Operation Finale

The genre of war films have been a common staple of the Hollywood machine since films have been around, but in the latter years of films being made, Hollywood has produced a certain number of World War II films based around the German concentration camps and the Holocaust. Movies such as "Schindler's List" '93, "The Pianist" '02 and "Child 44" '15 were produced to show us the atrocities of war. And now we have "Operation Finale" to add to that grippingly horrendous list.

 

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and security agency Shin Bet-- led by the tireless and heroic agent Peter Malkin (David Isaac)-- launched a daring top secret raid to capture the notorious Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), who had been reported dead in the chaos following Nazi Germany's collapse but was, in fact, living and working in a suburb of Buenos Aries, Argentina under an assumed identity along with his wife and two sons. Monitoring his daily routine, Malkin and his operatives including Hanna Elian (Melanie Laurent), Isser Harel (Lior Raz), Rafi Eitan (Nick Kroll), Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov), Ephraim Ilian (Ohad Knoller) and Moshe Tabor (Greg Hill), plot and execute the abduction under the cover of darkness just a few feet from Eichmann's home. Determined to sneak him out of Argentina to stand trial in Israel for war crimes, Malkin and Eichmann engage in an intense and gripping game of cat-and-mouse.

 

Others to round out the cast are Torben Liebrecht as Yaakov Gat, Michael Benjamin Hernandez as Dani Shalom, Joe Alwyn as Klaus Eichmann, Adolf Eichmann's son, Greta Scacchi as Vera Eichmann, Adolf Eichmann's wife, Peter Strauss as Lothar Hermann and Haley Lu Richardson as Sylvia Hermann.

 

This was directed with intensity and grit by veteran filmmaker, Chris Weitz ("Down to Earth" '01, "About a Boy" '02, "The Golden Compass" '07, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" '09, "A Better Life" '11) plus TV. Even though this filmmaker has a tendency to delve into similar material, what he directs is a solid, well thought out film showcasing how the different characters come to life, which is what is displayed here in this film as well. It was written with just the right amount of passion by virtual newcomer Matthew Orton. It is truly difficult to believe that this is Orton's first film--so much so that I feel like I should continue to research this writer until I find something else he has written. This story was based on the incredible true story of searching, monitoring and redemption, and this story conveys this to its audience in spades. With this being Orton's first screenplay, I am definitely curious to see how he does with his project, "Battle of Britain" which has been announced. Certainly Hollywood could use more talented writers these days, and with the likes of Orton, they have hit gold. Really, other than a couple of small places of slowness, this script was cohesive, heartbreaking and conveyed with just the right amount of pathos and passion.

 

What is sad is that we consistently need to see these films occasionally to remind us of our horrific past of the atrocities of humankind. But then again, if we didn't have these films, our society would seize to remember lest to repeat the history. As long as we create films, we truly need to see these films to remind us that maybe, just maybe, we need to treat each other with more compassion and less aggression.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                    123mins.

 

Crazy Rich Asians

When one sees movie trailers, the whole idea is to sell the film to its audience, however when I saw my first trailer of "Crazy Rich Asians", I felt it was a silly, inane and very predictable film-- just from the trailer. Well, after viewing it, I concluded that it wasn't an amazingly great film, but was far better than I ever expected after viewing the trailer. Some films simply do not sell the film.

 

This story follows Chinese-American, economics professor and native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend's Colin Khoo (Chris Pang) wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first but nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country's wealthiest families, but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick's arm puts a target on Rachel's back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick's own disapproving mother, Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh).

 

Others to round out the cast are Gemma Chan as Astrid Young Teo, Lisa Lu as Ah Ma, Awkwafina as Peik Lin Goh, Ken Jeong as Wye Mun Goh, Sonoya Mizuno as Araminta Lee, Jimmy O. Yang as Bernard Tai, Ronny Chieng as Eddie Cheng, Remy Hii as Alistair Cheng, Nico Santos as Oliver T'sien and Jing Lusi as Amanda Ling.

 

This was well directed by one of the best Asian filmmaker's out there, Jon M. Chu ("Step Up 2: The Streets" '08, "The LXD: The Uprising Begins" '10, "Step Up 3D" '10, "The LXD: The Secrets of the Ra" '11, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (documentary) '11, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" '13, "Justin Bieber's Believe" (documentary) '13, "We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss" (documentary) '14, "Jem and the Holograms" '15, "Now You See Me 2" '16) plus TV and shorts. Although I do understand why most filmmakers stay in their comfort zone when it comes to their work--most people do, it is so nice and surprising to find those that cannot be pigeon-holed, such as this director. His resume is a who's who of different films with different genres and topics. The chemistry between Wu and Golding was spot on which is the crux of the premise of the film in order to convey this to the audience which is shrewd directing. It was surprisingly well written by Peter Chiarelli ("The Proposal" '09, "Now You See Me 2" (story) '16) and Adele Lim (series TV), based on the novel "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan. I say surprisingly since Chiarelli has limited feature film experience and Lim has none. Other than some jumping around in script and a few places of slowness, this storyline kept the audience moving right along. The best thing about this was the amazing delineation of character development with each character and how those characters were able to connect. From what I hear, "Crazy Rich Asians 2" is already in the works. Hey, when you got a hit, which this is, you gotta jump on that profit 'band wagon' for as long as one can.

 

Did this film have heart? Yes, Was it entertaining? Absolutely, Was it predictable? Sure, but it being a rom-com, there has to be some forgiveness since all rom-coms have the tendency of predictability. Certainly if you want a film that's fun, entertaining with a dose of heart thrown in, then this will be the ride you'll want.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                        Rated: PG-13                                      121mins.

 

A-X-L

In recent years, we've seen a plethora of teen angst films to please a huge demographic of moviegoers. The list is extensive: "The Twilight Saga", "Divergent", "The Maze Runner" to mention a few, but now with "A-X-L" in the offing, can we expect to see a series as with the aforementioned films?

 

A-X-L is a top secret, robotic dog created by the military to help protect tomorrow's soldiers. Code named by the scientists who created him, A-X-L stands for Attack, Exploration, Logistics, and embodies the most advanced, next-generation artificial intelligence. After an experiment goes awry, A-X-L is discovered hiding alone in the desert by a kind-hearted outsider named Miles Hill (Alex Neustaedter), who finds a way to connect with him after activating his owner-pairing technology. Together, the two develop a special friendship based on trust, loyalty and compassion. Helping Miles gain the confidence he's been lacking, A-X-L (voiced by Dorian Kingi) will go to any length to protect his new companion, including facing off the scientists, specifically Andric (Dominic Rains) who created him and will do anything to get him back. Knowing what is at stake if A-X-L is captured, Miles teams up with a smart, resourceful ally named Sara (Becky G) to protect his new best friend on a timeless, epic adventure for the whole family.

 

Others to round out the cast are Thomas Jane as Chuck Hill, Miles' dad, Ted McGinley as Mr. Fontaine, Alex MacNicoll as Sam, Mr. Fontaine's son, Lou Taylor Pucci as Randall, Eric Etebari as Operative Berman, Hassie Harrison as Kirsten and Maggy Vick as Pam.

 

This was surprisingly well written and directed by Oliver Daly ("Miles" (short) '15). His direction was amazingly well executed in that other than a short, he is a virtual newcomer in helming a feature film. The pathos he was able to extract from his lead actor and the chemistry between he and A-X-L was truly well delineated. With no other experience under his belt in the director's chair, I am really excited to see what he will do next, and there will be a next. Again, as with his direction, his writing is extremely well orchestrated. Considering this is his first feature film to write, it was tight, concise and flowed well. Other than a some areas of slowness in script, this was able to convey what it wanted its audience to receive and leave us wanting more. I haven't seen many seasoned screenwriters write this well, so those writers should take note. Whereas the recent "Alpha" told us a story of the origins of 'man's best friend', this enabled us to see how 'man's best friend' could evolve into what we see on the screen. 

What makes this story move along is, of course, A-X-L, beautifully designed by Legacy FX through the eyes of John Rosengrant and his team. This is a stunning, high tech creation which rules the screen, however doesn't dominate. and the visual effects were designed by Iloura Studios and were seamless.

 

This film has so much to offer: adventure, action, heart, compassion all rolled into one movie. It's a film the whole family can enjoy while being entertained. And not to spoil, but this definitely leaves its audience with an open door of continuation, but isn't this something that Hollywood is really good at anyway?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: PG                                         108mins.

 

Papillon

Prison films are typically a film fare that neither makes one feel warm and fuzzy or uplifts its audience as these prisoners go through their brand of hell. We've seen Hollywood offer its audience many films of this type through the years: "The Birdman of Alcatraz", "The Great Escape", the original "Papillon", "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Green Mile" and the like. Even with these grueling films, we are still fascinated with them. Now we have a reboot of "Papillon".

 

Based on the international best-selling autobiographical books "Papillon" and "Banco" by Henri Charriere, this story follows the epic tale of Henri "Papillon" Charriere (Charlie Hunnam), a safecracker from the Parisian underworld who is framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island in French Guinea. Determined to regain his freedom, Papillon forms an unlikely alliance with quirky convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega (Rami Malek), who in exchange for protection, agrees to finance Papillon's escape. Can this unlikely pair succeed at a tumultuous task of getting off this island?

 

This was grippingly directed by famed French director Michal Noer ("Jorden under mine fodder" (Documentary) '06, "Vesterbro" (Documentary) '07, "The Wild Hearts"  (Documentary) '08, "R" '10, "Son of God" (Documentary) '10, "Northwest" '13, "Nogle hus spejl" '15) plus shorts. While Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes" '68, "Patton" '70), director of "Papillon" was an amazing director, Noer was equally brilliant in his ability to extract that certain element of pain and agony as these convicts were going through a hellish situation. For a documentarian, this filmmaker proved his ability to direct films with a storyline incredibly well. It was equally written well by Aaron Guzinowski ("Contraband" '12, "Prisoners" '13) plus TV, based on the 1973 screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr., which is based on the aforementioned books published by Robert Laffont, Paris, France. Certainly Guzinowski doesn't have a ton of theatrical film experience, however what he has is quality and keeps its audience on the edge of their seats. Other than a couple of small places of slowness, this script rocked. When a screenplay exceeds a two-hour running time, as this does, it is extremely difficult to keep a screenplay fresh and tight and this writer was actually able to pull it off. The original, which starred Steve McQueen as Papillon and Dustin Hoffman as Louis was amazing casting, and there were certain times on this version where I actually thought I was looking at McQueen when Hunnam was on the screen. Casting is everything.

 

I went into the theater with great trepidation, assuming this was simply going to be a mediocre rehash of the brilliant 1973 version, and surely the 1973 version is the king, but Guzinowski's version held my attention easily.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                  Rated: R                                          138mins.

 

Alpha

Of all the different genres out there, the one that Hollywood hasn't covered within an inch of its life is that of prehistoric or dawn of man dramas. Sure, "2001: A Space Odyssey" '68 obtained a 'dawn of man' sequence and then there was "Quest for Fire" '81 about the discovery of fire, "10,000 B.C. '08, but nothing much else until "Alpha" came along and this had an interesting twist on that particular era of time.

 

Europe, 20,000 years ago. An epic adventure set in the last Ice Age, this story tells a fascinating, visually stunning tale that shines a light on the origins of man's best friend. While on his first hunt with his tribe's most elite group lead up by his father, Tau (Johannes Haukur Johannesson), a young man, Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is badly injured and presumed dead, and subsequently must learn to survive alone in the wilderness. Reluctantly taming a lone wolf abandoned by its pack, the pair learn to rely on each other and become unlikely allies, enduring countless dangers and overwhelming odds in order to find their way home before the winter arrives and subsequently attempts to kill them.

 

Others to round out the cast are Mercedes de la Zerba as Nu, Jens Hulten as Xi, Leonor Varela as Shaman, Natassia Malthe as Rho, Spencer Bogaert as Kappa, Priya Rajaratnam as Huntress, Marcin Kowalczyk as Sigma and Patrick Flanagan as Neanderthal #3.

 

This was stunningly directed by Albert Hughes ("Menace II Society" '93, "Dead Presidents" '95, "American Pimp" (Documentary) '99, "From Hell" '01, "The Book of Eli" '10, "We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss" (Documentary) '14) plus video shorts. Actually the other films in his resume are listed as the Hughes Brothers. What is interesting about this filmmaker is the dark intensity with which he delineates his work. His characters can be in the grimiest of situations and then shows us how these characters will overcome their misery in typically a dark, but entertaining way. If you like this brand of directing, his "The Fury of a Patient Man" is in pre-production for a 2018 release. It was written by a virtual newcomer to either feature films or TV, Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt. Usually when the experience is either limited or non-existent, the script meanders all over the film with little to no cohesiveness or continuity, however I was pleasantly surprised with this storyline and the fluidity of it. Surely, there are a couple of places of slowness, but I don't typically see this good of writing from seasoned writers. I'm not sure if the language spoken in this was authentic, but it certainly appeared that way. Smit-McPhee shined in this as the lost young man and the visuals predominantly designed by Double Negative and MPC (Moving Picture Company) were amazing.

 

It is intriguing seeing films based on our beginnings as a human race, and this carries that a step further in giving us a scenario of how the 'man's best friend' aspect originated from. This is one that deserves a viewing to understand where we all came from.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG-13                                      96mins.

 

 

 

Mile 22

The suspense thriller aspect has become a common staple when it comes to the espionage genre mostly because of the fact that so many films of this genre that have been produced in the past 20 years. Certainly since 9-11, we have seen a plethora of these films, so when "Mile 22" came along, it was merely added to that ever growing list.

 

Mark Wahlberg stars as James Silva, an operative of the CIA's most highly-prized and least understood unit. Added by a top-secret tactical command team including Alice Kerr (Lauren Cohan), Sam Snow (Ronda Rousey), William Douglas III (Carlo Alban) and all lead by Bishop (John Malkovich), Silva must retrieve and transport an asset, Li Noor (Iko Uwais) who holds life-threatening information to Mile 22 for extraction before the enemy closes in. With a small frame of time, will Silva et.al. be able to transport this asset and retrieve the info needed before all hell breaks loose?

 

Others to round out the cast are Natasha Goubskaya as Vera, Chae Rin Lee as Queen, Sam Medina as Axel, Keith Arthur Bolden as King, Jenique Hendrix as Knight, Billy Smith as Rook, Myke Holmes as Pawn, Emily Skeggs as M.I.T. and Terry Kinney as Johnny Porter.

 

This was directed by veteran Peter Berg ("Very Bad Things" '98, "The Rundown" '03, "Friday Night Lights" '04, "The Kingdom" '07, "Hancock" '08, "Virtuality" (TV movie) '09, "Battleship" '12, "Lone Survivor" '13, "Bloodline" (TV movie) '13, "Deepwater Horizon" '16, "Patriots Day" '16) plus videos and TV with grit, suspense and reality. He definitely knows what it's like to be able to walk in his actors' footsteps since he is an actor himself. In fact his career started in front of the camera and has continued ,albeit with smaller roles. This is his third film directing Wahlberg which has turned out to be a beneficial and financial aspect to their relationship. If this director is someone you might be following, his "Wonderland" is in pre-production as I'm writing this. It was written by Lea Carpenter (TV series documentary). This is where this project runs into problems. What started as a potentially original and intriguing storyline merely jumped and meandered through a good part of this. There were times when I was confused on who was the enemy or bad guys. And there was so much going back an forth within the same scenes, it was difficult to keep up. One of the culprits here was the fact that the writer, Carpenter had no other feature film or TV experience to allow this story to be effective. It wasn't a total wash, Wahlberg's over-the-top character as this intense CIA op was intriguing--almost comical in some scenes, because of his extreme passion. And certainly stunt coordinator, Kevin Scott's work with the stunts was amazing wondering how they were even executed.

 

Certainly if the espionage genre is your favorite, this will intrigue you enough to forgive a script that needed much polishing. I'm sure this writer has promise, but they should cut their teeth more on TV before attempting feature film land. The ray of sunshine here is both Berg and Wahlberg. They will keep you riveted to the screen.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2                                  Rated: R                                    95min.

 

BlacKkKlansman

One very much important, but grim time in our history was that of the Civil Rights era. Differing opinions ran rampant when it came to racial equality or lack thereof. Since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968, these issues have improved, however not without fighting. So now we are handed an outrageous true story of how an African-American police officer infiltrated the KKK in the form of "BlacKkKlansman".

 

This is the incredible true story of an American hero. It's the early 1970's, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: using a more seasoned colleague, all white Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) as a surrogate and together, the team take down the extreme hate group, otherwise known as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) lead up by David Duke (Topher Grace) as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

 

Others to round out the cast are Laura Harrier as Patrice Dumas, Jasper Paakkonen as Felix, Ryan Eggold as Walter Breachway, Michael Joseph Buscemi as Jimmy Creek, Corey Hawkins as Kwane Ture, Paul Walter Hauser as Ivanhoe, Ashlie Atkinson as Connie, Alec Baldwin as Dr. Beauregard, Harry Belafonte as Jerome Turner, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Mr. Turrentine, Robert John Birke as Chief Bridges and Brian Tarrantina as Officer Clay Mulaney.

 

This was directed with such finesse by veteran Spike Lee ("School Daze" '88, "Do the Right Thing" '89, "Mo' Better Blues" '90, "Jungle Fever" '91, "Malcolm X" '92, "Crooklyn" '94, "Clockers" '95, "Girl 6" '96, "Get on the Bus" '96, "He Got Game" '98, "Summer of Sam" '99, "Bamboozled" 2000, "25th Hour" '02, "She Hate Me" '04, "Inside Man" '06, "Miracle at St. Anna" '08, "Passing Strange" '09, "Red Hook Summer" '12, "Oldboy" '13, "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus" '14, "Chi-Raq" '15, "Rodney King" '17, "Pass Over" '18) plus a ton of documentaries, TV and videos. By this filmmaker's very resume, he is the king at message films, and with this, he demands the attention of his audiences. Through his meticulous choosing of his actors, his characters come to life as Lee strives to teach us through his medium. Love him or not, one cannot deny the multi-faceted director of how talented he really is. With every Spike Lee joint comes a message that he deliberately hits his audience over the head with. It was well thought out by writers, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Lee based on the book by Ron Stallworth. Considering the complexities of the subject matter, these four writers were able to produce a cohesive, concise, well thought-out screenplay. Who else can take such a sensitive and controversial topic as this and turn it around and make it a comedy, albeit, a dark comedy, but one and be able to do it and have it effect its audience as seriously as it does? This film delved into the complexities of prejudice mostly from the black's side and not as much from the white's perspective, but since it was based on a definite story, this would be understanding. We all are prejudice--rent or Netflix "Crash" '05, and you will see what I mean. This is the first film I've seen John David Washington act in and he was class act--but, then again, his dad is Denzel Washington, so there is no surprise here.

 

Truly, if you are looking for a no-brainer, fluffy, escape type film, you'll probable want to pass on this. I believe that Lee would be hard-pressed to produce an escape film to entertain us since his passion is forever present. No judgment, he has a lot to say, but warm and fuzzy he is not. One thing is for sure, one will learn something whether you want to or not.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: R                                       134mins.

 

The Meg

As with "Jaws", when all of a sudden you thought it was safe to go into the water, you have "The Meg". In some ways, with the exceptions of a handful of films, this has been a lackluster summer film season. But now that we are in the dog days of summer, the quintessential summer flicks are beginning to catch up, especially with this film.

 

Five years ago, expert sea diver and Naval Captain Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) encountered an unknown danger in the unexplored recesses of the Mariana Trench that forced him to abort his mission and abandon half his crew. Though the tragic incident earned him a dishonorable discharge, what ultimately cost him his career, his marriage and any semblance of honor was his unsupported and incredulous claims of what caused it-- an attack on his vessel by a mammoth, 70-foot sea creature, believed to be extinct for more than a million years. But when a submersible lies sunk and disabled at the bottom of the ocean-- carrying his ex-wife, Lori (Jessica McNamee) among the team aboard-- he is the one who gets the call. Whether a shot at redemption or a suicide mission, Jonas must confront his fears and risk his own life of everyone below including Suyin (Li Bingbing), Jaxx (Ruby Rose), DJ (Page Kennedy) and others on a single question: Could the Carcharodon Megalodon-- the largest marine predator that ever existed-- still be alive...and on the hunt?

 

Others to round out the cast are Rainn Wilson as Morris, Cliff Curtis as Mac, Winston Chao as Zhang, Sophia Cai as Meiying, Suyin's daughter, Robert Taylor as Heller, Olafur Darri Olafsson as The Wall and Masi Oka as Toshi.

 

This was intensely directed by veteran Jon Turteltaub ("Think Big" '89, "Cool Runnings" '93, "While You Were Sleeping" '95, "Phenomenon" '96, "The Kid" 2000, "National Treasure" '04, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" '10, "Las Vegas" '13) plus others and TV. What I certainly appreciate about this filmmaker is the fact that one cannot pigeon-hole him, hence his resume. He is about as eclectic a director as they come which serves him, because he then becomes that much more marketable which is where anyone in this biz wants to be. He can truly make his characters, through his actors, come to life. It was thrillingly written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber based on the novel, "Meg" by Steve Alten. I've never read the novel which are typically superior to the screenplay, however this version of the novel kept me captured from minute one to the end of the credits. This was like a combination of "Jaws" and "Jurassic World" which I felt wasn't a copy, but rather a homage to other films about over-the-top creatures. Is this film an Academy Award type of film? No, but for the reason it was made and for what they gave the audience for that summer flick that soars, this film absolutely delivered. Of course, the visual effects predominantly created by Double Negative, SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks) and Scanline VFX were seamless and didn't dominate the story like they have a tendency to do. And I gotta tell you, this was the first film I'd seen in 4DX/3D and it absolutely rocked! I had always wanted to see a film in the 4DX format, but I was really waiting for the right film. So when I noticed this film being presented in the 4DX format, I had to take it in, and it was almost as much fun as the film. With the wind, water and jerking of the seat, it was like a ride at Disneyland.

 

If you want to see the quintessential summer flick where you can sit back with your popcorn and totally escape into something that keeps you right on the edge of that proverbial seat of yours, then this is the film for you. This film is presented in the IMAX, 3D and 4DX process, but just for the experience, the 4DX will simply blow you away, especially if you've never been through it. As with all the formats, all films don't look that great in them, but this definitely is enhanced in the 4DX format. Enjoy this roller coaster ride! I know I did!

 

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

 

Dog Days

Heartwarming films are becoming the hot ticket type of film whether they be artistically created or not. Certainly in a day and age of violence, drugs, global wars, famine and natural disasters our society needs something to escape into where they can feel good even if it's only for a two-hour running time. So when "Dog Days" was released I had to believe that this would profit.

This story is a hilarious and heartfelt ensemble comedy that follows the lives of multiple dog owners including Elizabeth (Nina Dobrev), Jimmy (Tone Bell), Dax (Adam Pally), Grace (Eva Longoria) and Ron Cephas Jones, and their beloved fluffy pals around sunny Los Angeles. When these human and canine's paths start to intertwine, their lives begin changing in ways they never expected. From lost dogs to spoiled dogs to adopted dogs to injured dogs, the owners are put to the test as they grapple with uncertainties of what is to become of their fearless canines as one situation begins connecting with another.

Others to round out the cast are Vanessa Hudgens as Tara, Rob Corddry as Grace's husband, Lauren Lapkus as Daisy, Finn Wolfhard as Tyler, Jon Bass as Garrett, Thomas Lennon as Greg, Jessica Lowe as Greg's wife and Michael Cassidy as Doc.

This was adequately directed by Ken Marino ("How to Be a Latin Lover" '17) plus tons of TV. This filmmaker has done a tremendous amount of acting so he does know what it's about to know how to work with his actors he directs, but since he only has one other theatrical film to his credit in the director's chair, he has a ways to go. Certainly his plethora of work in TV will only serve him in the future, but now, although his directing is good, it's not Academy Award level at this point, and shouldn't be. It was written by Elissa Matsueda ("Spare Parts" '15, "Reversion" '15, "The Miracle Season" '18), and Erica Oyama (tons of TV) based on a story by Matsueda. Although Matsueda having the lion's share of the theatrical film experience here, the script was still slow and was definitely long-in-the-tooth. For a running time of an hour and fifty-three minutes, this could've been cut to an hour and forty minutes easily and still be able to get its point of storyline across to its audience. The one thing that surely helped this was the fact that it wasn't made where the animals talked. That format it trite since it has been a bazillion times which makes those films silly and stupid. This had an interesting concept of bringing these people's lives together via the dogs; it's just sad that it simply dragged so much until it got to the place it needed to land.

If you love dogs or have a family and looking for a great family film to go see, this will certainly fit the bill. Heartwarming, family films are much needed more and more today considering the volatile society in which we live. And besides, who doesn't like a film where man's best friend has the star power here?

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                     Rated: PG                                    113mins.

The Spy Who Dumped Me

Hollywood has produced so many espionage films that there have been spoofs or parodies created to pay homage to this genre favorite. I, for one, love comedies and especially when it's a satire or a parody. We've seen many of these throughout the years: "Johnny English" '03, "This Means War" '12, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" '17 and even the upcoming, "Johnny English Strikes Again" to mention a handful. When I saw the trailer on "The Spy Who Dumped Me", it didn't actually thrill me, however after viewing it, it was certainly better than I expected.

Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey's ex-boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent Sebastian (Sam Heughan), as they hitch a plan to save the world. You see, Drew just happens to be a spy, unbeknownst to both Audrey and Morgan, who is in deep trouble attempting to ward against these assassins in order to deliver an extremely important thumb drive which holds valuable information that could save millions of people. Can he succeed or is he going to bite the dust trying?

Others to round out the cast are Hasan Minhaj as Duffer, Gillian Anderson as Wendy, Jane Curtin as Carol, Morgan's mom, Paul Reiser as Arnie, Morgan's dad, Ivanna Sakhno as Nadedja, Fred Melamed as Roger, James Fleet as Tom, Carolyn Pickles as Marsha and Tom Stourton as Edward Snowden.

This was directed with such realism by Susanna Fogel ("Life Partners" '14) plus TV. Truly this filmmaker's directing talent comes from all the TV she has done. I've said it before and I'll say it again, cutting ones' teeth on TV can help a filmmaker that much better as a theatrical artist. I've seen this time and again. They're not at Academy Award level, but this is where the adage, "practice makes perfect" come into frame. All that I can say is if this is only her second theatrical film in the director's chair, I'd like to see how she does with a few more films under her belt. It was also adequately written by Fogel ("Life Partners" '14) plus TV and David Iserson ("Angry Angel" (TV movie) '14) plus a ton of TV. Where Fogel excels in the directing realm, she lacks a bit in the writing arena. The storyline goes from the present to a year prior and then back and forth, and although this is an interesting approach, there were times where it was difficult to tell where the film was: present or a year ago. Plus, I know that McKinnon's character was a gutsy, loud-mouthed, over-the-top friend to Kunis' shier and more reserved character, but even though it's a comedy, McKinnon's character was just too much to endure considering the situation the two found themselves. Otherwise, this script was fresh and certainly original. It's a nice attempt to an espionage spoof which I see more work by both Fogel and Iserson. The stunt coordination by veteran Gary Powell was simply amazing! Stunts are to be expected in these films, however these were executed with such reality and art.

If the espionage genre is your thing, you will revel, especially parodies of them. The two in the leading roles had great chemistry and especially McKinnon is an expert at physical comedy. This is a fluffy, fun flick replete with action and some funny lines. So get ready for this roller coaster ride.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                  Rated: R                                  117mins.

Christopher Robin

In a time when we live in a world being bombarded with stress, problems and complexities, it is a refreshing change to see a film that can transport us back to a simpler time where life was basically carefree and we end up, by films' end, wondering why we can't go back there. Well, the classic beloved Disney story about Winnie-the Pooh, "Christopher Robin" does just that.

 

In the heartwarming live action adventure, the young boy who loved embarking on adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a band of spirited and loveable stuffed animals, has grown up, and lost his way. Now a family man living in London, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal, Winnie-the-Pooh (Jim Cummings). With Christopher's help, Pooh embarks on a journey to find his friends--Tigger (Cummings). Eeyore (Brad Garrett), Owl (Toby Jones), Piglet (Nick Mohammed), Rabbit (Peter Capaldi), Kanga (Sophie Okonedo) and Roo (Sara Sheen). Once reunited, the loveable bear and the gang travel to the big city to help Christopher rediscover the joy of life and the playful boy who is still inside.

 

Others to round out the cast are Hayley Atwell as Evelyn Robin, Christopher's wife, Bronte Carmichael as Madeline Robin, Christopher's daughter, Mark Gatiss as Giles Winslow, Oliver Ford Davies as Old Man Winslow, Katy Carmichael as Christopher's Mother, Tristan Sturrock as Christopher's Father and Orton O'Brien as Young Christopher Robin.

 

This was whimsically directed by Marc Forster ("Loungers" '95, "Everything Put Together" 2000, "Monster's Ball" '01, "Finding Neverland" '04, "Stay" '05, "Stranger Than Fiction" '06, "The Kite Runner" '07, "Quantum of Solace" '08, "Machine Gun Preacher" '11, "World War Z" '13, All I See Is You" '16) plus TV and shorts. Even though this filmmaker runs the gambit in material, there is actually a connection intertwined within his projects: whimsy and fantasy laced with adventure and drama to stress a point he's attempting to convey. One only needs to read his resume to understand this. So with similarities within his work, there is still a definite individuality to his work as well which makes his work intriguing. It was creatively written by Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy and Allison Schroeder based on a story by Greg Brooker and Mark Steven Johnson which is based on characters created by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard. Interesting how McCarthy gave top billing of the writing credit to Perry even though McCarthy has the lion's share of the commercial experience. I can only speculate in that because Perry has more independent work, possibly McCarthy wanted to exploit his experience considering there is a tremendous amount of talented indie writers out there. Other than a couple of very small places of slowness, this incarnation of many installments of the beloved story simply rocked. The visual effects and animation predominantly created by Framestore were seamless and enhanced the storyline. In the many incarnations of this story Jim Cummings has voiced Pooh, this one included and his voice is perfect. It is so close to that of the original voice by Sterling Holloway.

 

As aforementioned, the best thing I can say for this is to be able to go back to a simpler time surrounded by lbeoved characters so the escape factor is not only heartwarming, but it is needed as well. There should be more films like these out there to relax and enjoy even if it's only a 100 minute plus running time.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                  Rated: PG                                   104mins.