of all the pent up anger he was experiencing. This was written as a series of flashbacks, but, at times, it was difficult to realize this until the flashback had already started. And this was a bit long in the tooth and probably could have been cut about 5-10 minutes and still held its impact, otherwise the storyline was intriguing. One of the positive aspects of the film was it held the belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit was the trinity--one and the same. They used a woman as one visual for Mack because he definitely didn't need to be speaking to a father figure at this point in his life, considering his past with his own father. Some things were a bit far-fetched, but this was a visual that Mack could hold onto tangibly. All this was written with spiritual carefulness, so I can tell these writers did their homework.

 

If you're one that can learn from an inspirational film, this is the film for you, however, even if this type of film isn't, per say, your cup of tea, you'll walk out of the theater with a lot to ponder as you're driving home, and maybe come up with some of your own conclusions about your own life.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                               Rated: PG-13                           132mins.

             .

Logan

Why is it that films of the future--whether near or distant, have a poor or bleak premise to them? This idea is typically reserved for the apocalyptic type films. Although "Logan" isn't considered an apocalyptic film, it is still set in the near future, again with a bleak premise. You know what I mean--the list is endless: "Planet of the Apes", "The Omega Man", "The Book of Eli", "District 9", "9", "Blade Runner" (both the '82 and '17 releases), etc.,etc. You get the hint.

 

It's 2029. Mutants are gone--or very nearly so. An isolated, despondent and weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote stretch of the Mexican Border, picking up petty cash as a driver for hire. His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and an ailing Professor X, Charles (Patrick Stewart), whose singular mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy abruptly end when a mysterious woman, Gabriela (Elizabeth Rodriguez) appears with an urgent request--that Logan shepherd an extraordinary young girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) to safety. Soon, the claws come out as Logan must face off against dark forces and a villain, Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) from his own past that has come back to haunt him.

 

Others to round out the cast are Richard E. Grant as Dr. Rice, Eriq La Salle as Will Munson, Elise Neal as Kathryn Munson, Quincy Fouse as Nate Munson and Al Coronel as Federale Commander.

 

This was grittily directed by James Mangold ("Heavy" '95, "Cop Land" '97, "Girl, Interrupted" '99, "Kate & Leopold" '01, "Identity" '03, "Walk the Line" '05, "3:10 to Yuma" '07, "Knight and Day" '10, "The Wolverine" '13) plus TV. By this filmmaker's very resume he is king when it comes to intense characters: a cop, a man from the past, the country singer, a spy, a sheriff and, of course, another film based on Logan. As practice makes perfect, this guy knows how to get his actors to exude that intensity he demands. It was effectively written by Scott Frank, Mangold and Michael Green based on a story by Mangold. One thing I came out of the theater respecting was that this story was more about Logan, the man instead of Logan, the mutant. It delve into a good deal of his troubled past. Don't get me wrong, there were many 'claw slashing" scenes, but they even revolved around his life. All these writers are seasoned--whether with feature films/TV series, so the quality was there. In fact, Green wrote both "Blade Runner 2049" in post production and "Murder on the Orient Express" filming as I'm writing this. Blade is a continuation whereas Murder is a reboot. Hopefully it will be as good as its predecessor. Both are slated for a '17 release. Other than a couple of slow places in script, this story shined, however it could've been cut a good 5-10 minutes and still kept its effectiveness. As far as visuals--they were seamless, but you have to know this before you walk into the theater.

 

If you are an afictionato with the X-Men franchise, the couple of surprises in this may not be surprising to you, however if you're like me and not really an X-Men fanatic, these incidents certainly surprised. This is a great escape film in which to sit back and relax and enjoy the popcorn. Any butter on that popcorn?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                  137mins.