John Wick: Chapter 4

My View: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) R  Your favorite butt kicker, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), is back, and he has uncovered a path to defeat The High Table. However, before he can get back to earning his freedom, there is a new enemy that Wick must defeat. An enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and has ways to make old friends into foes. Well, it isn’t very often that a sequel is better than the original. It’s almost impossible for the 4th film of a series to be better than the first one, but John Wick: Chapter 4 does it. With brilliant fight sequences and a fun and not-too-complicated plot, this film is better than the first, which was damn good. Don’t wait to see this on your home TV. See it on a big screen to let the stunts and the gunfights wash over you with abandon. I love how Reeves has perfected the invincible Wick, making him an everyman you root for. Added to the cast are some fun additions, including Shamier Anderson as a new assassin (with a dog sidekick) and the villain of the story, the man driving the plot, and the Marquis de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgard. Along the way, we still have Ian McShane and the late great Lance Reddick as your helpful hotel guides. The film is long but moves at such a quick pace that you won’t notice the length, which the final action sequence starting around 45 minutes to go until the end. There are a ton more fun and exciting characters, but I don’t want to ruin all the surprises. And yes, stick around through all the credits to see a bonus scene. So put on your Kevlar suit, load up your trusty sidearm, and join John Wick in a battle to end all battles. Or is it?   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again.  John Wick: Chapter 4 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: A Good Person (2023) R  Alison’s (Florence Pugh) life has fallen apart after being involved in a fatal accident. With the help of her mother (Molly Shannon) and her would-be father-in-law, Daniel (Morgan Freeman), Alison slowly turns her life around, but not before a lot of pain is dealt with. Florence Pugh rises above a script that takes too long to develop and gives us a too-good-to-be-true ending. Pugh is perfect in the role of a woman full of guilt and wants to stay numb so that she doesn’t have to deal with anything. In one of his best performances of the last few years, Morgan Freeman is terrific as the father-in-law who now has to deal with a granddaughter (Celeste O’Connor) who has lost her parents. Through a chance encounter at an AA meeting, Alison and Daniel help each other heal, but it’s not an easy road to go down for either of them. I also loved Molly Shannon as Alison’s mom, who loves her daughter but does not know how to deal with her daughter’s addiction or pain. I loved that in both of Alison’s relationships, there isn’t an easy way to heal, and with Daniel, it’s a rough road with plenty of potholes. Maybe we, along with Alison, should have had to work a little harder to understand her pain and how damaged she is. Instead, it’s all kind of laid out for us.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Good Person Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Rodeo (2022)   Julia (Julie Ledru) is a young woman who has a troubled life, living in social housing and having almost no relationship with her mother. She loves motocross and will do anything, including stealing bikes, to ride. She becomes part of a bike theft ring when an accident jeopardizes her ability to fit in. Ledru plays a character in Julia that is hard to like. Julia is a tough-as-nails woman trying to fit in with a rough crowd and therefore doesn’t let anyone near her. She rejects most people, constantly has a scowl on her face, and is ready for a fight at a moment’s notice. However, Julia has a flaw. She is way over her head in with the biker crowd and thinks she can bluff her way out of anything. Unfortunately, she doesn’t always figure out when to run or stop bluffing, which gets her into trouble. Rodeo is a film in that we never get to know the characters that well, and when the movie ends, it is very abrupt, much like Julia herself.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rodeo Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Lost King (2022) PG-13  An amateur historian, Philippa (Sally Hawkins), learns that no one knows where King Richard III’s remains are buried. Philippa goes on a quest to find where King Richard’s remains are, defying the stodgy academic establishment. She has a little help; the ghost of King Richard III. Based on a true story, Sally Hawkins is perfect as Philippa, a woman determined to find Richard’s grave and won’t give up, no matter the odds. Hawkins is utterly charming as she battles bureaucracy and her fragile health. Working on a feeling, lots of research, and an occasional visit from King Richard himself, Philippa is convinced she has found the final resting place. Now if Philippa can convince the world. I really liked this film about beating the odds and believing in yourself and, maybe, a five hundred-year-old king.   My Rating: Full Price  The Lost King Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) R  It’s 1949 in a small town in California, and Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is the 2nd barber in a two-man shop. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning and decides to blackmail the man (James Gandolfini) who is having an affair with Ed’s wife, Doris (Frances McDormand). Things, of course, go wrong, with double and triple crosses, jail, and lots of bad luck. The film is shot in black and white by masters of the modern-day film noir, the Coen brothers. While not their best work, this is still a marvelous film to watch with a cast that knows how to make every scene work.  My Rating: Full Price  The Man Who Wasn't There Info     The film is available to rent or buy on iTunes and Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the Credits of John Wick: Chapter 4: Horse Team Translator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Paint (2023) PG-13  Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) is Vermont’s number-one public television painter, adored by his fans. He has it all with a signature perm, a custom van, a rocking studio, and a TV show where everyone watches his every stroke. Then a new painter comes to town, a woman named Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), and it all comes crashing down. The legendary PBS painter Bob Ross inspired Owen Wilson’s character, Carl Nargle.  Paint Website   The film opens nationwide on Friday, April 7th.

Until Next Time!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

My View: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) PG-13  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is adjusting to being a recognized superhero and is still figuring out where he stands with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and his daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). When Cassie investigates Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) work with the Quantum Realm, she inadvertently opens a door into that multiverse. Now, Scott and the gang face an unknown threat, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who will do anything to get out of the Realm. I have liked all three Ant-Man films, mainly because Scott knows he isn’t your typical superhero, but someone who got lucky getting these powers and knows he doesn’t fit the superhero mold. The problem with this film is that it is the start of the next wave of Marvel stories, and it buckles a bit at trying to give us insight into where the story will go from now on. I am a huge fan of comic book artist legend Jack Kirby, who created a ton of Marvel characters. Kirby had a unique look to his artistry, one which, up to now, Marvel films haven’t been able or maybe even tried to capture. This is the first Marvel film where I felt some of Kirby’s influence is shown on the screen, especially in a character named MODOK, and that thrilled me. While Jonathan Majors is absolutely brilliant in the role of bad guy Kang the Conqueror, the film seems in a hurry to get to the end and let us know more of this world is coming. So much so, that Evangeline Lilly’s character, whose name is in the title, seems like she is barely in the picture. Overall, this is the weakest of the three Ant-Man films, which doesn’t bode well for the future of Marvel films. Still, it is a beautiful-looking film with some fantastic action scenes and a very complex villain. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania needed more story and less talking.  And yes, as usual, stay through all the credits for a bonus scene.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Of an Age (2022) R   Set in the Australian summer of 1999, 17-year-old Kol (Elias Anton) moved with his family from Serbia when he was a kid. Kol dreams of leaving it all behind, and his only escape is attending a dance school with his best friend, Ebony (Hattie Hook). When Ebony gets stranded in a nearby town, Kol enlists Ebony’s older brother Adam (Thom Green), to help him get Ebony in time for a dance recital. Thus starts a relationship that the two men won’t ever forget. This film is about first love and how that first love can hit you at your core. This film has two charismatic leads that allow this relationship to slowly develop with a bit of a sizzle underneath. Of an Age is a romantic tale about love found and lost on a day that the two don’t want to end. I wanted the film to end at a certain point, but it continues on a little too long, making the film give us too much information about the characters and where they end up in life. I would have preferred to make up my own ending about the two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Of an Age Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: Marlowe (2022) R Set in the 1930s, private detective Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) is hired by a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger) to find her ex-lover. It’s a job that is guaranteed to get messy. I would try to explain the plot in more detail, but that would take a book. Oh wait, this film is based on a book, and it feels like we see every chapter on screen. There are so many twists to the plot that I didn’t care what happened to the ex-lover and all the other characters that pop up in this attempt to bring back the Philip Marlowe character. With a cast that includes Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Danny Huston, and Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, along with the usually reliable Liam Neeson, I was hoping for more but got a mess of a plot and a Philip Marlowe character without any charisma.   My Rating: Cable    Marlowe Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey (2023)  After being abandoned by Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet go rogue and start a killing rampage, seeking revenge on someone they thought was their everlasting friend.  I will not spend too much time writing about this mess of a bad horror film. Needless to say, the low-budget shows on the screen with the bad guys in horrible Pooh and Piglet masks, along with a cast that has trouble reciting the insipid dialogue. I’ve seen better horror films on student night at a local film festival than this mess of a movie that even fails to gross out the audience with very unimaginative killings. The sad thing is that this film has become big enough to warrant a sequel, one I won’t be looking forward to.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey Website  Now playing in Fanthom Events theatres

Indiefest: The Other Fellow (2022)   Author Ian Fleming created the ultimate alpha male in 007, James Bond. What people don’t know is that he took that name from a real person, a British Ornithologist named James Bond. This documentary explores the impact on men who, throughout the world, share the same name with the world’s most famous secret agent. From a Swedish 007 super-fan to a New York theatre director, the film explores and examines the role of masculinity, gender, and race in living in the shadow of such a famous name. The Other Fellow is a fascinating and enjoyable movie about people living with this famous name. Some accept it, some hated it so much that they have changed it, and others love it so much that they have continued the family tradition of naming their sons James Bond. I enjoyed the stories they tell, some of which are kind of horrifying (don’t tell a cop your name is James Bond if you can’t prove it), and there is a brilliant story near the end of the film that makes this documentary worth watching.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Other Fellow Website  Now playing in select theatres and available On Demand.

Forgotten Film: Queen of Hearts (1989) PG  Eddie (Ian Hawkes) is the youngest son of a family of Italian immigrants who moved to London. Eddie’s parents left Italy to run away together and now, through some luck and determination, own a small cafe. Their life is threatened when an old enemy comes into their neighborhood, bent on getting revenge on Eddie’s family. I love this film as it is told from the viewpoint of Eddie, an eleven-year-old boy with a vivid imagination. He loves his family and believes the stories that they tell (no matter how impossible). Eddie is convinced that he can save the day when his family is in trouble. And maybe, just maybe, he can.   My Rating: Full Price  Queen of Hearts Info  The film is available on several online platforms including TUBI.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Physical Assets Assistant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)  Your favorite butt kicker, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), is back, and he has uncovered a path to defeating The High Table. However, before he can get back to earning his freedom, there is a new enemy that Wick must defeat. An enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and has ways to make old friends into foes. I love the John Wick series, but the running time of over two and a half hours scares me.  John Wick: Chapter 4 Website In theatres mid-March.

Until Next Time!