Ready Player One

We've seen a plethora of apocalyptic films that Hollywood has produced through the years i.e. "The Omega Man", "Silent Running", "District 9", "The Book of Eli", "Mad Max", "9", "Elysium" to mention a handful. "Ready Player One" isn't necessarily an apocalyptic film, however it portrays our future as though an apocalyptic situation had occurred.

In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh and grim place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spends their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-- the only limits are your imagination. The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. The prize? Halliday has left behind an Easter egg that becomes sought after by many including Parzival, the avatar of Wade and his nemesis Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn). When Parzival conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends, including Samantha and her avatar Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), Helen and her avatar Aech (Lena Waithe), Sho (Philip Zhao) and Daito (Win Morisaki)-- AKA the High Five-- are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS.

Others to round out the cast are T.J. Miller as I-Rok, Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow, Hannah John-Kamen as F'Nale Zandor, Ralph Ineson as Rick, boyfriend of Alice and Susan Lynch as Alice, Wade's aunt.

This was brilliantly directed by the consummate veteran Steven Spielberg ("Duel" (TV movie) '71, "Jaws" '75, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" '81, "E. T. the Extra Terrestrial" '82, "Empire of the Sun" '87, "Jurassic Park" '93, "Schindler's List" '93, "Minority Report" '02, "The Terminal" '04, "Munich" '05, "War Horse" '11, "Lincoln" '12, "Bridge of Spies" '15, "The BFG" '16, "The Post" '17) plus many others and TV. Spielberg has the extreme ability to make the characters in his films simply come alive and his continued trademark of pulling his audiences through the proverbial keyhole by leaving them hanging is pure joy and entertainment taking us back to the matinee idol days of yore. This director has proved himself time and again. In fact, his remake of "West Side Story" is in pre-production right now, and if any one can make a remake soar, it would be that of Spielberg. It was entertainingly and astutely written by Zak Penn ("Behind Enemy Lines" '01, "Elecktra" '05, X-Men: The Last Stand" '06, "The Incredible Hulk" '08) plus others, TV and video games and Ernest Cline ("Fanboys" '09) based on the novel by Cline. Considering this is set in 2045, it's amazing of the 80's reference to the pop culture then replete with a homage to "Back to the Future" and it's director Robert Zemeckis. Even the car that Parzival drove was the Delorean that was used in that film. When a writer can make an 80's pop culture fit in a futuristic setting, this is talent. Of course, considering that one of the writers wrote the novel the film is based on, this certainly doesn't hurt. The script was tight, cohesive and is the quintessential escape film to entertain all who see it. The visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Digital Domain were seamless and enhanced this production.

When I saw my first trailer of this film, I felt it would be a good film, but I had no idea how entertaining, enjoyable and gripping it turned out. If there were any regrets to this, it would be that I should've viewed this in its amazing IMAX format. Seeing this on the large screen would be imperative, although the IMAX version is the format I would recommend. Grab the popcorn and enjoy this ride!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG-13                                  140mins.

Midnight Sun

Romantic dramas are typically drenched in maudlin sentimentality, and with this, they have a tendency to drip with saccharine and mediocrity. When Nicholas Sparks novels started to become movies, i.e. "The Notebook", "Dear John", "The Vow", etc., this genre definitely improved with more original scripts even though the premises still were sentimental. Even though "Midnight Sun" isn't a Sparks film, the writer was surely inspired by his style.

 

This story is a romantic tearjerker about 17 year-old Katie Price (Bella Thorne), sheltered at home since childhood with a rare genetic condition, XP or xeroderma pigmentosm, a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Having only her father Jack (Rob Riggle) for company, Katie's world opens up after dark when she ventures outside to play her guitar. One night, her dreams come true when she's noticed and asked out by her longtime crush Charlie Reed (Patrick Schwarzenegger), whom she secretly watched from her bedroom window for years. As they embark on nightly summer excursions, Katie's risk to sunlight grows and she's presented with the dilemma of being honest with Charlie and risk losing him or hiding her secret and suffering the consequences. With her friends to support her including Morgan (Quinn Shepherd) and Garner (Nicholas Coombe), she must make that decision before it's too late.

 

Others to round out the cast are Ken Tremblett as Mark Reed, Jean Griffin as Barb, Tiera Skovbye as Zoe Carmichael, Alex Pangburn as Wes and Guy Christie as Swim Coach.

 

This was directed with sentimentality, however not in a maudlin way by Scott Speer ("The LXD: The Secrets of the Ra" '11, "Step Up Revolution" '12, "Status Update" '18) plus TV and video shorts. Most of the cast has limited experience, but with this filmmaker, the realism of these actors were delineated well by Speer. It was adequately written by Eric Kirsten based on the Japanese motion picture screenplay "Taiyo no uta" by Benji Bando. There was a bit of choppiness with this storyline, however considering this is the only experience this screenwriter has, makes this script superb. Truly nothing Academy worthy here, but the characters were defined in a consistent and realistic demeanor. Patrick Schwarzenegger had a good presence on screen and since he's Arnold's son, he will surely pursue this same field. Interesting that the fatal disease, xeroderma pigmentosm is an actual condition. Symptomatically, it seems to be a fictional disease, but as the end of the movie states, it clearly exists and gives the audience a website to learn more about it.

 

If you like Nicholas Sparks films, you'll love this, because whether this writer knows it or not, this was basically a homage to a fair deal of Sparks' films. This certainly tugs the heart and lets us all know that We need to lean on one another and visa versa.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                               Rated: PG-13                                     91mins.

 

 

I Can Only Imagine

This being the Easter season, or as I like to call it Resurrection day, the inspirational films start hitting the multiplex. As with past seasons, inspirational or Christian films are getting more and more popular by Christians and non alike. However considering how our society is in a breakdown mode, it is no surprise why these films are being embraced. "I Can Only Imagine" is one of these films that not only is informational, but is heart-wrenching and inspiring as the film builds momentum.

 

This true story follows the life of Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley), lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, who eventually loses his father, Arthur (Dennis Quaid) to pancreatic cancer which in turn inspires him to write the mega-hit song, "I Can Only Imagine".

The story starts with Bart giving his story to a local DJ and as the flashback unfolds, it shows how this musician endured his father's physical and emotional abuse and his mother, Adele's (Tanya Clarke) disappearance of herself and having to leave Bart because of the abuse. As a preteen at a summer camp, he meets his future girlfriend, Shannon (Taegen Burns) as her young, (Madeline Carroll) as an adult, and a good friend, Kent (Alexander Dominguez) as an adult which ended up becoming one of the members of MercyMe. As his music turns from pop to Christian, Bart starts realizing that God is moving him in a direction he's unsure of. Eventually, a manager, Scott Brickell (Trace Atkins) agrees to manage his band and through the roller coaster ride MercyMe goes on, the Lord starts convicting Arthur's heart so as time and pain between the two, he and his son, Bart, Arthur slowly goes from the man Bart hated to the man he wanted to become. "I Can Only Imagine" comes from Bart's heart-wrenching journey to forgive his father and subsequently the song was for his father.

 

Others to round out the cast are Brody Rose as Young Bart, Jason Burkey as Mike, Mark Furze as Nathan, Cloris Leachman as Memaw and Nicole DuPort as Amy Grant.

 

This was delicately and movingly directed by Andrew Erwin ("The Cross and the Towers" (Documentary) '06, "Alumni" (TV movie) '09, "October Baby" '11, "Mom's Night Out" '14, "Woodlawn" '15) plus TV and videos, and Jon Erwin (Same as above and "Fully Alive" '12, Steve McQueen: American Icon" (Documentary, co-dir.) '17) plus TV. The emotional impact these directors were able to extract out of these actors, specifically from Finley and Quaid was amazingly real and unapologetic in their conveyance of how they were to cope with their respective situations. It was touchingly written by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle based on a story by Jon Erwin, McCorkle and Alex Cramer which is based on the life story of Bart Millard. This biopic centered on the most famous Christian song in decades and was an amazingly delineated script in that it captured the true pain and talent of this musician and how he was able to transcend from a broken man to one that God was able to enable him to forgive and find redemption in others. There were a couple of very small areas of choppiness, but nothing to distract from this incredible story. In the story he was quoted as saying it took him only ten minutes to write this song, but then the one he was speaking shot back saying that it didn't take ten minutes, but rather it took a lifetime considering how moving it was and what this man went through to write it. The idea behind this storyline rang valid and painstakingly realistic. Gone are the days of mediocre, poorly written Christian or inspirational screenplays considering how many of the masses out there need hope and something to believe in to fill that void in their hearts.

 

With inspirational films such as "Fireproof", "Soul Surfer", "Courageous", "War Room", "Facing the Giants", "God's Not Dead" ,"Woodlawn" the upcoming "The Miracle Season" and the like, it's no doubt a film like "I Can Only Imagine" continue to be an integral part of filmmaking as they are a vital avenue for all to be inspired by.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                  Rated: PG                                      110mins.

 

 

 

 

A Wrinkle in Time

Why do we even have films to enjoy? Many say to learn from. Others say to spark a nerve in people through a message. But don't they really exist to allow us to escape into another world where we can experience limitless boundaries? Many films fall under the latter description, such as "Alice in Wonderland", "Peter Pan", "Goosebumps", "Zombieland" and now we are offered "A Wrinkle in Time".

 

Following the discovery of a new form of space travel as well as Meg Murry's scientist father's (Chris Pine) disappearance, she, Meg (Storm Reid), her brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and her friend, Calvin (Levi Miller) must join three magical beings-- Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey)-- to travel across the universe to rescue him from a terrible evil, The It (David Oyelowo). After Charles Wallace introduces his sister and her friend to these three celestrial beings, Meg is reluctant, at best, and Calvin is more open. Subsequently, Meg seems to understand, but is still skeptical, but to attempt to fit in, decides to go along for the ride--quite literally.

 

Others to round out the cast are Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murry, Meg's mother and Mr. Murry's husband, Zach Galifianakis as Happy Medium, Michael Pena as Red and  Andre Holland as Principal Jenkins.

 

This was helmed by visionary director Ava DuVernay ("This Is the Life" (Documentary) '08, "I Will Follow" '10, "Middle of Nowhere" '12, "Selma" '14, "For Justice" (TV movie) '15, "13th" (Documentary) '16) plus TV, shorts and documentary shorts. This filmmaker has the innate ability to extract certain emotions from her actors in order to convey a message, but usually in an entertaining way. And the fact that this director can't be pigeon-holed makes her more marketable than her commercial counterparts. It was adequately written by Jennifer Lee ("Wreck-It Ralph" '12, "Frozen" '13, "Zootopia" (story) '16) plus video games and Jeff Stockwell ("The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys" '02, "Wilder Days" (TV movie) '03, "Bridge to Terabithia" '07, "The Ottoman Lieutenant" '17) plus TV, based on the novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Surely the novel was much more descript and went into more detail, because when it came to this film version, it became choppy and lacked a fair amount of continuity. It had a difficult time connecting the search of Meg's father and the time travel involved. Certainly these screenwriters are seasoned, so I'm not sure what happened. Rushed the project too quick? Not sure, but suffice it to say, it needed polish, The best thing about this was the effervescent personalities the three beings. The character developments of these was fresh as it was entertaining. I'm not sure if the new age philosophy is a good thing or not--I think it depends on the individual. Some may not like this philosophy, some will, so one might want to keep this in mind when taking the youngsters to see this.

 

Fantasy films are a great way to spend an afternoon or evening, and this film is certainly a visual feast, but it's truly sad that the script could not have been a more polished one. It the plot doesn't do it for you, the visual effects will get you through and all on a 2D or IMAX format as well.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                  Rated: PG                                   110mins.

 

The 90th Annual Academy Awards

Has it already been a year since the 89th Academy Awards? Wow! Time simply flies by like it's time lapse photography.
This was the second year in a row Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show and I must say that the producers would be remiss if they don't invite him back next year assuming he takes the invite. He was certainly able to balance humor and the political causes with finesse and professionalism. The two running gags of the show was the obvious best picture mishap that happened last year and during Kimmel's monologue, he mentioned that whomever had the shortest acceptance speech would win a jet ski, so that also became a running gag as well with a good many of those that won.
The production numbers of the five nominated original songs were well staged giving each film the true recognition they deserved. This year, the Academy also decided to show a video honoring our military and their sacrifice that was amazingly refreshing and a much needed section of the show. And the tribute to those who actually go see the films was honored by Kimmel asking a certain number of stars in the audience to go across the street to a theater to an audience viewing a pre-release of "A Wrinkle in Time" and surprise them to thank them carry snacks to offer. That the heartfelt and humorous as well.
So here is the rundown of those that won their respective awards:

Best Picture: "The Shape of Water"

Best Actor: Gary Oldman- "Darkest Hour"

Best Actress: Frances McDormand- "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro- "The Shape of Water"

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell- "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney- "I, Tonya"

Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele- "Get Out"

Best Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory- "Call Me by Your Name"

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins- "Blade Runner 2049"

Best Film Editing: Lee Smith- "Dunkirk"

Best Production Design: Paul D. Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeffrey A. Melvin- "The Shape of Water"

Best Original Song: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez- "Coco" (Remember Me)

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat- "The Shape of Water"

Best Animated Feature: "Coco"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick- "Darkest Hour"

Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges- "Phantom Thread"

Best Visual Effects: John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover- "Blade Runner 2049"

Best Sound Effects Editing: Richard King- "Dunkirk"

Best Sound Mixing: Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten- "Dunkirk"

Best Foreign Language Film: "A Fantastic Woman"

Best Documentary Film: "Icarus"

Best Documentary Short Subject: "Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405"

Best Live Action Short Film: "The Silent Child"

Best Animated Short Film: "Dear Basketball"

That is the complete list. Congrats to all those that picked up their Oscars. Most of the those that received Oscars weren't a complete surprise, but as usual, there were surprises, such as those who were writers, either original or adapted, editing, sound editing, and sound mixing. The others I either guessed or were not surprising. All in all, not an overly surprising show, however if anyone were to make this presentation, it would that of Kimmel. He's not Billy Crystal, but he is the next thing to his caliber. As far as I'm concerned, as long as Kimmel wants this gig, he can come next year or subsequent years after that.

Out 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: NR                                         Time: 3:45

Red Sparrow

Spine tingling espionage films have been a common Hollywood staple since films have almost been around. The list is endless, but a handful are "Three Days of the Condor" '75, "Body of Lies" '08, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" '11, "Bridge of Spies" '15, and the like. So it's no surprise that Hollywood would soon be throwing another spy film to us in the form of "Red Sparrow".

 

Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is many things. A devoted daughter determined to protect her mother, Nina (Joely Richardson) at all costs. A prima ballerina whose ferocity has pushed her body and mind to the absolute limit. And is a master of seductive and manipulative combat. When she suffers a career-ending injury, Dominika and her mother are facing a bleak and uncertain future. That is why she finds herself manipulated by her uncle, Vanya Egorov (Matthias Schoenaerts) in becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring the perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as a spy in order to target a CIA agent, Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) that ends up threatening to unravel the security of both nations.

 

Others to round out the cast are Charlotte Rampling as Matron, Mary-Louise Parker as Stephanie Boucher, Ciaran Hinds as Zakharov, Bill Camp as Marty Gable, Jeremy Irons as General Korchnoi, Thekla Reuten as Marta and Douglas Hodge as Marim Volontov.

 

This was well directed by veteran Francis Lawrence ("Constantine" '05, "I Am Legend" '07, "Water for Elephants" '11, "Gotham" (TV movie) '12, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" '13, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 1" '14, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-- Part 2" '15) plus TV and a ton of video shorts. I'm sure since this filmmaker has been around a while, he is able to make his actors appear as the people they are playing are as realistic as they are. Of course, Lawrence, Edgerton, Irons and Schoenaerts are consummate in their fields, still this takes true directing talent from the one in the director's chair. Considering Lawrence was in the Hunger Games franchise, she has certainly evolved into roles such as this one. It was adequately written by Justin Haythe ("The Clearing" '04, "Revolutionary Road" '08, "Snitch" '13, "The Lone Ranger" '13, "A Cure for Wellness" '16) based on the book by Jason Matthews. Even though this had an intriguing premise, it not only moved too slow, but it just wasn't as cohesive as it could've been. It had spots of jumpiness and a lack of tightness in script. Though this story picked up about three quarters the way through, it was not enough to make up for the difficult ride in getting there. It was not a total wash, such as the twist and turns nearing the end were unexpected and the performances by Lawrence, Edgerton, Schoenaerts and Irons were riveting. Maybe Haythe will succeed with his next project, "Bohemian Rhapsody" which is post production due for a 2018 release. We'll see. Certainly any of these actors will go on to making quality films as they usually are able to do.

 

Not sure what happened to Haythe while writing this. Bad day at the laptop? Not sure, but his resume proves he is a talented and profitable writer. Certainly if the genre of espionage is your favorite, this will suit you, but don't be surprised that this drags a bit for even the most staunchest of fans.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                    Rated: R                                       140mins.

 

Death Wish

Crime dramas and remake films are both a staple item in Hollywood in the past and more so now, but even though these films have been created to entertain the masses, this newer version of "Death Wish" is as timely as it is intense. When the 1974 version was released, times were tough, but now with all the mass shootings and other violent acts in the news, this film is seemingly more relevant today.

Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of his city's violence as it's rushed into his ER--until his wife, Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter, Jordan (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, namely detectives Kevin Raines (Dean Norris) and Leonore Jackson (Kimberly Elise), Paul, burning for revenge, hunts for his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city wonders if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel...or a grim reaper. Fury and fate collide in the intense action-thriller.

Others to round out the cast are Vincent D'Onofrio as Frank Kersey, Paul's brother, Beau Knapp as Knox, Len Cariou as Ben, Jack Kesy as The Fish, Ronnie Gene Blevins as Joe and Kirby Bliss Blanton as Bethany.

This was intensely directed by the filmmaker who markets on intense, Eli Roth ("Cabin Fever" '02, "Hostel" '05, "Grindhouse" (fake trailer segment "Thanksgiving") '07, "Hostel: Part II) '07, "The Green Inferno" '13, "Knock Knock" '15) plus TV and shorts. Considering his resume, this was relatively tamed in its intensity. The subtleness of emotion in Bruce's Dr. Kersey was interesting in that he went from a fearful man not even knowing how to use a gun to this desperate man where he was pushed to shove considering he was a peaceful man trying to live a happy life. This is effective directing. If you like this brand of directing, Roth has "The House with a Clock in its Walls" in post production due with a 2018 release.It was effectively written by Joe Carnahan ("Karate Raider" '95, "Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" '98, "Narc" '02, "Smokin' Aces" '06, "Pride and Glory" '08, "The A-Team" '10, "The Grey" '11) plus TV and shorts. As aforementioned in the preface, this version of the film is definitely a timely one considering the violence of today societally, i.e. mass shootings, gang violence, drug cartels, etc. Even though Carnahan had an original film to work from, he had so much material today to work from, he could have easily added more to the script and still kept that 1974 script intact. If this is the writing you like, Carnahan has three films announced, two films in pre-production and one that is being filmed. Willis gave his usual role we expect from him, although he wasn't a cop or crook where you'd expect him in this type of role, rather he played a person where violence wasn't part of his life, so his evolution toward this grieving, desperate man was a transformation that makes the character that much more credible.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                   Rated: R                                    107mins.