Mission: Impossible-- Fallout

Ever since franchise films started hitting the multiplex, I think we would be naïve to believe that they would go away. Once they started, they were here forever. Who would've thought that "Mission: Impossible" '96 would've become the franchise it has become with many films to its name along with this next installment "Mission: Impossible-- Fallout"?

 

The best intentions often come back to haunt you. This story finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), along with some familiar allies, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and Julia Meade-Hunt (Michelle Monaghan), in a race against time after a mission goes awry. With Hunt's nemesis, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) on the IMF's tail, Hunt must convince the agency that he's not going to go rogue. So he is assigned a partner to keep him in line, August Walker (Henry Cavill) to help him complete the mission. Will he succeed or will the problems only continue?

 

Others to round out the cast are Angela Bassett as Erica Sloan, Vanessa Kirby as White Widow, Wes Bentley as Patrick, Frederick Schmidt as Zola and Kristoffer Joner as Nils Debruuk.

 

This was rivetingly directed by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Mission: Impossible-- Rogue Nation" '15). As with its predecessor, this was grittily directed, and considering McQuarrie directed the last installment as well, this becomes that much more complimentary. As long as these installments continue to be made, it would behoove Paramount Pictures and Cruise to hire McQuarrie to direct another one. It was also brilliantly written by McQuarrie ("Public Access" '94, "The Usual Suspects" '95, "The Underworld" (TV movie) '97, "The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Valkyrie" '08, "The Tourist" '10, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Jack the Giant Slayer" '13, "Edge of Tomorrow" '14, "Mission: Impossible-- Rogue Nation" '15, "The Mummy" '17) plus TV, based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller. By his very resume, this writer's experience lies with writing as opposed to directing and that experience shined with this screenplay. This was cohesive, tight, and fluid with a story that kept one riveted to their seats. I typically will get fidgety if a film exceeds a 2-hour running time, however this was just shy of 2-1/2 hours and it simply moved right along. Please tell me McQuarrie will write the next installment assuming there will be one. Certainly he and Cruise work well together considering the amount of work they've collaborated on together. The visual effects predominantly created by Double Negative were absolutely seamless, especially in the helicopter scene.

 

This film was a roller coaster ride replete with action, adrenaline and high explosiveness amazingly well written and directed with an ending that you won't see coming all in an IMAX and 3D format to give it that bigger than life look. This is undoubtedly the best film of the franchise. Grab the popcorn; you're gonna love this one! 

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG-13                                     147mins.

 

Sorry to Bother You

In a season with all the typical fare of big-budget and animated films galore, there are times that Hollywood will produce an independent film that is obscure as it is entertaining. We have seen obscure films in the past--2015's "The Lobster" with Colin Farrell comes to mind. Although these films are not made for the mass audience appeal, they can still profit. Case in point: "Sorry to Bother You" falls into that category, however it stills manages to entertain.

 

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe of greed. But the upswing in Cassius' career raises serious red flags with his girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson), a performing artist and minimum-wage striver who's secretly part of a Banksy-style activist collective. As his friends and co-workers, including Jermaine Fowler (Salvador), Steven Yeun as Squeeze and Danny Glover as Langston, organize a protest of corporate oppression, Cassius falls under the spell of his company's cocaine-snorting CEO Steve Lift (Armie Hammer).

 

Others to round out the cast are Omari Hardwick as Mr.______, Terry Crews as Sergio, Kate Berlant as Diana DeBauchery, Michael X. Sommers as Johnny, Robert Longstreet as Anderson, David Cross as Cassius' white voice, Patton Oswalt as Mr.______'s white voice and Lily James as Detroit's white British voice.

 

This was eerily directed by Boots Riley (Video Short '05). Considering the lack of experience this filmmaker has in the director's chair, this guy is a natural. His characters, across the board, were presented in an almost creepy way--whether they be good or bad guys. Through his direction, these characters simply came to life. However, as much as he directed this well, his writing of this had its issues. The storyline had a tendency to meander and came across in a choppy, disjointed way. I certainly can appreciate Riley's passion of rebelling against the corporate tyranny in our society, but he went way beyond the parameters he needed to go to get his point across. This definitely put the 'B' in bizarre, so much so that I was wondering how this story was even going to develop. If I had to akin this to any film, it would be that of "The Lobster" '15 with Colin Farrell. Both were bizarre, had a message, with a very eclectic cast. One of the assets of this production was that of the special effects makeup designed by the famed Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. These guys have worked on tons of films and it truly showed in this.

 

As aforementioned, this film was not made for the mass audience appeal which you must know before you take a trip to the multiplex or order it from Netflix. Artistically, it's better on many levels, however it is bizarre and macabre and makes for a downer of a story. You be the judge.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                  Rated: R                                       105mins.

 

The Equalizer 2

Sequels, remakes and re-boots run rampant, especially in the summer movie season. Why? Not sure, but since the typical demographic Hollywood has a tendency to cater to in summer is that of the 18-34 single males, they surely like familiarity which, of course, sequels, remakes and re-boots are all about. When "The Equalizer" '14 was released, because it garnered a hefty profit, it was a no brainer to release "The Equalizer 2".

 

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) returns to deliver his special brand of vigilante justice when thugs kill his friend and former colleague Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo). Since McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, he comes to the aid of Plummer's husband, Brian (Bill Pullman). Apparently, there is a brutal murder whereas an investigation ensues involving Susan Plummer as part of the investigative team. With this knowledge, it tips off the bad guys to start cleaning up loose ends and ridding anyone who could implicate them including McCall. Little do they know that McCall is as lethal as he he is thorough with a cunning sense of timing.

 

Others to round out the cast are Pedro Pascal as Dave York, Ashton Sanders as Miles Whittaker, Orson Bean as Sam Rubinstein, Jonathan Scarfe as Resnik, Sakina Jaffrey as Fatima, Kazy Tauginas as Ari, Garrett A. Golden as Kovac and Adam Karst as Turkish Father.

 

This was suspensefully and grittily directed by Antoine Fuqua ("The Replacement Killers" '98, "Bait" 2000, "Training Day" '01, "Tears of the Sun" '03, "Lightning in a Bottle"  (Documentary) '04, "King Arthur" '04, "Murder Book" (TV movie) '05, "Shooter" '07, "Brooklyn's Finest" '09, "Olympus Has Fallen" '13, "The Equalizer" '14, "Southpaw" '15, "Exit Strategy" (TV movie) '15, "Magnificent Seven" '16) plus TV and shorts. This filmmaker seizes to amaze me with his crisp, concise brand of directing. Both "Training Day" and "Magnificent Seven" were exquisitely well directed whereas I could watch these characters continually because the direction made these actors look like they were playing a real person--in other words, they weren't actors, but actual people. It was written by seasoned veteran Richard Wenk ("Vamp" '86, "Just the Ticket" '99, "16 Blocks" '06, "The Mechanic" '11, "The Expendables 2" '12, "The Equalizer" '14, "Countdown" '16, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" '16, "Renegades" '17) based on the TV series by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. Even though this installment was written by Wenk, its predecessor was a bit more cohesive and thorough. It was a tight script, but it had a tendency to have some choppy places in storyline. Maybe it is because the first film was introducing McCall to its audience, so it was easier to get wrapped up with that--not sure. What actually makes this film sing is that of Washington in the title role. Washington can virtually play any role and do it with aplomb, so when seeing this, a couple of errors in script can be amazingly forgiving. This is Washington's first role he has ever reprised, and I hope he doesn't mind reprising this role for "The Equalizer 3"?

 

If Vigilante films are your thing, this will give you that fix. But if anything is captivating here is the presence of Denzel Washington. He is one of those actors that truly has a commanding presence that will get the audience through whether that film is worthy or not.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: R                                   121mins.

 

 

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

One thing we can expect from Hollywood is to offer us a plethora of reboots, remakes and sequels, especially during the summer movie season. When "Mamma Mia!" was released back in 2008, it introduced us to these eclectic characters while being based on ABBA's songs. Now ten years later, TEN YEARS, Hollywood had to follow up that film with a sequel appropriately titled "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again".

 

Discover Donna's (Lily James) young life, experiencing the fun she had with the three possible dads of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). As we meet the dads, young Sam (Jeremy Irvine), young Bill (Josh Dylan) and young Harry (Hugh Skinner), we have an inside look to see how they met young Donna so as to know more as we've gotten to know them as older men in present day--Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skargard) and Harry (Colin Firth). Sophie is now pregnant. Like Donna, she'll be a young mother, and realizes that she'll need to take risks like her mother (Meryl Streep) did.

 

Others to round out the cast are Christine Baranski as Tanya, Dominic Cooper as Sky, Cher as Ruby Sheridan, Julie Walters as Rosie, Andy Garcia as Fernando and Celia Imrie as Vice Chancellor.

 

This was helmed well by director Ol Parker ("Imagine Me & You" '05, "Now Is Good" '12). Unlike the director of this predecessor, Phyllida Lloyd, this filmmaker gave his actors a more realistic approach to their respective characterizations. Lloyd had a tendency to make his actors appear more like they were on a stage. Neither style is right or wrong, just different. Parker doesn't have a ton of directing experience, however given more work, he will be a director to contend with. It was also adequately written by Parker ("Loved Up" (TV movie) '95, "In Your Dreams" (TV movie) '96, "It Was an Accident" 2000, "Imagine Me & You" '05, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" '11, "Now Is Good" '12, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" '15) plus TV, based on a story Richard Curtis, Parker and Catherine Johnson. It was originally conceived by Judy Craymer and is based on the original musical by Catherine Johnson which is based on the music by ABBA. Again, this was scripted by its director, Parker instead of Johnson, who wrote this film's predecessor. Certainly Johnson would have more insight with a screenplay writing the original musical, but Parker gave it a bit more substance. I believe that since Johnson introduced the characters to the moviegoing audience through its predecessor, Parker already had the path laid to enable himself to delve more into the characters and even add a few more. Certainly Parker's lion share of his experience lies with writing and with this, he'll continue to have more work pushed his way.

 

Certainly if you liked the original, you'll love this. In fact, I felt this was definitely better than the original. To me, the first film was too cheesy and stagy, not to mention Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgard cannot sing. But in this film, the brunt of the singing was left to those that  actually sing. The main reason I even gave this film consideration of viewing was the fact that Cher was in it. Although her small role was a hoot, I only wish she was in more of it, and who doesn't like ABBA's music?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: PG-13                                  113mins.

 

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

 It's the summer film season and time for the usual summer fare, i.e. big-budget and animated films aplenty. Certainly the brunt of animated flicks are created by Disney, Pixar Studios, DreamWorks and Sony Pictures Animation. So when I realized that the latter studio designed the work on "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation", I felt the quality truly had to be present.

Mavis (Selena Gomez) surprises her dad, Dracula (Adam Sandler) with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac's pack including Johnny (Andy Samberg), Frank (Kevin James), Eunice (Fran Drescher), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key) and Griffin (David Spade), cannot resist going along. But once they leave port, romance arises when Dracula meets the mysterious ship Captain, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). Now, it's Mavis' turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his "to good to be true" love interest is actually a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.

Others to round out the cast are Molly Shannon as Wanda, Jim Gaffigan as Van Helsing, Asher Binkoff as Dennis, Chris Parnell as Stan/Fish Man and Joe Jonas as The Kraken.

This was whimsically directed by Genndy Tartakovsky ("Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip" (TV movie) '99, "Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie" (TV movie) '01, "Hotel Transylvania" '12, "Hotel Transylvania 2" '15) plus shorts and TV. As with this franchise's predecessors, this was directed with familiarity since this filmmaker directed the others. So with this, it gives that coziness that we all recognize which makes for better connection with this franchise as a whole. It was executed well by writers Michael McCullers and Tartakovsky. Certainly McCullers has the brunt of the experience here, however Tartakovsky's input has to be pivotal since he has directed all three installments. Truly this wasn't as fresh of a script as its predecessors due to it being the third installment, however it still was entertaining and humorous regardless. Will there be a "Hotel Transylvania 4" in our future. Well, assuming this installment makes a profit, there will undoubtedly be one. Sony Pictures Animation, who created this, has a prolific resume and the film I'm waiting to see from their corale is that of "Small Feet" about a family of Yetis (Big Foot creatures) coming across in terror of the legend known as Small Foot (Humans). It sounds like a creative 'turn of the table' story which, according to the trailer, looks uproariously funny.

Certainly if you like animated films, this is a worthy one. Honestly, if one had told me that this franchise would be a three film one, I wouldn't have believed it. But as it has reached to this film, it was still a funny story with an exceptional ensemble cast.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG                                98mins.

 

Skyscraper

Disaster type films have been a common Hollywood staple for decades, but more prolific since "Airport" in 1969. Since the massive success of "Airport", the flood gates opened up with the like of "The Poseidon Adventure", "The Hindenburg", "Earthquake", "World Trade Center", and "2012", So now we are offered "Skyscraper".

 

FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong he finds the tallest, safest building in the world, owned by property tycoon Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han), suddenly ablaze, and subsequently becomes framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family, wife Sarah (Neve Campbell), daughter Georgia (McKenna Roberts) and son Henry (Noah Cottrell), who are trapped inside the building...above the fire line. How can a securities expert expect to manage this and keep his mind, body and spirit where it needs to be?

 

Others to round out the cast are Pablo Schreiber as Ben, Noah Taylor as Mr. Pierce, Roland Moller as Kores Botha, Hannah Quinlivan as Xia, Byron Mann as Inspector Wu and Kevin Rankin as Ray.

 

This was directed with a nail-biting grit by Rawson Marshall Thurber ("Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" '04, "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" '08, "We're the Millers" '13, "Central Intelligence" '16) plus TV and shorts. Even though the brunt of this filmmaker's experience lies with the genre of comedy, Thurber is quite adept at directing an intense thriller. I'm sure working with Johnson helped him considering he worked with him on "Central Intelligence". The emotions were so raw that I was squirming in my seat biting my nails from scene to scene. It was also written by Thurber. He, like many other directors writes what he directs, which makes it the easiest of connections from the laptop to helming the chair. There were a few areas of choppiness and slowness, but all in all this storyline was executed in a very thrilling and captivating way. I can't help but think of the film, "Die Hard" '88 with Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman as I was viewing this. And I don't believe that Thurber took this film to adapt his as much as I thought this was an amazing homage to "Die Hard" i.e. both lead characters are cops, both owners are Asian, both films are about a burning skyscraper, and both families are trapped in the building. But hey, I loved "Die Hard" so this was a great send up of that film which enhanced my viewing. And what can I say about ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), the predominant visual effects company? These visuals were absolutely seamless, especially when Johnson's character, Will was putting on his artificial leg--Johnson obviously not having an artificial leg in reality. I looked for errors and found none.

 

If you're a disaster flick, Johnson or "Die Hard" fan, you'll be on pins and needles watching this one. If you like the style of this artist, his "Red Notice" is in pre-production for a 2020 release. This is the quintessential popcorn flick which will allow anyone to escape into.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG-13                                         102mins.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp

What would the summer season be without another Marvel film looming in our midst? The 'comic book' film comes from a genre that's practically its own genre considering the plethora of 'comic book' films out there. Three years ago we experienced "Ant-Man" introducing us to, yet another, comic book character that's intertwined with many other Marvel characters. Now we have "Ant-Man and the Wasp" to continue this franchise.

 

In the aftermath of "Captain America: Civil War", Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to re-balance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he's confronted by Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team, including Luis (Michael Pena) and Dr. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), works together to uncover secrets from their past.

 

Others to round out the cast are Walton Goggins as Sonny Burch, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip 'T.I.' Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava/Ghost, Abby Ryder Fortson as Cassie, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, Michelle Pfeiffer as Jane Van Dyne/Wasp and Divian Ladwa as Uzman.

 

This was just as adventurously and humorously directed as well as :"Ant-Man" by Peyton Reed ("Bring It On" 2000, "Down with Love" '03, "The Break-Up" '06, "Yes Man" '08, "Gregory Brothers" (TV movie) '11, "To My Future Assistant" (TV movie) '13, "Ant-Man" '15) plus TV, a short and a video. Considering this filmmaker directed  the first installment, it's certainly no surprise of the consistency. His ability to bring these characters to life by extracting the emotions of his actors seemed effortless. It was creatively written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Just as the original film, "Ant-Man", this next installment was just as crisp, concise and cohesive. Other than a couple of very small areas dealing with issues of continuity, this film absolutely soared. It had more humor than the other film which, I believe, enhanced it. Both McKenna and Sommers are involved in writing the next "Ant-Man 3". Yes, there is a next installment. Hey, they make money and they keep audiences coming back for more. The visual effects created predominantly by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), Rodeo FX, Double Negative and Digital Domain were seamless and stunning and actually enhanced the storyline.

 

Truly if you are a comic book fan, you'll be right at home with this one. I'm not a huge fan of the comic book type film, but with the creative and humorous writing and a great ensemble cast, this is definitely worthy of the price of admission. You can also enjoy this gem in an IMAX and 3D format as well.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                   118mins.

 

 

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

One of my favorite genres is that of documentaries. In many cases, they can not only inform us and teach us a lesson or two, but they can and do entertain us at the same time. There are so many quality documentaries out there: "The Corporation" '03, Super Size Me" '04, "Murderball" '05, "Life Itself" '14, "Fed Up" '14, plus many others. So when I saw that a documentary entitled "Won't You Be My Neighbor" centered around the beloved Mr. Rogers, I couldn't resist.

 

This documentary takes an intimate look at America's favorite neighbor: Mister Fred Rogers. A portrait of a man whom we all think we know, this emotional and moving film takes us beyond the zip-up cartigans and the land of make-believe, and into the heart of a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination.

Takes from interviews with Joanne Rogers--his wife and widow, his two sons, John and Jim, Cellist and friend, Yo-Yo Ma, Junlei Li, and many others, we are able to see how incredibly deep and poignant this ordained minister was, and has left that indelible mark for all to see and appreciate and respect. Apparently, to meet Rogers was to know him. This is how incredibly real and genuine he was. It starts with his beginnings in TV to his first show in 1968 to his last show in 2000 to his subsequent death in 2003.

 

Others interviewed were Lady Aberlin, Francois Scarborough Clemmons, Jeff Erlanger, Joe Negri, Margy Whitmer, Tom Junod, Max King and Bill Isler. There was also much footage of Fred Rogers throughout.

 

This was well crafted by director, Morgan Neville ("Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A." (Documentary) '95, "Sidney Poitier: The Defiant One" (TV movie Documentary) '97, "The Houstons: Hollywood's Maverick Dynasty" (TV movie Documentary) '98, "Brian Wilson: A Beach Boy's Tale" (TV movie) '99, "Johnny Cash's America" (Documentary) '08, "Troubadours" (Documentary) '11, "20 Feet from Stardom" (Documentary) '13, "The Music of Strangers" (Documentary) '15) plus others, TV and shorts. As one can tell by this filmmaker's resume, this director is obviously the documentary king. And even with this expertise, his use of editors, Jeff Malmberg and Aaron Wickenden, ace, and post production supervisor, Jamie McBriety, was pure genius. He tied together much archival footage and interviews where this amazing story simply unfolded before the audience's eyes. This was handled with such compassion and poignancy that one felt like they knew Fred Rogers whether they did or not. If you like this filmmaker's work, not to worry, his "They'll Love Me When I'm Dead" (Documentary) is in post production for a later 2018 release.

 

This truly is a film all should see whether you grew up watching Mr. Rogers or not, if for no other reason than to learn to be kind to others (our neighbors) like he was. Its message is so profound that it should become required viewing in schools. In a world where there is so much violence, this is such a breath of fresh air. All that I can say is the selling slogan of the film says it all, "A little kindness makes a world of difference".

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                       Rated: PG-13                                     94mins.