“Terminator: Dark Fate” Movie Review

    It’s been four years since “Terminator: Genisys” was released to mixed critical and audience reaction.  For the past few decades, it seems like the Terminator franchise has been desperately trying to find it’s footing after the events of “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.  “Terminator: Dark Fate” once again tries to set the franchise on a new course.

    The film follows the events of “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and picks up shortly after those events (a major character death that would spoil most of the film happens at this point).  The film then shifts to modern day and focuses on a young woman named Dani as she finds herself the target of a new Terminator model (the Rev-9).  Dani is protected by an enhanced human named Grace as well as Sarah Connor as they try to protect Dani from the dark fate that lies ahead of her.

    Let me start by saying that this film negates “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”, “Terminator: Salvation”, “Terminator: Genisys” and the television show “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”.  Those additions to the franchise now take place in an alternate timeline.  I know some franchises have worse continuity (Highlander and X-Men come to mind) but this film further tarnishes what little continuity the franchise still had.  The film itself almost serves best as a stand-alone film as opposed to a sequel as a result.

    The movie was directed by “Deadpool” filmmaker Tim Miller and he once again delivers an adrenaline rush with this film.  Many of the action set pieces felt original and intense in the film.  The movie also delivers pulse pounding stunts that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as the Terminator franchise often does.

    James Cameron returned to consult and help develop this sequel.  I find some of his choices a bit odd since some of his decisions contradict scenes he filmed for “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” in which Sarah and John Connor were seen older and happy in 2029.  These scenes actually appear in a cut of the movie so why he retconned his own masterpiece for this film is beyond me.  It sort of takes the message of the second film away that we can create our own destiny and instead copies the ending of the third movie, that judgment day is inescapable.  I prefer to think we make our own destiny.

    The new characters and actors in the movie are somewhat lackluster compared to the returning characters and stars.  Natalia Reyes was serviceable as Dani but wasn’t very convincing as ‘future Dani’.  Gabriel Luna was completely wasted as the Rev-9.  The highlight among the new cast members was Mackenzie Davis as Grace.  Davis brought an intensity to the role that the other new cast members did not.

    This brings me to the highlights of the film, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  It was so refreshing to see those two share the screen together again after so many years.  Hamilton plays a wonderfully seasoned (and grizzled) Sarah Connor who’s only purpose is to kill every Terminator she comes across.  Schwarzenegger plays a Terminator model T-800 and actually provides the most interesting subplot of the film.  After this T-800 was set free from Skynet, he attempted to seek a purpose and become more ‘human’.  In my opinion, this should have been the main story of the movie.  Some of the best episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” revolved around Data’s quest to become more human.  This film could have used more of that.

    When all is said and done, this film is ultimately a good sci-fi action movie that is handicapped some by it’s own brand name.  If you view this film as more of a stand alone movie, it is far more enjoyable.  If you look at this film as a sequel to any of the other movies in the franchise, it will probably just leave more questions than answers.  I would still recommend seeing this movie in the theaters, just know what you are getting yourself into first.

Grade: B-

“In the Tall Grass” Movie Review

    It’s official, 2019 in now officially the year of Stephen King adaptations.  What is most amazing is that many of them have actually turned out well.  So when Netflix released their own Stephen King adaptation, “In the Tall Grass”, I felt extra compelled to check it out.  After watching the film, I also felt compelled to write this review.

    This film starts with siblings Cal and Becky (who happens to be pregnant) as they stop by a church.  From the nearby field, they hear the voice of a small boy named Tobin who appears lost in the grass field.  The pair are concerned as they hear Tobin’s mother pleading with him not to call for help.  Cal enters the field and Becky soon follows.  The siblings are separated and the distance between the pair seems to increase by the second.  The pair try to make their way back to the road but neither of them can find their way out.  While in the field, Cal encounters Tobin around the same time Becky comes across Ross, Tobin’s father.  Things clearly aren’t as they seem as Travis, the father of Becky’s baby, goes looking for them in what seems to be one day later but is actually weeks later for Travis.  The things the group discovers next can only be explained as supernatural as they try their best to find a way out of the tall grass.

    The film is based on a novella by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill and is full of all the suspense you might expect from the duo.  The film is sometimes shocking and horrifying in ways that took me aback some.  These graphic moments sometimes go a bit too far in my opinion but the film doesn’t shy away from some stomach turning moments so if that is your cup of tea, you are in luck.

    The film is intriguing from the beginning, giving the viewer the same sense of confusion that the main characters are going through.  The film does a good job of keeping the audience’s attention until revelations start to unfold.  While this style of storytelling does a decent job of retaining the viewers attention, it unfortunately creates a great deal of pacing issues throughout the film.

    The film definitely has an interesting premise but the answers provided in the film felt too simplistic to justify the film’s overall runtime.  As a storyteller, I personally believe that you shouldn’t open a mystery box if you aren’t willing or are unable to provide satisfactory answers.  It’s a shame since the field being at the center of a space and time warp of some kind is an interesting plot device.

    “In the Tall Grass” was directed by Vincenzo Natali and this film feels very much like one of his works.  I found his directing a bit frustrating in this film because he had some really interesting shots throughout some of the film but they were so poorly lite that it was hard to make out what was going on in the film.  As for the cast, they all do serviceable job with only Patrick Wilson really standing out.  Patrick Wilson is so over the top in this film and hammy yet it somehow works perfectly.  The man can do no wrong.

    The film is definitely not the best Stephen King adaptation this year but far from the worst overall.  The film doesn’t hit the heights the premise suggests it could but it is still enjoyable.  If you are looking for a spooky film with some good scares, this film is definitely worth a watch.

Grade: C+

“Abominable” Movie Review

    The mythological creature known as the Yeti has been all over the silver screen the past few years.  Apparently having big feet is sheik.  The latest film to feature the yeti is “Abominable” which hit theaters last month.  I was curious how this film would compare to the recent film depicting the abominable snowman because the previews for this movie were really cute.

    The film tells the story of a young girl named Yi who is working hard to save up money to take a trip to the places her dad promised they would go to together before he passed away.  Things change for Yi one night when she stumbles on an injured and scared yeti on her complex’s rooftop one night.  Upon realizing that the yeti wants to return home to Mount Everest, Yi sets off to help the yeti return home.  Yi is joined by friends Jin and Peng on her quest but the gang must make sure Everest (the name they gave to the yeti) isn’t recaptured by a greedy businessmen named Burnish.

    The film’s main strength is in how cute they made Everest.  Just seeing how sad and scared he looks makes you care about his quest to find home.  It is also a unique spin for the film to take place in Shanghai, giving the film a unique setting.  Between the friendships the yeti and children share, the movie has a real heartwarming feel.

    Now, the film isn’t without some minor flaws, most noticeably being that yeti/Bigfoot animated movies have been done a lot recently so it doesn’t come off as all that original.  While the film has certain qualities that are lacking in “Smallfoot” and “Missing Link”, the fact that both these films tackle yetis isn’t lost on most audience members.

    The film also slows down a bit in pace in the second act (and noticeably when dealing with the antagonist Burnish).  It’s not that it takes much away from the film, but youngsters might check out a bit when Everest isn’t on screen.  On the plus side, the movie has a lot of good morals for children.

    “Abominable” is a good film in the vain of “How to Train Your Dragon” and will leave you feeling like a kid again.  What the film lacks in originality it more than makes up for in charm.  Ultimately, this is a film worthy of checking out, especially if you have kids.

Grade: B

“The King” Movie Review

    Like most major studios, Netflix has waited until this winter to release their own possible award contender films.  One of the films Netflix seems to feel most strongly about is “The King” which just recently hit the streaming service.  After being blown away by “Dolemite Is My Name”, I had to check this film out as well.

    The film depicts the early life of Prince/King Henry V as he goes from being the unwanted heir to the throne to the king of England.  Upon becoming king, Henry V aspires to lead his people differently than his father and usher in a more peaceful reign in England.  Things become increasingly more complicated however when it appears that France is provoking Henry V.  Before long, England and France end up clashing at Agincourt and the outnumbered English army end up managing to win the battle.

    The film is based on “Henry IV, Part 1”, “Henry IV, Part 2”, and “Henry V” by William Shakespeare.  While the basic stories of his three plays remain intact, the film removes Shakespeare’s dialogue.  While I certainly understand changing William Shakespeare’s dialogue to make his work more accessible to modern audiences, this film fails at doing so in my opinion because it removes the Bard’s dialogue for it’s own weighty and bloated dialogue.

    The cast of this film is something of a mixed bag.  Rising star Timothee Chalamet stars in this film as Henry V.  While the young actor did a respectable job as the king of England, he also didn’t wow me either.  This film certainly doesn’t give me faith in his leading man status at this point and leaves me a bit worried about the upcoming “Dune” remake for which he stars in.

    As for the supporting cast, Joel Edgerton (who also co-wrote the script) shines as Flastaff, a close friend and confidant of Henry V.  Edgerton is without a doubt the highlight of the film.  Sean Harris also delivers a memorable performance in the film as well. Lastly, Robert Pattinson co-stars as the Dauphin of France and delivers the most talked about performance in the film (with some people loving it and others finding it cringe worthy).  To me, Pattinson’s accent and performance was a bit over the top and jarring compared to the other performers (which is why so many people hated it) but I think he gave that performance to make his character more accessible to a modern audience (which is why some people consider it a highlight).  Honestly, I personally thought it was the best part of the movie while also becoming a bit worried about his performance in “The Batman” at the same time.

    There are a lot of nice visual shots in the film and the costume design is excellent.  I do wish director David Michod would have made the battle of Agincourt feel larger in scale.  I am sure Michod provided a more realistic approach to the battle, but with battle scenes, sometimes more is more.  With that being said, when the battle scenes are more tightly focused on character actions, they are very well shot and provide a scene of danger to the characters.

    At the end of the day, if you are going to watch a William Shakespeare light film like “The King” on Netflix, you might as well skip this and just go full Shakespeare with Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V”.  If you feel lost watching “Henry V”, you won’t find “The King” any more approachable.

Grade: D+

“Shaft” (2019) Movie Review

    It’s fair to say that this year’s “Shaft” film left little impact in theaters and with audiences since it seemed like almost no one bothered to watch the latest film in the long running franchise.  I was curious about the film upon it’s release but even I didn’t bother seeing this film in theaters (I can only see so many films at the multiplex).  Now that it is out on home video, I finally got a chance to check out this film and I had several thoughts after finishing this film.

    The film follows John Shaft’s son JJ as he is informed that one of his childhood friend’s overdosed and died in Harlem.  Knowing that his friend was clean, he travels to Harlem to figure out what really happened to his friend.  Once arriving in Harlem, he quickly realizes he needs help in investigating the possible murder so he ends up turning to his father for help.  The pair clash over style and culture but work together to get to the bottom of what is going on.  Over the course of the investigation, the two learn to accept and appreciate each other and the pair realize that family comes first.

    Now, the original “Shaft” film was historical and one of the most successful blaxploitation films ever made.  It was also a good movie which even now stands the test of time.  This film will not be remembered anywhere near as fondly primarily because it turns the franchise into a bit of a farce.  I don’t mind a good action comedy one bit and this film has enjoyable elements, unfortunately those elements come at the expense of the legacy of the franchise.

    This is the fifth theatrically released “Shaft” film (there were also a number of made for television films) and the second soft reboot.  I do appreciate the fact that none of the “Shaft” reboots negate previous films and that makes “Shaft” one of the longest running action franchises still going.  Other remakes could learn a lesson from this franchise.

    Now for the film itself, it unfortunately fails in many aspects.  Samuel L. Jackson once again returns as John Shaft after nineteen years but plays the role a lot less seriously than he previously did (which is on par with the less serious overall tone of the film).  Jackson does seem to have fun to his credit.  Jessie T. Usher is enjoyable as Shaft’s son JJ and has good chemistry with Jackson.  The highlight of the film is Richard Roundtree’s small cameo as the original John Shaft and JJ’s grandfather (this retcon from Shaft’s uncle to father is acknowledged in this film).

    Much of the humor of this film falls flat as it tries for edgy non politically correct comedy that just doesn’t stick the landing and comes off as crude.  It probably doesn’t help that a lot of the film’s style and references are a bit outdated at this point.  This film actually ended up being released directly to Netflix outside the United States and it is easy to see why.

    “Shaft” is an overly formulaic film that is very rough around the edges and lacks charm.  It certainly isn’t the worst film I have ever seen, but Samuel L. Jackson typically brings more to the table and this film is easily the weakest in the “Shaft” franchise to date.

Grade: D+

“Dolemite Is My Name” Movie Review

    I have to admit that I have not seen the film “Dolemite” nor have I had much of a desire to see it.  Still, I have always found Rudy Ray Moore to be a rather fascinating celebrity so when I heard there was going to be a movie based on his life, I knew I wanted to see that film.  Interestingly enough the film ended up becoming a Netflix original film even though I have a feeling it might have made a decent amount at the box office had it graced the silver screen.

    The film depicts Rudy Ray Moore’s life from just before he invented the Dolemite character to the opening of the first “Dolemite” movie.  The film opens with Rudy working at a record store and also working at a local nightclub as the establishment’s announcer.  Rudy is hungry to showcase all of his vast skills, but is constantly overlooked.  After listening to some stories of the local homeless community, Rudy creates the character of Dolemite which he debuts at the nightclub he works at (unknowingly to the own) to vast acclaim from the audience. From that moment on, Rudy sets his sights high and decides to bet on himself.

    Being a Netflix film, I really didn’t expect a great deal from this film, but the film ended up far exceeding my expectations.  “Dolemite Is My Name” is currently the best Netflix original movie I have seen this year (if not ever).  I would even go as far as to say the film is one of the best movies of the year.  Everything about the movie clicked in all the right ways and created an entertaining look at one of the most popular figures in African American entertainment.

    The film’s script is sharp and funny and paints Rudy Ray Moore as a very relatable person with big dreams.  I think it was interesting how Rudy Ray Moore was constantly pushed aside when he tried to do a more traditional act (his boss at the nightclub even told him he didn’t want his vaudeville act) and he didn’t achieve recognition until he created a foul mouthed character in Dolemite.  It’s ironic because Rudy even mentions disliking Redd Foxx early in the film because he cursed so much in his comedy act.

    The cast of the film was beyond stellar.  This was the best film Eddie Murphy has done in a long time.  Even though Eddie Murphy doesn’t resemble Rudy Ray Moore much, Murphy does manage to capture his energy and spirit.  The supporting cast is amazing as well.  Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a revelation as Lady Reed and holds her own among many other seasoned professionals.  Keegan-Michael Key is hilarious as screenwriter Jerry Jones.  It also enjoyed the glorified cameos Chris Rock and Snoop Dogg provided in the film.  To my amazement, the biggest treat in this film besides Eddie Murphy in this film is Wesley Snipes.  Wesley Snipes absolutely steals every scene he is in as D’Urville Martin.

    The film is helmed to perfection by Craig Brewer who will next helm Murphy and Snipes again in the sequel to “Coming to America”.  Brewer succeeds in his ability to both showcase the importance of the blaxploitation movement in Hollywood while still providing enough levity to poke fun at how ridiculous elements of it were.  You can’t make a movie about Rudy Ray Moore without loving his work and Brewer clearly appreciates the legend.

    So this is officially an end of an era for me, because I can now officially say I love a Netflix original movie.  I hope I can say the same about “The Irishman” when I get to see it later this month, but I believe this is the first Netflix movie of the year that is a real awards contender.  It’s really that good.

Grade: A

“Gemini Man” Movie Review

    Going to the theater is a weekly event for my girlfriend and I.  I end up picking the movie more than she does (so if I end up picking a stinker, it’s on me).  Still, whenever Will Smith is in a movie, we can usually both agree it’s worth checking out.  “Gemini Man” looks promising so we decided to check it out.

    The film focuses on a government sanctioned assassin named Henry Brogan.  The film starts with Henry taking out a target but hitting his neck instead of his head like he was aiming for.  Feeling like he is losing his edge and growing disillusioned with his profession, Henry retires and sets off to live in peace.  When an old friend informs Henry that his last assignment may have been an innocent man with information the government wanted to keep secret, Henry becomes the target of the most dangerous assassin on Earth besides himself, his younger self.

    How could someone not be intrigued with the premise of “I Am Legend” Will Smith versus “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” Will Smith?  I know I sure was and I had heard a lot of great things from people who had seen it before.  The I started to read some bad things from the critics and I grew concerned.  Was I going to like this film at all?  Well, I guess I kind of saw both standpoints in regards to this film.

    The film is definitely a fun watch.  Will Smith is charismatic as usual and really seems to have a blast with this film at certain points which is always great for audience members.  It is a bit of a shame that the young version of Henry Brogan suffers from the same uncanny valley affect almost all computer animated faces have.  While hidden in the proper lighting, it looks very impressive but when fully lite, it’s very obvious the face was computer animated.

    As for the supporting cast, Clive Owen and Mary Elizabeth Winstead were rather bland and added little to the movie.  The only real standout besides Will Smith was Benedict Wong.  Wong and Smith have great chemistry and make for much of the film’s levity.

    This film was in development hell since 1997 which strangely makes sense since this feels like a late 90s action film (I could imagine Michael Bay tackling this film at one point).  Before Will Smith took the part, actors ranging from Harrison Ford to even Sean Connery were linked to the film at some point.  That being said, it is sort of refreshing getting an almost throwback action movie in 2019.

    The film was directed by Ang Lee and I have to say I think some of his choices are the biggest complaints I have against the film.  I love Ang Lee typically and I think he can be an amazing storyteller and he has an amazing visual flair typically.  In this film however, much of the action scenes were filmed very close to the camera (no doubt to help hide some of the cgi) and it was hard to focus and get into what was happening then.  Added to the fact that the action scenes were completely over the top and unrealistic to the point it was hard to feel like any character was really in danger, it just made for some bland action set pieces in what should have been an action masterpiece.

    With the good and bad being weighed together, I would still recommend seeing this, even if you wait to see it after it hits theaters.  It’s a decent enough action movie helped considerably by the charm of Will Smith.

Grade: C+