'Peter Pan & Wendy' A Review

Peter Pan & Wendy is a family fantasy movie a live-action adaptation of the 1953 animated film itself an adaptation of the 1911 novel. Nothing like that sweet public domain IP!

There's talent in the cast and some much needed appropriate casting as far as diversity but unfortunately none of the performances, aside from Jim Gaffigan's Mr. Smee, are able to push beyond the generic. Everyone and the movie as a whole are so overshadowed by all the adaptations that went before it, of which there are many(1991's Hook, 2003's Peter Pan, 2015's Pan, 2020's Wendy). The result is a kind of homogenized amalgamation of the source material, a copy of a copy of a copy.

Too faithful to the animated feature to feel at all different or fresh, its very much a rehash, stale. The CGI is over used, the story moves too fast, the characters are underdeveloped. There is little to no excitement in the action or investment in the plot.

Snoozefest.

Currently streaming on Disney+.

Don't See It.

'Sisu' A Review

Sisu is a historical action film set in 1944 during the Lapland War. A prospector and Winter War veteran Korpi(Jorma Tommila) excavates a substantial gold claim and attempts to return home. Confronted and harassed by fleeing Nazis he seeks revenge.

Tommila gives a wonderfully rich almost entirely silent performance and all the Nazi's are deliciously gross so that we revel in their just desserts. Mimosa Willamo as Anio is also great in her single monologue and in kicking some ass. Generally there's just not a lot of dialogue, the actors inhabiting more archetypes than characters, which works well with the pacing, gore, and humor. A WWII western revenge flick.

Beautifully shot on location in Finland with period machinery and effective fight choreography and thrilling/funny action sequences. Eerily scored with a blend of modern and traditional music, throat singing and all, pitch perfect period costumes, the production design as a whole is stellar. It's lean and it delivers exactly what it purports to.

A propulsive, tight, perversely delightful killing-Nazi's spectacle.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

The Once And Future Queen

Through quiet example my mother

taught me a lot about feminism

the rest I sourced

from sporadic cultural touchstones

perhaps the most titanic of which

the one that cast the longest shadow

was Linda Hamilton

in the 1991 classic

Terminator 2

from her pull-up pumping introduction

to her fierceness, her dominance

her raw unapologetic vulnerability 

this complex emotional bad ass

unspooled much patriarchal programing

for me and countless other 90's boys

when people talk about

the origin of the 'Strong Female Character'

they rightly point to Sigourney Weaver as Ripley

but Hamilton's Sarah Connor is perhaps

the most dynamic, the most potent

of this now questionable archetype

an inspiration and an image 

I've carried for 30 years

an influence that will never fade.

'Judy Blume Forever' A Review

Judy Blume Forever is a documentary about the life and career of the titular author. Through archival footage, talking head interviews from the subject herself as well as friends, authors, and readers her life, work, and influence are explored.

Not only are the details of her life interesting but more so the spirit and reach of her work which becomes clear very rapidly(even for those who may be unfamiliar with her). These themes are empathy, honesty, and above all perhaps information for adolescence in-and-around puberty. The practical and accepting way she approached some of the more taboo subjects as well as the compassion the young characters were given were utterly unique at the time. She paved the way for the YA genre giving legions of children in that in-between age something to connect to, something specifically for them. As someone who read Then Again Maybe I Won't to further understand my own experience and Are You There God It's Me Margaret? to attempt to peak behind the gender curtain I can speak to not only her readability but her uniqueness. The genre has exploded since Blume, since the 90s in particular, but her books remain relevant and insightful, if in some respects dated(which the doc addresses).

Like the subject herself the film doesn't shy away from either problems Blume has had in life, those that have arisen around her work, or her virtually career long fight against book banning(now seeing an unsurprising resurgence). But it doesn't wallow in the negative instead focusing on the journey, on moving through, on progress weaving in the books themselves, Blume's life, and the lives of the readers her work inspired(and in some cases saved) into a beautiful and undeniable portrait of a singular artist.

Powerful, tranquil, utterly moving. A long overdue celebration of a literary icon.

Currently streaming on Prime.

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'How To Blow Up A Pipeline' A Review

How To Blow Up A Pipeline is a eco-political thriller about a group of activists blowing up an oil pipeline in Texas. The movie begins in media res with the crew gathering at an abandoned house close to the bombing area in order to prepare. The movie then flashsback throughout the ongoing operation introducing the various members of the crew and their particular reasons.

The unarguably talented young cast is not used to it's full potential. Forrest Goodluck is the only one who really makes enough space for himself for a fully dimensional character, while there are some other ensemble highlights- Sasha Lane and Jake Weary- the movie is torn between developing its characters and political agenda and making the heist-mechanics thrilling. The result is entertaining but lacks necessary depth, a bizarre oversight given how controversial the subject matter could be viewed.

The movie is shot with an effective grainy handheld that creates the desired reality and immediacy, this is somewhat undercut by the relatively incessant ominous score which over indicates. The operation itself is mostly engaging and there's some real and pleasurable tension as a result but its not quite tight enough to really satisfy the heist itch. And the Reservoir Dogs style character introductions don't give us much in the way of actual dimension, it plays more like a laundry list of motivations(even if those motivations are based in reality). On an emotional level its all too breezy, too brief. The one time the actual politics and justifications and consequences are discussed it plays like a bunch of high school stoners rather than a  group of motivated revolutionaries. Its not bad its simply not as sophisticated and complex as the subject matter(or the cast for that matter) deserve.

Slick, gripping, but overly simple.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

A New Tattoo

Like many things
there's a pleasure 

in the process
the method

the routine

as well as the end result

you discuss the image

the artist draws it up

they prepare their station

they shave and disinfect

your intended area

they situate you

in the necessary position

and then they begin

inking, wiping, repeat

even though it is no doubt

a commercial enterprise

it is easy to connect to the history

that stretches back millennia and more

the ritual

of marking

of becoming

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' A Review

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a family adventure movie an adaptation of the video game series. The titular bros stumble into an alternate reality get separated, Mario teams up with Princess Toadstool to face off against the evil Bowser who holds Luigi prisoner.

The voice cast is relatively inconsistent with Jack Black as Bowser the only one who really understands what movie he's in, and to be fair seems the only person/character the writer knows how to write for. Seth Rogan is good as Donkey Kong as is Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, a Koopa sorcerer but the rest of the cast particularly the main three- Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, and Ana Taylor-Joy- all give relatively unformed, listless, generic vocal performance made even more so by the lack of any real depth of character from the script.

It looks slick and plays kind of like an extended video game trailer or watching someone on Twitch but as an actual movie its mostly sizzle and very little steak. It clips along at a tight 90 minutes which is to its benefit, it's colorful, the humor is mild and harmless but consistent There's just not a lot to it as far as narrative, it feels like an AI program amalgamated the narrative of several of the games and spat out the script. It's not terrible, there's some cool sequences, but it is stunningly thin. Who would have thought watching this one would reasonably yearn for the gonzo ambition of the derisive 1993 live-action adaptation. Certainly valuable for parents looking for something mild and diverting for their kids, very little to offer beyond that.

Empty calories.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

'Renfield' A Review

Renfield is a horror action comedy about Dracula's titular lackey. The movie opens on a montage of Renfield(Nicholas Hoult) meeting Count Dracula(Nicolas Cage) over a business deal but then becoming his familiar. Flash forward to present day Renfield is in New Orleans with a recuperating Dracula. Renfield attends co-dependent 12th step meetings and tries to come to grips with his unending servitude. When rounding up Dracula's latest meal(with add of his 'gift' - eating bugs makes him strong) he encounters cop Rebecca Quincy(Awkwafina) and gets entangled with the local crime family.

Hoult brings his bizarre, breezy, innocence to this comedic bloodbath in a beautiful way. It's a tight rope in tone and Hoult anchors it perfectly. He's able to sell the excellent, gruesome action with an legitimate emotional journey, it's impressive. This paired with Cage's fresh go-for-broke take on the oft seen character focusing on physicality and humor is really delicious. The two give very distinct turns and have great chemistry. Awkwafina is always a joy to see onscreen but here is somewhat hamstrung by the fact that she operates, in essence, like the straight man. A bit of a bizarre choice giving the highest profile comedian in the cast the least amount of comedy, but she's still great. The other stand out is Ben Schwartz as the bungling crime family scion, he clearly relishes the chance to break bad but doesn't sacrifice any of the humor and doesn't get bogged down with any badass pretentions. The supporting cast are all solid particularly Brandon Scott Jones as the support group leader although a fair amount of his best jokes are pooched in the trailer.

Visually it's very lush, very neon and New Orleans dusk with some impeccable set design particularly in Dracula's and the crime families layers and Renfield's pastel filled apartment. The action scenes are thrilling, propulsive, with genuinely funny flourishes of gore. It all really works.

A fresh fun take on a classic character, an incredible cast having a ball which translates to the viewing experience.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

See It.

Equinox

The buds and the mud
and the sunshine
and the longer days
and the unaccustomed heat
and the inside writhing
the waking up
the wanderlust
the itching impulse

and the changing

the ceaseless, inevitable turning

the circle cycling

the perennials bloom

the trees leaf

the bikers bike

the beachers booze

all around, enlivened

'Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields' A Review

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is a documentary about the titular celebrity. Split into a two-part miniseries(that is, in essence, a feature) a relatively straightforward, chronological account of her career unfolds through archive images and clips as well as talking head interviews centering around a current interview with Shields herself.

Shields reclaims and recontextualizes her story sharing her experiences and perceptions from her early career where she was sexualized as a child/juvenile in movies like Pretty Baby, Blue Lagoon, and Endless Love as well as a particularly charged Calvin Kline jeans ad campaign into her attending Princeton, later career on Broadway, Suddenly Susan, and advocacy. She also, somewhat, goes into her complicated relationship with her alcoholic mother/manager although the economics involved as well as her mother's culpability are only somewhat acknowledged. She and her childhood friend Laura Dern are very careful about not directly addressing causes, conditions, and motivations. Shields very solidly tells her story her way and that is focused almost solely on her specifically, about progress, hope, and growth(not a bad focus but it feels incomplete). This is somewhat in contrast with some of the expert talking-head interviews as well as the images that director Lana Wilson shows us. Not that this should be a hit-job on her mother or father or the white male directors, casting directors, producers, talk show hosts involved but above and beyond broad criticism of the patriarchy, brief snippets of conjecture and rebuke from the experts, and atrocious talk show clips, there is very little, ultimately, in the way of synthesis.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is worth watching, I'm happy to bear witness to Shields story, to see her progress and celebrate her and I have compassion for her but there are only two moments that have real insight. In one scene Shields is informally talking to a producer about her thought processes after a sexual assault, in another Shields teen children challenger her on the artistic merit and validity of her early films and the family has a discussion. These scenes are getting to the heart of the matter. They are impactful. Much of the rest, although interesting, and deserved feels too polished, too manicured. And although, with her editing Wilson seems to condemn Shields childhood sexualization those images and scenes from those movies are presented throughout with very little explicit criticism.

Difficult, challenging, and thought-provoking if lacking a certain type of direct censure that some  might desire.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Rent It.

A Moment To Remember

As my wife and I
swung our nephew
he closed his eyes
spread his arms

a soft smile
crossed his lips
his hair swirled

as he leaned into the wind

safe and contented.

'John Wick: Chapter 4' A Review

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the latest in the increasingly convoluted Wick-verse. JW(Keanu Reeves) is still running and killing after the events of Parabellum, The Table still wants him dead and now they have a new new new person to manage it, the Marquis(Bill Skarsgård), and a new new super assassin for the specific job Caine(Donnie Yen).

I love Reeves, he's great, but he looks old and tired here, he's slow, and the fight choreography is simply not up to snuff with more CGI than ever before. The rest of the cast come across equally exhausted and weighed down by the inept attempts at world building the series trades in and the extensive and pointless exposition. Aside from Yen, who is virtually the movie's only saving grace, and Hiroyuki Sanada in a too brief appearance, there's almost no characters to really connect with here, almost everyone is on auto-pilot.

The beautiful jet-setting locations have little impact and the action sequences feel tired, rote, and devoid of actual stakes. John Wick has been a clinic in diminishing returns and this is the longest and worst of the lot. The plot is overly complicated, frequently absurd, all of the characters(aside from the two mentioned above) feel like automatons, all the deaths pile up and mean nothing. Even Wick's character(and by extension Reeves) seems to have lost the thread as to what all this was about.

A certifiable slog.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' A Review

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantasy adventure/heist comedy inspired by the tabletop RPG. The film opens on Edgin(Chris Pine) and Holga(Michelle Rodriguez) in a prison, at their parole hearing Edgin provides exposition in a fun, fast paced, flashback sequence- his wife was killed, he met Holga who helped him raise his daughter, in order to make ends meat they formed a little thieving band along with Forge(Hugh Grant), Simon(Justice Smith), and Sofina(Daisy Head) and were busted on a questionable job, hence the prison time. They have to re-group in order to right the wrong.

The cast is stacked with talent and it is clear they all relish the occasionally sincere, mostly over-the-top, and consistently comedic tone. Pine brings all his unblemished movie star charm to the role and it's a delight, he functions kind of as the main character and as the fulcrum of the narrative but each character gets an emotional moment or two as well as a chance to shine with their particular character's ability. It's an incredible balancing act. Rodriquez is always a delight and it's great to see her in a genre picture here. Grant continues his late career renaissance and is delicious as the immoral avaricious heavy. Smith is wonderful, emotional, funny, present, night-and-day from his other big budget outing Detective Pikachu. Head is a great creepy wizard, Sophia Lillis as Doric comes in a bit later but is equally great, the same goes for Regé-Jean Page as Xenk. It's just a wonderful cast who all know what they're doing, have great chemistry, don't take themselves too seriously and take the script serious enough to make it sing. It's a great time.

Visually the film is rich with some nice actual locations, sets, and decent green screen work to make the world feel real and tactile and when the inevitable big CG action sequence comes at the end all the effort to integrate the visuals(and the grounded performance) work together to make it really pay off. The costuming is absolutely exquisite and the music transportive(some songs even diegetic from Pine's bard). Overall the production is just incredibly well considered, fully formed, and effective. 

A fair amount of laughs, a thrilling adventure, and a stellar cast come together to make a film way better than the clunky title indicates.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.