'Enola Holmes 3' A Review

Enola Holmes 3 is a YA mystery, an adaption of the book series, the third installment in the Netflix burgeoning franchise. Enola(Millie Bobbie Brown) is set to marry her paramour Tewkesbury(Louis Partridge) but is distracted by the kidnapping of her brother Sherlock(Henry Cavill) connected to an incredibly convoluted plot.

Brown continues to stumble in the way many child actors do attempting to transition to adult roles, she overacts, mugs, and generally cannot find a baseline of reality in which to inhabit. Her last several features have been bad and she has been bad in them(Electric State, Damsel), which begs the question perhaps Stranger Things, for her and others in the cast, should be it. The supporting cast has talent but the script is so tired, unnecessarily complicated, and lacking in emotional or narrative stakes it plays like a C-list CW pilot the talent of the actors is mostly irrelevant.

There was a low impact charm with Enola Holmes, that was diluted and more confused in Enola Holmes 2, and here it's virtually non-existent, a textbook case of diminishing returns. Brown doesn't have the umph to carry the movie and everyone else involved seems to be just getting paid.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

Heat Wave

Humidity
like the blast
from an oven
Air

packed tight
with corn sweat

Closeness

and hotness

and exertion

Summer revels

cut short, on hold

until the torpor lifts

'Supergirl' A Review

Supergirl is a superhero movie about the titular hero Kara Zor-El(Milly Alcock) as she deals with the grief of losing her family and planet(shown through flashbacks) as well as facing off with a cyborg gang of slavers who have poisoned her dog.

Alcock is perfectly cast- she's funny, charming, handles the action with élan, and conveys her emotional arch with a realism and poignancy this genre typically doesn't bother with. The supporting cast is uneven- Eve Ridley as Ruthye really struggles mostly a fault of the script which pretty much reduces her to a plot device, Matthias Schoenaerts as the heavy is two-dimensionally evil but doesn't seem to have any actual personality or motivation, Jason Momoa as Lobo as wonderful and under used, David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham are really excellent and effecting as Kara's parents but the flashbacks are truncated.

Visually the movie has a lot of cool planets and backdrops and embellishments but there's not enough action and the fight sequences that there are it's hard to see what Kara is actually doing. The script is derivative it starts off John Wick(bafflingly sidelining Krypto one of the breakout stars of last year's Superman) then makes it's way to Mad Max: Fury Road as Kara faces off against the gang enslaving women as their 'brides'. The influence is so transparent it comes across as derivative. Ultimately it's just overly plotted and doesn't seem to realize the potential star at it's center Alcock, she doesn't need the multiple McGuffins in order to shoulder the movie, in fact all the add-on's and convulsions detract from what she's doing.

An incredible lead weighted down by the classic studio exec misconception: more plot = better movie. Still, worth it for Alcock alone.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

'Jackass: Best and Last' A Review

Jackass: Best and Last is a reality comedy, the fifth feature arising from the stunt/prank MTV show.

Jackass Forever came out in 2022, in the latter days of the pandemic with a fervor and necessity, revisiting the gang at that time(with all new stunts and gags) felt if not revelatory by any means but vital in some odd way- if Knoxville and the gang can continue so can we- it also elicited, bizarrely, a nostalgia for a simpler better time. Here, it's great to see everyone, a lot of the new gags are poop and butt centric which is pretty gross(no shade on them as they all probably have CTE) but there is no captivating stunt set piece and most of the bits aren't particularly physical in nature. The footage is also probably about half or more archival footage. This is more a greatest hits, a victory lap(not undeserved), rather than a new creative endeavor.

Which is all well and good. It's a relatively fun watch particularly in a theater with a decent sized audience. However it doesn't have the same urgency as it's predecessor or the experimentation of Bad Grandpa. It's a coda.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

Summer Solstice

Are we reminded
of the certainty
of change

the ever vacillating day

a reflection

of our own struggles

the crashing storms

an expression

of our own yearning

the heat in its comfort

a recollection

of past pleasures

on the precipice

of season

are we most attuned

'Solo Mio' A Review

Solo Mio is a romcom about Matt(Kevin James) an American school teacher who is left at the alter during his destination wedding in Rome. He remains on his honeymoon tour group as he can't get a refund and befriends the other couples as well as a local cafe owner Gia(Nicole Grimaudo).

James is his typical charming self and Girmaudo is captivating and the two have good chemistry. Both Alyson Hannigan and Kim Coates are effervescent and funny as one of the couples that Matt connects with. And the rest of the supporting cast are all pretty fun, the tone is all very light and breezy. It is noticeable that both of the men in the couples noted above are 15+ years older than their counterparts.

The camerawork is relatively conventional but the on location shooting makes up for any lack of visual finesse. It's a beautiful place and they let Rome speak for itself. The score is effective if a bit syrupy. The plot is pleasing, somewhat predictable, and kind of positions Gia not necessarily as a manic pixie dream girl but certainly as a very convenient balm for Matt. Even so, in a time where few romcoms are being made and even fewer are being released theatrically this is nice enough.

A sweet if conventional romcom for the middle-aged.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

 

'The Furious' A Review

The Furious is a martial arts action movie set in an unspecified Southeast Asian city about a father Wang Wei(Xie Miao) and journalist Navin(Joe Taslim) who go after a human trafficking ring to find their missing daughter and wife(respectively).

Reminiscent of Taken, there is relatively little in the way of plot but quite a lot of compelling, intricate action. Miao and Taslim are decent actors, they give the story the necessary emotional weight, but it is their physical performances that really shine which is in keeping with the genre. What's more surprising than how good the action is(that's kind of expected) is how funny and goofy some of it is. With a conceit as dour as child slavery the pops of humor and over-the-top almost Looney Toons style physicality is much needed and balances the darkness of the subject matter to make this, if not quite a romp, kind of shockingly fun and tonally complex.

A relatively rote premise is elevated by inspired fight choreography and a streak of gleeful dark humor.

Currently in theaters.

See It.