Nomadland

Typically independent films are incredibly well acted, directed and written, however some are not, but these are the extreme minority. Fortunately, "Nomadland" is one in which it is delineated with such feeling, yet amazing reality that it could be looked at in an under-rated way. The subtlety stabs its viewers in the heart as this takes us on these nomads' journey.

Following the economic collapse of a company town, Empire in rural Nevada in 2011, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. This film features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern's mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. As she covers other states such as Nebraska and South Dakota, she meets and befriends Dave (David Strathairn), another nomad and others as well.

Others to round out the cast are Ryan Aquino as Ryan, Annette Webb as Annette, Derek Endres as Derek, Tay Strathairn as James, Dave's son, Emily Jade Foley as Emily, James' mother, Peter Spears as Peter and Patricia Grier as Patty. 

This was brilliantly written and directed by Chloe Zhao ("Songs My Brothers Taught Me" '15, "The Rider" '17), based on the book by Jessica Bruder. This filmmaker was amazing in that so many people in this film were simply playing themselves as nomads, and her ability to stage, pace and get these people to extract the right emotions in the confines of this movie with such poignancy and pathos was shear genius. The writing moved with such fluidity that I was amazed. The script, although had some funny moments, was written in a somewhat sad approach--it was a good sad, but after a while, the audience got why it came across as sad. This was brilliant writing. After viewing this and you are captivated by it, as I was, her "Eternals", which she also wrote and directed is in post production for a 2021 release. The breathtaking cinematography was by Joshua James Richards ("Songs My Brothers Taught Me" '15, "God's Own Country" '17, "The Rider" '17). The vastness of America in the photography shined and gave an impressive look on the large screen. He was nominated, however didn't win, but the film did win for best picture, direction, actress and editing. 

It is no surprise that this film was honored with so many Oscars as it received, and Zhao is now a filmmaker to contend with. This was also presented in an IMAX format which would even more exemplify the vastness of our country's beauty. This is an incredibly artistic film that one will see practically from the first frame. Enjoy--I know I did.

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

In the Earth

Hollywood has produced a plethora of horror/suspense films that could fill a lifetime. It's not actually one of my favorite genres, but when reading about the premise of the story, I felt that it has potentiality. Wow, was I way off! It was extremely difficult to focus heavily on the writing, directing or acting considering the abject bizarre way "In the Earth" unfolded.

As the world searches for a cure to a disastrous virus, a scientist Martin Lowery (Joel Fry) and a park scout Alma (Ellora Torchia) venture deep in the forest for a routine equipment run. Through the night, their journey becomes a terrifying voyage through the heart of darkness as the forest comes to life around them. The more they attempted to leave the forest, the more the forest will not let them go. 

Others to round out the cast are Reece Shearsmith as Zach, Hayley Squires as Dr. Olivia Wendle, John Hollingworth as James and Mark Montero as Frank. 

This was deftly directed by Ben Wheatly ("Down Terrace" '09, "Steve Coogan: The Inside Story" (TV movie) '09, "Kill List" '11, "Inside Burge & Way" (TV movie) '11, "Burge & Way" (TV movie) '11, "The ABCs of Death" (segment "U is for Unearthed") '12, "A Field in England" '13, "High-Rise" '15, "Free Fire" '16, "Happy New Year, Colin Burstead" '18, "Rebecca" '20) plus TV and video shorts. The way this filmmaker was able to extract effective emotions from his actors was amazing. The characters, at several points, knew what was going on, and then didn't and became very perplexed by their predicament--the audience wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but this was obviously purposed. I can see why he has the varied resume that he has. It was also written by Wheatly ("Down Terrace" '09, "Kill List" '11, "A Field in England" '13, "Free Fire" '16, "Happy New Year, Colin Burstead" '18) plus TV. Unfortunately, this is where the film falls apart. Even though the directing was effective and even though this writer has a fair amount of experience, I'm not sure what was going on in this writer's head. What started as an interesting premise, simply fell apart about 30 minutes into the running time, and really never survived. It was a disjointed, incongruent screenplay that definitely puts the 'B' in bizarre. Other than an abundance of psychosis going on the the story, I'm not really sure how that worked into the story. Not sure what happened with writer, bad day at the laptop? Who knows, but suffice it to say, this was a maniacal story which lead to more questions than it could ever answer. 

Other than effective directing, the one positive aspect about the story is its originality. It was that, because the audience had no clue what was going to happen next--I'm not sure if that's a positive or a negative. You be the judge if you dare. If you decide to see this, there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the film which indicates that because of the extreme light flashes during parts of the story, it could lead one to experience light sensitive seizures. Forewarned is for-armed.

Out of 4 Stars: 1.5                                        Rated: R                                              107mins.

93rd Annual Academy Awards

Well, it's that time of year again where a bunch of rich people get together to pat each other on the back, otherwise known as the Academy Awards or Oscars as it's so affectionately called. Because of the pandemic, film companies had until 2-28-21 in which to submit their films for Oscar consideration, unlike the usual 12-31-20. Just about every film was either streamed or originally produced through companies like Netflix and the like, which made it difficult for a fair percentage of moviegoers to see these films. Unless one pays a substantial amount of money per month for streaming services, it made it extremely difficult for most people to see most of these films. Again, as in previous years, this presentation went hostless. Truly, after the Kevin Hart debacle, where he was raked over the coals about something he said ten years prior of which he apologized then, and then he simply backed out so as to go back to work, after they said he could be the host, there probably isn't a comedian on the planet that doesn't have some sort of skeletons in their closet to even agree to host. So, the Academy (AMPAS) only screwed up royally. so, there probably won't be a host for some time to come, if ever, only because of the Academy's blunder. The show went about how I thought it would go--fairly mechanical, and extremely too long, a total time of 3hrs and 18mins, and this was minus the best songs within the confines of the show. Those were performed during the Red Carpet. Not sure if they advertised that, so it's potential that people didn't see those performances. So much for transparency. The acceptance speeches went way too long for the most part and some recipients just couldn't keep their politics under wraps. I've said before and I'll say it again, if these people want to share their politics, make a PSA--most of them certainly have a ton of money in which to produce one. These award shows are not the time or place to harangue others there or the viewing audience with their politics. These award ceremonies have just got to get more interesting or they will end sooner than later. The ratings for these shows are perennially bad and for a reason. Again, as I say every year...where is Billy Crystal when you need him? He is the best host since Bob Hope who hosted it for years prior. It had a few entertaining or funny moments, but clearly not enough to make up for such a long running time. In any rate, here is the list of winners in all categories:

Best Picture: "Nomadland"

Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins- "The Father"

Best Actress: Frances McDormand- "Nomadland"

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya- "Judas and the Black Messiah"

Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jun Youn- "Minari"

Best Director: Chloe Zhao- "Nomadland"

Best Original Screenplay- "Promising Young Woman"- Emerald Fennell

Best Adapted Screenplay- "The Father"- Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller

Best Cinematography- "Mank"- Erik Messerschmidt

Best Film Editing- "Sound of Metal"- Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Best Production Design- "Mank"- Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale

Best Costume Design- "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"- Ann Roth

Best Sound- "Sound Of Metal"- Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortes, Phillip Bladh

Best Makeup and Hairstyling- "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"- Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson

Best Original Score- "Soul"- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste

Best Original Song- "Judas and the Black Messiah"- H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas- song- "Fight for You"

Best Visual Effects- "Tenet"- Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher

Best Documentary Feature- "My Octopus Teacher"

Best Documentary Short Subject- "Colette"

Best Animated Feature Film- "Soul"

Best Animated Short Film- "If Anything Happens I Love You"

Best Live Action Short Film- "Two Distant Strangers"

Best International Feature- "Another Round"- "Druk"- Denmark

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award-- Tyler Perry

That is the list for your viewing pleasure. As with past award shows, there was a moving Memoriam segment showcasing all those in the business that passed away in 2020--as usual, the list was more than anyone would conclude. I must say, the awards were fairly distributed across the board more than I expected. A few surprises, such as Chadwick Boseman not winning for best actor in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" posthumously. I really thought that with his talent, and that he's never won an Academy Award, and, hey, who's kidding who, his race, he would be a shoe in. I only say this because AMPAS has already announced that by 2023, they will be choosing nominees according to diversity: whether race, gender, nationality or physically challenge. I feel that's fine, but talent and quality has to take precedence before anything else, or truly deserving artists won't get recognized. This just becomes a slippery slope waiting to happen. Hopefully, by then, they will change their minds. One didn't really need to see the presentation last night, because if all they really needed to know, they could read here or look up IMDB or watch the next morning news. Until next year...

Out of 4 Stars: 1.5                              Rated: NR                             3hrs. 18mins

Mortal Kombat

We have seen many martial arts films in our past which basically started with Bruce Lee, and as they continue to be produced, their quality increases with every film. Even the storylines have improved leaving the audience with something to hang on to. Being based, originally on a videogame and then subsequently made into a film in 1995, we now see "Mortal Kombat" as a definite improvement of the original--if for no other reason then by its production vales.

MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has set his best warrior, Bi-Han/Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brooks), a Special Forces Major who bears the same dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he fines himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), an elder god and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and rogue mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), as he prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana--the immense power from within his soul--in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all? 

Others to round out the cast are Matilda Kimber as Emily, Cole's daughter, Laura Brent as Allison, Cole's wife, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasahi/Scorpion, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Mel Jarnson as Nitara and Nathan Jones as Reiko.

This was well paced and staged by relative newcomer, director Simon McQuoid (video short). Considering his lack of feature film directing, I was amazed by the talent of this filmmaker. A natural? Not sure, but other than a couple of small areas of stiffness, this movie was simply fluid. Of course, there is some fine staple actors which we've seen in other films--namely Hiroyuki Sanada, but the talent of McQuoid still shined. It was also well crafted by relative newcomer writer, Greg Russo and seasoned writer, Dave Callaham ("Doom" '05, "Horsemen" '09, "Tell Tale" '09, "The Expendables" '10, "Zombieland: Double Tap" '19, "Wonder Woman 1984" '20), based on a story by Oren Uziel and Russo, which is originally based on a videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Usually, I'm not really into these martial arts films, but, since we're still in the dead zone--that time of year, coupled with the fact we're all looking for any film to watch in the theater because of the pandemic, I felt it was just nice to see a movie in the theater. However, as I'm viewing the film, I soon realized that, not only was I captivated by the premise, but also surprised this was written as well as it was. Sure, there were a few small places of inconsistencies, but all in all it did the job that I believe the production company wanted to do: to allow the audience to escape while being wildly entertained. The real stars here are clearly the stunt and fight coordinators and the sound designers. Also the visual effects predominantly created by Method Studios were seamless as they were unique. If you like the brand or style of Callaham's writing, his "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is in post production. It, like this film, is yet another martial arts type film set to release soon. 

If martial arts films are a genre that excites you, this will please. However, if you're not, like me, the pacing and staging, along with its premise will still intrigue the staunchest critics. This actually combines the present world with a fantasy world and does so with sincere quality. Is it perfect? No, but it will entertain. It's also in an IMAX format as well, which looks as though this would've been a great format to enjoy it that much more. 

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

The Courier

Have I mentioned before that Hollywood has produced a plethora of espionage films? Well, they have and whether or not it has been for the reason of profit, we have been the victors of them. There have been many intriguing spy flicks that have dawned our movie screens. So, when a spy film, based on a true incident, came along titled "The Courier", I couldn't pass it up.

In this true-life Cold War spy thriller, unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes entangled in one of the greatest international conflicts in history. Because of Wynne not having any ties to either government so as to blend in, he is recruited by MI6 agent Dickie Franks (Angus Wright) and a CIA operative Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan), and then Wynne forms a covert partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze), and both men risk everything in a danger-fraught race against time to provide the intelligence needed to prevent nuclear confrontation and end the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962.

Others to round out the cast are Jessie Buckley as Sheila Wynne, Greville's wife, Anton Lesser as Bertrand, Keir Hills as Andrew Wynne, Greville and Sheila's son, Vladimir Chuprikov as Nikita Khrushchev, James Schofield as Cox and Fred Haig as Lee.

This was intensely directed by Dominic Cooke ("National Theatre Live: The Comedy pf Errors" '12, "On Chesil Beach" '17, "National Theatre Live: Follies" '17) plus TV. Even though this filmmaker hasn't a great deal of experience, his ability to extract the emotions from his actors was amazing. Surely Cumberbatch is a consummate actor, but it still takes talented directing to make an audience feel right along with the characters these actors are portraying, and the helming by Cooke absolutely helped. It was written with intrigue and suspense by Tom O'Connor ("Fire with Fire" '12, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" '17). This film really took me back considering I was 10 years old at the time this crisis took place, and was a very scary era, and from what I've learned since is that we weren't days from WWIII, but merely moments from it, which makes this story so riveting. Like with the directing, this writer isn't an extremely experienced one, but this well thought out storyline was cohesive, riveting, tight and consistent in its storytelling. I was seating on the edge of my theater seat all the while wondering what was going to happen next. To capture ones' audience means the writing is spot on. If you liked his writing, his "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" is in post production. And, as usual, Cumberbatch gave a riveted role as Wynne, but even the supporting cast was incredible as well. 

If you're a spy genre junkie, you'll love this. But even if you're not, the writing and directing will intrigue, especially if you're a history buff. It movie points out so clearly how things can go awry in a matter of moments--something our society should take note about. This was originally scheduled to be released on 1-24-2020, but because of the pandemic, it was re-released on 3-19-21. It just made it to my neighborhood theater last week. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                              Rated: PG-13                                             112mins.

Tom and Jerry

As the animated film has come back in vogue with the Pixar, Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky films, they have truly given a kick in the pants from when we had the older Disney Animation films. Two characters that we used to surround the TV to see was Tom and Jerry, and although they've produced one film back in 1992, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", it was certainly timely to create another in the form of simply, "Tom and Jerry".

One of the most beloved rivalries in history is re-ignited when Jerry moves into New York City's finest hotel, "The Golden Gate" on the eve of "the wedding of the century", forcing the event's desperate planner, Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz) to hire Tom to get rid of him. The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer, Terence (Michael Pena) conspiring against all three of them. An eye-popping blend of classic animation and live action, Tom and Jerry's new big-screen adventure stakes new ground for the iconic characters and forces them to do the unthinkable...work together to save the day. 

Others to round out the cast are Colin Jost as Ben, Rob Delaney as Mr. DuBros, Ken Jeong as Chef Jackie, Pallavi Sharda as Preeta, Jordan Bolger as Cameron, Patsy Ferran as Joy, the bell girl, Somi De Souza as Mrs. Mehta, Ajay Chhabra as Mr. Mehta, Bobby Cannavale as the voice of Spike, Tom as himself and Jerry as himself.

This was directed practically as a homage to Hanna and Barbera by Tim Story ("One of us Tripped" '97, "The Firing Squad" '99, "Barbershop" '02, "Taxi" '04, "Fantastic Four" '05, "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer" '07, "Hurricane Season" '09, "Think Like a Man" '12, "Ride Along" '14, "Think Like a Man Too" '14, "Ride Along 2" '16, "Shaft" '19) plus TV, TV movies, documentaries and video shorts. Obviously this filmmaker's comfort zone is in the comedy/action realm which makes him an asset to the genre, however it would be interesting to see him tackle a drama or suspense film. What makes this director effective is that he can make his comedies palatable in that they are actually funny, something Hollywood needs to get a clue about. Hollywood has lost their sense of humor, because the vast majority of comedies produced are not funny. This showcased the classic animation with a very entertaining format and story. If you like his brand of directing, his "My Own Worst Enemy" is in pre-production. It was effectively written by Kevin Costello ("Brigsby Bear" '17) plus TV, and was based on characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Although this writer doesn't have a massive amount of experience, this story was able to carry the audience's attention and produce an interesting script utilizing the two animated characters with live-action and make it work. Was it an incredibly well thought out screenplay? No, but other than a few choppy places in script and being amazingly predictable (but you already knew this), this had me going until the end reverting me back to my childhood. The Animation by Warner Bros, and visual effects by Framestore were creative and seamless. 

For those who were raised on Tom and Jerry cartoons, like I was, this will certainly touch the funny bone. It's an updated version of a cartoon that dates back to the 1940's whereas the two characters never changed, however their surroundings did, and it all melded together effectively. This one definitely looks better on the large screen and definitely one for the family. Enjoy!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: PG                                           101mins.

Voyagers

The genre of sci-fi has been a staple of Hollywood films for a very long time, but since the advent of the "Star Wars" era, they have become more prolific, especially with the incredible visual effects that have come with it. So, now we have in the offing, "Voyagers" where we basically have an incredible sociological thriller with an outer space backdrop.

The time is in the not-too-distant future--2063. With the future of the human race in danger, a group of 30 young men and women, bred for enhanced intelligence and to suppress emotional impulses, embark on an 86 year, multi-generational expedition to colonize a distant planet. But when three of them discover disturbing secrets about the mission, they, namely Christopher (Tye Sheridan), Sela (Lily-Rose Depp) and Zac (Fionn Whitehead), confront their chief leader, Richard (Colin Farrell) of their findings, and end up ultimately defying their training and begin to explore their most primal natures. As life on the ship descends into chaos, they're consumed by fear, lust, and the hunger for power. As this continues, none are not realizing if the real threat here that they face is what's outside the ship or who they're becoming inside it.

Others to round out the cast are Archie Madekwe as Kai, Isaac Hempstead Wright as Edward, Quintessa Swindell as Julie, Chante Adams as Phoebe, Viveik Kalda as Peter, Madison Hu as Anda and Wern Lee as Tayo. 

This was intensely directed by Neil Burger ("Interview with the Assassin" '02, "The Illusionist" '06, "The Lucky Ones" '07, "Limitless" '11, "The Asset" (TV movie) '12, "Divergent" '14, "The Jury" (TV movie) '16, "The Upside" '17) plus TV. As with this filmmaker's resume, not only can he work with young adults ("Divergent"), but he certainly knows how to helm dramatic films that have a bit of a twist to them, using interesting characters to convey to the audience who he is he attempting to show us. If his style of directing intrigues you, his "The Marsh King's Daughter" is in pre-production. This was also cleverly written by Burger ("Interview with the Assassin" '02, "The Illusionist" '06, "The Lucky Ones" '07). Certainly directing is where this filmmaker has put more of his energy, however with only three other films to his credit, this film is well thought out if one can go deeper than simply what meets the eye. As I'm viewing this film, I just couldn't help but think of the novel, "Lord of the Flies" 1954 by William Golding, and its subsequent films of the same name, both 1963 and 1990. Basically, Lord of the Flies was about a group of English prep school boys that ended up on an uncharted island, where, slowly their proper side of them ultimately ended up with them turning to primal, savage instincts. As with this novel by Golding, the same could be said for this film, in that it's amazing how humans can change given a totally different environment and, without them fully realizing it, can revert to their basic, raw, animalistic ways, especially when their routines and comforts are removed. This film was the same as Lord of the Flies. This film was only a futuristic, glossy version with an outer space backdrop. This aspect is what truly made this interesting much more than the obvious storyline at hand. If you like Burger's brand of writing, his "Bride of Frankenstein" has been announced.

If you like a film that not only is suspenseful, but is a thriller, and that has a sociological, well developed character study feel about it, you'll definitely like this. All the characters were believable in this and it definitely had good and bad guys which will keep one riveted to their theater seat.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                          Rated: PG-13                                            108mins.

French Exit

With all the commercial films offered today, once in a while we are given an independent film or two to take us to a place that we usually are forced to learn from, or are exposed to characters that can be obscure and quirky. These films aren't necessarily to escape into as opposed by their commercial counterparts. "French Exit" is one of those film in which odd, quirky people are showcased, and they are in spades.

"My plan was to die before the money ran out", says 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), but things didn't go as planned. Her husband Franklin (voiced by Tracy Letts) has been dead for 12 years and with his vast inheritance gone, she cashes in the last of her possessions and resolves to live out her twilight days anonymously borrowing an apartment from friend Joan (Susan Coyne) in Paris, accompanied by her directionless son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and a cat named Small Frank--who may or may not embody the spirit of Frances' dead husband. When in Paris, Frances meets and befriends a small group of oddball misfits: Madeleine (Danielle Macdonald), who is a medium, Mme. Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey) and Julius (Isaach De Bankole) that seem to match the way that both Frances and Malcolm feel.

Others to round out the cast are Imogen Poots as Susan, Daniel di Tomasso as Tom, Eddie Holland as young Malcolm Price, Matt Holland as Headmaster and Christine Lan as Sylvia.

This was directed quirkily by Azazel Jacobs ("Danger 44" '99, "Nobody Needs to Know" '03, "The GoodTimesKid" '05, "Momma's Man" '08, "Terri" '11, "The Lovers" '17) plus TV and shorts. While viewing this film, I couldn't help but think that it was a lot like watching a Wes Anderson film. And although I mean this in a positive way--almost a homage to his style, I kept thinking of Anderson with its staging, pace and quirkiness. Like Anderson, this filmmaker has done a plethora of indie films--look at his resume, and this simply became more intriguing as it enveloped. It was equally written in an oddball way by Patrick DeWitt ("Terri" '11, "The Sisters Brothers" (based on the book) '18), based on his book. As with any film based on a book, reading it probably would've been advantageous in fully understanding the storyline a bit more, but his screenplay, while a bit confusing at times, was certainly a very interesting character study. A psyche major would have a ball with this. Every character in this cast had a degree of dysfunction, whether small or great. It became difficult to decide whether you pitied these people or felt they deserved their particular outcome. Certainly if you liked the absurd storyline of "The Sisters Brothers", you'll appreciate this. Michelle Pfeiffer's slightly snobbish demeanor was interesting, especially how she must succumb to realizing her imminent poverty. And Lucas Hedges' role as Malcolm was staid, practically stoic in his performance which must have difficult to pull off, but he never disappoints in the roles he plays. 

Again, if you like indie films that unfold as a great character study with a very, very powder dry sense of humor, this film will please. Being an indie film makes it one that is not for the mass audience, but one that showcases fine acting and directing, so to see this is to appreciate art more than just being entertained. This was released back in February 2021, but because of the pandemic, it was released now.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: R                                          113mins.

Godzilla vs Kong

With all the big-budget, larger-than-life, visually impacted films we've all seen throughout the decades, two of the biggest monster films produced are that of Godzilla and King Kong. We've seen way too many incarnations of these two creatures--more than can be listed, so it was certainly a natural to assume that Hollywood would ultimately offer us "Godzilla vs Kong".

Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron comprised of Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard), Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), Maya Simmonds (Eiza Gonzalez) and Jia (Kaylee Hottle), embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans' very origins and mankind's survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever. Meanwhile, a conspiracy theorist, Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), who worked uncover in the lab to extract as much information as he could, has teamed up with Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) and Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison) in order to expose the conspiracies only to get in over their heads. 

Others to round out the cast are Shun Oguri as Ren Serizawa, Lance Reddick as Guillermin, Kyle Chandler as Mark Russell, Madison's father, Demian Bichir as Walter Simmonds, Maya's father, Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Admiral Wilcox and Ronny Chieng as Jay Wayne.

This was directed by formidable Adam Wingard ("Home Sick" '07, "Pop Skull" '07, "A Horrible Way to Die" '10, "Autoerotic" '11, "What Fun We Were Having" '11, "You're Next" '11, "60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero" '11, "V/H/S" (segment "Tape 56") '12, "The ABCs of Death" (segment "Q is for Quack") '12, "V/H/S/2" (segment "Phase I Clinical Trials") '13, "The Guest" '14, "Blair Witch" '16, "Death Note" '17) plus TV and shorts. As with some other contemporary directors, Wingard certainly can't be pigeon-holed. Between Godzilla, "Autoerotic" and "Blair Witch", he definitely runs the gambit in what kinds of genres he's willing to tackle. I believe the only genre he hasn't embraced is that of comedy, and it would be interesting to see how he could do with that. Certainly the audience isn't watching this for its directing technique, which I'm sure Wingard realized, But maneuvering his actors in the right place was pivotal. It was written by Eric Pearson ("Thor: Ragnarok" '17, "Black Widow" '21) plus TV and video shorts and Max Borenstein ("Swordswallowers and Thin Men" '03, "Godzilla" '14, "Kong: Skull Island" '17, "Worth" '20) plus TV and shorts, based on a story by Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields, which is based on the character "Godzilla" created by TOHO Co. Ltd. Considering this film wasn't made for its quality writing, it actually shined far better than I thought it would. The plot encumbers many pivotal people in situations that ultimately culminates with the battle of the monsters. This can be a daunting feat, but these writers pulled it off. But, look at the above respective resumes and you'll realize why. Really, what this film is all about are these two huge monsters duking it out with each other is what makes this a fun-filled, totally escapism type of film. It has the characters where and when they need to be, however this is clearly all about the creatures. And with this, the visual effects predominantly created by Weta Digital and MPC (Moving Picture Company) were absolutely seamless, and was the sound design by Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn.

If you are looking for an artistically well directed, written and acted film with this, you will be sorely disappointed, however, if you are looking for total escapism, watching two huge monsters duking it out on a huge screen, this is the film for you. If you don't like a regular 35mm cut, it not only is shown in 3D, but an IMAX format as well. This was my first film back in the theater since approximately October, when the theaters were open for a short time before shutting down again. 

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