Late Night

“Late Night” is the story of a late night talk show host who has lost her touch with the audience and is on her way out. She hires an Indian-American novice writer who changes the whole show, making it contemporary and the host beloved. The host is played by Emma Thompson as a type A, take no prisoners character and she is quite good. The Indian-American is played by Mindy Kaling, who also wrote the film. Her encounters with the male writers are funny. A nice diversion.

Shaft

This is the third movie named “Shaft”, but is not a remake of the first two versions. Rather it is a continuation of the Shaft story. In this one we meet John Shaft’s son, an MIT graduate working for the FBI. Shaft was an absentee father and his son, J.J., needs him for an investigation. The plot is incidental because this is a showcase for Samuel L. Jackson’s talents and persona. You could say that this film is “Deadpool in Harlem”. There is lots of action and just as much comedy. Jackson is hilarious and his son, played by newcomer Jesse T. Usher, holds his own. The film really hits its stride when Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft, shows up playing Jackson’s father and Usher’s grandfather. He’s still cool. This film was a lot of fun. If you like action with comedy, don’t miss it!

Aladdin

I have to admit that I had trepidations about seeing Disney’s latest live action remake of one of their animated films. Robin Williams’ genie seemed impossible to duplicate. I was surprised by how good Will Smith was in that role. He didn’t try to imitate Williams, but made the character his own. The film is beautifully filmed and the musical scenes are wonderful. The special effects that are used for the genie are really amazing and flawless. This one ranks up there with the live action remakes of “The Jungle Book”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Cinderella”. Go see it!

Booksmart

“Booksmart” is a female version of “Superbad” where two smart girls, who only studied in high school, decide to be crazy on the night before graduation. This is a small film, but very well written. The two leads are unknown, but do a great job. They decide that they are going to a wild party, but get side tracked a couple of times. Enjoyable and funny. I really enjoyed it.

Brightburn

What if Superman did evil instead of good? That is the premise of “Brightburn”. A farming couple who cannot have children find a space ship that has crashed on their property. In it is a baby, who they adopt and raise as their own. He grows to be a brilliant, but odd child. When he turns 12 things change as he realizes he has powers. This really is a horror film. Newcomer Jackson A. Dunn is excellent as the boy. Be forewarned, there are blood and guts in this film. A good horror film with an interesting twist.

Ma

Octavia Spencer plays a different type of role in “Ma”. She is an off kilter veterinarian assistant who befriends a bunch of high school kids by buying them booze. She then offers her basement as a place for them to party. Her motives are somewhat darker and relate to her high school years. Spencer is good as always. This film unites her with her director from “The Help”, Tate Taylor. Not a bad mystery, horror film.

Rocketman

“Rocketman” is the biography of Elton John starring Taron Egerton. Unlike “Bohemian Rhapsody” this film does not place the songs in the order in which they were written. Instead they are placed where they fit into the story. Egerton is great as Elton and I kept wondering who was playing his mother. It was Bryce Dallas Howard in a black wig and she was also quite good. The music is phenomenal, the acting excellent, and the costumes are outrageous, just like John’s. The main story, bedsides his list to fame is about his loneliness and addictions. The film is good, e specially if you like Elton John’s music. Unlike “Bohemian Rhapsody”, it is not great, but still worth seeing.

Avengers: Endgame

Congratulations to Marvel and Disney for putting over “Avengers: Endgame”. The public is going nuts over this film. As a Marvel fan I had to see it so I would know what happened after Infinity Wars, which was a far superior movie. The first hour was very episodic, switching from place to place as the remaining Avengers brought their team together. Making Chris Evans the lead was a big mistake. Describing his performance as wooden would be insulting to wood. And I am over Robert Downey, Jr.’s flippant performance as Tony Stark. Scarlett Johansson’s teeth must be rotting because she didn’t smile once. On the positive side Chris Hemsworth’s body transformation was a highlight and Bruce Banner embracing the Hulk’s anger was quite amusing. Tom Holland as Spiderman once again steals every scene he’s in. figured out what was going to happen with their time travel, but I thought the individual stories. could have been better. The special effects were excellent (expected), but there were some giant holes in the plot. If you’re a fan and want to see this over-long finale go, but it is a letdown from last year’s Infinity Wars.

Dumbo

As a kid I liked Disney’s “Dumbo”. It was funny, sad and sentimental. It was also darker than many of the Disney cartoons. The latest live action remake of their cartoons is a little different partially because it is directed by Tim Burton. His view of the world has always been a little off center and this film is no different. The computer graphics of the elephants and other animals are wonderful and Dumbo is adorable. I felt the same pangs when everyone made fun of him and his separation from his mother is very emotional. The sequence with the pink elephants in the animated version is redone quite originally. The ending is changed a bit to make it more modern and the crows are no longer in the movie. A good remake with a little bit of a twist.

Shazam!

Shazam! is the latest film made from the DC Comics universe. Unlike a lot of the DC film adaptations, this one is not dark, nor does it have endless battle sequences. The premise is that a kid gains super powers when he utters “Shazam!” and he becomes an adult. Zachary Levi, who plays the kid as an adult, is perfect at portraying the wonder of a kid in an adult body. It kind of reminded me of Tom Hanks in “Big”. In fact there is an homage to that movie. There is a lot of humor and mix ups, showing the awkwardness of high school and the embracing of super powers. A fun, light super hero movie.