DC League of Super-Pets

The summer film season has been full of adventurous and entertaining fare whether it be big-budget or animated films. A fair amount of animated flicks have graced the screen thus far and now we have "DC League of Super-Pets" in the offing centered around pets with super powers along with their human counterparts. 

In this story, Krypto (Dwayne Johnson) the Super-Dog and Superman (John Krasinski) are inseparable best friends, sharing the same super powers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League, including Batman (Keanu Reeves), Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), Aquaman (Jemaine Clement) and others, are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack--Ace the hound (Kevin Hart), PB the potbellied pig (Vanessa Bayer), Merton the turtle (Natasha Lyonne) and Chip the squirrel (Diego Luna)--to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes. 

Others to round out the cast are Kate McKinnon as Lulu, Marc Maron as Lex Luther, Thomas Middleditch as Keith--aka Ice Guinea Pig, Ben Schwartz as Mark--aka Fire Guinea Pig and Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane. 

This was humorously directed by Jared Stern ("Happy Anniversary" '18) plus a TV mini series, and co-directed by Sam Levine (TV). Even though both these directors have limited experience in the director's chair, this was staged and paced well with all the pathos and emotion needed to be emitted from these actors. Certainly both Johnson and Hart have worked together in the most recent Jumanji films and seemingly have a great working relationship, but this was shear talented directing. It was creatively written by Stern ("Mr. Popper's Penguins" '11, "The Watch" '12, "The Internship" '13, "The Lego Batman Movie" '17, "The Lego Ninjago Movie" '17, "Happy Anniversary" '18) plus TV and John Whittington ("The Lego Batman Movie" '17, "When We First Met" '18, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" '22) plus TV, based on the DC comics. The script definitely carried that 'Lego Movie' style of writing which made all the difference to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing in those films, so when I realized that the similar style of writing would be present in this film, I felt that it would be well honed, and I was correct. Really. other that a couple of very small places of continuity issues, this was funny, adventurous all the while having a touching message underneath it all. The message here? Being a team no matter how impossible the odds involved. The animation by Animal Logic was creative and kept the attention of the audience ten fold. When I saw the trailer to this film, I felt that it would definitely be a doable film, and wow, it was very cleverly executed. 

If you like animated films or films based on superheroes, this will certainly fit the bill. I'm not expressly a fan of the 'comic book' style of films, but this was definitely one of those few exceptions. If you want true escapism at it's finest, grab the popcorn and enjoy this gem!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                             Rated: PG                                                 105mins.

Nope

There are horror flicks, and then there is Jordan Peele. Where the genre of horror has traditionally been extremely predictable, "Nope" is anything but traditional or predictable, as are his other films. "Get Out" and "Us" were both an antithesis of what is expected on most horror flicks. 

Caretakers who happen to be siblings, OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) own a horse ranch  in a small gulch in inland California, encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behavior. They decide to visit their neighborhood Fry's Electronics and had a video camera system installed by a salesman, Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) so they can film the strange phenomenon only for Angel to become trapped with them at the ranch because the strange entity appears to be getting more active. At that point, they decide to commission a famed cinematographer, Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) to assist them in journaling the situation. What is this mysterious phenomenon?

Others to round out the cast are Steven Yuen as Ricky 'Jupe' Park, Wrenn Schmidt as Amber Park, Michael Busch as Nobody, Keith David as Otis Haywood Sr., Donna Mills as Bonnie Clayton, Barbie Ferreira as Nessie, Devon Graye as Ryder Muyridge and Oz Perkins as Flynn Bachman. 

This was directed with delineated precision by Jordan Peele ("Get Out" '17, "Us" '19). As with both of his previous films, he simply knows how to extract those certain emotions out of his actors so they convey the story in as realistic as possible given the scene. "Us" was probably the best film he has directed thus far. It will be interesting to see what project he directs next. Although the directing was executed with such expertise, unless I just didn't get it, the writing, also by Peele, simply needed a little more polish. Interestingly, he has less experience in the director's chair than behind the laptop. He also wrote "Rubberhead" (TV movie, segment "Absorption") '14, "Keanu" '16, "Get Out" '17, "Us" '19, "Candyman" '21), and with this list of films, I expected more from this filmmaker. There was a bit of jumpiness of script and places that should've happened but didn't. To mention what those areas that should've happened were, it would become a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say, I felt it just wasn't up to Peele's standards. Was it a total wash? No, but it kind of meandered a bit much. Also, it definitely put the 'B' in bizarre. Not sure what Peele was on when he wrote this, but the best thing about it is that it is incredibly original. If you like this filmmaker's brand, his "Wendell and Wild" is in post production for a 2022 release. 

If you're a Peele aficionado, you'll love this because he does have quite the following, however, if you're looking for something a little more grounded, I would go see this with a totally open mind. It's in IMAX for those that want that huge like you're right there feeling.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                      Rated: R                                         131mins.

Where the Crawdads Sing

We've all seen biopics or films based on true stories, but "Where the Crawdads Sing", while being based on a novel, carries itself like a film based on a true story. This story easy could've happened, however it was a well honed script based on a well crafted novel about a young girl's life as she maneuvers living in a marshland.

From the best selling novel comes a captivating mystery. This tells the story of Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Tate (Taylor John Smith) and Chase (Harris Dickinson) Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, as her attorney, Tom Milton (David Strathairn) unravels one layer of evidence after another. This ends up threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh. 

Others to round out the cast are Michael Hyatt as Mabel, Sterling Macer Jr. as Jumpin', Logan Macrae as Jodie Clark, Kya's, brother, Bill Kelly as Sheriff Jackson, Ahna O'Reilly as Ma, Garret Dillahunt as Pa, Jayson Warner Smith as Deputy Perdue and Dane Rhodes as Judge Sims. 

This was directed with such pathos and careful delineation by Olivia Newman ("First Match '18) plus TV and shorts. Even though she only has one film to her credit, she does have a fair amount of TV and shorts in which was still was able to cut her teeth on, and frankly, I believe she is clearly a natural. Seasoned directors have not directed any better than she performed on this film. She will simply receive more work. It was equally well crafted by writer Lucy Alibar ("Beasts of the Southern Wild" '12, "Troop Zero" '19), based on the novel by Delia Owens. As I mentioned in the preface, this conveys as a film based on a true story even though it was not. The characters were well thought out and rich in their development. I've never really heard of Edgar-Jones as Kya, however she was simply perfect as Kya, and the chemistry between her and Smith's Tate was incredibly captivating unlike we typically see in most films today. It was a very endearing film, but presented in an incredible amount of realism. This 'rights of passage' film carries us from the 1950's through to the early 1970's spanning all the different situations and people Kya encountered. Could Edgar-Jones be nominated come Oscar time? Not sure, but suffice it to say, she would definitely deserve a nod.

This is definitely one of those small films we typically don't see during the summer film season, it being a small independent offing, but that's one of the aspects I like about it. It gives us that chance to see a well written, directed and acted film with a fresh, original feel to it, instead of the typical onslaught of big-budget, high-adrenaline type films. Enjoy, I know I did. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                            Rated: PG-13                                             126mins.

Thor: Love and Thunder

The summer film season is typically fraught with 'franchise land', and although most of these films are usually part of a franchise, Hollywood keeps on popping them out as long as the audiences will plunk down an admission to see them. "Thor: Love and Thunder" is the fourth film of this franchise, the others being "Thor" '11, "Thor: The Dark World" '13 and "Thor: Ragnarok" '17, and this is certainly as rollicking as its predecessors. 

This film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced--a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of gods for them allowing his daughter to die. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who--to Thor's surprise--inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as The Mighty Thor, Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher's vengeance and stop him before it's too late. Can they do this or is Gorr's powers too strong?

Others to round out the cast are Russell Crowe as Zeus, Jaimie Alexander as Sif, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, David Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket and Carly Rees as Miek.

This was directed with the same excitement as the previous 'Thor' in '17 by Taika Waititi ("Eagle vs Shark" '07, "Boy" '10, "What We Do in the Shadows" '14, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" '16, "Thor: Ragnarok" '17, "Jojo Rabbit" '19) plus TV, shorts and video shorts. This filmmaker certainly runs the gambit as far as the many different genres he has tackled, although the one element that is present in each of his films is the element of quirkiness or oddity, which makes many of his films that much more interesting. This film was over-the-top, but with his directing edge that he brought to the production, created an interesting slant to this story. If you like his brand of directing, his "Next Goal Wins", which he also wrote, has been completed for a 2022 release. It was written in an over-the-top way by Waititi ("Eagle vs Shark" '07, "Boy" '10, "What We Do in the Shadows" '14, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" '16, "Jojo Rabbit" '19) plus TV, and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson ("Someone Great" '19, "Unpregnant" '20), based on a story by Waititi, which is based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee and Jason Aaron. This film pulls out all the stops of being over-the-top, visual effects aplenty, and bigger than life characters. The main thing I could appreciate about the screenplay is that it came across at times to read out as a parody, especially by that of Hemsworth. It's like he made light of his character while performing the character, which came across unique. It was a bit choppy in a couple places and with that had some continuity issues, but hey, it's Hemsworth as Thor and he IS Thor. This installation of the franchise was definitely written for the 18-24 year old single male demographic--get them in the theater seats--ka-ching! And with this, you must forgive the fact that a certain amount of this script is predictable, but then welcome to the summer film fare. And the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were, of course, seamless--tons of them, but as I just said, welcome to the summer film fare. 

Certainly if to like Thor and Marvel, you'll love this. FYI--stay through the credits for a bit of a surprise--could there be a Thor 5? And if you like a HUGE screen, it's also presented in an IMAX format so you'll feel like you're right there. This is escapism at its finest, and couldn't use more of that in this day and age?

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                           Rated: PG-13                                             119mins.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

As we continue into the summer film season, we see more and more of animated films on the docket. Animated flicks being a regular mainstay of the summer film genre, we will see several: "Paws of Fury", "The League of Superpets", "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" (which is part live), and even "Puss 'N Boots: The Last Wish", which is released at Christmas, we are now being offered "Minions: The Rise of Gru". 

In the heart of the 1970's, amidst a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making back-up from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto--a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please--deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons, and pull off their first missions. When the Vicious 6, including Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Stronghold (Danny Trejo), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren) and Nun-Chuck (Lucy Lawless), oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn't go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them, and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Others to round out the cast are Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, Julie Andrews as Gru's Mom, Russell Brand as Nefario, RZA as Biker and Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins. 

This was frenetically directed by Kyle Balda ("The Lorax" (co-dir.) '12, "Minions" '15, "Despicable Me 3" '17) plus shorts and videos, co-directed by Johnathan del Val ("The Secret Life of Pets 2" (co-dir.) '19) and Brad Ableson (TV and shorts). This was certainly directed in the same vein as the other Minion and Despicable Me films--of course, with the same one (Balda) behind the camera, it's definitely easy to see this. Much of the credit goes to the character development of Gru and the Minions, but considering Carell and Coffin's rendition of the Minions, it simply pulls the audience in. However, Balda's ability to maneuver these characters within the story certainly shows his talent as director. He truly has the lion's share of experience here, however, I'm sure the co=directors both del Val and Ableson were able to convey their input as well. It was creatively written by Matthew Fogel ("Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son" '11, "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" (story) '19) plus a TV movie, based on a story by Brian Lynch and Fogel. Even though the experience with this writer is limited, he was definitely able to pull off an effectively funny script. The writing of the Lego movies has always been the best aspect of those films, being written in such a 'tongue and cheek' way. I wouldn't call this 'tongue and cheek', however it clearly kept the story on that hilarious roller coaster which makes for great summer escapism. Other than a couple of small areas of inconsistencies, this story was spot on.  And, of course, the animation by Illumination Studios was amazingly creative.

If you love this particular franchise, you'll love this. It has it all: humor, adventure, while showing us that we need one another more than we know. It was also presented in an IMAX format to give it that up, close and personal feeling. Enjoy this little gem. Kids will love it!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: PG                                                87mins.