“Spies in Disguise” Movie Review

    Now that awards season is upon us, I wanted to check out the Oscar nominated war film “1917” since it is now in wide release.  As much as I enjoy films with heavy subject matters, sometimes a more simplistic is just what the doctor ordered however.  So, “1917” will have to wait because “Spies in Disguise” looked like just the humorous pick me up I was looking for after a hard week at work.

    The film follows Lance Sterling, the most daring spy on the planet, on a mission to recover an attack drone from being sold to known terrorist Killian.  Upon arriving back from what he thinks was a successful mission, Lance fires Walter Beckett for supplying him with unwanted safe technology.  During his debriefing, it is revealed that Lance’s mission wasn’t the success he thought it was and he is now on the run.  With no one in the agency he can turn to, Lance tracks down Walter for help to clear his name.  Unfortunately for Lance, it will require him to go undercover...as a pigeon.

    Now this movie definitely isn’t going to be considered a masterpiece by any means but I did think it was really cute and humorous.  Animation studio Blu Sky is rather hit or miss in my book but this was one of their better films in my opinion.  There were more than a few instances where I literally laughed out loud.  Most comedy films recently have not had that effect on me.

     The voice cast is top notch and really brings to life their respective characters.  Will Smith is charming as ever as Lance Sterling.  Tom Holland brings some of his Spider-Man charisma (and an American accent once again) to the voice of Walter Beckett.  The rest of the voice cast is made up of very recognizable voices including Ben Mendelsohn, Rashida Jones, DJ Khaled, and Reba McEntire.

    This is the first Blue Sky Studios production released by Disney after they took over 20th Century Fox and it is pretty clear Disney does not prioritize the animated studio.  I wonder if Blue Sky Studios will remain a production company or if it will be viewed as Disney competing with itself and slowly phased out.

    “Spies in Disguise” is a humorous kid’s movie with plenty of humor for adults as well.  It’s a shame the movie hasn’t performed better in the box office because I would actually be interested in seeing this property turned into a franchise.  As it stands, the movie is an overall winner in my book.

Grade: B

“The Aeronauts” Movie Review

    When you live in Michigan and a snow storm hits the state, it sort of limits what you can do and where you can go.   On a bad snow day, you can literally be stuck in your house for hours or even days.  On a snow day like that, you aren’t left with a lot of options for entertainment.  Of course, my old fall back is watching a movie, of course, and the film I decided to watch was called “The Aeronauts”.  The movie is currently available as an Amazon Prime exclusive and this will be the first Amazon Prime exclusive film I review!  We live in exciting times!

    The film tells the story of Amelia, an aeronaut and courageous adventurer, who agrees to help a young man named James Glaisher who seeks to prove he can successfully predict weather patterns from the air using scientific methods.  Amelia and James start to bond over the voyage and everything seems to be going well until they find themselves unexpectedly caught in the middle of a storm.  The pair will have to fight for their lives after the storm causes damage to Amelia’s hot air balloon.

    Amazon Prime has shown promise the past few years in the development of it’s tv shows.  “The Boys”, “Jack Ryan”, and even “The Tick” have shown that Amazon knows what it takes to craft good television, but would “The Aeronauts” show they can tackle a film successfully?  Well, that is a little bit yes and a little bit no.  There are aspects of the film that work, but the film as a whole really does not.

    This film is based on a book entitled “Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air” by Richard Holmes.  The book and film were ‘inspired’ by true events and it’s here where the term ‘inspired’ is used with a lot of liberties.  James Glaisher really took a flight similar to the one depicted in the film, but not with a woman named Amelia.  James Glaisher took his voyage with Henry Coxwell, not Amelia.  The film forsakes historical accuracy for a strong female lead.  Despite this switch which should make the movie at least more compelling, the film remains fairly boring.

    The film’s leads, Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne have excellent chemistry together and clearly enjoy working together.  Jones and Redmayne previously appeared together in the acclaimed film “The Theory of Everything” so perhaps their chemistry together shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.  Aside from the cast, the visuals are also often quite good throughout most of the film (although there are a few poor visual effects shots sprinkled in the film that sour the well done ones a bit for me).

    “The Aeronauts” isn’t on par with Netflix’s best, but it is also a cut above Netflix’s worst so it isn’t a complete wash for Amazon Prime’s original films.  Still, this film leaves a lot to be desired overall and contains all the excitement of a history or science class taught by a drunken feminist revisionist substitute teacher.

Grade: D

“Ad Astra” Movie Review

    In films, space has always served as the backdrop for some of the most imaginative stories ever made.  Space is the great unknown which is scary, exciting, thrilling, and pretty much every other feeling a person can experience.  Most space films explore the great unknown with a sense of wonder, but a few films depict space as the empty vacuum it can seem to be.

    The film follows Major Roy McBride, a member of the U.S. Space Command and son of legendary astronaut H. Clifford McBride, on a secret mission to figure out what or possibly who is responsible for power surges on Earth which threaten the planet.  Roy learns that, despite the fact that he was informed years ago that his father died on a deep space mission, that his dad might still be alive.  To complicate things, Roy also learns that his father might somehow be linked to the power surges on Earth due to his involvement with the Lima Project.

    I have mixed feelings about this film after watching it.  When I watch a science-fiction movie, I tend to expect a sense of wonder or excitement and this movie subverted the expectations of what many thought this film would be.  This is less of a science-fiction movie and more of dramatic thriller that just so happens to be set in space.  It makes for an interesting experience but also a frustrating one at times (at least for me).

    That isn’t to say that film doesn’t deliver on spectacular action scenes, it is just a very grounded take on space travel with a focus on the sacrifices men and women make in the name of science.  This film feels very much like a reverse “Interstellar” as a result.  While “Interstellar” had a lot of heartfelt performances in what some critics would describe as a soulless film (I happened to love “Interstellar” by the way), “Ad Astra” had a lot of soulless performances in a movie built on heart.  The comparison may not make a lot of sense until you watch both films and then I think it becomes pretty clear fairly quickly.

    I did like the central theme of the movie however.  We, to this day, spend so much time looking to the stars wondering if we are alone in the universe.  Why do we feel so alone on a planet filled with over 7 billion people?  Is it that difficult to find human connection?  Should we ever feel alone?  I liked this concept explored in a film even though I might not have actually set that particular film in space.

    The film is led primarily by Brad Pitt and he delivers a strong performance as a son desperately trying to reconnect with father.  Tommy Lee Jones delivers a strong performance as said father in the few minutes he is in the picture.  Donald Sutherland and Liv Tyler offer brief but memorable supporting roles.

    I like director James Gray a great deal which is why I really wanted to see this film.  I really enjoyed his film “We Own the Night” and thought it was very underrated.  Though “Ad Astra” received mixed reviews, Gray’s talent behind the camera made watching this film a must for me...even if I did end up feeling rather mixed about this film myself.

    “Ad Astra” isn’t exactly out of this world but it does give it’s audience something to think about in a much simpler respect.  I am not sure what to make of this film and I have a lot to think about, which is sort of the point of this movie I guess.

Grade: C+

“Ford v Ferrari” Movie Review

    My father was obsessed with cars in the same vain I am obsessed with movies.  He joked that he lived for anything with wheels.  For every photo he took of the family, he took twenty of his cars.  My dad worked for Ford and even named one of my brothers after famed car designed Carroll Shelby (who he got to meet at an Autorama one year much to his delight).  Even after his death, his love for cars has always been felt.  So when the movie “Ford v Ferrari” came out, I felt an urge to see it not only because it received good reviews but because part of me felt like it was a bit of connection to my dad.

    The film tells the story of car racer and designer Carroll Shelby as he is hired by Ford Motor Company to design a car that might win the twenty-four hour Le Mans race.  Shelby’s friend and driver Ken Miles is brought on to help Carroll Shelby design the car that eventually becomes the famed Ford GT40.  Unfortunately Ken Miles isn’t permitted by Ford to drive the car and it’s debut, Ford loses Le Mans to the Ferrari once again.  Carroll Shelby is able to convince Henry Ford II to give him another chance with Ken Miles behind the wheel and Henry Ford II gives him the go ahead.  Can Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby achieve the impossible and give Ford the win for the Le Mans race?

    While the racing sequences are thrilling and as exciting as you would expect, much of the drama of “Ford v Ferrari” comes from the behind the scenes struggles Carroll Shelby had with the Ford Motor Company.  The film showcases how devastating poor management can be to a company.  As someone who works at a job with managers who do little but lower the morale of their workforce, I can relate to this film’s take on executives.

    The film stars Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles.  Damon plays Shelby with a sense of recklessness and rebellion the real Shelby was well known for.  Bale is an absolute delight giving Miles humor and a giant ego yet still making him likable.  It is hard to imagine anyone but Damon and Bale playing these roles (though Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt almost ended up starring in this movie at various points).

    In addition to focusing primarily on Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, the film also explores their relationship with the likes of Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca to name a few legendary big three figureheads.  For the most part, save for Iacocca for the most part, the top brass at Ford isn’t painted in the most flattering light.  Jon Bernthal does a stellar job bringing Lee Iacocca to life and is able to make him the most likable of Ford’s chief board.

    James Mangold does an excellent job making this film feel as if it was filmed in the mid 60s.  The style and feel of the era made you feel as if you stepped into a time machine.  Mangold also always seems to manage to get the best from his performers no matter the project they are attached to.  Mangold definitely deserves award recognition for his work on this film.

    When the dust settles, “Ford v Ferrari” is a crowd pleasing win for everyone involved.  Even if you don’t care about Le Mans or racing (I am not personally a fan), the film makes you care about it protagonists and most of the audience will be rooting for Shelby and Miles by the end.

Grade: B+

“The King of Queens” Television Review: To Binge or Not to Binge

    I was very pleasantly surprised last month to receive an e-mail from one of my favorite home media distributors Mill Creek Entertainment asking if I was interested in receiving a review copy of their “The King of Queens” complete series blu-ray release.  I remembered enjoying that show quite a bit when I was younger so I jumped at the chance to revisit it.

    The show followed the everyday life of everyman delivery man Doug Heffernan and his wife Carrie Heffernan.  The show was relatable with a strong supporting cast of characters who added a great deal to the humor.  While the show was far from ground breaking, it was one of the funnier shows of it’s era and was great escapism for around twenty minutes.

    Let me start this review by saying I am not the biggest Kevin James fan out there mainly due to stories I have heard of the performer and how he has allegedly treated members of the service industry.  As someone who reviews films and shows on the side but makes their primary income as a cashier at a grocery store, I don’t like hearing about celebrities who are rude to people making far less money than them but make an honest living.  Some of us current unknowns are even quite funny and talented, so getting lucky and discovered is no excuse to treat people poorly.  The reason I write this is because I really do enjoy Kevin James as a comedian and some of the stories you hear can really sour your opinions on someone you might have otherwise looked up to.  It’s hard for me to watch this show now even though I find it quite funny.

    Aside from Kevin James, the show boosted a slew of other extremely talented actors and actresses.  I adored Jerry Stiller as Doug’s father-in-law Arthur Spooner.  Doug and Arthur’s relationship was often the backbone of the episodes.  Kevin James and Jerry Stiller also played off each other fantastically.  It’s easy to see why Stiller remains Hollywood royalty after watching this show.  Leah Remini was often hilarious and also less shrill than most sitcom wives and it was fairly refreshing to see a sitcom wife played with more realism (at least in my opinion).

    The character of Doug appeared in several other television shows including “Cosby”, “The Nanny”, “Becker”, and most prominently “Everybody Loves Raymond” (Ray Romano’s character of Ray Barone also appeared on episodes of “The King of Queens”).  In addition to Ray Romano, the show also featured fantastic guest appearances from comedic masterminds like Patton Oswalt and stars of yesteryear like “The Incredible Hulk” himself, Lou Ferrigno.  These guest stars are among the highlights of this show for me.

    So, “The King of Queens” is definitely one of the standout sitcoms of the late 90s and 2000s and is now available as a complete set on both DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment.  Mill Creek Entertainment was kind enough to send a review copy of the show on Blu-ray and it looks amazing.  I had some of the DVD seasons released by Sony years ago and the Blu-ray set is a giant step up as far as picture quality is concerned in my opinion.  It is definitely worth a buying the set if you need a laugh!

Overall Grade: B+

To Binge or Not to Binge Verdict: BINGE

Buy “The King of Queens” The Complete Series on Blu-ray Here!!!

Editorial: The Perfect Audience

    What makes someone a compelling author?  Why do we feel like certain writers speak directly to us?  These are fascinating questions I ask myself every time I write something, rather it be a review or a humor piece.  Do I have an audience who enjoys my writing, my style?  The truth is that it doesn’t really matter.  The more I write, the more I realize that the important thing about writing is that I am doing it for myself.  I am writing to make myself happy and that’s where my voice has come from.

    Writing is like any art, you can’t write to please others so you might as well write to please yourself and hope your work speaks and connects to others.  This is an important lesson I learned from my mom.  My mother found her voice in writing from the perspective of our dogs of all things.  Her writing was funny and even inspirational and brought great joy to others but she always wrote based on what she enjoyed reading.

    I learned a lot from both my parents but my mother taught me to never give up on my dreams, no matter your age or interest.  Others who share your passion will follow in time and if they don’t, at least you created a piece of work you are proud of.  Your words and voice can never be replaced.

“Frozen II” Movie Review

    It’s a new year and a new slew of movies will soon be hitting theaters but I am still trying to catch up on the few films that slipped between the cracks in late 2019.  One of those films was the monster Disney hit “Frozen II”.  I had been waiting to see this film with my girlfriend and her brother (and my movie buddy) who were both eagerly anticipating this movie.  We finally got a chance to see it on New Year’s Eve and I can finally share my thoughts on the film.

    The film takes place three years after the first film and sees Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven living happily in Arendelle before a voice calls to Elsa and the group set off on an adventure to discover the elemental spirits of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air.  The group seeks the spirits in the hopes of finding out why a mist separates the Enchanted Forest from the surrounding kingdom.  While discovering the elemental spirits, the group learns the truth about their grandfather and the real reason the Enchanted Forest became separated from the rest of the kingdom.

    So, in the interested of full disclosure, I was not feeling the best when I went to see “Frozen II”.  In fact, I was still pretty sick when I attended a screening for this film and as a result, had a harder time focusing on the movie than I normally would have.  All that being said, I actually thought this sequel was very convoluted and hard to follow.  I enjoyed the first film a great deal and thought it was a rather straightforward story, this sequel could have benefited from a more simplistic story in the first film’s vain.  When it’s difficult for a grown up to follow, it’s probably going to be hard for a kid to understand what is going on as well.

    One direction I thought the film was going to go but didn’t was to give Anna powers as well.  It would make some sense for Elsa’s own sister to have powers similar to hers but no, Anna is just a normal person (and treated like a lesser person throughout most of the film for being normal).  I get that the message of the film was that powers don’t make someone special, but I think giving Anna’s powers could have been an interesting route for the story to go.

    The original “Frozen” placed a huge importance on family and sisterhood which made it feel a bit special and different.  How many Disney movies focus on a pair of sisters?  That element of family was something I wished the writers had explored more in the sequel instead of the mythology of Elsa’s powers.  Elsa and Anna spend most of the film separated (again) and I would have preferred seeing their dynamic as a pair in the film.

    I did enjoy the movie and there were some humorous elements like in the first film.  How can anyone not love Olaf and Sven?  The visuals were also stunning and it’s hard not to feel a sense of wonder after watching any Disney film.  I also enjoyed the music in the movie, especially Panic! At the Disco’s version of “Into the Unknown” (although now of the music was as catchy as “Let It Go”).

    I feel like “Frozen II” was an overly ambitious attempt to build on the mythology of the “Frozen” universe that wasn’t really needed.  People loved the characters and charm of the movie, not the fact that Elsa has powers.  Still, it is nice to see the writers attempt to world build instead of just making a carbon copy sequel.  “Frozen II” has it’s flaws but it isn’t lazy filmmakers, which is nice for a change.

Grade: C+