About My Father

Hollywood has probably produced as many comedy 'family meeting family' type films as they have comedies in general. Many have graced the big screen, i.e. "Meeting the Parents", The Proposal", "It's Complicated", "Butterflies are Free", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"  to mention a handful, so Hollywood felt it was time to offer us yet another 'family' film is the shape of "About My Father".

This film centers around Sebastian (Sebastian Maniscalco) who is encouraged by his fiancee Ellie (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father, Salvo (Robert De Niro) much to Sebastian's reluctance, to a 4th of July weekend get together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family, mom, Tigger (Kim Cattrall), dad, Bill (David Rasche), brother, Lucky (Anders Holm) and other brother, Doug (Brett Dier). The weekend develops into what can only be described as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family. 

Others to round out the cast are Adan Carrillo as young Sebastian, Navv Greene as TSA officer #1, Henry Pao as TSA officer #2, Colby Shinn as Brett and Jessie Camacho as Gloria. 

This was remarkably well directed by Laura Terruso ("Pits and Starts" '17, "Good Girls Get High" '18, "Work It" '20) plus TV, shorts and a video. I say remarkable since her experience isn't extensive. Some of the staging and pacing was a bit stiff, but her ability to encourage her actors to emit the emotions needed to convince the audience that these characters exist was spot on. Given more work behind the camera will only improve this filmmaker--certainly the TV and shorts have definitely helped her. It was surprisingly well written by virtual newcomer to feature films, Austen Earl (TV) and Sebastian Maniscalco (TV and TV specials). Considering this story is basically about Maniscalco's life presented in a narrative way from his beginnings as a child to his adulthood and his relationship with his father, Salvo, it certainly helped him in writing this, I'm sure Earl was pivotal with his input as well. Because both writers have only delved in the TV realm, this film took a bit of time to find itself, however once it did, it simply moved right along. It wasn't quite as funny as the trailer would dictate, but definitely was able to convey to its audience a certain amount of humor when needed. It would be interesting to see what these writers would be capable of given more feature film work. Time and opportunity will only tell. De Niro basically yawned his way through this film being the consummate pro that he is, but even the supporting cast was effective. 

Comedies are a mainstay of the Hollywood industry--some crafted well and others crafted poorly, but this having two unknown writers to feature films, it was definitely i nice film once it found its bearings. And like most comedies out there, it has a story with a nice ending tied with a nice bow, and isn't this the way we want to see most comedies?

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                              Rated: PG-13                                          90mins.

The Little Mermaid

When it comes to films in the arena of franchises, remakes, reboots, sequels and prequels, Disney Pictures is probably king. How many of their own animated films have been remade into live films? Let's see, there's "Jungle Book", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", "Mulan", and now we have "The Little Mermaid" as the offing this time around. Don't get me wrong, they are typically well crafted films, however unoriginal they may be. 

The youngest of King Triton's (Javier Bardem) daughters, and the most defiant and spirited, Aerial (Halle Bailey) longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Aerial must follow her heart. Subsequently, out of desperation, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), which gives her a chance to experience life on land. However, the deal is that she must kiss the prince passionately in three days or loses her voice to Ursula and becomes the witch's property. Agreeing with this ultimately places her life--and her father's crown--in jeopardy.

Others to round out the cast are Art Malik as Sir Grumsby, Noma Dumezweni as The Queen, Daweed Diggs as Sebastian (voice), Awkwafina as Scuttle (voice), Jacob Tremblay as Flounder (voice), Jessica Alexander as Vanessa, Martina Laird as Lashana, Emily Coates as Rosa, Christopher Fairbank as Hawkins and John Dagleish as Mulligan.

This was directed with the expertise we've come to expect from Rob Marshall (" Chicago" '02, "Memoirs of a Geisha" '05, "Nine" '09, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" '11, "Into the Woods" '14, "Mary Poppins Returns" '18) plus TV, TV specials and a video. Certainly when it comes to musicals, Marshall is a consummate pro--look at his impressive resume and you'll realize that he is incredible when it comes to the ability of editing the musical numbers within the dialogue with amazing precision. I never tire of this filmmaker's ability to create a musical with incredible panache and subsequently give his audience pure entertainment. It was effectively written by David Magee ("Finding Neverland"'04, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" '08, "Life of Pi" '12, "Mary Poppins Returns" '18, "Lady Chatterley's Lover" '22, "The School for Good and Evil" '22, "A Man Called Otto" '22). As with Disney and their other films redone from their animated formats, this film was incredibly delineated with perfect accuracy and was truly entertaining. The issues I really only have with this is the fact that there were a couple of places that were a bit slow which made it a bit long-in-the-tooth, and I couldn't help but notice that Prince Eric was obviously very white (caucasian), whereas his mother, the Queen was obviously very African-American or black which looked out of place. I kept observing and analyzing, and finally concluded that I couldn't see any white in one of them or black in the other. Both actors were effective thespians, but the casting was puzzling. Was it Disney being woke? I don't know, but casting is a very important element when it comes to the creation of any film. If you like this writer's brand, his "The Tiger's Apprentice" is in production for a 2024 release. The musical numbers were amazing in that the music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman were such a joy to relive. They even were able to have Lin-Manuel Miranda create some added new lyrics to the production. He was able to create work which obtained a similar feel of Ashman's original lyrics which is commendable. Even the film was dedicated to the memory of Howard Ashman at the end of the credits who actually passed away after he and Menken created the music for the animated "Aladdin". 

Certainly if you like Disney's other live action films based of their animated counterparts, you will definitely love this. It's entertaining, adventurous, humorous and exciting all the while having that infamous music one can hum right along with. This looks great on the large screen and is also presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG                                            135mins.

Fast X

When "The Fast and the Furious" was released in 2001, I thought it was just another summer flick replete with fast cars and hot chicks all for the younger guys out there. However, as more films were being released due to each one being a box office bonanza, they became more about 'family' and comraderie and less about the hot chicks. Sure, there is still an element of that, especially the fast cars--hence the name of the franchise--but it certainly proved me wrong and I have been the victor for it. Now, we have "Fast X", presumably the last in the franchise.

The end of the road begins. "Fast X", the tenth film in the 'Fast and Furious Saga', launches the final chapter's of one of cinema's most storied and popular global franchises,now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began. Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family, including Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), have outsmarted, out nerved and out driven every foe in their path. Now, they confront their most lethal opponent they ever faced, a terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who's fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything and everyone that Dom loves, forever. In 2011's "Fast Five" Dom and his crew took out nefarious Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes and decapitated his empire on a bridge in Rio De Janeiro. What they didn't know was that Reyes' son, Dante (Jason Momoa) witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price. Dante's plot will scatter Dom's family, also now including Jacob (John Cena), Dom's brother and Dom's son, little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son, Brian is the ultimate target of Dante's vengeance. 

Others to round out the cast are Jordana Brewster as Mia, Jason Statham as Shaw, Charlize Theron as Cipher, Sung Kang as Han, Helen Mirren as Queenie, Scott Eastwood as Mr. Nobody and Rita Moreno as Abuelita. This was directed with grit and heart-pounding intensity by Louis Leterrier ("The Transporter" '03, "Unleashed" '05, "Transporter 2" '05, "The Incredible Hulk" '08, "Clash of the Titans" '10, "Now You See Me" '13, "The Brothers Grimsby" '16, "The Takedown" '22) plus TV and music videos. By this filmmaker's very resume, he knows his way around a large production and what it takes to have his hand on every aspect of the production--from acting to stunts, from editing to photography, from music to visuals--you get the picture. And following other directors of this franchise, Leterrier was certainly able to extract similar emotions that other directors were able to extract which added to the same personas of these characters. Considering how long this franchise has lasted, it was amazingly written well by Dan Mazeau ("Wrath of the Titans" '12) and Justin Lin ("Shopping for Fangs" '97, "Better Luck Tomorrow" '02, "Finishing the Game" '07, "Hollywood Adventures" '15, "F9: The Fast Saga" '21), based on a story by Dan Maaeau, Justin Lin and Zach Dean, which is based on characters created by Gary Scott Thompson. Even though Mazeau received top billing in the credits and has the least amount of experience, I feel, because of Lin obtaining the lion's share of the experience, that he probably was a bit more pivotal in the creative input between the two. Were there flaws with this story? Sure, such as there was a bit of choppiness as they were going from present time to 10 years prior and back again, and that the fact there were so many situations that occurred in this were totally implausible, but take those out and there wouldn't be much of a story. Look, this film, like all of its predecessors, are total fantasy and pure escapism at its finest. This is what makes this franchise so entertaining and exhilarating in order to keep its audience glued to their seats, and I believe that since this franchise has been running since 2001, they've performed their job well. And the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Double Negative were creative and enhanced the story. Also the stunt coorfinators were about as much stars of this as the stars themselves. They were absolutely amazing. 

Certainly if you truly loved the other five films of this franchise, you'll love this, Like the others, it has it all: action, adrenaline, explosions, humor and a family message all the while keeping you entertained and glued to your seats for an excess of 2 hours. And, unless you've been under a rock, there will be a part 2 of this come 2025--it leaves its audience with quite the cliffhanger.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: PG-13                                          140mins.

BlackBerry

Biopics, especially those about the creation, design and politics behind inventions are intriguing to say the least. We've seen a number of them: "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" '88, "Steve Jobs" '15, "Flash of Genius" '08, to mention a few. What always interests me is how many obstacles these individuals must jump over in order to see their invention come to fruition. "BlackBerry" is yet another film where its creator jumps through multiple hoops before the product even gets off the ground.

"BlackBerry" tells the story of Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. The BlackBerry, actually the brainchild of Lazaridis and his best friend Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson), needed someone to get their idea off the ground, so Mike hired Balsillie, an executive that he and Doug were pitching the idea to, to help them with the managing, marketing and implementation of the phone, whereas Mike, Doug and their crew dealt with the design aspects. This rise and fall of the company reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway. 

Others to round out the cast are Cary Elwes as Carl Yankowski, Saul Rubinek as John Woodman, Michael Ironside as Charles Purdy, Rich Sommer as Paul, SungWon Cho as Ritchie, Laura Cilevitz as Shelly, Michelle Giroux as Dara and Mark Critch as Bettman. 

This was brilliantly orchestrated by director Matt Johnson ("The Dirties" '13, Operation Avalanche" '16) plus TV and a music video. The way this filmmaker was able to create a frenetic feel with these characters with such subtle nuances was amazing. He has acted in many films as a 'working actor', and since he doesn't have a ton of directing experience, perhaps he might take the plunge and start directing more films he acts in like other actors have ventured into? After this, he will undoubtedly receive more work. This was creatively written by Matt Johnson ("The Dirties" '13, "Operation Avalanche" '16) plus TV, and Matthew Miller ("Surviving Crooked Lake" '08) plus TV, shorts and story editor. Again, both of these writers do not really have a plethora of writing experience, since they do have a certain amount of TV experience, and with that, it had to have served them. The script was well thought out, cohesive and sequenced like the pros they are. Really, the only thing that I did question about this story was the fact that the name of the company, BlackBerry was never divulged. I'm not sure of why--maybe even the creators of the product really don't remember--not sure. Otherwise this script was delineated with such expertise and super clarity. 

This story of product invention and development was interesting, intriguing and informational especially if one is into this certain topic. I've always been intrigued with how businesses start and what they need and have to accomplish to sell an idea, service, product and the like to the general populace. The writing, directing and acting in this was consummate, and Baruchel could possibly receive a nod come Oscar time. We'll see.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: R                                         120mins.

Hypnotic

Films depicting the use of the mind, or having the power of controlling the mind have graced the multiplex for a while. "A Beautiful Mind", "Lawnmower Man", "Fantastic Voyage", "Memento", "Inception""Minority Report", "The Matrix", "Tenet" all come to mind when dealing with the power of the brain. These films have always peaked my interest, so when I realized that "Hypnotic" was being released, I just simply had to see where this particular film would be going with this subject matter, and conclusively? It bore a keen interest in the power of the mind. 

Determined to find his missing daughter, Minnie (Hala Finley), detective Danny Rourke (Ben Affleck) finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole investigating a series of reality bending crimes where he will ultimately call into question his most basic assumptions about everything and everyone in his world. Aided by Diana Cruz (Alice Braga), a gifted psychic hypnotic, Rourke simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal specter hypnotic, Dellrayne (William Richtner)--the one man he believes holds the key to finding his missing girl--only to discover more than he ever bargained for.

Others to round out the cast are JD Pardo as Nicks, Dayo Okenlyl as River, Jeff Fahey as Carl, Jackie Earle Haley as Jeremiah, Zane Holtz as Trout, Ruben Caballero as Watkins, Kelly Frye as Viv, Sandy Avila as Thelma and Ryan Ryusaka as Bong. 

This was directed with grit and intensity by veteran Robert Rodriguez ("El Mariachi" '92, "Desperado" '95, "From Dusk Till Dawn" '95, "Spy Kids" '01, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" '03, "Sin City" '05, "Planet Terror" '07, "Machete" '10, "Red II" '18, "Alita: Battle Angel" '19, "We Can Be Heroes" '20) plus others, TV, shorts and music videos. One aspect I can respect about Rodriguez is that he is certainly willing to tackle a film that is outside of his comfort zone. He can direct something as gratuitously violent as "Sin City", and then direct a project that's family oriented such as "Spy Kids". This film is more like the fare that we have come to expect from Rodriguez, however, his ability to encourage his actors to dig deep within to bring those emotions to the surface to convey to the audience is amazing. This was also written well by Robert Rodriguez ("El Mariachi" '92, "Desperado" '95, "Spy Kids" '01, "Sin City" '05, "Planet Terror" '07, "Machete" '10, "Red II" '18, "We Can Be Heroes" '20) plus others, TV, shorts and music videos, and Max Borenstein ("Swordswallowers and Thin Men" '03, "Godzilla" '14, "Kong: Skull Island" '17, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (story) '19, "Worth" '20, "Godzilla vs. Kong" '21) plus TV and a short. As with most other of Rodriguez's films, he typically has his hands involved in the writing. A good many filmmakers seem to be going that route today--of course,  Rodriguez has been doing this for a while. The premise to this film is intriguing in that I love the originality of the plot, however there were a few areas in this that weren't more fully explained. Considering that the running time was as short as it was, I understand that some aspects just had to be left for assumption. For instance, there is an secret organization called 'Dominique' that is a pivotal entity that needed more explanation. But, considering even this, again, I loved the originality of the story and how it became a bit of a mind bender, with an interesting twist as the story progresses. Obviously Rodriguez had the lion's share of the writing here, however Borenstein certainly had pivotal imput what with his background that was clearly original to that of Rodriguez's experience. It's a also good role for Affleck and Fichtner as the villain. 

If these type of films are of interest, then it will sure to please, but even if not, the twist that begins as the story unfolds undoubtedly keeps your attention and makes the ardent filmgoer wondering if these characters are ever going to survive this gig government organization. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                             Rated: R                                                   93mins.

Fool's Paradise

When it comes to the genre of comedy, my all-time favorite perspective of this part of the genre is the satirical comedy. that in-your-face, over-the-top, mocking someone or thing as it's reality, but, of course, it's not. There have been these comedies in the past, i.e. "State and Main", "Thank You for Smoking", the brilliant "Being There" and others. So now we have "Fool's Paradise" in the offing which, like other satires, is quite the commentary of where we are culturally.

This is a satirical comedy following a down-on-his-luck publicist, Lenny (Ken Jeong), who gets his lucky break when he discovers a man recently released from a mental health facility (Charlie Day) looks just like a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer. With the help of a powerful producer (the late Ray Liotta) he helps the man become a huge star, even marrying his beautiful leading lady, Christiana Dior (Kate Beckinsale). Their adventures lead them to cross paths with a drunken co-star, Chad Luxt (Afrien Brody), an irreverent unhinged action hero, Kyle Tyson (Common), an unpredictable director, Lex Tanner (Jason Sudeikis), a super-agent (Edie Falco) and a power-mad mogul, Ed Cote (John Malkovich). Fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be, and the two men must fight their way back to the things that matter the most. 

Others to round out the cast are Steve Coulter as Tony London, Jason Bateman as SPFX tech, Mary Elizabeth Ellis as makeup woman #1, Drew Droege as male hairdresser, Artemis Rebdoni as makeup woman #2, Leonora Pitts as script supervisor and Jimmi Simpson as talk show host.

This was directed with such feeling and awareness of his actors by Charlie Day. Amazingly, this actor hasn't directed anything including TV, shorts or videos which is difficult to believe, since the actors in this were incredible and their respective emotions were harnessed exactly where they needed to be, and this is insightful directing. Certainly Day has observed other directors he has worked with within the decades he has acted and it truly has paid off with this film. He directed his actors all the while he, himself played a dual role which is daunting for any seasoned filmmaker much less a filmmaker making his directorial debut. He will receive more work behind the camera. This was also interestingly written by Charlie Day ("Boldly Going Nowhere" (TV movie) '09) plus TV and a video. As I was viewing this film, I couldn't help but think of the 1979 film, "Being There" with the late Peter Sellers who played a 'simple' individual who was inadvertently placed in a situation where, because of his simpleness, had no way to correct people when they thought that he was so insightful. This film had a similar flavor to it as with "Being There". This certainly doesn't impune this film in that there are other important aspects that are very different in both films, such as one can speak and one cannot, one lived in a mansion taken care of and one was released from a mental health facility, one became involved with a political group of people and one became involved with a film crew. But the demeanor was amazingly similar where both characters were basically heartwarming which made them each poignant. Not only has Day proved his ability to direct, but his writing as well. Both "Being There" and this film, considering that there is a 4+ decades of time in between their respective release dates, it shows how much people can and are self absorbed and will make much ado out of nothing. Even in this film, the producer (Liotta) would shout much of the time to get him a latte pronto, that, after a point when he shouted that in Day's presence, someone heard that and assumed that the character Day played was named Latte Pronto. And, since Day's character didn't know to correct it, he just went with it. Were there flaws in this? Sure, but other than a couple of places of continuity issues, this story was amazing.

This was satire at its finest. If you like satire as I do, you'll love this. It has it all, humor, adventure, insightfulness, poignancy and light drama all the while being the social and cultural commentary that is riddled within this screenplay. It truly shows us how we can take something so easy and simple and make it so complex and confusing. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: R                                                 98mins.

Love Again

Romantic comedies or romcoms have been around for almost as long as the genre of comedy itself, and with that they are perennially as popular. I haven't seen all the romcoms released, but I've seen a good many, and typically they are predictable, fluffy and fairly mediocre. Because of their similarity, this genre has been attempting to re-invent itself with fairly different premises as with the case of "Love Again". 

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiance, John (Arinze Kene), Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number...not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns' (Sam Heughan) new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he's assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person...and win her heart. With the help of his work associates, including Billy Brooks (Russell Tovey) and Lisa Scott (Lydia West), will he be able to pull it off?

Others to round out the cast are Steve Oram as Richard Hughes, Sophia Barclay as Suzy Ray, Mira's sister, Omid Djalili as Mohsen "Mo", Celia Imrie as Gina Valentine and Nick Jonas as Joel, in a cameo role. 

This was efficiently and adequately directed by Jim Strouse ("Grace is Gone" '07, "The Winning Season" '09, "People Places Things" '15, "The Incredible Jessica James" '17). Even though romcoms aren't specifically the toughest genre to direct, this filmmaker was still able to convey to his audience a true concern for these two forlorn people that have come from past relationships that haven't ended well, but for very different reasons. They were conveyed in a real and captivating way, and with that, this director will keep delving into more projects. It was also interestingly written by Jim Strouse, which is based on a motion picture, "Text for You" by Andrea Wilson, Malte Welding, Karoline Herfurth, Sophie Kluge and Anika Decker. I've never seen the film that this film is based on, however, seeing that five writers were involved on creating that script leads me to believe that, since the decades I have been watching films, I've come to the belief that when there is more than two writers on the creation of a script, it has a tendency to become convoluded and bogged down. This being restructured by a single writer, I feel makes this an interesting film. Does this mean this was flawless? No, it had a few areas of slowness, but not enough to distract. And, in this day and age, using a smart phone and texting certainly makes it next millennium based. It being a romcom, it is predictable, but because of the unique plot and, as with other romcoms, it's not the originality your looking for as much as how these two finally get together and, as with others, live happily ever after. Both Chopra Jonas and Heughan have a very effective chemistry in this which makes you want to root for them that much more.

If you like romcoms, you will be in that heaven, but even if not, the chemistry between the two and the interesting premise should be enough to get you to the multiplex to see this predictable, however funny and effective love story. Because, whether we lose loved ones from death or a breakup, isn't it fitting that we can still have the opportunity to love again?

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                            Rated: PG-13                                       104mins.                                          

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

For the past nine years we have all grown to love the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, and since this is the last installment of that franchise, even though the original and Vol. 2 were awesome, this is perhaps the best of the trilogy. The reason being? The same cast, writer and director has everything to do with it. 

In this third installment, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), must rally his team, including Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff) et. al. around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them. Will they succeed, or will it all go down the drain in an admirable attempt?

Others to round out the cast are Vin Diesel as voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as voice of Rocket, Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Revolutionary, Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord, Maria Bakalova as voice of Cosmo the Spacedog, Sean Gunn as on-set Rocket and Austin Freeman as on-set Groot. 

As with the original and Vol. 2, this was directed brilliantly by James Gunn ("Slither" '06, "Super" '10, "Movie 43" (segment "Beezel") '13, "Guardians of the Galaxy" '14, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" '17, "The Suicide Squad" '21) plus TV, a TV short, videos and a short. Being the creator of the story of this, it's no wonder that Gunn would know exactly what it takes to motivate his actors when it comes to them extracting the emotions to pull the audience into their world. No other director could've pulled this off seeing as the comraderie between he and his actors are rock solid. It was also equally incredibly well written by James Gunn ("Tromeo and Juliet" '96, "The Specials" 2000, Thir13en Ghosts" '01, "Scooby-Doo" '02, "Dawn of the Dead" '04, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" '04, "LolliLove" (uncredited) '04, "Slither" '06, "Super" '10, "Movie 43" (segment "Beezel") '13, "Guardians of the Galaxy" '14, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" '17, "The Suicide Squad" '21) plus TV, shorts, video games and a video short. With all the obstacles that this production had to contend with: setbacks due to covid and the subsequent differences between Disney and Gunn, it is a testimony that this film was 1) made, and 2) was made with the quality it obtained. Because of the difference between Disney (who owns Marvel) and Gunn, Disney fired Gunn before principle photography was to start. Apparently, if it wasn't for a huge outcry from the public and a letter from the cast and crew of the production, Disney would've gotten another director/writer and it would've flopped. The differences were apparently political, and I really wish that companies (whether movies or anything else) would stow their politics so they do their job. Enough said about that. This script was cohesive, tight, concise and well thought out. But, considering this is Gunn's baby, it's no wonder it is as good as it is and will undoubtedly make a ton of money. And the visual effects predominantly created by Weta Digital, ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), Framestore and SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks) were incredible especially seeing them on a huge screen.

Certainly if you like the other two Guardians films, you'll love this one. It's probably the best of the trilogy as mentioned prior. This film is the reason why we all go to the movies: TO BE ENTERTAINED! Will this win any Oscars except for visuals come that time? Probably not, but who cares? This is the quintessential escapism film replete with action, humor, explosives, adrenaline all with a 'family' striving to stay together. Grab the popcorn and have fun with this. I sure did!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                           150mins.

Somewhere in Queens

Back in the 1990's, we all enjoyed a sitcom known as "Everybody Loves Raymond" which starred Ray Romano. And that being the uproarious comedy it was, I can't help but think about that sitcom while watching "Somewhere in Queens". Sure, that was a comedy, whereas this film is a drama/comedy, and this was definitely written better than the sitcom, however, they are both about dysfunction within an Italian-American family replete with loud and boisterous characters.

Leo Russo (Ray Romano) lives a simple life in Queens New York with his wife, Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son Matthew "Sticks" (Jacob Ward), and Leo's close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father Dominic "Pops" (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother Frank (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for "Sticks" high-school basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete. When the high-school senior gets a surprising and life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. But when sudden heartbreak threatens to derail "Sticks", Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path. 

Others to round out the cast are Sadie Stanley as Dani Brooks, Jennifer Esposito as Pamela Carmelo, Jon Manfrellotti as Petey, Geoffrey Owens as Scotty, P.J. Byrne as Ben Parson, Karen Lynn Gorney as Rose Marie, Erik Griffin as DJ Joey Bones, June Gable as Mama Russo and J.C. MacKenzie as Mr. Mack. 

This was surprisingly well directed by Ray Romano as his directorial debut. With all the work as actor in both TV and films, this actor must've been observing and learning from each director he's worked with, because this filmmaker is clearly a natural. Surely, he knows the subject matter being in a sitcom about dysfunctional families for years, however, that doesn't negate the ability he has to be able to get his actors to dig deep to find those emotions they obviously needed to bring up in order to convince the audience of the clear reality that was set here. It was written quite well by Ray Romano (TV) and Mark Stegemann (TV) in that considering the both of them have no feature film experience penning a script, this was equally amazing. Surely, they both have a good deal of TV writing experience, and this certainly served them well. Other than a couple of slow places that picked up after a point and some minor choppiness in the script, this screenplay was incredible. The nuances with the emotions went from a roller coaster ride to poignancy and back again which is very real in the real world, yet these writers were able to focus on such an amount of dysfunction that anyone could see that they might have someone in their family like a certain character in this film. These writers will receive more feature film work, as will Romano being behind the camera. 

This was a real tour de force for Romano as director as well as an incredible performance for Metcalf and both could receive Oscar nods come that time. This was a, sort of, dramatic "Everybody Loves Raymond", but with so much more depth. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                            Rated: R                                                 107mins.