“All is True” is the story of William Shakespeare’s retirement years. Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench are Mr. & Mrs. Shakespeare and are almost strangers since Mr. S has lived in London for the past twenty years. Neither of their daughters are happy and Will still has not gotten over the death of his son, Hamnet. Branagh is unrecognizable in the role. However, the story is depressing and a bit slow. His films usually have a certain humor and are seldom slow moving. This film is an exception. Interesting but not exceptional.
Toy Story 4
It is hard to believe that the original “Toy Story” was the first computer animated film. Even back then Pixar Studio knew that the script was as important as the animation. The first two sequels were almost as good as the original. This one, while not as good as the first three, is worthy its legacy. This time Woody and the gang are owned by a new child, a little girl. They go on an adventure with her and her family. Cute, clever and funny. You won’t be disappointed.
Yesterday
The feel good movie of the summer is “Yesterday”, from the director who brought us “Slumdog Millionaire”. The plot is pretty far fetched, but fun. A down on his luck musician blacks out when. the world has a power outage and when he awakens the no one knows who the Beatles are. He plays their songs and becomes a superstar, all the time being told what a genius he is for writing such incredible songs. Himesh Patel plays the musician who is dumbfounded by his success. His British Pakastani family is adorable and his friend/girlfriend, played by Lily James, is also wonderful. Kate McKinnon plays his money hungry agent. They pull off the far fetched plot and of course the music is amazing. I really loved this movie and will probably see it again. It is that enjoyable.
Men in Black: International
“Men in Black: International” is a continuation of the series. This time Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are absent. Tessa Thompson plays a new agent assigned to London to work with Chris Hemsworth’s experienced but rouge agent. Their adventures take them around the world as they encounter aliens, including a cute little one voiced by Kumail Nanjiani from “The Big Sick”. While not as original as the first two films, this is not a bad continuation of the series. It doesn’t have the same sense of humor as those films, but it is still pretty enjoyable. A good summer diversion.
The Secret Life of Pets 2
“The Secret Life of Pets” was a cute computer animated film from a few years ago. It was unique and clever, telling a story from pets’ in New York City point of view. The sequel tells another story with many of the same characters. Again there are some clever and funny parts of the plot, but overall it didn’t seem necessary. A few of the plot twists seem contrived. This is a film for the kids. If you’re looking for the wit of the original, it isn’t there.
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.
Mark's Movie Reviews 