F1: The Movie

Hollywood and fans have had a fascination with racing, whether it be car, horse or person, for decades of making films; the list is endless, however when seeing my first trailer of "F1: The Movie"I knew it was going to be a film to contend with--and I was right. This quintessential underdog film ultimately becomes the stand up and cheer film which we all love.

Dubbed "the greatest that never was", Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1's most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he's a nomadic racer for hire when he's approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving this team and being the best in the world. He'll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team's hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny's past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition--and then the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone. 

Others to round out the cast are Kerry Condon as Kate McKenna, a race car designer, Tobias Menzies as Peter Banning, Sarah Niles as Bernadette Pearce, Joshua's mom, Samson Kayo as Cash, Kim Bodnia as Kaspar Smolinski, Will Merrick as Nickleby, Joseph Balderrama as Fazio, Callie Cooke as Jodie, Abdul Salis as Dodge and Simon Kunz as Don Cavendish. 

This was directed with grit, excitement all at a grandiose pace by Joseph Kosinski ("Tron: Legacy" '10, "Oblivion" '13, "Only the Brave" '17, "Top Gun: Maverick" '22, "Spiderhead" '22) plus videos, music videos and a short.  After his stint on the film "Top Gun: Maverick", I clearly had no doubt of this director's ability to direct this film. His sequencing, cohesiveness and his ability to keep a large production in check is amazing. Of course, the film is part based on his story, this was still helmed in such a way that the film was incredibly fluid. It was equally well penned by seasoned writer, Ehren Kruger ("Killed in the House" (TV movie) '98, "Arlington Road" '99, "New World Disorder" '99, "Scream 3" 2000, "Reindeer Games" 2000, "Impostor" '01, "The Ring" '02, "The Ring Two" '05, "The Skeleton Key" '05, "The Brothers Grimm" '05, "Blood and Chocolate" '07, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" '09, "Transformers: Age of Extinction" '14, "Tin Man" (TV movie) '14, "Ghost in the Shell" '17, "Dumbo" '19, "Top Gun: Maverick" '22) plus TV and videos, based on a story by Joseph Kosinski and Ehren Kruger. What makes this writer so prolific is that one cannot pigeon-hole him since his resume is as diverse as it is. The sequencing in this film was amazing and the the story simply fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle. It exceeded two and a half hours, and I didn't even feel it--it absolutely moved right along. As aforementioned, this was an underdog flick, replete with characters coming to grips with their issues and finding redemption through them, trials, success and much more. The cinematography by Claudio Miranda asc ("Life of Pi" '12, "Tomorrowland" '15, "Only the Brave" '17, "Top Gun: Maverick" '22) and others, was crisp and concise--certainly one professional Kosinski has used more than once.

What also made this film rock was that I also viewed it in the 4DX process--where the seats shake and there's wind synchronized together to give one quite the ride, and it was filmed in IMAX, although you can view it on a regular screen. This film rocked. It was the reason we go to see films in the theater so as to be entertained!!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: PG-13                                        156mins.

The Unholy Trinity

Back in the day, the western genre was very popular--many were made, but as the decades unfolded, so did the genre's popularity. Then, as certain things recycle, the genre became a 'thing' back in the late 80s to early 90s. We've seen a number of them--some good and others not so good. Of recent , westerns have waned a bit, but if something comes along, it could be profitable. "The Unholy Trinity" has been fairly panned, however after seeing it, I felt it truly worked more than others gave it credit. 

This story promises to deliver an exciting blend of action, suspense and western grit with an all-star ensemble ready to capture audiences this summer. A tale of revenge, dark secrets and buried treasures, the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1888 Montana Territory. It picks up in the moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway (Tim Daly), as he gives his estranged son, Henry (Brandon Lessard), an impossible task: murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn't commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town, and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove (Pierce Brosnan), the town's upstanding new sheriff, and a mysterious figure named St. Christopher (Samuel L. Jackson).

Others to round out the cast are Veronica Ferres as Sarah Dove, the sheriff's wife, Gianni Cabaldi as Gideon, Q'orianka Kilcher as Running Club, Katrina Bowden as Julia, Beau Knapp as Asa Benton, Ethan Peck as Sam Scarborough, David Arquette as Father Jacob and Paris Brosnan as Thomas.

This was directed with grit and realism by Richard Gray ("Fish Out of Water" (TV movie) '07, "Summer Coda" '10, "Mine Games" '12, "Blinder" '13, "The Lookalike" '14, "Sugar Mountain" '16, "Broken Ghost" '17, "Robert the Bruce" '19, "Murder at Yellowstone City" '22) plus TV and shorts. The way this filmmaker was able to put his actors in such compromising situations was brilliant and gave that feeling as though we were seeing real life instead of a film. His pacing and staging was certainly strong as was the photography by Thomas Scott Stanton. It was executed well by writer Lee Zachariah ("Election 2007: Countdown to a Letdown" (TV movie) '07) plus TV and shorts. Even though this writer has limited experience, especially this being his first feature film in the writing category, it was still a suspenseful and amazingly gritty story surely to hold the audience's attention. The way that there were a couple of different subplots involved, by films end they did ultimately connect whereas it made one wonder beforehand. Was it flawless? No, there were a couple of places of continuity issues and some cohesiveness issues as well, but certainly not enough to detract from the interest this film had. This writer has potential given he is handed more work to hone his talent. 

If you can appreciate or even love westerns, this will be the film for you. The performances by Brosnan, Jackson and Lessard were well cast and strong. Certainly Jackson must've yawned through this role since he does many of these types of characters: nice guy, but proves to be untrustworthy in the end--a sort of anti-hero. And I personally have never heard of Lessard--possibly does TV which I typically don't keep up with, but was very convincing. This is definitely worth the price of admission for sure!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: R                                               95mins.

28 Years Later

When "28 Days Later" was released back in 2002, it was one of those many apocalyptic films that was fairly popular for its day, although Danny Boyle directing, simply made the film sing. Well, it's now been 22 years later and we are offered "28 Years Later" which was equally well directed by the incomparable Danny Boyle.

It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When two of the group leaves the island, Jimmy (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams), on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, they discover secrets, wonders and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. After a point, young Spike decides to take his sick mom, Isla (Jodie Comer) to see if he can find a doctor he's heard of on the mainland, Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) to see if he can heal his mom, without the knowledge of anyone, including his dad. And they end up getting more than they bargained for. 

Others to round out the cast are Rocco Haynes as young Jimmy, Jack O'Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal, Edvin Ryding as Erik, Christopher Fulford as Sam, Haley Flaherty as Jimmy's aunty and Harriet Taylor as Jimmy's cousin Delilah.

This was clearly well dissected and delineated by director Danny Boyle ("Shallow Grave" '94, "Trainspotting" '96, "A Life Less Ordinary" '97, "The Beach" 2000, "28 Days Later" '02, "Millions" '04, "Sunshine" '07, "Slumdog Millionaire" '08, "127 Hours" '10, "Trance" '13, "Steve Jobs" '15, "T2 Trainspotting" '17, "Yesterday" '19) plus TV, TV movies, a music video and a short. Considering this filmmaker's resume, it's no wonder that this was precisely directed with such intensity that crept up on the audience in such a subtle way that, after a point, it takes one by surprise. It was executed well by writer Alex Garland ("28 Days Later" '02, "Sunshine" '07, "Never Let Me Go" '10, "Dredd" '12, "Ex Machjna" '14, "Annihilation" '18, "Men" '22, "Civil War" '24, "Warfare" '25) plus TV, music videos and novels. Since this writer has been involved in other Boyle's projects, including this film, undoubtedly was the obvious choice to write this film. Certainly it was strongly written, but other than a couple of places that were slightly inconsistent and some issues of continuity, this was the film that anyone that is a fan of this franchise would expect. I really don't think that Boyle could get any other writer that could follow his way of thinking than Garland. Even though there was a good deal of gore (hey, it's a zombie film), it was still toned down a bit. In my opinion, I feel that creating this premise as being its root being a virus makes this even more 'believable', instead of it being just another horror film, kind of like "World War Z". 

Certainly if you like zombie films, or more to the point, this film's predecessor, you will revel with this next installment. It has all a fan would expect, and best of all, Danny Boyle directs. And with that, how bad could this be? Could there be a sequel? Not sure, but it does leave the audience with wondering.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                          Rated: R                                         115mins.

Elio

When Pixar Animation Studios produced their first feature film completed designed by computer back in 1995, who knew that it would become the phenomena of the year. Actually, it has produced animated feature films for the past 30 years with an incredible track record. We've seen "Toy Story", "Monsters Inc.", "A Bud's Life", "Up", "Onward", "Brave", "Cars", "The Incredibles", "Inside Out" "WALL-E", "Soul" to mention a handful. So now we are offered "Elio" to revel with.

Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) is an 11-year old who doesn't feel like he fits in on Earth. He loves his Aunt Olga Solis (Zoe Saldana), and he knows she loves him too, but she doesn't really get him. Obsessed with space, Elio's favorite pastime is trying to make contact with with aliens. He desperately wants to get abducted, so he's over the moon, literally, when he's beamed up to a special place in space where planetary leaders convene. Mistaken for the leader of Earth, Elio will do anything to prove his worth, even if it means spearheading negotiations with a slightly crazed space warrior, Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett). As Elio attempts to negotiate with Grigon, Elio ends up meeting Grigon's young son, Gordon (Remy Edgerly) which he and Elio become fast friends, So, at least Elio feels he has some help. 

Others to round out the cast are Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, Brandon Moon as Ambassador Helix, Dylan Gilmer as Bryce, Jake Getman as Caleb, Matthias Schweighoffer as Ambassador Tegman and Ana de la Reguera as Ambassador Turais.

This was incredibly well paced and staged by directors Madeline Sharafian ("2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation" '21), Domee Shi ("Turning Red" '22) plus a short and Adrian Molina ("Coco" (co-directed) '17) plus a short. This is where the more people involved, the better, since then they are able to cover effectively the many aspects of this animated marvel. There is so much going on that three directors are warranted. These filmmakers don't have a plethora of feature film experience, but they actually pulled this off. It was cleverly written by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones, based on a story by Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Julia Cho. As with the directors of this film, the writers also don't have extensive feature film experience, but what they lack in experience, they more than made up for quality. These writers will undoubtedly receive more work, In fact, not to give any spoilers, this movie leaves its audience with the possibility of a sequel, and we would be the victors for it. Their sequencing, cohesiveness and originality makes for great storytelling, and Pixar Studios animation is, as usual, remarkable. 

If you're a fan of Pixar, you'll love this. It has that amazing feeling one gets after seeing one of their films. It's original, fresh and just plain FUN. I've said it before and I'll say it again, how do those guys at Pixar do it?

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

 

Hpw to Train Your Dragon

When Dreamworks Animation released "How to Train Your Dragon" back in 2010, I actually thought it would be one film and that would be the end of it. However, it produced two sequels, and, after enough years, it was then made into a live version. This version "How to Train Your Dragon" has been so popular, a sequel of this live version is in pre production for a 2027 release.

As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup (Mason Thames), an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together. Hiccup clearly doesn't have the heart to kill a dragon, like a good Viking much to the chagrin of his forceful father, the chief of the tribe, Stoick (Gerard Butler). So, in order to attempt to convince his dad to understand him, he enlists other Vikings namely Astrid (Nico Parker) and Gobber (Nick Frost) to help convince.

Others to round out the cast are Gabriel Howell as Snotlout, Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, Brownwyn James as Ruffnut, Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut, Murray McArthur as Hoark, Peter Serafinowicz as Spitelout, Naomi Wirthner as Gothi, Ruth Codd as Phlegma and Andrea Ware as Burnheart. 

This was directed with familiarity with a  recognizable style by Dean DeBlois ("Lilo & Stitch" '02, "Sigur Ros: Heima" '07, "How to Train Your Dragon" '10,"How to Train Your Dragon 2" '14, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" '19, "Ten" '22) plus a video. I say familiarity due to the fact that this director also directed the animated version, so the similarity followed suit.This certainly was helpful in order to keep that same feel with this version which made it that much easier to follow. It was also written by Dean BeBlois ("How to Train Your Dragon" '10, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" '14, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" '19, "Lilo & Stitch" '25) plus TV, video games, a video and a short, based on Dreamworks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" by Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, which is based on the book by Cressida Cowell. Again, the writing was, obviously, familiar, but this is positive, especially since it's been a while since the last sequel. The casting was credible, especially that of Thames as Hiccup and Butler as Stoick. The sweeping music by John Powell was engaging and captivating. And, of course, the visual effects by Framestore were seamless and truly added to the story. It was shot and presented in IMAX, but you can view it on a traditional screen as well. 

If you liked and appreciated Dreamworks Animation's version of this story, you'll love this version. It will be interesting to see the sequel of this in 2027. It's the quintessential summer flick, so grab the popcorn with this. What a Ride!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: PG                                          125mins.

The Phoenician Scheme

When it comes to the world of Wes Anderson, one has to conclude that a film is going to be original--unlike so many films out there. Another very original filmmaker out there is M. Night Shyamalan whereas everyone of his films are original. Original doesn't always equate with quality or likability, however original is something Hollywood has all but abandoned. We now have been handed "The Phoenician Scheme" and again, it's quirky and weird, but original.

Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) appoints his only daughter, Liesl, (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. There are some that attempt in assisting him, such as Bjorn (Michael Cera), Leland (Tom Hanks) and Marty (Jeffrey Wright), but is there assistance simply a ploy in order to rid of Korda? He's constantly in plane crashes and seemingly never dies, so who, if anyone, is responsible for that? The story is laid out in particular segments showcasing all these individuals in cahoots to bring Kurda down. 

Others to round out the cast are Bryan Cranston as Reagan, Mathieu Amalric as Marseille Bob, Richard Ayoade as Segio, Scarlett Johansson as Cousin Hilda, Benedict Cumberbatch as Uncle Nubar, Rupert Friend as Excalibur, Hope Davis as Mother Superior, Bill Murray as God, Stephen Park the pilot and Willem Dafoe as Knave. 

This was directed with originality and weirdness by Wes Anderson ("Bottle Rocket" '96, "Rushmore" '98, "The Royal Tenenbaums" '01, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou '04, "The Darjeeling Limited" '07,"Fantastic Mr. Fox" '09, "Moonrise Kingdom" '12, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" '14, "Isle of Dogs" '18, "The French Dispatch" '21, "Asteroid City" '23) plus shorts, videos and music videos. Anderson certainly has that distinct style to his films with not only the photography, but the production design and even the acting where his actors implement a 'dead pan' look to themselves as they say their lines. His staging and pacing is spot on and is again, similar from film to film. This film was also executed well by writer Wes Anderson (See above resume), based on a story by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. Anderson, like Shyamalan, and others, write their own films which creates more continuity and strength. I'm not expressly an Anderson fan, however I can surely respect his work in that it is fresh and original. A fair amount of his storylines are odd and bizarre, hence the originality, and they are bent with paranoid characters, but certainly I have appreciated many of his works. This had some places of slowness and inconsistencies which made it a bit difficult to wade through. 

It is evident that when these actors convene to make any Anderson film, they come across as though they are truly enjoying themselves, and this comes across to the audience in spades. Surely, Anderson has a strong following and that is encouraging, because this means that there are moviegoers that are into something different than the typical sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, franchises, installments and the like, and that is definitively encouraging. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: PG-13                                    101mins.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

When the first 'John Wick' waltzed into theaters back in 2014, I really thought it wouldn't ignite certainly enough to produce the many films that it did. Since then, I have been intrigued with the franchise mostly because of Keanu Reeves and its director Chad Stahelski--a well renown stunt coordinator. Now, we have "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina" to grasp a hold of.

Taking place during the events of "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum", the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Before all this, she is protected by her father, Javier (David Castaneda) since he was entrenched in a tribe (almost a cult) of assassins. He did not want his daughter to belong to it, so he attempted to leave while being followed. The daughter, young Eve (Victoria Comte) unfortunately witnessed his death and subsequently was enlisted by Winston (Ian McHane) to be trained. She, as an adult, goes on a killing spree to avenge the death of her father only after the Director of the organization (Anjelica Huston) attempts to get her to stand down since she and the leader of the tribe she's after, the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) have an understanding of not interfering into each other's personal affairs. So the Director hires John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to find her and gets her to stop even if her death has to be an option. What happens now?

Others to round out the cast are Catalina Sandino Moreno as Lena, Ava McCarthy as Ella, Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine, Juliet Doherty as Tatiana, Lance Reddick as Charon, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Nogi and Robert Maaser as Dex. 

Even though Chad Stahelski didn't direct this installment, it was still directed with intense grit by Len Wiseman ("Underworld" '03, "Underworld: Evolution" '06, "Live Free or Die Hard" '07, "Total Recall" '12) plus TV, videos and music videos. Certainly by reading this filmmaker's resume, one could come to the realization that he was in his comfort zone. Being one of the producers of this film, Stahelski certainly held on to his creative control, but it was still Wisemans' expertise to provide to his audience the similar feel of the characters that were created, and this isn't easy to do. The energy was electric and defining. It was also well written by Shay Hatten ("John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" '19, "(Future) Cult Classic" '19, "Army of the Dead" '21, "Army of Thieves" '21, "Shift" '22, "John Wick: Chapter 4" '23, "Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire" '23, "Rebel Moon - Part 2: The Scargiver" '24), based on characters created by Derek Kolstad. One of the best aspects of this franchise is to implement many of the same people to produce each installment so as to create fluidity from one film to the next. Even though Wick supposedly died in the last film, this, as the plot indicates, takes place during installment three, so it makes this possible. The only issue I might have with is that it was just a bit too long-in-the-tooth. And there were a couple of places where it would've made more sense to do something another way, but then the movie would be considerably shorter, otherwise this film simply rocked. The stunts by supervising stunt coordinator Stephen Dunlevy were incredible and precise in every way. 

Certainly if you liked the previous 'John Wick' films, you'll revel with. It is fairly predictable, but so is the character of  Wick. It has it all: drama, high-adrenaline, explosiveness and even some humor to round out the story and add some comic relief. It's also offered in an IMAX format as well for that up close and personal feel. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                          125mins.