The Meg

My View:  The Meg  (2018) PG-13  Jonas (Jason Statham) must protect his ex-wife and fellow workers from a 70-foot shark while in a sunken submersible. I wish I could say that this was at least a fun movie to watch but it really isn’t. The biggest problem with this film is Jason Statham, who continually mugs for the camera, letting us know that he, the actor knows this is a stupid movie. The film is made for the Chinese audience. The lead actress is Chinese, the film takes place off the coast of China, about a fourth of the dialogue is in Mandarin, and even the controls of the subs are written in both English and Mandarin. The special effects are dull, and at times the giant shark seems like almost a cartoon character. The movie feels as long as it’s nearly 2 hours length and takes forever to get started. A fellow critic almost walked out of the film because it was so poorly done. That says a lot because this critic has watched his fair share of Adam Sandler films and never felt like walking out on them.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Meg Website

My View:  Dog Days  (2018)  PG  A group of interconnected people in Los Angeles are brought together by the dogs that fill their lives with love and hope. This very bland movie has a few cute dogs in it, but that’s about it. The film is made up of a bunch of stories about people and their dogs. A morning TV hosts (Nina Dobrev) gets a new on-air partner, and their dogs get along better than they do. A husband (Rob Corddry) and wife (Eva Longoria) adopt a young girl who seems unhappy until a dog enters their life. All the stories are dull and lifeless, and worse yet, highly predictable. Go walk your own dog around the block rather than going to the theatre to see this film.   My Rating:  Cable   Dog Days Website

My View:  BlacKkKlansman  (2018)  R  Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American police officer in Colorado Springs. With the help of a white police (Adam Driver), Ron infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan, becoming a confidant of the Imperial Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace) and eventually becoming the leader of the local pack. A young woman (Vanessa Hudgens) starts volunteering at a rescue center when she finds a dog wandering on its own on the street. This is one of the best films of the year and probably director Spike Lee’s most mainstream movie he has made. The amazing thing about this film is that almost everything that happens in the film actually happened to Ron Stallworth. I loved the performance of John David Washington, and he and Adam Driver have fantastic chemistry that makes this film a joy to watch. Do yourself a favor and go see this brilliant gem of a movie.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    BlacKkKlansman Website

My View:  Slender Man  (2018)  PG-13  Teens are disappearing across the United States at an alarming rate. Could it be to the legend of Slender Man, a tall, thin, horrifying figure with long arms and a featureless face? If you are looking for a scary film, this isn’t it. The film fails to be scary and takes forever to get going in the plot. Director Sylvain White gets too cute with the camera movements and angles which don’t contribute anything to the feel and the look of the film. I am always up for a good horror film, but this isn’t one of those, it’s just dull.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Slender Man Facebook Page

Indiefest: Three Identical Strangers  (2018)  PG-13  This documentary showcases the story in 1980 New York, three 19-year-old men meet accidentally and discover that they are brothers. This incredible story is so fascinating to watch. Just when you think that nothing else could be revealed in the story, another twist in the story suddenly shows up, and some of the mysteries in the story may never get solved. Go see this fantastic film about a story that just seems so strange that if it were to be made into a fictional work, no one would believe it.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Three Identical Strangers Website

Forgotten Film:  Body Heat  1981)  R  In the midst of a Florida heat wave, a woman (Kathleen Turner) persuades her lover, Ned (William Hurt), a small town lawyer (William Hurt) to kill her wealthy husband (Richard Crenna). Turner is dazzling in the role of the seductress, a woman who is so sexy you believe that Hurt’s character would do anything to please his lover. The film is filled with exciting, fully fleshed out characters such as the one that Ted Danson plays brilliantly, the best friend to Ned, who also happens to be the D.A. in the small town and fMickey Rourke, as an arsonist and client of Ned’s. Body Heat is reminiscent of the old film noir pictures of the 40s and 50s with a slightly modern touch. The film has one of the greatest first kiss scenes of any movie.    My Rating: Full Price   Body Heat Info

Weird Credits: For the credits of The Meg:  Pre-visualization Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Wife (2017) R  A woman (Glenn Close) questions her life choices and what she gave up when she became the wife of a famous author (Max Irons), who is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. I hear from other critics that Close is a shoe in for an Academy Award nomination for this role.    The Wife Website

Until  Next Time!

Christopher Robin

Family Faire:  Christopher Robin (2018)  PG  Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) is grown up and has a family. His old friend Winnie-the-Pooh visits his old friend Christopher Robin and helps him find the joy in his life that he has been missing. When I was growing up, one of my favorite books was Winnie-the -Pooh which I read over and over. So going into this live-action family film, I was a little worried that it wouldn’t live up to the source material. While extremely slow starting, having a plot that is simplistic and predictable, the film does capture the essence of Pooh, Christopher Robin and the rest of the 100-acre forest. While at times I think both parents and children will be bored, when Pooh and his friends are on screen, everyone will have a good time. I loved the voice cast of the film, with Jim Cummings doing a magical job with Winnie and Tiger, Brad Garrett voicing Eeyore, Peter Capaldi voicing Rabbit and Toby Jones voicing the wise old Owl. Take your family and spend a couple of hours reliving your childhood, and maybe you will find some magic again as Christopher Robin does.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Christopher Robin Website

My View: The Spy Who Dumped Me  (2018) R  Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon) are best friends who become caught up in an international conspiracy when they discover one of their ex-boyfriends is a spy. This more a spy film than a comedy, in fact, there is very little comedy in this film, as I only chuckled once during the whole movie. Kunis looks uncomfortable working with McKinnon, who looks like she ab libbed a lot of her part. I like McKinnon on SNL but those are short sketches, and a little of McKinnon goes a long way, especially when she starts mugging for the screen. The plot is predictable (I came up with what would have been a great twist but the writers with the obvious choice) and the situations that the film puts the two women in are just plain stupid. There is a reason why this film wasn’t screened for critics, it is because it’s a lousy movie that feels every bit of its almost two-hour length.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Spy Who Dumped Me Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Tully (2018)  R  Marlo (Charlize Theron) is a mother of three including a newborn, and Marlo is about at the end of her rope. She is gifted a night nurse named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) by her brother. Tully is the godsend that Marlo needs. Tully is the third collaboration between director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody. While I am a huge fan of their first film, Juno (2007), I never warmed up to their 2nd film, Young Adult (2011). I am happy to say that third time’s a charm, as Tully is witty, funny and overall moving…and packed with a few surprises. The cast is superb, led by Charlize Theron’s Marlo, a performance that could get her an Academy Award nomination. We forget just how good Theron’s comedic timing is, and she uses it to perfection in this film. Theron’s on-screen chemistry with Davis is sublime and makes this film so enjoyable to watch. While not entirely on the level of the brilliant Juno, Tully still is a film not to be missed. It’s a hilarious film that any mother can relate to. Now, if every mother could just get someone like Tully to help her out…   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Tully Website 

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  A.X.L.  (2018)  PG  A.X.L. stands for Attack, Exploration, Logistics, which is a top-secret, robotic dog designed to help soldiers in tight situations. When the experiment goes wrong, A.X.L. is discovered in the desert by Miles (Alex Neustaedter), and they develop a bond. The scientists are out to find and destroy A.X.L. by any means necessary. Instead of this horrible looking film, go and watch a sci-fi classic A Boy and His Dog, I can guarantee you will enjoy it more.   A.X.L. Website

Forgotten Film: Sunshine (2007)  R  Set in the year 2057, a group of international astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the sun using a nuclear fission bomb. The film is stylishly directed by Danny Boyle, Sunshine is part Sci-Fi film, part psychological drama, and part horror film. The special effects are incredibly well done, but it’s the performances of the cast, especially Rose Byrne, Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans that make this film special. This is an intense film about how the strain of the world on their shoulders combined with the isolation the astronauts have to deal with can cause irreparable consequences.   My Rating: Full Price    Sunshine Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Christopher Robin:  Witness Camera

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  BlackkKlansman (2018)  R  based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American police officer in Colorado Springs. With the help of a white police (Adam Driver), Ron infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan, becoming a confidant of the Imperial Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace) and eventually becoming the leader of the local pack. I don’t always like Spike Lee’s films, they always make me think, and the trailer for this film looks incredibly impressive.   Blackkklansman Website

Until Next Time!