Category Archives: Movie Review

Mother or Monster:  What One Witch Would Do in the Name of Love

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Official production photo copied from Ibiza-click.com

I realize this is the first time I’ve posted a movie review in a long time or for that matter anything other than a book review in a long time.  However, it has been a very long time since I have actually been to see a movie in the theater, much less on it’s opening weekend.  (Spoilers ahead!)

Today my husband and I went to see Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.  (Again, this is hardly the first time I’ve posted about the Marvel universe, but it has admittedly been a long time since I’ve done so.)

I have to say I was blown away.  I love Dr. Strange and Benedict Cumberbatch in anything, but what really got me excited was the evolution of Elizabeth Olsen’s character, The Scarlet Witch.  For fans of the movie and TV franchise, Scarlet Witch a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff was forced to kill her lover Vision to keep one of the Infinity Stones from the hands of Thanos.

The fallout of this, detailed in Wandavision, was an immensely powerful, grieving super being that had the ability to re-create the world as she wished it to be, by controlling minds and building illusions so realistic, she believed them herself.  When she was forced to dispel her illusions, she lost herself grieving for the life she imagined, the life that included two young boys. 

In the new movie, Wanda is aware of the multiverse thanks to studying a book of dark magic.  She is also aware that Dr. Strange is protecting a young girl who has the power to travel between multiple universes, including those where the two boys she lost exist.  Wanda is determined to possess this power for herself, heedless of the fact it will mean the death of the young girl, America Chavez, played by Xochiti Gomez, and all those who are protecting her as well as the integrity of the multiverse from incursion and destruction.

In the end, the only way to stop Wanda is by allowing her alternate-self’s children to see the monster she has become.  The boys fear her because they see what she would do to their real mother.  This leads to Wanda effectively stopping herself and destroying the evil book, so no one else can be tempted to do as she has done. 

Wanda is a grieving mother, denied the children she so desperately wanted.  Does that excuse her trip to the dark side?  Not really, but it’s hard to think of her as a true villain of the story.  The audience can be both horrified at the lengths she was willing to go, and empathize with her for her grief and loneliness.

I give this movie five stars, and can’t wait for the next installment in this franchise. This movie is currently showing in a theater near you.

Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984

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Image copied from Rotten Tomatoes

Like many I’m sure, my family sat down after our overly-indulgent Christmas dinner to watch the opening day release of a new movie, premiering concurrently in theatres and on HBO Max.  After the success of the first Wonder Woman movie, my family were all excited to see what would happen next to my personal favorite childhood heroine.

What makes this version of the Amazonian princess so special is not Diana’s powers, which have continued to grow since her discovery in the first movie that she is actually a goddess and the daughter of Zeus, but her humanity.  The Diana (played by Gal Gadot) living in 1984 is lonely; she has lost the love of her life; but she is also passionate about the truth, empathic, and is driven by her desire to help those in need.  These qualities set her apart from every other wanna-be super hero out there.

Diana uses a newly-discovered ability to create her comic-book invisible jet.

Diana’s unique qualities are especially highlighted when Dr. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a brilliant but socially awkward in the extreme colleague, makes a wish that actually duplicates Diana’s powers in her, though cannot imbue her with Diana’s noble character.

This “wish magic” is one facet of the movie I had issue with; this plot device, which is actually central to the story, as it creates both of the antagonists and also returns Captain Trevor (Chris Pine) to Diana’s arms; does require some suspension of disbelief from the audience.  However, after the introduction of this device, director Patty Jenkins and the wonderful cast and writers turn this fancy into a powerful story, which includes not only a number of absurd wishes but also dangerous ones as well as consequences that truly showcase the old saying “be careful what you wish for.”

Diana’s sacrifice, first of her powers, then of her most heartfelt wish, become a necessary sacrifice to save the world, a sacrifice that momentarily seems to be in vain.  The true catalyst for change though, is when Diana’s faith in humanity becomes the ultimate hero of the story when her words, broadcast unwittingly by Max Lord, appeals to the masses to undo what has been done before the world is literally destroyed.

The plot for this movie actually was more epic than the first one, and I can only imagine what is planned for the next sequel, already in the works thanks to the early success of this holiday release.  Will the next movie also premier concurrently in theatre and digitally?  Only time will tell, but I guarantee me and my family will look forward to seeing it.

Movie Review-Dr. Sleep

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Image result for doctor sleep characters

Over the weekend, my husband convinced me to watch the movie Dr. Sleep, which is currently available on Redbox.  For those not aware, Dr. Sleep is the sequel to The Shining, both of which are based on books written by Stephen King, published in 1977 and 2013, respectively.

The fact alone that Stephen King was the author tells the viewer there will be some elements of horror in the story, though this particular one also has action and paranormal elements.

The movie opens with events immediately following the events in the first book/movie, where a traumatized Danny must deal with the experiences from the Overlook Hotel, as well as the death of his father.  The denizens of the Overlook are still haunting him, until he learns to “lock” them in boxes in his mind.  Unfortunately, he cannot so easily brush off the trauma, and a few minutes in, we switch to an adult Dan Torrance, played by Ewan McGregor, who is in his mid-forties, and a struggling alcoholic.

It takes a visit from the spirit of Dick Halloran, the character from the first movie who taught Danny about his “shining,” (aka telepathy) for Dan to make any headway in life.  Dick’s appearances are far and few between, though, mainly serving as an expression of Dan’s conscience in times of turmoil.  It is Dick’s prodding that leads Dan to assisting Abra, another young character who also “shines” when she is appears on the radar of the “True Knot,” a group of immortal beings that feed off the shine of young victims to survive.

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The eerie True Knot beings claim a victim.

Through a well-paced plot, we discover that Dan has largely suppressed his powers, but he cannot ignore the needs of the patients at the hospice where he works as an orderly, a practice that earns him the nickname Dr. Sleep.  He also cannot ignore the daily communication with Abra, who contacts him via a blackboard painted on the wall of his apartment.  Through his connection to her, he is aware when she first encounters the True Knot, and recognizes their similarity to the beings that haunted Overlook.

When they come for her, Dan has to help.  Bringing his friend/sponsor along for the ride, they stage a plot to trap the True Knot group and prevent them from taking any more victims.  Events go south, though, and in a desperate attempt to stop the leader of the True Knot, Rose the Hat, Dan and Abra make the journey back to Overlook, hoping to turn its denizens against Rose, who is now hunting them.  The story culminates with Dan being visited by the ghostly remnant of his father, and repeating the sacrifice Jack Torrance made in the book version of The Shining, (the movie version ended differently.)

Image result for doctor sleep characters
Dan and Abra make their stand.

I don’t often go for horror movies, but this one had more supernatural and paranormal elements to it than true horror.  Yes, the audience got to revisit some of the creepier characters from the original The Shining, but the focus of the story was more on Dan’s reactions and fate following those events.  Overall, the movie was very good, with just enough of a creep factor and an interesting plot.  This movie should appeal to fans of the original, though viewing of the first film is not required for understanding.  I give it four out of five stars, and recommend it to anyone interested in the genres of horror, supernatural, and paranormal stories.

 

 

 

A Modern Whodunit: Knives Out

Movie Review,

Fans of classic mysteries in the tradition of the late Dame Agatha Christie, this is your movie!  Knives Out, currently showing in movie theaters, keeps audiences guessing whodunit to the very end.

The all-star cast, which includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, and Don Johnson, portray the family and staff of the late mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (played by Christopher Plummer) as they gather first for the birthday party of their patriarch; and again after his demise, which occurs later that same night.  The family members, instead of grieving, though, are more apt to quibble and point fingers at each other as to who had more motive and means to commit murder.

Daniel Craig plays Benoit Blanc, a modern Hercule Poirot-type detective with a southern accent, who was hired by means of a secret message to investigate the death.  Blanc follows clues and shadows Marta (Ana de Armas,) the late author’s private nurse, through wild goose chases that uncover more than one suspect and enough red herrings to hide the true criminal to the very end.

Marta, the only character other than the detective who was not after Thrombey’s fortune, spends most of the movie believing she is responsible for his death.   Marta tries to hide, and fails completely in attempts to lie, about her involvement in the crime.  Her surprising motivation-a promise made to the elderly author immediately before his demise.   Why did he prompt her to lie, and what other secrets will be uncovered before the end of the movie?  Who actually is responsible for Thrombey’s death?  And who will inherit his estate?

I was both pleased and surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie.  The mystery was intriguing, the plot had as many twists as any good novel, and the action was enjoyable.  There was just enough humor included to keep the story from becoming too dark without turning the whole movie into a spoof of the genre.  Not to mention, the majority of the action takes place on an estate that contains hidden compartments, a secret door, and a horde of “props” from Thrombey’s novels, (spoilers) some of which may prove important to the plot!

Check it out at a theater near you!

 

 

 

 

The New Hero on the Block: A Review of Captain Marvel

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Move over boys, there’s plenty of room in this galaxy for the fiercest female superhero to appear in many years.  Captain Marvel, the latest addition to the Marvel universe saga, hit theaters last week and the title character, played by Brie Larson, lives up to the moniker.

This movie is set mostly in 1995, which means chronologically it predates the events presented in any of the other Marvel movie storylines except for the one detailing the origins of Captain America.  A much younger (thanks to CGI) Nick Fury is already in place as the head of SHEILD, but the organization has not yet developed its mandate to stop alien threats, mostly because it is not yet aware of their existence.

Fury, accompanied by “the new guy” Phil Coulson, is unprepared for his first encounter with the green-skinned alien shapeshifters called The Skrull, but he is smart enough to recognize that there’s more than meets the eye to the mysterious young woman who claims to be hunting them as a member of the Kree defense force.  Ready or not, Earth is about to become a battle ground between these two alien races, both previously introduced in other Marvel movies.

What follows is a story of loss, betrayal, and battles both on land and in space as Carol “Vers” Danvers has to piece together lost memories to determine who she really is, and which side in a galactic war is actually a threat to not only humanity, but the galaxy at large.  The powers she acquires, and the ease with which she wields them, prove her to be more than a match for any of the previously shown Marvel heroes or villains.

Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Lashana Lynch as fellow pilot Maria Rambeau in a scene from the new movie.  From imbd.com

This movie seemingly attempts to raise the quota of female characters in the Marvel franchise.  In addition to a female lead with mind-blowing abilities, there are also featured two hardcore female test pilots, a (deceased) female scientist who was actually an undercover Kree agent, a female supreme being of the Kree race, and a female Kree warrior for Carol to face off against.  Despite the occasional estrogen overload, though, the central story is more about overcoming limits and finding the hero inside one’s self.

Spoilers: those invested in the Marvel universe will be very interested in the fine details scattered about the movie, including; the true story about how Fury lost his eye, the origin of the name “Avengers,” and the fate of the Tesseract after it was sunk in the ocean during Captain America and before it appeared in the desert in Thor.

I loved this new version of Captain Marvel, and am now even more pumped for the conclusion to the Marvel epic, Avengers: Endgame, which is coming in April.  Captain Marvel is currently showing at a theater near you.

A Supernatural Love Story: The Shape of Water: A Movie Review

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Over the past weekend the hubby and I found time to sit down and relax with a movie, not realizing at first how appropriate this supernatural fantasy would be for the coming Valentine’s Day week.

What followed was an amazing, mesmerizing tale featuring on two main characters, played by Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones, both of whom are mute, isolated in their own way, and yet are almost instantly drawn to each other in a way that defies logic or conventional interpretations of love.

Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
A most unusual love story, from the 2017 Oscar-winning movie.  Image from imbd.com

Sally Hawkins plays Elisa Esposito, a cleaner at OCCAM Aerospace Research Center in 1962 Baltimore, who is present when Doug Jones’ character is brought in as a specimen referred to as “The Asset.”  The government and military forces running the facility are desperate to “get ahead” of the Soviets in the space race, and believe they can do so by studying, and eventually dissecting, an amphibious man captured from South America.  Coincidentally or not, “The Asset” has a very similar look, and is played by the same actor, who played Abe Sapien in another del Toro film, Hellboy.

The director of the facility, Strickland, played by Michael Shannon, has tortured The Asset, who is response has bitten off two of Strickland’s fingers; even knowing this Elisa doesn’t fear him, instead she spends her lunch breaks visiting him.  The amphibious man and the cleaning lady bond over hard-boiled eggs, music, and sign language, and when Elisa overhears plans to terminate her friend, immediately plans to free him.

Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
The start of friendship, or true love?  Image from imbd.com

Elisa finds allies in her cleaning partner, Zelda (Octavia Spencer), her neighbor Giles (Richard Genkins), and strangely a Soviet spy (Michael Stuhlbarg), whose love of science outweighs his loyalty to his native country.

Freed from the facility in a daring escape, The Asset goes home with Elisa, where she tends his injuries, and is drawn ever closer to her, as he shares with her and Giles abilities that defy explanation, and create a deep bond between them.  They know their time together is to be short though, because when the rains overflow the canal in Boston harbor, The Asset will finally be able to flee to the sea, and safety, from Strickland who is still hunting him.

The action sequences are well-done, the visuals are spectacular, and the surprisingly sweet and romantic turns of the plot are very well done.  Of course, I am not alone in my opinions: The Shape of Water won Oscars in 2018 for both Best Picture and Best Director.  There was also a book, written by del Toro and Daniel Kraus, of which publication followed the movie (in 2018) but from all sources is not merely a movie novelization, rather a much more in-depth exploration of the story as conceived by Kraus.

I think this movie, which has been called an adult fairy tale, is a perfect romantic story for those who don’t mind a little fantasy with their romance.  Check it out this week on Redbox or HBO, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Movie Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet

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The hubby and I actually went out to see a movie last week, instead of waiting till it came to us via Netflix or Redbox, and were charmed with the film we chose.  For those who grew up during the era games like Pac-Man were the latest craze, visiting Litwak’s arcade is like a trip down memory lane.

While technological changes from old-fashioned video games to the burgeoning Internet plays a role in the movie, this sequel to Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, focuses less on that and more in the character development of its principles, nice “Bad Guy” Ralph, and his bestie Princess Vanellope, a race car driver from the overly sweet “Candy Crush.”

When an accident damages Vanellope’s vintage console, Ralph and Vanellope undertake a trip through a new addition to the arcade, a network connection, in order to locate a replacement steering wheel from E-bay. What they find in this new world will alternately amaze and horrify Ralph, while Vanellope soon finds herself longing to stay.

While Ralph is perfectly happy with the way things are and doesn’t want to change anything about his life or his friendship with Vanellope, she is struggling with the monotony of her unchanging environment in the arcade.  Ralph wants to make Vanellope happy, and goes to great lengths to help her fulfill her dreams, and then nearly destroys them, along with the entire Internet, when his own insecurities and possessive behavior come into play.

This version of Vanellope is still adorable; but is experiencing angst that comes from the struggle to come into her own.  She is bored with the current track options of her own game, and quickly becomes enamored when introduced to “Slaughter Race,” a game for more “mature” audiences, and especially its own leading lady, a female racer named Shank.  She regards Ralph as her best friend, but is learning that it’s okay to grow and try things on her own.

They will have to learn to be honest with each other, and accept that it’s okay to want different things, in order to save their friendship and stop the virus destroying the Internet.

One of the highlights for me was the scene where Vanellope accidentally finds her way into the dressing room of the “other” Disney princesses, who then assist in saving the day, or rather the “hero” in distress, Ralph!

This is movie is rated PG, though the climax with the attacking “Ralph” virus may be scary for some younger viewers, and is in theaters now.

No More Damsels in Distress-Equal Opportunity Heroes on Skull Island

Movie Review

This past weekend my husband and I took in our first big “summer blockbuster” of the year, Kong: Skull Island.  I hadn’t read any reviews of the movie prior to the show, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was not merely a sequel or remake of Peter Jackson’s 2005 epic.  Instead, Kong featured an original story that offered plenty of action coupled with a well-developed plot (though the latter was somewhat obscured by the overwhelming special effects).

Set roughly forty years later than the last cinematic delivery of the giant ape, Kong touches on the 1970s world of chaos embodying war protesters and political upheaval, scientific leaps and social change.  In this environment, a group of researchers pitch the need to uncover the secrets of a lost island “before the Russians do.”

Brie Larson as Mason Weaver, firing a flare gun.  Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

I was gratified that the female cast was not relegated to the role of damsels in distress, as in the classic versions of the giant monster genre.  Leading actress Brie Larson, who, at first glance appears to fit the stereotype of the beautiful blonde traditionally captured by the giant ape; ably held her own with the boys in pitched fights against the monster baddies.  Actually it was her character, Mason Weaver, a war photographer, who finished off the first of the creepy, two legged giant skull crawlers the group of scientists and soldiers encountered, with plenty of help from James Conrad, played by costar Tom Hiddleston.

Though female leads in action films have become somewhat more common in the last decade, thanks to series such as Resident Evil and Underworld, they are still not the norm whenever mammoth monsters take center stage.  It is indeed refreshing to see a female character that is portrayed as competent, resourceful, and just as brave as her male companions.

Larson’s character did later get up close and personal with the big guy, an encounter which showed that Kong truly was not the antagonist, but rather a tragic hero in his own right.  It was her empathy and insight, coupled with the intuition and heroism of Hiddleston’s character, which led to the confrontation with Col. Packard, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Prejudiced due to his experience in the Vietnam War and the opening encounter with the giant ape, the Colonel had failed to understand that Kong was not the enemy, and almost caused a disaster as he tried to destroy their would-be protector.  Larson struck a decisive blow in the penultimate battle that saw the remaining humans ally with Kong against the granddaddy of the skull crawlers for ultimate survival.

Overall, Kong was a rare movie worth the outrageous price of the 3D ticket.  I would recommend it to any fans of monster movie or action genres.

Happy viewing,

Amy