Musical, Reviews

Cinderella

Story
Living with her stepmother Vivian (Idina Menzel) and stepsisters, Cinderella (Camila Cabello) has ambitions to be a dressmaker while her designs are showcased in her own store called Dresses by Ella. She wants to provide for her family but Vivian forbids her and tells Cinderella they will have financial freedom once she marries vegetable merchant Thomas Cecil (Rob Beckett).

Review
Is reiterating another ‘Cinderella’ tale a wise idea when Disney’s live-action reboot is only six years old? Any discerning moviegoer would have even asked the purpose of a modern version if the fable itself is sexist and problematic. There are already many editions of the down-trodden damsel and have been portrayed best by Drew Barrymore and Lily James. How does Cabello’s acting debut rank against these more seasoned thespians?

The effort by Cabello is laudable and Kay Cannon’s Ella ain’t a pushover. She is no angel but far from being a victim, she is a trailblazer, ready to fulfill her dreams one song at a time. Yes, this Ella is woke and a Latina though the fairytale does not shed any light on her parents or culture. A peculiar oversight when the leading lady hails from Cuba and could have her heritage written into this mostly overhauled yarn from Charles Perrault.

The radical differences are certainly sufficient to justify its existence but the progressiveness is sometimes dismissed in favour of the music. I mean, I would not settle for anything less than what a good ol’ fashioned jukebox musical is supposed to do and girl, this ‘Cinderella’ is jam-packed with chart-topping hits that have been recalibrated with a self-aware wink. It may be trite about empowerment and pursuing one’s desires but this is a fabulous update deserving of its own happily ever after.

Rating
Entirety: B+
Acting: B+
Plot: B+

Rated PG for suggestive material and language

Reviews, Science Fiction

Reminiscence

Story
In the near future, seas have risen and flooded Miami due to climate change. War veteran Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) runs a small business operating a device that allows memories to be relived. He becomes a user himself when he falls for one of his clients, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) who suddenly disappeared without a word. Accessing his memories of her, he is determined to locate her along with why she left.

Review
The many prongs of Jackman’s fame are embodied in the ‘X-Men’ series and Oscar-nominated musicals. They kept him in the watchful eyes of the public for years but his clout to launch an unusual hybrid such as ‘Reminiscence’ can only be attributed from his shrewd selections in the last decade. It is a firm reminder that he is among the most undervalued A-listers when comparing to peers who have reaped the rewards first from their passion projects.

Though Jackman’s latest is not exactly flourishing in the box office, it is heartening to see him dabble with more original stories from exciting crafters that are one-offs than a long drawn-out trilogy. From ‘Logan’ to ‘Bad Education’ and now ‘Reminiscence’, he is happy to be playing age-appropriate roles which are not conventionally affable but charming after the veneer of insecurities is peeled away. Nick is well-designed and an always committed Jackman does not disappoint.

He is only upstaged by Ferguson who is the movie’s best performer. Since her breakout in ‘Mission: Impossible’, she gives her all in every one of the roles she inhabit even if some of the missteps are career-enders, her stardom remains unscathed. It is why you will be walking out (if you saw it in cinemas) remembering her the most. Although playing the femme fatale, a customary component in neo noir films, Ferguson’s initially nefarious motivations are graced with tender duplicity that it will shatter you once Mae’s arc climaxes to a heartbreaking end.

Rating
Entirety: B+
Acting: B+
Plot: B+

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, drug material throughout, sexual content and some strong language

Reviews, Thriller

Beckett

Story
On vacation in Greece with his girlfriend April (Alicia Vikander), Beckett (John David Washington) crashes their car into a nearby house while driving to the hotel. April dies but Beckett survives the accident. Once Beckett is discharged from the hospital, he has people chasing and shooting at him. As the local police are untrustworthy, he resolutely heads on his own to the U.S. Embassy in Athens for protection.

Review
As the title alludes, our principal character is being hunted because of a glance. The manhunt commences just as he is about to end his own life. More determined than ever to live, Beckett must now outwit his pursuers and the ensuing chases are remarkably staged while Ferdinando Cito Filomarino lays the groundwork that what we are watching is not a superhuman in action but an ordinary man whose feats of heroism are necessary in keeping him alive and possibly for a nobler cause.

The information dispensed about our man on the run is nothing extraordinary, clumsy and chilled but when put to the test, he will exceed expectations in fighting back. However, the writing by Kevin A. Rice and Filomarino himself does not neglect the grief and pain Beckett feels emotionally and physically. He is weary from all that sprinting and Washington’s regular-guy persona naturally fits with the range he has to hit while insurmountable obstacles are being thrown at him.

Akin to a timeless Hitchcock protagonist, Washington underplays which works to convince us he is vulnerable but resourceful through his subtle expressions. His cool composure is a welcome respite amidst the danger he has to endure and the violence he is inflicting. There is vigour from Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps and Vikander but are undone by their one-dimensional characters. Aside from its faltering end, the thriller reinvigorates some overused genre conventions to emerge as a slick entertainer.

Rating
Entirety: B+
Acting: B+
Plot: B

Animation, Reviews

Vivo

Story
A kinkajou named Vivo (Lin-Manuel Miranda) performs with his guardian, an elderly man named Andrés Hernández (Juan de Marcos González) in a plaza near their apartment. It is a simple but satisfying life in Havana. One day Andrés receives a letter from his past musical collaborator, Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan) inviting him to participate in her farewell concert being held at the Mambo Cabana. Andrés sees this as an opportunity to confess his love for her and has even written a song about it. But before starting the journey, a tragedy occurs and Vivo partners with Andrés’ relative Gabi (Ynairaly Simo) instead to deliver the letter and song to Marta in Miami.

Review
It must be great being Miranda. The award-winning actor and musician has released three musicals in the past twelve months, and wrapped filming for another season of ‘His Dark Materials’. Then in November, there is his directorial debut feature from Netflix and he will be composing again for a Disney original. One of the most talented and hardest working men in Hollywood now, if you are familiar with ‘Hamilton’ and ‘In the Heights’, you will know Miranda’s flair for rapping his signature wordy songs.

Though Miranda’s determination should be admired for getting this project financed after a decade of pitching to studios, Sony’s latest animated endeavour is a pleasing yet predictable tale about unfinished business being fulfilled by a loved one. It could have gravitated more towards its adult themes with fewer of the hijinks that fills the second half of the movie. There is a ‘Coco’ and ‘Soul’ buried underneath in Vivo and Gabi’s chaotic shenanigans but I am just nitpicking.

So much is right with ‘Vivo’ that comparing it to Pixar’s best will not alter the fact that it is a sincere piece about second chances and genuine passions in life with gorgeous visuals capturing the essence of chic Havana, marshy Florida and glitzy Miami. The songs of Cuban and Latin influences are unsurprisingly dope. They should stay with you for days. While Miranda was adequately fine in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’, he rocks as a musically-gifted honey bear from Cuba. That itself is reason enough to bounce to the beat.

Rating
Entirety: B+
Acting (Voice): A-
Plot: B+

Rated PG for some thematic elements and mild action

Action, Reviews

The Suicide Squad

The_Suicide_Squad

Story
After a military coup from an anti-American regime in Corto Maltese, intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) taps Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) to lead a Task Force X team of Belle Reve penitentiary inmates. They must infiltrate the South American island nation to destroy a secret laboratory boarding an extinction-level threat that is funded by the U.S. government.

Review
Is it a reboot or a sequel? Can it be both? ‘The Suicide Squad’ also has an article included to the title, suggesting it is the movie which we should have gotten five years ago. While not exactly a reboot, its sequel allusions merely comes from some familiar faces that were featured in ‘Suicide Squad’. I supposed it does hit reset to the critically-panned 2016 debut of these supervillains but without forsaking entirely the events which happened in the David Ayer-directed misfire.

No matter how you view it, James Gunn’s revamped is superior to its predecessor in every aspect. There is wit, elation and coherent action, things lacking in the original which hit rock bottom for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Saved for Margot Robbie’s fantastic Harley Quinn, ‘Suicide Squad’ was perplexing and undercooked. In the latest, Gunn has wisely retained Robbie, Davis and Kinnaman with a bevy of new and pulsating characters, led by Idris Elba’s Bloodsport.

Even though it is Harley’s third appearance, the movie does get even more creative with her thoughts and actions than her last outing in 2020’s ‘Birds of Prey’. Kinnaman injects new life to his previously stoic Rick, a bridge to Elba and John Cena’s amusing bickering. As with the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ hits, Gunn brings the same fervent technique that he combines with the use of terrific music as needle drops. The death toll may be high and bloody but in the right hands, the squad will live to fight another day.

Rating
Entirety: A
Acting: A
Plot: A-

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity

Fantasy, Reviews

The Green Knight

green_knight

Story
An aspiring knight and nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris), Gawain (Dev Patel) accepts a challenge proposed by the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) on Christmas day. He willingly submits to be struck down by Gawain but the Knight will return in kind a year later at the Green Chapel. A year passes and Gawain heads out to fulfill the mission many consider will earn him the honour befitting a brave warrior.

Review
High fantasy had its revitalisation through the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies and since then, many have tried to capitalise on its growing popularity with varying success. Some innovate in oft-told tales but the numbers are just too few and the descent into irrelevance again seems inevitable. When news broke that David Lowery was going to direct and write a contemporary retelling of the 14^th century tale ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’, it was wonderful hearing an Arthurian legend getting its due that had the king and sword only play a minor part.

After all, Lowery’s past work is testament of his singularity that revolved around single and simple images which are powerfully used to draw their thematic meaning. Whether it was an orphan and his furry green best buddy defying the drudgery of modern living in ‘Pete’s Dragon’ or a ghostly apparition ‘dressed’ in a childhood Halloween costume justly signifying itself for the first time in ‘A Ghost Story’, the director’s formal rigour was most effective when the fables were less constricted by an existing structure with more complex issues.

Without an involving lead, ‘Knight’ meanders and is a slog in pursuit of honour and destruction. The letdown is not what Lowery does not address in the poem’s intricacies but is that they are not established profoundly. There is a copious amount of exposition yet it is not clear in relating the importance and its relationship to the Green Knight’s test. The film clocks in at 130 minutes though the protracted experience feels lengthier than that. Lowery has demonstrated once more his capacity for a unique approach but is nullified by a hollow and disjointed text.

Rating
Entirety: B
Acting: B
Plot: B

Rated R for violence, some sexuality and graphic nudity

Drama, Reviews

Stillwater

Story
An out of work oil rig worker from Stillwater, Oklahoma, Bill Baker (Matt Damon) has been visiting his imprisoned daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) in Marseille, France. Allison claims she was wrongfully sentenced for the murder of her roommate. When new information surfaces that could free Allison, she asks Bill to inform her lawyer about reopening the case. But the lawyer refuses as the given information is hearsay. Bill then goes on his own to piece the clues together despite his lack of proficiency in the French language.

Review
If the premise to ‘Stillwater’ is familiar, its foundation is based on the Amanda Knox case, a young American girl who was erroneously blamed for killing her roommate, and how an engineered confession made by the Italian forces was used against her in court for a conviction. It was a harrowing event filled with drama and the unforeseen, ripe for the picking of any screen adaptation. Although this is not that film, director Tom McCarthy has created a fictional account seen through the eyes of the girl’s dad.

It is the latest theatrical follow-up to McCarthy’s Oscar Best Picture winner ‘Spotlight’, with less lucid fact-finding and more character-bound that resembles his earlier works. It is a thoughtful look of a father’s efforts to redeem his failure as a parent and be a better man while on the quest for justice. The script which McCarthy co-wrote with an American and two French screenwriters authenticate the tale with local credibility while still surprising us with a twist in the last reveal.

The film fuses domestic drama within a crime thriller rather inherently but McCarthy’s interest in the humans behind the headlines jettisons any detestation of the answers provided to the mystery’s development in the third act. The ending has been discordant to many but Damon’s performance as a roughneck from Oklahoma is 100% Oscar worthy. Bill may not be someone you could root for in reality but Damon’s gentleness and sturdiness will undoubtedly tip the scales to see him thrive in a foreign culture as he reconnects with Allison.

Rating
Entirety: A-
Acting: A
Plot: A-

Rated R for language

Fantasy, Reviews

Jungle Cruise

Story
Through her supportive brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), research about a fabled tree in the Amazon rainforest that can heal any illness recorded by Dr Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) is presented to the Royal society for their approval of acquiring an arrowhead artifact which the association just received. Along with an old map, she believes the arrowhead will lead her to the location of the tree. Rejected by the members, Lily steals it and heads to Brazil with MacGregor on a hired riverboat skippered by Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) as their guide for the rest of the voyage.

Review
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ turned Johnny Depp into a superstar. Of course, Disney’s theme park ride which the movie and sequels (though deteriorating with each new chapter) were based on profited from renewed interests. ‘The Haunted Mansion’ released later that year had less success but a reboot is currently in the works. While we wait for how the new ‘Mansion’ turns out, Disney cordially invites us to a jungle cruise, with Johnson’s skipper Frank mouthing bad puns to his clients.

It is the only time Johnson’s introduction has these references to the ride that somewhat relates to the source material. So could the film makers be attempting something more original? If a hodgepodge of other memorable adventure films such as ‘The African Queen’, ‘Romancing the Stone’, ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘The Mummy’ constitutes as original storytelling, then we have a winner here, folks. At the second hour of this CGI-filled fantasy, it even shares a lot of its DNA with ‘Pirates’.

Despite a pleasantly unexpected twist in the third act, ‘Cruise’ is burdened with extra lore that the quest itself is too conveniently wrapped up minus the excitement and danger. The energy, colourful setting, stunts and quips courtesy from director Jaume Collet-Serra’s deftness with a trio of notable performances in Blunt, Johnson and Jesse Plemons at the start are dampened by the sudden tonal shift. Although the magic from the fine talent just about gets us through to the end, Disney really missed the boat on this one for what could have been a real thrill ride at the movies.

Rating
Entirety: B
Acting: A
Plot: B

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence

Comedy, Reviews

Space Jam: A New Legacy

SpaceJamANewLegacy

Story
Trapped in a virtual world known as the Serververse by a malevolent artificial intelligence, Al G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle), LeBron James has to play a basketball game with the Looney Tunes as his team mates against the digital ruler’s team or risk being stuck there eternally with his son, Dom (Cedric Joe). But locating the Looney Tunes turns out to be harder than imagined as they are no longer in Tune World.

Review
The purpose of 1996’s ‘Space Jam’ was about including basketball legend Michael Jordan and product placement in a Looney Tunes feature. The decision reaped phenomenal returns from pop culture branding. It even sparked a movement where teenagers suddenly began wearing baggy sweatshirts and tees with imprinted images of classic characters like Daffy Duck or Tweety. Dressing like rappers or athletes was so in, you would have trouble spotting anything else on the streets.

25 years later, studio interests once again trump in the sequel’s resurrection. It is heavy on nostalgia but is it actually fun? It starts off rough but when James is sent to Tune World and meets Bugs Bunny for the first time, that is where the comedy soars and we are treated with a series of timeless ‘Looney Tunes’ gags. If you cannot stop smiling like me who grew up with their loony antics, continue watching ‘A New Legacy’. It only gets loopier from there on out.

In recruiting Bugs’ crew, the baller and bunny travel from planet to planet in the Serververse, each devoted to a Warner Bros. movie or TV programme. I know the motive in exhibiting the studio’s iconic catalogue of films and shows is purely a marketing tease but it is still such a pleasure to recognise these scenes being reworked into the story. Detractors can scoff at the sequences’ relevance and say are bereft of any substance. The original was a cheesy 90s crowd-pleaser hit. Its legacy will live in this installment for now but it will be a distant memory by the end of the summer.

Rating
Entirety: B
Acting: B
Plot: B

Rated PG for some cartoon violence and some language

Action, Reviews

Black Widow

Black_Widow

Story
Breaching the Sokovia Accords and being pursuit by U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) escapes to a safehouse in Norway supplied by Rick Mason (O-T Fagbenle). She receives a cryptic message from Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) who she has not seen since they were separated as children and sent for training as Russian assassins in a facility called the Red Room. They reunite in Budapest and uncover Natasha’s target thought to have died is still alive. The Black Widows enlist old acquaintances Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) to complete the mission Natasha was entrusted by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Review
Unless you have been living under a rock, Natasha’s fate is probably known to all after the events in ‘Endgame’. Even a casual follower of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), no prior knowledge is really required to enjoy the newest ‘origin story’ based movie starring Johansson. As the prologue ends and we are back to the ‘present’, Natasha evading characters from ‘Civil War’ could confuse and lose anyone…for about the next two minutes.

As Natasha strikes out on her own, what follows is a study of a woman who is so far removed from any deep and real connections, it takes a James Bond type mission and her faux family to reignite those yearnings she extinguished since being taken away to the Red Room. A nifty choice in fleshing out the title character as Black Widow and not as someone who is becoming Black Widow. By doing so, it gives her solo outing an edge over the competition.

We are able to see things that were only utterances in previous movies. The much discussed ‘Budapest Operation’ finally gets a callback from when it was first mentioned in ‘The Avengers’. There are lots to revel in what the writers have included, expanded and weaved a twist on one of their central adversaries. It offers loads of fighting and expertly calculated CGI-infused pomp but they do not overwhelm the flick’s heart which is kept in check by an amazing Johansson and a scene-stealing Pugh.