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.
Us
Jordan Peele is definitely not a one hit wonder! After “Get Out!” two years ago, he gives us “Us” starring Lupita Nyong’o and all I can say is wow! There is a strange feeling from the beginning when a little girl wonders off at a beachside amusement park into a house of mirrors. Twenty five years later she is with her family going to their vacation home. Intruders come in, but they are not normal criminals. “Us” is a post modern zombie movie, with a twist. Like the best suspense/horror movies it keeps you guessing. You don’t know what will happen next nor what the creatures’ motives are. Any filmmaker who can keep me guessing deserves my praise, like M. Mike Shalaman in “The Sixth Sense”. Peele has done it twice.
Oscar Commentary 2019 #2
I usually have a hard time predicting the Supporting Actor and Actress categories. There are traditionally some ringers and this year is no exception. The Supporting Actor category is especially difficult. The early front runners were Richard E. Grant for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and Sam Elliot for “A Star is Born”. Then Mareshala Ali for “Green Book” started winning some of the early awards. Adam Driver for “BlacKkKlansman” and Sam Rockwell for “Vice” round out the list, but don’t look like they have a chance. Rockwell won last year. If the Oscar goes to Elliot it will reward an actor who has been dependable for a long time. Ali won two years ago, but seems to be the favorite now and Grant gave a great performance. I am split between Ali and Grant, but will give it to Ali.
The Supporting Actress category is a little easier to predict because most of the pre-Oscar awards have gone to Regina King for “If Beale Street Could Talk”. King should have been nominated for “Ray” and she is always good. In “Beal Street” she gives a strong, virtuoso performance. Amy Adams is nominated again for “Vice” as Lynn Cheney. As usual she is excellent, tough and relentless. This is her sixth nomination and there is the possibility that the Academy may take that into consideration. Rachel Wiesz and Emma Stone were equally bitchy in “The Favourite”, but I think they will cancel each other out. Finally, Marina del Tavarina’s nomination for “Roma” is the Academy’s way of honoring “Roma” some more. In the end, I think that Regina King will wall off with the trophy.
Mark's Movie Reviews 