Avatar: Fire and Ash

When this franchise started with "Avatar" back in 2009, who knew it would become the blockbuster it turned out to be? Since then, we have seen "Avatar: The Way of Water" in 2022, and now we are offered "Avatar: Fire and Ash", which neither are as fresh and original as their predecessor, but certainly a worthy effort. 

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) his wife Neytiri's (Zoe Saldana) family grapples with grief after Neteyam's (Jamie Flatters) death, encountering a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang (Oona Chaplin) as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges. As a team, will the Sully family along with the Na'vi tribe be able to combat the Sky People, as they have become to be known as, headed up by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), General Ardmore (Edie Falco) and Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) in a fight for the existence of the people of Pandora?

Others to round out the cast by Kate Winslet as Ronal, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, CCH Pounder as Mo'at, Jemaine Clement as Dr. Garvin, David Thewlis as Peylak, Britain Dalton as Lo'ak, Jack Champion as Spider and Sigourney Weaver as Kiri.

This was directed by the king of big-budget films, James Cameron ("Piranha II: The Spawning" '82, "The Terminator" '84, "Aliens" '86, "The Abyss" '89, "Terminator: Judgment Day" '91, "True Lies" '94, "Titanic" '97, "Ghosts of the Abyss" '03 "Aliens of the Deep" '05, "Avatar" '09, "Avatar: The Way of Water" '22) plus TV, TV movies, shorts, music videos, videos and a TV short. As with his other 'Avatar' films, Cameron's direction is spot on with his actors clearly digging deep so as to find how their respective characters should interact with each other. He certainly knows his way around a large scale production and does so effortlessly. This film was written with conviction by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, based on a story by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno, which is based on characters created by James Cameron. Certainly all these writers have been involved with large scale productions, and both Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have teamed to write several films together, so this definitely helps in writing an effective screenplay. I still believe that the original "Avatar" 2009 was the best of the series predominantly for the fact that the lead characters kept appearing as their human roles and their avatar roles so it allowed us to realize that these characters weren't aliens, but they were humans, however in an avatar situation. In this installment, the human factor was implemented a number of times, however not in the lead characters. And, although the size of the production, it was written well, but was a bit slow in some areas and became a bit long-in-the-tooth. I must say the cinematography by Russell Carpenter asc, the visual effects predominantly designed by Weta FX and ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were all stunning and will certainly be nominated come Oscar time. 

If you enjoyed the other 'Avatar' films, this one will be calling your name. It's got plenty of action to keep you moving.And if you want more...not to worry, because "Avatar 4" is in post production and "Avatar 5" is in the middle of filming right now. And, if you like that up close and personal feeling, this is being presented in an IMAX and 3D format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: PG-13                                     197mins.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): 25th Anniversary

The re-issuing of films have become quite popular which has been a profitable way for movie companies so they don't have to trudge through the riggers of making a remake or reboot. Usually the choices of films are ones that are popular and this film, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is no exception. 

In this live-action adaptation of the beloved children's tale by Dr. Seuss, the reclusive green Grinch (Jim Carrey) decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. Reluctantly joined by his hapless dog, Max, the Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the Whos. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the endearing Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen).

Others to round out the cast are Jeffrey Tambor as May Who, the mayor of Whoville, Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier, Bill Irwin as Lou Lou Who, Molly Shannon as Betty Lou Who, Clint Howard as Whobris, Rance Howard as Elderly Timekeeper, Rachel Winfree as Rose and Kelley as Max, the dog..

This was directed with whimsy and heart by Ron Howard ("Grand Theft Auto" '77, "Night Shift" '82, "Splash" '84, "Cocoon" '85, "Gung Ho" '86, "Willow" '88, "Parenthood" '89, "Backdraft" '91, "Far and Away" '92, "The Paper" '94, "Apollo 13" '95, "A Beautiful Mind" '01, "Cinderella Man" '05, "Frost/Nixon" '08, "The Dilemma" '11, "Rush" '13, "In the Heart of the Sea" '15, "Inferno" '16, "Pavarotti" '19, "Hillbilly Elegy" '20, "Eden" '24) plus other films, TV movies, shorts, videos and a music video. Ron Howard has become a staple of fine directing in Hollywood and has the resume to prove it. Each movie he films becomes so effortless to him and every film he does direct simply gets better with time. He was able to get Jim Carrey to bring the Grinch to life where that character seemed so real even though it's obviously a fictional character. It was effectively written by Jeffrey Price ("Trenchcoat" '83, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"'88, "Doc Hollywood" '91, "Wild Wild West"'99, "Last Holiday" '06, "Shrek the Third" '07) plus TV and Peter S. Seaman ("Trenchcoat" '83,"Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' '88, "Doc Hollywood" '91, "Wild Wild West" '99, "Last Holiday"'06, "Shrek the Third" '07) plus TV, based on the book by Dr. Seuss. This film went beyond the typical story of the Grinch stealing Christmas as the beloved story is about. I believe is was necessary to add to the story in order to lengthen the film since it was originally a short story, and going into what drove the Grinch to become bitter and hating Christmas as much as he did was compelling to have some insight into the character. There was a bit of a problem in combining the actual story and connecting that with the the Grinch's past in how he became the way he became, but all in all these writers did the best that any writer could've implemented, and since they are a writing team, they work well together. The visual effects predominantly designed by Digital Domain and Rhythm & Hues were stunning as was the costume design by Rita Ryack. 

Certainly if you're a fan of either director, Ron Howard or actor, Jim Carrey, this is the film for you. This is quintessential Carrey at his best. It was an exemplary attempt to delve into the story and give the audience a backstory to the Grinch. And bringing back this as a 25 anniversary re-release at Christmas time was genius. It is very difficult to believe this film is 25 years old!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                             Rated: PG                                         103mins.

Ella McCay

With all the bid-budget films laced with a plethora of visual effects at this time of year, it's pleasantly surprising that we are offered "Ella McCay", a story about a dysfunctional family attempting to cope with each other and with others in their respective lives.

This is a comedy/drama about the complicated politics that arise when a young woman, Ella McCay (Emma Mackey), who, as Lieutenant Governor, ends up becoming the governor as the Governor, Bill Moore (Albert Brooks) receives a position in the president's cabinet. Her career clashes with the dysfunction within her chaotic family, namely her dad, Eddie (Woody Harrelson), her aunt Helen McCay (Jamie Lee Curtis) and even her younger brother, Casey McCay (Spike Fearn). It simply becomes a balancing act between career and family where her sanity becomes at question due to her consistent stress. 

Others to round out the cast are Jack Lowden as Ryan Newell, Kumail Nanjiani as head of security, Ayo Edebiri as Casey's girlfriend, Rebecca Hall as Claire McCay, Eddie's wife, Julie Kavner as Estelle and Sheetal Sheth as Audrey. 

This was directed with subtlety and humor by the incomparable James L. Brooks ("Terms of Endearment" '83, "Broadcast News" '87, "I'll Do Anything" '94, "Spanglish" '04, "How Do You Know" '10) plus TV. This is a multi-faceted filmmaker whereas he is a fine actor, writer and director, where he especially shines is behind the camera--his ability to direct is phenomenal. He comes across as effortless in his ability to have his actors to 'find' that character and showcase it. He hasn't directed a ton of projects, but what he has directed is amazing. It was executed well by writer James L. Brooks ("Starting Over" '79, "Terms of Endearment" '83, "Broadcast News" '87, "I'll Do Anything" '94, "As Good as it Gets" '97, "Spanglish" '04, "The Simpson's Movie" '07, "How Do You Know" '10) plus a plethora of TV, TV movies, shorts and a video. We've all seen films that center around the dysfunction of families--it's a rather common staple with comedies or dramedies, this being one, but this one, although was a captivating story, unfortunately had a tendency to jump back and forth as the story was going from the present to the past and back again. So with this, it started to become a bit confusing. Certainly Brooks is a talented writer--he has a wealth of work, both TV and films under his belt, but this simply needed a bit more polish. A bad day at the laptop? Not sure, but suffice it say, it got a little crazy. Was it a total wash? Certainly not, most of the story line carried well and the performances particularly by Jamie Lee Curtis and Albert Brooks and Julie Kavner were the bright spots. 

If you're a James L. Brooks fan, you'll like this film which definitely has his name written all over it. The direction, acting, music composed by Hans Zimmer and the cinematography by Robert Elswit, asc were incredible. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                        Rated: PG-13                                       115mins.

Hamnet

There have been many incarnations of William Shakespeare's plays in a film format by Hollywood for decades, but "Hamnet", being based on actual events of Shakespeare's life and family, is definitely a separation from simply one of his plays being remade in film form. And this movie is certainly a clear retelling of his life, family and work.

This film, based of true events about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). She comes from a healing background and he is a writer. Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), their firstborn, and their twins, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes). It's also the story of their small village in 16th century England, and more to the point, about the lives, and especially the deaths from plague, happening in their time. This story is mostly told through Agnes, and her experiences with being supportive to her husband's writing profession and the raising of the children the best she knew how. 

Others to round out the cast are Emily Watson as Mary, Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew, Justine Mitchell as Joan, David Wilmot as John, Noah Jupe as Hamlet, El Simons as Ophelia,Sam Woolf as Bernardo, Hera Gibson as Francisco and Jack Shalloo as Marcellus.

This was brilliantly directed with passion and compassion by Chloe Zhao ("Songs My Brothers Taught Me" '15, "The Rider" '17, "Nomadland" '20, "Eternals" '21) plus TV, shorts and a video. Where this filmmaker actually showcased her talent was with "Namadland". It was gritty, sad, but powerful and her ability to encourage her actors to dig deep to find their emotions was amazing as it was identically with this film as well. She doesn't direct many films, however what she has accrued is pure quality. It was penned well by writers Chloe Zhao ("Songs My Brother Taught Me" '15, "The Rider" '17, "Nomadland" '20, "Eternals" '21) plus shorts. and Maggie O'Farrell, based on her novel by the same name. Sure O'Farrell has no other feature film to her credit, but with this film, no one else really could've done this production justice but the novelist who wrote the novel, Along with the writing collaboration of Zbao who typically writes the films she directs, and you end up with a dynamite film. These writers were chosen carefully, as this film obtains some very complex characters. The script would need to be delineated very delicately, and these two were the correct combination. And the acting by both Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley was essentially perfection. Could they both be considered come Oscar time? It would not be surprising. It has often been said, if an actor can perform Shakespeare well, they are great thespians. Well, when some of these actors were performing in parts of Shakespeare's plays, especially "Hamlet", their acting was amazing. 

Assuming one is a Shakespeare fan, this will be captivating considering this delves so much of the running time exploring the marriage and family of Shakespeare. I recommend this film to any film student or aficionado that is delving into the topic of Shakespearean plays and about his history. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG-13                                       125mins.

The Thing with Feathers

One of the pluses to small independent films are that they typically are original in their premise instead of commercial films that are usually unoriginal. Certainly "The Thing with Feathers" is one of those indie films that is amazingly original. In fact, it is so original, that it goes deeply into a bizarre psychological story line that deems to captivate the imagination.

Following the unexpected death of his wife, a young father's hold on reality crumbles and a strange presence begins to stalk him, Dad (Benedict Cumberbatch) from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two sons, Boy 1 (Richard Boxall) and Boy 2 (Henry Boxall). A man-like crow (voiced by David Thewlis), seemingly brought to life from the father's work as an illustrator, is about to become a very real part of all their lives, ultimately guiding them towards the new shape their family must take. 

Others to round out the cast are Sam Spruell as Paul, friend of Dad's, Eric Lampaert as Crow, Tim Plester as Andy, Leo Bill as Dr. Bowden, Claire Cartwright as Mum, Vinette Robinson as Amanda, Dwane Walcott as Teacher and Lesley Molony as Margaret. 

This was directed with such gut-wrenching grit and pathos by Dylan Southern ("No Distance Left to Run" '10, "Shut Up and Play the Hits" '12, "Meet Me in the Bathroom" '22) plus TV, music videos, a short and a video. The way this filmmaker staged and paced this project was phenomenal, and the characters these actors played were captivating and these actors, especially Cumberbatch, made these characters come to life and that's talented directing. This was also interestingly written by Dylan Southern (TV and a short), based on the novel, "Grief Is The Thing with Feathers" by Max Porter. The premise was a very intriguing story about a man trying to cope with his wife's death and through this his illustrating seemingly jumped off his sketckbook and relentlessly attempting to get him out of his self-pity. Even though the story is fresh and different, the execution needed a bit more polish--it was a bit choppy and not expressly cohesive. But, there were many areas that were thrilling and unforgettable all the while this father was being pushed to the brink. This crow-man sort of became his alter-ego in order for him to get through this grieving process that was taking a long time. Southern obviously decided to write the work he directs which is nothing odd or wrong with it. He basically needs more work to hone his basic talent. Cumberbatch's performance as this grieving, taunted man was incredible, but he is a fine actor. 

This is certainly worthy to see in the theater, where, I believe, is always the best place to watch a movie. If you like fine acting and directing, this is the film for you. It's a bit odd in its story, but when someone is grieving and having a tough time of it, they can go a little off-kilter in the way of thinking. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: R                                              98mins.