Deadpool & Wolverine

There are a plethora of franchises out there to choose from. And as many as there are franchises, there are almost as many 'comic book film' franchises. Both "Deadpool" and "Wolverine" have garnered there own franchises, so when Marvel Studios, who needs a hit big time, saw the potential of these two box-office franchises, they jumped at the chance to use them which turns out to be the incarnation of "Deadpool & Wolverine".

A listless Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his home world faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to combat a threatening enemy, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). As the two heroes combat each other in their respective reluctance of teaming together, their world, as they know it, starts to crumble around them. So, do they mend their ways, or continue to see their world crumble even more?

Others to round out the cast are Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Paradox, Rob Delaney as Peter , Chris Evans as Johnny, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Aaron Stanford as Pyro, Tyler Mane as Sabretooth and Karan Soni as Dopinder. 

This was directed with humor, grit and tons of action by film veteran, Shawn Levy (""Address Unknown" '97, "Just in Time" '97, "Big Fat Liar" '02, "Just Married"'03, "Cheaper By the Dozen" '03, "The Pink Panther" '06, "Night at the Museum" '06, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" '09, "Date Night" '10, "Real Steel" '11, "The Internship" '13, "This is Where I Leave You" '14, "Night at the Museum" Secret of the Tomb" '14, "Free Guy" '21, "The Adam Project" '22) plus TV, many TV movies, a music video and a short. Even though this filmmaker typically gravitates toward the comedy genre, he has been able to transition to action with a comedic flavor with relative ease, which makes him more marketable, as with this film. Per his resume, he certainly knows his way around a big-budget film, hence his 'Night at the Museum' franchise. And the fact he is versed at handling franchises, he was a perfect director for this. He certainly was able to bring his characters, especially that of Deadpool and Wolverine over-the-top in tour-de-force performances of both actors. It was interestingly written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Shawn Levy, based on characters created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza. After seeing this film, and delving into the research on these writers, I have concluded that the screenplay should've been written only by Reese and Wernick, considering their vast amount of experience. The others have some theatrical experience, however not as much. This was a clear issue of too many hands in the pot. Although the premise was an interesting one, definitively, the execution was simply too disjointed and meandered in many places. The story could've been based on Reynolds, Wells and Levy, but usually a film written by more than two writers typically becomes convoluted and confusing. Also, considering there were a number of time paradoxes and multiple universes involved, made it equally confusing. A film truly needs to have a seasoned writer (or two) to comprise solely the writing. Disney and Marvel Studios clearly needs to learn from this. Think "Dr. Strange: Multiple Universes", which was horribly written. The best part of the writing was that the writers made this film in a, sort of, parody referencing to Disney and Marvel within the confines of the script which made it tolerable. And, last but not least, the four-letter expletives were aplenty--way too gratuitous. Every other aspect of the film was great--photography, editing, sound, visuals, stunts, costumes, etc. And the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless as they typically are. 

If you like either of these characters or even the 'comic book' genre, you'll revel, but if you're looking for more, this is a bit disappointing. I certainly wish the best for Reynolds who starred, co-wrote and co=produced this, however, not sure, through word-of-mouth this will do well. The demographic for this film fare is the 18-34 year-old demographic, so who knows, it could still fare well. If you like that up, close and personal feel, this is presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2                                     Rated: R                                     128mins.

Twisters

When "Twister" was released back in 1996, it was considered to be the film of the year as far as an adrenaline rush. Well, now we have "Twisters" which puts a whole new meaning on the term adrenaline. This isn't a sequel or remake of its predecessor, however the story is somewhat similar.

As storm season intensifies, the paths of former storm chaser Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), lured back by a former team storm chaser Javi (Anthony Ramos) back to the open plains after a devastating encounter years prior, and reckless social-media superstar Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) collide when terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. The pair and their competing teams, including Boone (Brandon Perea), Lily (Sasha Lane), Addy (Kienan Shipka), Scott (David Corenswet) and others, find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

Others to round out the cast are Maura Tierney as Cathy, Kate's mom, Harry Hadden-Paton as Ben, a journalist, Daryl McCormack as Jeb, Nik Dodani as Praveen, Tunde Adebimpe as Dexter, Katy O'Brian as Dani and David Dorn as Riggs. 

This was directed with grit and an amazing adrenaline punch by Lee Isaac Chung ("Munyurangabo" '07, "Lucky Life" '10, "Abigail Harm" '12, "I Have Seen My Last Born" (co-directed) '15, "Minari" '20) plus TV and shorts. Once this filmmaker won the Oscar for best directing for the film "Minari", he has definitely carved himself his own niche as a talented, creative director, and it is certainly showcased here. The sequencing and pacing was consummate, and the actors playing their respective roles simply nailed their characters, and this is fine directing. It was also penned well by seasoned writer Mark L. Smith ("Seance" '06, "Vacancy" '07, "Vacancy 2: The First Cut" '08, "The Hole" '09, "Martyrs" '15, "The Revenant" '15, "Overlord" '18, "The Midnight Sky" '20, "The Marsh King's Daughter" '23, "The Boys in the Boat" '23), based on a story by Joseph Kosinski, which is based on characters created by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin. This was definitely a different premise, although handled in a similar way of this film's predecessor. This film has incredible clarity in the combination of visual effects and story.As with "Twister", "Twisters" visual effects were seamlessly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic). I saw this film in 4DX, which is a format in which you see, feel and react to. It's quite the ride. It is also presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Certainly if you like the original "Twisters", you'll really like this. One definitely has to see this film on the large screen preferably in 4DX or IMAX. The film pulls out all the stops and throws everything at you , so of course, it looks great in a much larger format. Enjoy this roller coaster ride--I know I did! 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG-13                                         122mins.

Fly Me to the Moon

I'm usually not into romantic comedies because of their predictability and banal screenplays, however after viewing "Fly Me to the Moon", it put a little more faith in my opinion of the genre. If I had to akin this film with another, that would have to be 1977's "Capricorn One" whereas this film was simply a lighter, more comical version of the drama that "Capricorn One" brought us. 

This is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing on July 16, 1969. Brought in to fix NASA's public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) hired by government official, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's (Channing Tatum) already a difficult task. He is in charge of getting that moon rocket off the ground and sent to the moon and back safely, and with one issue after another, he feels like he doesn't need yet another person to deal with. So, when the White House deems the mission too important to potentially fail, the countdown truly begins...

Others to round out the cast are Ray Romano as Henry Smalls, Jim Rash as director Lance Vespertine, Anna Garcia as Ruby Martin, Donald Elise Watkins as Stu Bryce, Noah Robbins as Don Harper, Christian Clemenson as Walter, Colin Woodell as Buzz Aldrin, Nick Dillenburg as Neil Armstrong, Christian Zuber as Michael Collins and Joe Chrest as Senator Vanning. 

This was hilariously directed by Greg Berlanti ("The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" 2000, "Life as We Know It" '10, "Love, Simon" '18) plus TV. This film was certainly within this director's wheelhouse, however, this definitely was a bit more involved than the normal romcom, so that was encouraging. His ability to be able to intertwine his actors within the story was surely effective and entertaining. It was duly well written by newcomer Rose Gilroy. Even though there was a bit of choppiness within the script so the continuity was slightly off, it certainly wasn't enough to throw the story off. I have to admit, with the running time spanning two and a quarter hours, it definitely moved right along and kept my attention throughout. This premise obviously didn't happen, but it does make for great fodder to work from when it comes to this film with the idea of "What if...? The chemistry worked between Johansson and Tatum as was the Harrelson's portrayal of the sleazy government official. 

This is a great summer romp--something that one expects to see as funny summer fare. It definitely is worth the price of admission to the multiplex. Lots of great funny lines and quirky, over-the-top characters. Have fun with this. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: PG-13                                   132mins.

 

Thelma

Every summer we are offered a small handful of independent films to break up the barrage of highly touted big-budget and animated, commercial films. After a while, it is certainly refreshing to see something new as a bit different to break things up. So, now we are offered "Thelma", a small film about an elderly lady not letting herself become abused just because of her advanced age. This telling story is not only helmed well, but has a screenplay that is crafted with expertise. 

When 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she and her friend, Ben (Richard Roundtree) sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her--$10,000 bucks! Since her family, especially her daughter, Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law,Alan (Clark Gregg) wouldn't understand what she had to do, she simply had to take matters into her own hands. Her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger), although understood her and loved her tremendously, didn't have the guts to assist her in her trek, so what's a 93-year-old to do?

Others to round out the cast are Malcolm McDowell as Harvey, Aidan Fiske as Michael, Bunny Levine as Mona, Quinn Beswick as Colin, Nicole Byer as Rochelle, Chase Kim as Detective Morgan and Sheila Korsi as Gloria 'Annie'.

This was directed with wit and pathos by newcomer behind the camera, Josh Margolin (a short). This was a comedy that wasn't a 'belly laugh' film, however was very funny and yet dramatic where it fit. He was truly able to encourage his actors to exude just the perfect emotions to convince the audience, especially that of Squibb. It was also brilliantly written by Josh Margolin ("Deep Murder" '19) plus TV and shorts. This filmmaker is a relative newcomer when it comes to behind the camera, but has an extensive resume as an actor stemming from 2007. This obviously served him in both the writing and directing. The writing was sequential, cohesive, concise and staged perfectly. Even the editing, which he also did, was incredibly cut with expertise. Is this pro a natural? Not sure, but if this is what we reveled with, I can't wait to see what he writes and directs next. And be rest assured, there will be a next time. 

If you need a break from all the big commercial films out there being offered during this season, this is the film for you, especially if you're a baby boomer or older. This shows that just because one becomes that 'certain age', doesn't mean they simply retire from life and caring about anything or one. The chemistry between Squibb as Thelma and Hechinger, her grandson is incredibly endearing as well.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                      98mins.

Despicable Me 4

As mentioned in prior reviews, this being the summer film season, it's mostly comprised of big-budget films, sequels, prequels, franchises, etc. Well, for the last 14 years, the animated flick  'Despicable Me' franchise has graced our theaters finally releasing its fourth film appropriately titled "Despicable Me 4"replete with Gru, Lucy, the Minions and all.

Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan) welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and soon the family is forced to go under agency protection of Maxime finding out where his family is located. So, they take some of the minions (Pierre Coffin) with them and the rest are housed with the agency for safe keeping. Will Gru et al be able to combat Maxime and be able to put him in prison?

Others to round out the cast are Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Joey King as Poppy Prescott, Steve Coogan as Silas, Chris Renaud as Principal Ubelschlecht, Stephen Colbert as Perry Prescott, John DiMaggio as Bus Driver, Chloe Fineman as Patsy Prescott and Laraine Newman as Melora. 

This was directed with whimsy, humor and heart by Chris Renaud ("Despicable Me" '10, "The Lorax" '12, "Despicable Me 2" '13, "The Secret Life of Pets" '16, "The Secret Life of Pets 2" '19) plus videos, and co-directed by Patrick Delage (shorts). As with the other installments of this franchise, this sequel was sequenced, paced and staged well. It truly helps to have the same director on each installment so as to keep the same feel as it traverses from film to film. This filmmaker definitely knows what an animated flick is all about. Even though Renaud had the lion's share of the directing experience, Patrick Delage definitively was able to add creative input as well. It was effectively well written by Mike White ("Dead Man on Campus" '98, "Chuck & Buck" 2000, "Orange County" '02, "The Good Girl" '02, "School of Rock" '03, "Nacho Libre" '06, "Year of the Dog"'07, "Mamma Dallas" (TV movie) '16, "Beatriz at Dinner" '17, "The Emoji Movie" '17, "Brad's Status" '17, "Pitch Perfect 3" '17, "The One and Only Ivan" '20, "Migration" '23) plus TV and Ken Daurio ("Bubble Boy" '01, "42K" '01, "The Santa Clause 2" '02, "Horton Hears a Who!" '08, "College Road Trip" '08, "Despicable Me" '10, "Hop" '11, "The Lorax" '12, "Despicable Me 2" '13, "The Secret Life of Pets" '16, "Despicable Me 3" '17, "The Secret Life of Pets 2" '19, "Migration" (additional writing) '23) plus TV and videos. Even with all the experience these writer's hold, this story still had a small amount of time and difficulty in finding their premise, however once they did, this screenplay simply took off and became the story it was attempting to be. Tying the newbie villain in Poppy to the super villain Maxime took some time, but finally once it took root, it fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Otherwise, the writing, character development, and humor was spot on--very entertaining. Illumination Studios' animation and computer graphics were perfect. The minions also, as usual, were a hoot. 

Certainly if you like this franchise, you'll revel with this, however one doesn't have to be a fan of it to enjoy this. This is a great family film with a great message that all will appreciate. If you like that up, close and personal feeling, it's also shown in an IMAX format. Grab the popcorn, because this flick is cute!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: PG                                       94mins.

Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 1

Westerns have been a staple genre of Hollywood since the inception of film making, so there have been a plethora produced. Kevin Costner has acted and directed a number of westerns, so is no newcomer to this genre, so when I had realized that he had acted in and directed "Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 1", I had to view it, and it was worthy of its 3 hour running time.

This chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west. Explore the lure of the Old West and how it was won and lost through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, embark on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes, including Hayes Ellison (Kevin Costner), Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller), Lt. Trent Gephart (Sam Worthington), Ellen Harvey (Jena Malone), Pickering (Giovanni Ribisi), Marigold (Abbey Lee), Taklishim (Tatanka Means), and others, all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America. 

Others to round out the cast are Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay, Ella Hunt as Juliette Chesney, Tim Quinee as James Kittredge, Danny Houston as Col. Albert Houghton, Michael Rooker as Sgt. Maj. Thomas Riordan, Georgia MacPhail as Elizabeth Kittredge, Luke Wilson as Matthew Van Weyden, Scott Haze as Elias Janney, Tom Payne as Hugh Proctor, Colin Cunningham as Chisholm, Will Patton as Owen Kittredge and Jim Lau as Mr. Hong.

This was directed with such grit, pathos, poignancy and grandeur by Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves" '90, "The Postman" '97, "Open Range" '03, "Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8-16-24). Not only was Costner able to encourage his actors to emit the most subtle of emotions, which is difficult to do, but he was truly talented in showcasing the raw grit of the pioneering west--everything from violent shootouts to showing the smallest of things proving that the old west was indeed difficult to traverse. This actor could easily hang up acting and continue with directing solo--he is that talented. He's one of those names I look for when it comes to fine directing. It was executed well by writers Jon Baird ("Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8-16-24) and Kevin Costner ("Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8=16-24) plus TV, based on a story by Jon Baird, Kevin Costner and Mark Kasdan. This was delineated with incredible character development where the audience truly could connect with so many of these individuals. The only mishap in this might be that it was a bit disjointed in a couple of small spots and it did experience a very small amount of slowness, otherwise this script was amazing. This story was comprised of several different territories and getting caught up with very different individuals and how all these people were going to make it in the settling of the west. As mentioned prior, Chapter 2 will continue this journey on August 16, 2024. Between the photography by J. Michael Muro and the sweeping score by John Debney, this production was simply captivating.

Before viewing this film, I had noticed that it received very mixed reviews, and I'm perplexed of why it did. What were these other critics looking for? I believe this film showcased the violent, grueling, exciting and difficult aspects of the history of America. We can truly thank these people , in many cases, of going through the hardships they did so we can have the easier way of life today. You've got to see this on the large screen just for the grandiose of the epic. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: R                                         181mins.