“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

“Captain Marvel” Movie Review

    I saw “Captain Marvel” last week and I am only now getting around to writing my review of the film even though I am pretty sure everyone and their mother has seen the movie already.  A downside of having a regular job (in addition to running my own eBay store) is that free time isn’t something I have in abundance.  Having seen all the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, I naturally had to check out “Captain Marvel”.

    To be absolutely honest, I wasn’t dying to see “Captain Marvel”.  The film looked decent but the trailer didn’t exactly ‘wow’ me.  I wanted to see the movie largely due to it tying into “Avengers: Endgame” to be completely honest (and I have a feeling a lot of people felt the same way).

    The film largely serves as a prequel to the bulk of the MCU (with the exception of “Captain America: The First Avenger”).  The film follows our hero Carol Danvers as she tries to regain her memories while serving as a member of the Kree military.  While on a mission fighting the shape shifting Skrulls, she is captured and the Skrulls manage to bring back memories she had of Earth while probing her mind.  After escaping, she lands back on Earth and must defend the planet from alien threats with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury.

    If the concept of a human joining an intergalactic space force protecting the Earth seems familiar, well, it’s because that is basically the same premise as DC’s “Green Lantern”.  I love DC and Marvel (I am not a fan/nerd that picks a side) and while “Captain Marvel” is overall a better movie than “Green Lantern”, I couldn’t help but feel that DC took some of the wind out of Marvel’s sails by releasing “Green Lantern” first.

    Unlike almost all the other films in the MCU, “Captain Marvel” wasn’t able to escape the kind of controversy that normally plagues DC films.  The star of this film, Brie Larson, made several controversial comments before the film’s release which angered a large group of individuals.  It is not my job to pick a side on such issues, but I have to wonder how such comments might swing reviews in favor or against the film.

    All that being said, what did I think of the film?  Well, I thought it was okay.  Perhaps I am being too harsh on the film because it certainly wasn’t the worst of the MCU (that dishonor belongs to “Thor: The Dark World”) but it also didn’t reach the heights of films like “The Avengers” or “Iron Man”.

    “Captain Marvel” is filled with a slew of excellent performances from it’s supporting cast but the same can’t be said about it’s lead.  While I know Brie Larson can be very good in some roles, I found her to be wooden in most of her scenes and one of the worst parts of the film sadly.  Luckily for us, the supporting cast shines.  Samuel L. Jackson returns in de-aged form to showcase the origins of Nick Fury.  Jackson is both bad ass and hilarious in the movie.  The weight of the film is really carried on Jackson’s shoulders in my opinion.  Clark Gregg had a small role which provided the audience with an understanding of the trust and friendship Nick Fury and Agent Coulson had with each other.  Ben Mendelsohn was also a scene stealer throughout most of the movie.  As the leader of the Skrulls, Mendelsohn was a slimy and excellent foil to Captain Marvel and I can’t say anymore without going into spoilers (though I will say I found his accent a bit distracting while he was in Skrull form).  Lastly, I will say I expected a little more from Jude Law.  It felt a little like Law phoned this film in.

    We have to talk about the best part of the film now, Goose.  Goose, at least to me, was the clear star of the film.  My only complaint about Goose is that there should have been more of him.  Goose provided much of the levity the film had and I would love to see some sort of spin off featuring Goose.  I know Hulu has a bunch of animated Marvel shows in development, I would love to see Goose team up with Howard the Duck.

    The film managed to have a unique 90s action movie feel to it that I enjoyed.  The touches of nostalgia with references  to businesses like Blockbuster and Radio Shack also were nice touches.  Like most other Marvel movies, it is nice to see how this ties to the bigger picture of films.  One possible good or bad thing about the ending of this film is that it left a lot to be explored in sequels.

    So, “Captain Marvel” is far from the worst two and half hours you could spend watching a movie.  In fact, I can say most people will find something they enjoy about the movie.  It is also far from the game changer the studio was hoping for considering “Wonder Woman” already led the female empowerment charge a few years back.

Grade: B-

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Movie Review

    “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was the first Star Wars spin-off film to be announced from Disney films.  The film is essentially an adaptation of the opening crawl from the first movie way back in 1977.  I didn’t know what to expect from this movie but I was feeling positive after “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”.  This film ended up turning out to be rather divisive among fans of the Star Wars saga.  Some fans hail it as one of the best Star Wars films ever while others view it as a misstep from Disney.
    The film is set right before the events depicted in the original Star Wars film (A New Hope) and revolves around the mission to steal the Death Star plans.  This movie allows the Star Wars franchise to fill in some plot holes like why it took the first Death Star so long to be built while the second Death Star could be built relatively quickly.  It is an interesting idea and exploring a time without the Jedi order is a fresh concept.
    The film was directed by Gareth Edwards fresh off of Warner Bros. "Godzilla" reboot.  The film was plagued with production issues and much of the movie ended up being reshot.  Tony Gilroy reportedly took over directing duties from Edwards after Lucasfilms was said to be unhappy with some of his work (although Edwards remained the only credited director).  The trailer for the film features many alternative scenes later re-filmed by Gilroy.
    The cast is made up of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Mads Mikkelsen, and Forest Whitaker.  They all do a fine job but the clear standout is actually Alan Tudyk as K-2SO.  How Tudyk hasn't become a bigger star is beyond me.  Cameos by Jimmy Smits and Anthony Daniels also helps it feel connected to the prequel and original trilogies.
    I couldn't talk about Rogue One without bringing up the computer animation they used to varying success.  Grand Moff Tarkin reappears in the film with Guy Henry taking over the role.  However, the late Peter Cushing's face was digitally inserted onto Henry's face to make it seem like Peter Cushing was still alive and reprising his role.  The Tarkin scenes worked well when played in the shadows but when he was in clearer view, it was distracting.  Same goes for the cameo by Princess Leia.  Ingvid Deila provided the physical stand in while Carrie Fisher's face was superimposed onto her body.  This scene in particular has a bit of an uncanny valley feel.  James Earl Jones also once again provides the voice of Darth Vader though his voice seems off in this film.  Darth Vader's scene at the end is definitely the highlight of the movie though.
    "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" feels like it was missing something.  It was a solid science fiction story but nothing really stood out besides the Vader scene.  As bad as they could be at times, even the prequels had some epic scenes.  This film just personally feels lacking and I can't help but side with those who feel like it was a misstep for Disney (although not a huge one either).

Grade: C+

"Ready Player One" Movie Review

    “Ready Player One” was a film I was very much looking forward to.  It looked as though it might be a return to form for Steven Spielberg.  Spielberg has spent most of his recent years directing films like “Lincoln” and “The Post”.  While these films were good, I miss old school Spielberg.  I don’t think I am alone either, I think everyone sort of misses old school Spielberg.
    Well, I guess the most important thing about the movie is that it’s pretty fun.  It is sort of a hybrid of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Matrix”.  In the film, in part due to poor circumstances, most people live their lives in The Oasis, a digital world where you can do almost anything.  The creator of The Oasis passed away but left three Easter eggs to be found in the game.  If you find all three Easter eggs, you can gain control of the Oasis in the real world (meaning you would gain a vast wealth).
    The film is lead by Tye Sheridan who does a stellar job.  Ben Mendelsohn and Mark Rylance also give strong performances.  Discussing the performances leads to a problem I have with the film.  Most of the film is set in The Oasis and while in there, the lead actors are cgi avatars.  The avatars for each character tends to look on the goofy side and it is a little distracting.
    The film relies heavily on nostalgia, and particularly 1980s nostalgia.  For a movie buff, this is fun.  Little nods like a Zemeckis bomb (named for Robert Zemeckis) are fun.  Non film buffs may get s little lost in the constant references however.  Plus, it gets to a point that so many nostalgic images are thrown at you that it is hard to process and keep up with.

    There are definitely stand out parts that are incredible in themselves.  The level featuring the inclusion of scenes from “The Shining” are masterfully done.  I also enjoyed The Iron Giant playing such an important role.  I also thought the score was top notch.
    “Ready Player One” may not be Spielberg’s best film, but he is still miles ahead of other filmmakers in making an entertaining popcorn film.  Sometimes you just need to have some fun.

Grade: B+