A grown up “Christopher Robin” has lost his innocence and values. Living in London and working in a corporate job he spends almost all of his time working and he’s miserable. Then who shows up, but Winnie the Pooh, who lures him back to the Hundred Acre Woods. Ewan McGregor is the grown up Christopher, but the real stars are the Pooh, Tiger, Eeyore, Piglet and the rest of the menagerie. I especially liked how Brad Garrett from “Everybody Loves Raymond” voiced Eeyore. Cleverly done, true to the original and the animals seem real throughout. Cute and enjoyable, this is a film you can take the kids to, especially if you like Winnie the Pooh.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is obviously the sequel to “Mamma Mia!”, this time without Meryl Streep mostly. Her daughter is getting ready to reopen the hotel. At the same time Meryl’s (Donna) back story is told and we learn how she met the three fathers. Lots of ABBA music, well done, and appealing characters, but the situations are a bit forced. Cute but not great.
The Equalizer 2
“The Equalizer 2” is another summer sequel, this time with Denzel Washington as a bad ass, avenging innocent victims. He helps out a kid being recruited by a neighborhood gang, the murder of a friend, a holocaust survivor, and others. One lesson that his enemies don’t figure out until it is too late is don’t mess with Robert McCall, Washington’s character. The movie starts off with a bang, literally, and keeps going from there. Denzel is excellent, as always, and we learn a little bit more why he became the loner he has become. Not quite as dark as the original, it is still violent, but compelling. A good action film.
The Catcher is a Spy
I knew nothing about Moe Berg, a baseball player from the 1920’s and ’30’s. He was a Princeton graduate, major league baseball player, could speak something like eight languages and was Jewish. The OSS recruited him during World War II to find out if one of Germany’s top scientists was close to developing the atomic bomb. He did so by going to Europe and infiltrating Nazi circles. The movie stars Paul Rudd in a totally serious role and he does a good job. He plays Berg as an enigma, someone who doesn’t get close to anyone. The film is slow and not always interesting, even if the story is. It was released on Netflix, not in theaters, so you can watch it at home. Not the greatest, but like I said, it is an interesting, little know part of our history. P.S. Berg’s baseball card is the only one on display at CIA headquarters.
Sorry to Bother You
“Sorry to Bother You” looked like an interesting and entertaining premise. A young black man gets a job as a telemarketer and becomes wildly successful when he uses his “white” voice. The usual happens; he changes when he starts to make money. Most of these things happen in the first half of the movie and they are funny, but there is a weird subtext to everything as a huge company is constantly advertised on T.V., billboards and everywhere the characters go. The second half of the movie is actually quite disturbing. It’s not the usual selling out story; it’s the ultimate selling out story. The huge corporation has a plan to exploit its workers in a very unusual and grotesque way. This is when the film falls apart. Instead of being an innovative comedy it becomes a surreal horror story. It is as if the filmmakers are trying to come up with a new “Get Out!” and they fail miserably. The best part of the film is the cast, especially the lead, Lakeith Stanfield. He plays the part as an innocent who is mesmerized by all that is happening to him. I do not recommend this film at all.
Whitney
“Whitney” is a documentary about the life of Whitney Houston. Unlike a like a lot of films like this one, there is a lot of footage of her from the time she was young. Her mother was a singer and her cousins were Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick. Houston was an amazing talent and was at the top of her profession, but drugs and depression ruined her life. It is hard to sit through a clip of one of her last concert performances when the audience boo-ed her. The saddest part for me is how her daughter’s short life turned out. I have mixed feelings about this film; It is fascinating to learn about a star I liked, but I found it sad and disturbing how she ruined her life.
Uncle Drew
“Uncle Drew” is basketball comedy starring basketball players made up to look like old men. A guy is trying to put together a team to win a Harlem tournament in order to win the contest money. His initial team is stolen by a rival and he ends up meeting up with Uncle Drew, a great player from the 1960’s. They reunite his old teammates, who still can play ball. The old men are hilarious and the supporting cast is wonderful. Nick Kroll plays the rival as a wannabe thug and Tiffany Haddish steals every scene she is in. An unexpected summer comedy gem, go see it if you want a few laughs.
Sicario: Day of Soldado
“Sicario: Day of Soldado” is the sequel to the 2015 movie. This time the drug cartel in Mexico is sending terrorists across the border. In order to combat them the government enlists a band of renegades to fight them. Led by Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro. They end up kidnapping the kingpin’s daughter with the intent of scaring the cartel leadership, but everything spins out of control. A parallel story of a teenager who is brought in to the cartel is also told. This is a very violent movie with a huge body count. There are a couple of plot twists and a lot of action. Not for the faint of heart.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is obviously the sequel to “Ant-Man”, which was clever, witty and funny. This one tries to bring back that magic, but doesn’t quite make it. This time Paul Rudd’s character is three days from getting off of two years of house arrest for his role in helping the Avengers in Germany. (Holy crossover!) Professor Van Dyne and his daughter Hope are in hiding, but are about to figure how to find his wife from the quantum realm. They need Antman to help them so they get him out of his house. Meanwhile an arms dealer wants the technology as does another person with super powers. Interesting, but not as tight as the original. Michael Pena provides comic relief as Antman’s business partner and Stan Lee’s cameo is funny. Good action, especially the shrinking and growing sequences. Not Marvel’s best, but not it’s worst. .
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
The documentary about Fred Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, is the story of a man who truly had a gift for communicating with children. He felt his mission was to communicate with them and address topics that most adults didn’t know how to approach such as death, divorce, prejudice and a multitude of others. His approach was simple. In the end he was loved by millions of children. The documentary is told by the people who worked with and knew Rogers. Seeing this film makes you believe that there are good people in the world.
Mark's Movie Reviews 