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Tabari McCoy

McCoy on Movies: Zombieland: Double Tap

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Original cast, director re-unite to bring fresh laughs to
zombie genre with Zombieland: Double Tap

“You know, there are a lot of situations where the four of us with torches could get REALLY misinterpreted in the news … If TV news stations were still a thing in the apocalypse!” Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), Wichita (Emma Stone), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) look towards another threat in a scene from ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP. Credit: Jessica Miglio © 2019 CTMG Inc. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE

 


 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutsch, Luke Wilson, Avan Jogia and Thomas MiddleditchDIRECTOR(S): Ruben Fleischer

THE BACK STORY: Taking place a decade after the events of 2009’s original film, Zombieland: Double Tap finds our familiar unlikely foursome of the sarcastic Wichita (Emma Stone), her now grown-up sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), Wichita’s rules-for-survival following Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg) and Little Rock’s would-be father figure/cowboy wannabe Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) living in bliss in the former White House. Unfortunately, Columbus’ dreams of marrying Wichita are driving her nuts and Wichita is ready to hit the road and hang out with some people her own age.


So, when Wichita and Little Rock split unexpectedly, Columbus and Tallahassee end eventually hitting the road as well – only to end up on a journey that will meet a less-than-intellectual bubbly girl named Madison (Zoey Deutsch), a guitar-playing pacifist named Berkley (Avan Jogia) and some more colorful characters that are going to make life in an era of zombies – many of which are evolving into new forms – quite interesting … If they survive.
THE REVIEW: Sometimes, a movie gets a sequel right  year or two after the original’s release and it feels completely unnecessary, like an absolute money grab made just because (see Hangover II and III). Sometimes, a sequel is made years if not decades after the original and it seems like it was just made for the fans but offers nothing really special to justify it needing to exist (too many to name).Zombieland: Double Tap is neither of those things; what it is, however, is a very funny film that honors the original and will satisfy fans old and new alike.

Double Tap does everything the original does with enhancements for round two: Have plenty of zinging jokes (Harrelson is almost like Samuel L. Jackson’s bald Caucasian brother both sarcasm and language wise), plenty of surprises (just wait till you see what they do with two characters … Also stay through the credits), character development/evolution and a general sense of fun while crafting a story that flows as it should in a completely absurd world. Whereas the public may be suffering zombie fatigue these days (we KNOW who to blame for that), Double Tap adds a bit of refreshing by focusing on its comedic elements without the characters themselves being silly. That allows the characters to be relatable, interesting and entertaining.

Of course, re-teaming the original cast with their original director in Ruben Fleischer helps to deliver the perfect mix of zany comedy with well-paced, reasonable action sequences to help the story progress. Double Tap is geared towards keeping the original film’s fans happy, but opens itself up to new fans with its irreverence. It’s bawdy, rowdy but balanced with its own unique (dare-I-say sweet?) qualities to deliver laughs from the literal opening title card to the credits.

You’d have to be a zombie not to like it.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Brittany Runs a Marathon

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Brittany Runs a Marathon uses heart, not clichés to produce inspiring, entertaining and relatable journey

“I gotta keep running … It’s the only way to avoid hearing that blasted ‘Old Town Road’ song anymore!” Brittany (Jillian Bell) takes to the streets in a scene from BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON. Credit: © 2019 Amazon Studios. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jillian Bell, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Micah Stock, Micaela Watkins, Lil Rel Howery, Kate Harrington, Patch Darragh and Alice LeeDIRECTOR(S): Paul Downs Colaizzo

THE BACK STORY: Brittany (Jillian Bell) is a hard-partying late 20-something who is living it up in New York City with her roommate/bestie Gretchen (Alice Lee). With her sister (Kate Harrington) and the brother-in-law who basically helped raise her Demetrius (Lil Rel Howery) back in Philadelphia, Brittany isn’t too concerned that she’s late to work all the time, she drinks too much and her place is a mess, but she’s too busy living her best life to care. 


Then she goes to see a doctor (Patch Darragh) to try to score a prescription for Adderall only to receive some bad news: One, she’s not getting it and two, she needs to lose 44-55 pounds for health’s sake.


Inadvertently befriended by her upstairs neighbor Catherine (Micaela Watkins) and the wanting-to-do-better-for-his-child-Seth (Micah Stock), Jillian decides to try to join their running group to get into better shape. But as she is soon to find out, running outside isn’t going to be the only challenge in her life since she’s been running away from all the other problems that have manifested themselves into who she is today.
THE REVIEW: Inspired by true events, Brittany Runs a Marathon is a very good movie. It’s doesn’t provide a revelation in terms of its story, how it arrives to its final destination or contain some element of its cinematic presentation that is so overwhelmingly unique that it propels it to something resembling classic status. What it does do, however – thanks to a very fine leading performance by Bell that many will understand and find more relatable than many of us will care to admit if the numbers are true – is present a story that makes you root for the main character will in turn examining your own shortcomings (and potentially inspire you to do better, too).Leaving out the more over-the-top elements one might find in a Amy Schumer or Rebel Wilson picture, Bell – best known for her comedic turns in films such as 22 Jump Street and Rough Night – makes Brittany a person (let alone woman) you know. In a culture where many publicly either body shame the overweight or crucify those that do, Bell’s performance digs just a little bit deeper into tackling issues like how our bodies make us feel about ourselves as a whole, the complications that come with perception of the types of lives overweight people have resigned their selves to and dealing with setbacks not just with exercise, but life as a whole.

This emotional depth exhibited by Bell, Watkins, Stock and Utkarsh Ambudkar as Brittany’s annoying co-worker is what keeps the film from feeling and being formulaic. Not everything is wrapped up nearly with a bow, the characters aren’t so cookie cutter you could simply replace them with others from another movie and there’s no over-the-top, that doesn’t make sense EXCEPT to make “x” happen moment. Instead, you get a woman trying to change her life while fighting demons that many of us face, working through them as best she can and coming to a place where she can be happier than she is not.

Seeing Brittany Runs a Marathon may just do the same for you … Or at least New Balance hopes so given all the product placement in the movie.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 


McCoy on Movies: Good Boys

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Tweens walk the line between innocence, debauchery in good-natured Good Boys

“I don’t think that drone is flying to wherever are friends are playing Fortnite …” Lucas (Keith L. Williams), Max (Jacob Tremblay) and Thor (Brady Noon) in a scene from GOOD BOYS. Credit: Ed Araquel/Universal Pictuers. © 2019 Universal Studios.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


RED BAND TRAILER (NSFW)
 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Molly Gordon, Lil Rel Howery, Retta, Izaac Wang, Millie Davis, Josh Caras, Will Forte and Midori Francis


DIRECTOR(S): Gene Stupnitsky

THE BACK STORY: Three best friends – Lucas (Keith L. Williams), Thor (Brady Noon) and Max (Jacob Tremblay) – are adjusting to life in 6th grade when they one of them gets invited to a party that could change their life. That’s because the party is a kissing party and Max’s crush Brixlee (Millie Davis) is going to be there. 


Unfortunately for Max and his two friends a.k.a. “The Bean Bag Boys,” none of them have any idea how to kiss, so they find themselves in a panic of trying to learn on the fly. This leads to the bright idea to use Max’s dad’s (Will Forte) work drone to spy on Hannah (Molly Gordon) and her boyfriend Benji (Josh Caras), who Hannah and her friend Lily (Midori Francis) to show up with the drugs for their road trip to Chicago. So … What happens when the he boys inadvertently find themselves on the run from Hannah and Lily and needing to replace Max’s dad’s work property?


A whole lot of things that your average sixth grader isn’t prepared to handle, that’s for sure.
THE REVIEW: A comedy that rides a fine line between showing its trio of leads as innocent youngsters … Who also can be a tad foul-mouthed and too knowledgeable for their own good, Good Boys is a funny, entertaining romp that is more sweet than it is sinful. But when the film is sinful, it’s likely going to be more than the average parent (moreso than their children) can likely handle given the exposure to sex toys, drugs and alcohol and hearing three kids who look as innocent as our makeshift heroes do curse. But therein lies the hook of the film as the boys are not troublemakers out to looking to do foul things; instead, they are more apt to try and do the right thing in the most ludicrous of situations, which is what results in the film’s best moments more often than not.Whereas Jacob Tremblay (Room) does a good job of serving as the group’s makeshift leader, Keith L. Williams constant snitching on the trio’s misdeeds (even when they weren’t doing anything that wrong) plays well for comedic effect affect against Thor’s wannabe bad boy (who really doesn’t) act. Thus, you get a mix of kids trying to do what all children do at their age: Trying to become more mature and find their way in the world even though it’s obvious to almost anyone looking they have no clue what they’re doing.

That strive to maintain the innocence of the characters does restrain Good Boys at times from reaching its potential peak hilarity as there are several moments you can feel that either director Gene Stupnitsky or the film’s producers said “let’s not push further than this.” This creates a bit of a catch-22 for the audience, for once you’ve found yourself laughing at a boy giving his crush a necklace that is NOT a necklace, you’ve pretty much already gone past the “see, we’re not pushing the envelope that far” notion. At its essence, Good Boys is a film about trying to maintain a childlike innocence in a world where that is increasingly hard to do and growing up through and overcoming adversity … Just with more items you’d expect to find in your closet than your kid’s.

So …. If you’re looking for a comedy with heart and spirit that also will make sure to talk to your kids about staying out of mommy and/or daddy’s drawers when they’re not at home, Good Boys will likely win your heart with laughs a plenty. If you’d rather not look at your young middle schooler and have to have a conversation on the way home in the car, you might wish to sit this one out or – as some of the parents at the advance screening yours truly attended – leave them at home.

Just don’t say that no one warned you what you were getting into.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 


 

McCoy on Movies: Angry Birds 2

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Angry Birds 2 full of enjoyable animated lunacy for kids, adults alike

“Look – that’s all the parents laughing at the jokes the little kids aren’t getting!” L to R: Bomb (Danny McBride), Chuck (Josh Gad), Silver (Rachel Bloom), Red (Jason Sudeikis), Courtney (Awkafina), Garry (Sterling K. Brown) and Leonard (Bill Hader) in Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animations’ ANGRY BIRDS 2. Credit: © 2019 Courtesy of Sony Pictures. All rights reserved. 



WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson, Zach Woods, Dove Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Nicki Minaj, Beck Bennett and Brooklynn Prince


DIRECTOR(S): Thurop Van Orman

THE BACK STORY: Following the events of the first movie, Angry Birds 2 once again stars the voice of Jason Sudeikis as Red, the town outcast turned hero when he – along with help from Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride) and Terence (Nolan North) – ended up saving Bird Island from the green pig egg-stealing invasion led by Leonard (Bill Hader). Now happily enjoying his role as the leader of the island, Red is enjoying life with little anger these days …

And that’s when Leonard returns to inform him of a third island where Zeta (Leslie Jones), the leader of the eagles, is plotting to take out both of their homes.

Being forced to work with Leonard – as well his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina) and his tech pig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) – would be bad enough for Red, but add Bird Island’s own Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) and Chuck’s whiz kid sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) to the mix and you’ve got everything you need to make Red one very angry bird. Again. 

THE REVIEW: In a world where superhero movies have gone from pitiful to (usually) fantastic, the original Angry Birds movie was an OK adaptation of a video game to animated big screen adventure. It established the worlds of its pixelated counterparts where a story could be told, delivered enough family-friendly adventure and set the stage for future iterations of the franchise if it did well. Well, it obviously did well enough to result in The Angry Birds Movie 2, which for many people would seem to be easily dismissible as another unnecessary sequel probably best saved for little kids or anyone who really liked the first movie or the mobile game it was inspired by … And if you are in the former camp more than the latter, you’d likely be forgiven for your decision to ignore adding no. 2 to your watchlist.Once you see it, however, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised to learn that Angry Birds 2 is a throwback to the days when Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs dominated 90s animated programming – for this Looney Tunes on acid affair features enough entertainment to make even the angriest movie goer laugh repeatedly.

Angry Birds 2 is one of those movies where everything nuance and detail clicks; whereas the first movie felt a little predictable and more about telling the story, Angry Birds 2 finds its vocal actors injecting each character with distinct personality, playing well off each other and walking the line between “did they just say that in a kids’ movie?!” to the point adults where the film feels entertaining enough for kids, but really made for adults. Jones shines as Zeta, delivering in your face quips that strike a good balance between traditionally cartoon silly and effective with the rest of the cast following suit as well. Director Thurop Van Orman keeps things moving along quite efficiently, his storyboards coming to life in a fashion where each scene feels like its own Saturday Night Live sketch in the frame of one giant story. Then again, that should come as no surprise given all the SNL alumni in the cast; whoever picked the film’s musical soundtrack should win some sort of award (or at least be given a bonus) as each song is placed in perfect accordance with the scenes, setting moods and/or enhancing jokes.

Throw in the Despicable Me/Minions-like B story involving the Hatchlings from the first film and one of them’s desperate, almost like Scrat in the Ice Age franchise-like pursuit to retrieve their baby sisters and you have a near perfect balance of entertainment for those 8 to 12 years old with those 18 and older. It all helps make Angry Birds 2 the funniest animated movie thus far in 2019 and one of the more entertaining to boot.

Just don’t get angry at anyone but yourself if you choose to skip it in favor of that app you keep playing with on your smartphone instead.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: The Fast & the Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

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Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw delivers everything
fans of the series have come to expect and love

“OK – Luther the Movie vs. “The Rock” vs. “The Transporter” in a biggest box office draw wins triple threat match!” Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, left in t-shirt) sits chained with his unlikely partner Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) while Brixton (Idris Elba) watches front and center in a scene from Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Credit: Universal Pictures © 2019 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eliana Sua, Cliff Curtis, Eddie Marsan, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, Eiza González and Helen Mirren

DIRECTOR(S): David Leitch

THE BACK STORY: The Fast & The Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw centers around two men who could not be more polar opposites: Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is a hard-nosed, meat and potatoes, truck-driving badass who splits his time working for the DSS and being a father to his 9 year-old daughter Sam (Eliana Sua). Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is a suave, suit-wearing former Mi6 agent with skillful hand-to-hand fighting skills to go with his beloved sports cars. His imprisoned mother Queenie (Helen Mirren), however, wishes he would reconcile with his sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) so she could see her kids together before she possibly gets out of jail.


As luck would have it, Queenie may get her wish because Hattie, who is currently a top-level Mi6 agent, just got framed for murdering the rest of her crew by Brixton (Idris Elba), a cybernetically-enhanced worker for a mysterious corporation named Eteon that looks to speed up the next step in human evolution … By releasing a super virus inadvertently created by Professor Andreiko (Eddie Marsan) with a 100 percent fatality rate. But guess who stole the virus and injected into her body before Brixton could get his hands on it, leaving her only 72 hours to live unless those capsules get taken back out of her body first?


Now with Hobbs and Shaw commissioned by their respective agencies to go recover the virus and save the world – and if they can in the process, save Hattie, too – these two dudes are going to have to learn to get along before they kill the bad guys … Or each other.
THE REVIEW: After eight Fast & Furious movies, you could say that the series pretty much has its formula down pat: You get a bunch of guys (and girls) who are equal parts pure sex and testosterone who in turn exhibit traditional values of family over everything, staying faithful to those faithful to you … And forgiving people who have been coerced into seemingly turning against only to find out they had good reason to do so and/or never did. Hobbs & Shaw continues this tradition, pausing only to add two big name comedic stars in roles that could have long-term implications, a precocious child in Sua’s Sam and another female lead that proves she can more than hold her own.In short, if you’ve liked the last say three or four Furious movies, you’re going to love Hobbs & Shaw which does everything in its power to prove the old adage of “too much of a good thing” never applies when you’ve got insane driving sequences, rampages of hand-to-hand combat and gunplay and a group of Samoans ready to throw down.

Evoking a strong “I hate you/No, I hate you more” vibe not seen working this efficiently since the days when Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte were also paired up against a clock, Hobbs & Shaw focuses on everything Johnson and Statham are good at: Kicking asses while dispensing quick one-upping one liners before turning to show the classic “badass with a heart” mode with their respective family members. Each actor makes all three elements of their characters work in a genuine fashion, never once feeling forced, out of place or silly in a way that would make an ever-so-tight-lipped Dominic Toretto smile.

Elba hits all his marks as the bad guy who doesn’t really view himself as the bad guy yet know why everyone thinks he’s the bad guy (besides all the killing), making his Brixton the baddest black Brit since Lennox Lewis was winning heavyweight titles. He fares well as a matchup for Hobbs and Shaw, playing his antagonist well in much the Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger vein of black supervillains. Likewise, Kirby more than holds her own as the tomboy girl all young boys would want to hang with before growing up into the girl next door you’d love to date … If she and/or her older brother didn’t beat you down first with their fighting skills.

Throw in a final showdown in Samoa that pays homage to both The Rock, er, Johnson’s wrestling roots (complete with a signature move by his cousin Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i) and the Fast & Furious longstanding foundation of family and you’ve pretty much got everything you need to make Hobbs & Shaw a worthwhile spinoff. (The three well-known comedic actors who also lend their talents to the film also carve out great comedy niches in their abbreviated screen time, making their roles more effective in the brevity.)

But for a franchise now nine films deep with at least two more on the way, brevity is not something Fast & Furious fans are going to have to worry about – at least not while Hobbs & Shaw has anything to say about it.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

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Tarantino die-hards best suited to travel back in time for the hodgepodge buddy comedy/crime tale of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

“Hi … We’re also getting paid a ton of money for this!” Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) shakes hands with Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) while Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) looks on in a scene from writer/director Quentin Taratino’s wild and wacky ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. Credit: Andrew Cooper. © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Qualley, Margaret Qualley, Damion Herriman, Emile Hirsch, Mike Moh, Lena Dunham, Julia Butters and Kurt Russell with Bruce Dern and Al Pacino

DIRECTOR(S): Quentin Tarantino

THE BACK STORY: Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a man at a crossroads. His TV career isn’t fulfilling him and his last leading role just got canceled, hence the reason he wishes to transition into films … But he’s having trouble doing so. His longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), however, is just at peace with his lot in life, driving Rick to and from set while hanging out with his loyal pooch in his AirStream trailer home. 


But while Rick laments his falling star and Cliff tries to make him realize the sky isn’t falling with it, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is living the high life as Rick’s new neighbor. Married to hotshot director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), Sharon is enjoying a budding movie career and life with her husband … And her ex-boyfriend/hairdresser to the stars Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch). 


While Cliff is living his life fairly carefree, things are about to change when he picks up a hippie hitchhiker (Margaret Qualley) who can’t wait for him to meet Squeaky (Dakota Fanning), Tex (Austin Qualley) and Charlie (Damion Herriman). But since Charlie is the leader of a “family” that has a very unique view on the world, things are about to change in a way that only can happen in a Taratino-helmed picture …

THE REVIEW: For a movie that’s 2 hours and 40 minutes-plus in length, you would be inclined to hope Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wouldn’t feel a bit (1) disjointed; (2) incomplete; (3) half-baked and (4) have some focus storytelling flair to match its visuals that are writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s homage to the last “golden era” of Hollywood. Instead, what you have are two movies in one: (1) A buddy comedy about an aging film star (DiCaprio’s Dalton) finding his place in the world and (2) a crime fantasy drama about the Manson family and a stuntman’s interaction with them.If that sounds a bit confusing to you, watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will make it clearer how they are connected … Even though you will likely leave the theater with feelings as mixed as the movie itself.

A man who loves to do things brash and big, there is no wonder why Tarantino would love to explore the world of Hollywood in the 1960s. Likewise, given his penchant for crime tales and revisionist history, there is plenty of source material for Tarantino to utilize. Instead, Once Upon feels more like exploiting all of the glitz and glamour before devolving into a live-action cartoon of South Park-level insanity but with Family Guy-like intelligence. (By the way, I like both cartoons, but let’s be honest: One has gone from frathouse humor to a near graduate studies course on modern socio-political issues while the other will throw out a Conway Twitty clip or a chicken fight when there isn’t a more involved punchline.) Once Upon instead is a hodgepodge of everything that Tarantino wants to cram into a movie; problem is, when you try to cram everything in, a lot of those things don’t get the time they need to develop. And when you have a movie that is trying to essentially be two things in one, it often doesn’t work. Once Upon suffers this fate as the true crime aspects – Tarantino’s take features real people, but isn’t exactly based on a true story – at times feel forced and Dalton’s story was worthy of its own movie, not one in which it shares it with another idea.

On a positive note, DiCaprio does DiCaprio things which prove his worth as one of modern Hollywood’s best actors with Pitt smiling and charming his way as only he can through his scenes. Problem is, that’s pretty much all Pitt does save for the film’s twisted final 20 minutes. His interaction with the Manson Family is a bit like a pro wrestling character: You either buy it or you just kinda go “meh.”

The real tragedy may be Robbie’s performance, or rather the lack thereof of it. Robbie does very little as Sharon Tate other than laugh, smile, giggle and hug – that’s it – but it’s not her fault. There’s really not much else to her role nor is she given any opportunity to showcase why she could have been a compelling person other than a tragic footnote in real-life Hollywood history. With so much that could have been done with the character, Tarantino’s tribute to her feels more like a caricature of her, needless to say it does not achieve the desired result.

The main thing that will stick with audiences, however, is that outside of the Dalton tale, the film feels grandiose, long as its runtime and just a really potluck of stories and storytelling. If Tarantino’s plan really is to retire after 10 films, he’s going to need a dynamite exit piece to atone for the Once Upon. For this is the equivalent to New Coke, Kanye West’s 808 & Heartbreaks, the last season of Game of Thrones and LeBron James leaving Cleveland to take his talents to South Beach. Sure, there will be plenty of die-hard Tarantino fans that will laud it as the greatest thing since his last greatest thing, but the causal fan may simply go “I get it … But was it really worth getting?”

For a film that attempts to entertain by celebrating and then exploring Hollywood’s Golden Age, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will be fortunate to settle for anything close to bronze.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Spiderman

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Holland, director/co-writer Watts feel right where they need to be with Spider-Man: Far From Home

“Hi there … We’re getting ready to make a lot of money together for a major Hollywood studio!” Peter Parker (Tom Holland, center) gets introduced to Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal, right) while Nick Fury’s assistant soldier Dmitri (Numan Acar, far left) in a scene from SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. Credit: Jay Maidment © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Favreau, Jacob Balaton, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Angourie Rice, J.B. Smoove, Martin Starr, Tony Revolori, Remy Hii and Marisa Tomei


DIRECTOR(S): Jon Watts

THE BACK STORY: Still reeling from the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home finds Peter Parker (Tom Holland) still attempting to get over the [SPOILER ALERT – BUT YOU’VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO FIND THIS OUT!] death of his mentor Tony Stark. Now, Tony’s trusted right hand man Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is trying to help Peter progress and move forward; Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), on the other hand, are hoping to talk to him about the Elementals, a threat that just popped up in Mexico and may be moving in to more spots around the globe. 


Peter, however, has one thing on his mind – well two, if you count his suspicious about what his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) may be up to in her free time – and that’s his upcoming class trip to Europe with Ned (Jacob Balaton), MJ (Zendaya), Flash (Tony Revolori), Betty (Angourie Rice), Brad (Remy Hii) and their science teachers/chaperones Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr) and Mr. Bell (J.B. Smoove). Unfortunately for Peter, (1) Nick Fury isn’t going to take kindly to him trying to ghost his calls; (2) Brad – who grew up quite a bit in the 5 years after “the blip” – has his eyes on MJ, too and (3) It seems like that disturbance in Mexico seems to be heading towards Europe.


But luckily for Peter, he’s about to get some help in form of a soldier from an alternate Earth who has come to fights the Elementals by the name of Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) … Or, as the world will soon come to know him, Mysterio …
THE REVIEW: Given all that happened in the latter movie, many fans were shocked to learn that it would be Spider-Man: Far From Home and not Avengers: Endgame that would wrap up Marvel’s Phase Three plans. It would almost seem that by doing so, Far From Home would have an immense amount of pressure to live up to, especially since a year is slated to pass before Marvel drops another film on the public. But this is Marvel we’re talking about, which means there is no way they were going to let Sony Pictures let one of its most iconic characters go out and make the studio nor Iron Man down.In other words, Far From Home lives up to expectations and then some with a well-crafted story, action sequences, plenty of humor and a game-changing ending worthy of passing the torch from Tony Stark to Peter Parker.

Given that longtime fans of the character have already watched Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield attempt to carve out their own niche as Spider-Man, Holland may now own the mantle as the definitive actor to play him – Far From Home serving as his greatest showcase to date. Exhibiting the classic naiveté of a teenager at times as he still tries to understand of what he is fully capable both as a superhero and a young man with his eye on a girl, Holland also shows all of the classic comic book elements that made Spider-Man such a big deal in the first place in terms of his humor, creativity and strength when he is forced to step up and go to battle. His interactions with his all of co-stars only serve to enhance these facets of the character as his ragtag group of fellow students feels perfectly cast with Balaton, Zendaya, Revolori, Hii and Rice all adding perfectly to the story.

Likewise, the adults more than come through in Far From Home with their respective roles. While you’re never really going to ever go wrong with Jackson doing Jackson-like things for two hours as Nick Fury with Smulders exhibiting a calm cool as his second-in-command, Favreau keeps his comedy contingency high while adding as a bit of diet Stark to whom Holland’s Parker can vent his frustrations. Tomei keeps finding ways to make the cinematic version of Aunt May more interesting she’s ever been and Gyllenhaal expertly exhibits all of the elements of his character ala the way Michael Keaton did in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Director Jon Watts (who co-wrote the film with Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers) proves his previous work with Spider-Man wasn’t a fluke, as Far From Home steps up everything the aforementioned Homecoming does in terms of pacing, humor, peril, general storytelling and visual engagement well. The film never feels as long as its 2 hour, 15 minute running time, no moments feel wasted and his ability to get everything he needs in the moment out of his actors definitely pays dividends with the finished product. In short, Watts and co. have done the thing that is very hard to do with any superhero story, let alone a movie in general: Craft a tale that satisfies every need with a cast that you won’t spend time second-guessing if they were right for the role and a story that contains enough original, organic moments combined “oh – didn’t see that coming!” ones to tie into the larger world (in this case, the Marvel Cinematic Universe / MCU for short) while still being its own unique thing.

So while the character himself may be far from home, the latest Spider-Man movie proves that when it comes to the future of the MCU, he’s definitely found one as long as Holland, Watts and co. can continue to deliver quality stories like this.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 


McCoy on Movies: Men In Black International

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“Hey … Is that a green, incredible-looking hulk of a man over there?!” Agent M (Tessa Thompson) and Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) survey their surroundings in Morocco in a scene from director F. Gary Gray’s MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL. Credit: Giles Keyte © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Rafe Spall, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson and Larry and Laurent Bourgeois DIRECTOR(S): F. Gary Gray

THE BACK STORY: As a child, Molly (Tessa Thompson) and her parents saw an alien creature … But when the two men in black suits showed up to neuralize her mom and dad, they didn’t know she saw the alien, too, so she never forgot it. Fast-forward 20 years later and Molly has spent her whole life preparing to join the mysterious agency that tracks the ultimate foreigners to earth – which is why she jumps at the chance to prove herself to Agent O (Emma Thompson) once she discovers the Men In Black (MIB).For her first assignment, Molly – now known as Agent M – is paired up with Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) at MIB’s London office. Trained by his superior officer/London office head High T (Liam Neeson), Agent H is as reckless as he supposedly is heroic, a man that likes to party as hard as he sometimes works. Tasked with entertaining an alien from a planet that could destroy earth, things take a turn for the worse when two beings that may be from “The Hive,” a shape shifting alien race that can basically crush anything in its collective path, shows up on the scene. And now, to avoid an intergalactic incident, it’s up to a rookie agent and a philandering agent to save us all.

THE REVIEW: Me, before the screening: “You know, watching the trailer, it doesn’t seem like Hemsworth and Thompson have any chemistry in this movie.”Friend who shall remain nameless, looking almost taken aback by my comment as if it were absurd: “They were fine together in Thor: Ragnarok.”

Me, nearly two hours after the credits began to roll: “This is NOT Thor: Ragnarok.”

Friend, looking as bored as I was with disappointment in their eyes: “Yeah.”

Chris Hemsworth is NOT Will Smith nor should he ever try to or desire to be as his career up to this point has been pretty phenomenal all things considered. Likewise, Thompson’s star has seemed to be on the up-and-up in recent memory with hits both inside and out of the Marvel Universe to her credit. However, after witnessing the tedious, boring and “let’s go through the very familiar motions without any real emotion for the most part” affair that is Men In Black International (MIBI for short), both Hemsworth and Thompson might be wise to call up Marvel Studios’ head Kevin Feige and ask if there are any chances to cameo in Disney’s upcoming Loki streaming series. For MIBI is a largely flat, soulless affair that would be better served being left in a galaxy far, far away.

As Thor, Hemsworth has found a great way to portray a powerful individual who can be charming, heroic, serious, focused and at times a childlike jerk that has to be coaxed into doing the right thing/learning how to step up and embrace his destiny. As Agent H, however, he comes off as just a boorish, pretentious, dare I say dumb lout of an individual who you can’t believe in any capacity. H is stale from start to finish, which may not all be Hemsworth’s fault as he isn’t given much at all to work with. It could be worse; Neeson looks to be on site to simply collect a check a’la Michael Caine in Jaws: The Revenge. Tommy Lee Jones (or even Josh Brolin in MIB 3) he is not. To watch Hemsworth and Neeson turn in such poor performances is just mind-numbing, both literally and figuratively.

Thompson, for her part, tries to play things very smart, very smooth and very seriously … Which fails due to an incredibly dull script with plenty of “we’ve been here before!” moments that attempt to capture old magic that just isn’t there. Whereas Smith has moved on to bluer pastures as the scene-stealing genie in the equally underwhelming (but still better) live action remake of Aladdin, Thompson is asked to drive a car down a course we’ve all scene before – this time with a LOT less bells and whistles or even scenery to keep you entertained, or at the very least, distracted.

Sure, her encounter with arms dealer/H’s ex Riza (a very game Rebecca Ferguson) adds a little life to the festivities, but MIBI is loaded with so much bland dialogue and ho-hum action sequences Thompson kind of comes off like the best player on an 0-16 NFL team. Kumail Nanjiani adds some humorous commentary as Pawnee, the helpful little creature that serves as the Frank the Pug to Thompson’s Agent M, but the old “let’s have the cute little creature get involved” routine feels more like a desperation move than essential storytelling. And that’s just it: For a film franchise that pumped out three quality stories, MIBI has zero charm, zero captivating effects and a dearth of heart, emotion or even interesting storytelling to enthrall you.

If it weren’t for Thompson and the small doses of Nanjiani’s character, MIBI might serve as a great cure for insomnia as you could be asleep in the first 40 minutes. Even the nods to the past MIB films feel flat; given how lame the movie is, though, NOT reminding fans about the past is probably for the best. The convoluted, uninspired storytelling under director F. Gary Gray – F. Gary Gray of all people! – is additionally saddening. Why is The Hive so deadly? What is their motivation? How does it tie in to Men In Black? Why aren’t these questions answered better so I can give you a better review?!

You can watch Men In Black: International if you wish … But given how long and tedious it is to build to a very anti-climatic climax you may just wish a neuralizer was real to wipe the movie from your memory as a result.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: Shaft

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Shaft utilizes father-son dynamic for laughs to overcome
convoluted story and character’s social shortcomings

“All right, you got me … I DO know Nick Fury but we are NOT from Wakanda!” The film’s namesake (Samuel L. Jackson, center, with hands up) tries to reason with a criminal as his dad (Richard Roundtree, the original John Shaft, right) and his son John Jr. (Jessie T. Usher, left) and his friend (Alexandra Shipp, far left) look on. Credit: Kyle Kaplan © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Samuel L. Jackson, Jessie T. Usher, Alexandra Shipp, Regina Hall, Titus Welliver, Avan Jogia, Luna Lauren Velez, Aaron Dominguez, Matt Lauria and Cliff “Method Man” Smith and Richard Roundtree with Isaach De BankoléDIRECTOR(S): Tim Story

THE BACK STORY: John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) is Harlem’s protector, a detective with a break bones first if necessary, ask questions later style that matches his apparel and his automobile. That’s partially the reason his ex Mya (Regina Hall) left him, taking his young son John Shaft, Jr. in the process (well that and dealing with one shootout too many for her liking). 


Now, 20 years later, John Shaft Jr. – JJ (Jessie T. Usher) for short – is making his own way in the world as a data analyst at the FBI. A graduate of MIT, JJ is good with his hands, even if his sense of style and personality are not traditional in terms of the male Shaft family name. Then JJ’s best friend Karim (Avan Jogia) get killed.


Looking for answers with his other best friend Sasha (Alexandra Shipp), JJ ultimately decides to turn to help from the one person least likely to give it to him: his dad. As you might expect, a two decade gap in his child’s life leads to some serious daddy issues .. But once father and son learn the ins and outs of the case, it might be time for a family reunion if they are going to survive and get to the truth about what happened to Karim.
THE REVIEW: Sometimes, you can get a movie that’s a crowd pleaser because the characters are engaging enough to make up for the film’s flaws that also packs enough humor in it to make you overlook the things that don’t work. Co-written by Kenya Barris of black-ish and grown-ish fame, 2019’s Shaft (not to be confused with 2000’s installment also starring Samuel L. Jackson) is more of a comedy than any previous installments have ever been, which has both positive and negative side effects on the film as a whole.As one might expect, the familiar father/son crime-fighting trope is at times as tired as you’d expect; then again, Jackson and Usher play to their strengths well enough that the whole “old playa tries to teach millennial while millennial tries to make old playa learn the error of most of his social ways” routine feel fresher than it should. Recurring jokes about the younger Shaft’s manhood and sexuality may not likely play well in mainstream America, but urban audiences raised on generations of comedians like 1980s Eddie Murphy and late greats like Robin Harris (who gets some nice screen time in the movie) and Bernie Mac will likely enjoy it in spades. Likewise, the where there are plenty of times the film’s machismo levels spin out of control, they are eventually grounded back to earth enough to keep things moving forward.

Then again, there isn’t too much to worry about moving forward as the plot is pretty much standard action movie fare (someone dies, the simplest answer is too simple and there’s a bigger conspiracy afoot). This is why Jackson’s full-on Sam Jax mode performance coupled with Usher’s fish out of water routine are so critical to the film’s overall entertainment level. Throw in a soundtrack that may make longstanding fans of African-American cinema wish for the days of the 1990s when every hit urban film came with a classic album to boot and Shaft makes up for its shortcomings well-enough to give the people what they want: Samuel Jackson cursing and taking names like no one else can, Hall giving it back to him and enough laughs to go around. It’s far from perfect, but it will please the majority of modern audiences here for a good time (even if it’s not really a great movie as much as it is an okay one).

As the theme song said so many moons ago, you’ll probably be better off just shutting your mouth and accepting it for what it is instead of thinking about what it could have been or should be.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: Aladdin

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Aladdin live-action remake features a lot of Will Smith, but not much else

“You’ve got to stand back and let me guide this ship if you want ANY shot at a good box office number, buddy!” The genie (Will Smith) gives some advice to his new master (Mena Massoud) in a scene from director Guy Ritchie’s live-action take on ALADDIN. Credit: Courtesy of Disney Pictures. © 2019 Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad, Numan Acar and Navid Negahban

DIRECTOR(S): Guy Ritchie 

THE BACK STORY: A live-action remake of the beloved 1992 animation feature film, Aladdin stars Mena Massoud in the title role of as a common street thief who falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), the daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah (Navid Negahban). Jasmine, a woman with a heart of gold who greatly cares for the common people of the city, has to marry a prince – which of course makes Aladdin ineligible to win the heart of the lady he inadvertently meets in streets. 


What he doesn’t anticipate, however, is Jafar (Marwan Kenzari). The power hungry head consultant to the Sultan, Jafar convinces Aladdin to unwittingly help him out in a nefarious plot that will help him rise to power. But his plan doesn’t go as well, planned, leaving Aladdin in possession of a lamp that, once rubbed, unleashes a powerful Genie (Will Smith) that grants him three wishes that will forever change his life. 


But, as Aladdin is soon to find out, the old expression “Be careful what you wish for” is about to ring truer to him than it ever has before …

THE REVIEW: “The Fresh Prince of Agrabah …”It’s rare that you can sum up a movie in one sentence, but if you were looking to tell a friend what to make of the 2019 live action version of Aladdin – a made-for-TV quality movie which is essentially ALL about Will Smith save for the last 20 minutes – the previous one would be it. For Aladdin lacks any of the spirit of the animated original for the first of its 2 hours and change run time, feeling more like a watered down (from special effects to performances) money grab than attempt at making something substantial.

Smith fans will love or, depending on if they will find themselves saddened he and Nasim Pedrad – who is very entertaining as Princess Jasmine’s no. 1 handmaiden – are the only things fairly entertaining about the film, loathe – Aladdin as all of his natural charms come shining through. Well, they shine as much as they can in a film where the lead actor feels a bit, there’s no nice way to say it, presented in a fashion to make him acceptable to ALL audiences (the whitewashing controversy surrounding Scott was covered last year by media outlets). Then again, the entire production feels like some executive’s whole pitch was “Bigger! Louder! Will Smith!” and when someone said “What about gripping, nuanced performances with eye-popping visuals?” they were met with a stronger “WILL SMITH!” retort. Smith is the best and worst thing about the movie as you’ll either find him the most engaging thing about it or the most irritating when he becomes bigger than everything – literally and figuratively – around him.

Sadly, the live-action version of Aladdin just doesn’t feel special at all unless you are a die-hard Will Smith fan because the aforementioned effects which only seem to be saved for Smith’s musical numbers, the charisma (which is reserved for Smith and Pedrad) or how Kenzari’s turn as Jafar is as threatening as Massoud’s is underwhelming. Putting Smith in a cast with so many underwhelming performers almost turns the film into a live-action Shrek … With WAY too much focus on Donkey. Be it Massoud’s perfectly coiffed hair and Scott’s “I have a heart of gold; can’t anyone see how much I love everyone?!” routine, Aladdin just feels to be too much of too little to make you buy in as much as you need to enjoy it in full.

The animated version of a movie shouldn’t seem to have more heart and pep than the live-action version, but this – like last year’s “Let’s make another Grinch movie because …. Well … We can!” just feels unnecessary, loud, a bit boorish and save for three musical numbers, overdone to the point of it turning into a meal at Buca Di Beppo that’s intended to serve 3-4 …. But ends up being devoured by one. It’s still filling … But when it causes a stomach ache later, you might be inclined to think if you really needed to stuff yourself with it for the sake of having it available. You can tell everyone tried really hard to make a movie, but you can tell that they are trying – and that makes the ride on this carpet feel far less magical than director Guy Ritchie and company surely hoped it would be.

And that’s a shame – because Aladdin is likely to make you think where is poor Uncle Phil when you need him more than anything else.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Poms

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Poms a safe Mother’s Day option for the Old Country Buffet audience

“All right ladies … Let’s get to the climatic inspiring dance number or we don’t have a movie!” Martha (Diane Keaton, center in the “M”) leads her fellow retirement community friends in a dance routine in a scene from POMS. Credit: Kyle Bono Kaplan © 2019 STX Financing, LLC. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Alisha Boe, Phyllis Somerville, Charlie Tahan, Bruce McGill, Celia Weston and Rhea Perlman 


DIRECTOR(S): Zara Hayes
THE BACK STORY: Martha (Diane Keaton) is a woman coming to grips with her own mortality, which, given her health, makes sense. It’s also why after conducting an estate sale, she’s heading to a seemingly idyllic Sun Springs retirement community in Georgia to spend her final days in peace and quiet.


Then she meets her neighbor Sheryl (Jacki Weaver) and realizes that’s not going to happen.


Forging an unexpected friendship with Sheryl, Martha comes up with an idea – since she’s required to join or create one by her new community’s bylaws – to form a cheerleading club. This leads to Ruby (Carol Sutton), Olive (Pam Grier), Alice (Rhea Perlman), Phyllis (Patricia French), Evelyn (Ginny McCool) and Helen (Phyllis Somerville) joining their aspiring – or is that perspiring? – team, even if it is to the disdain of community activities leader Vicki (Celia Watson). And if Vicki has to pull out Chief Carl (Bruce McGill) to get her way, she will in a heartbeat. 


But after a video of Martha’s makeshift squad goes viral, they are faced with a choice: Give up on their dreams or prove that you’re never too old to show your spirit.
THE REVIEW: Poms isn’t a good movie, per se; it’s a sweet movie with a good heart and a few chuckles along the way. At 91 minutes, it’s short enough to sit through without feeling a strong urge to leave the theater, but it’s nothing you’re going to revel in. It’s nowhere near raunchy by any means to steer into ribald comedy territory, but it has enough anatomy related jokes that will be dirty enough for anyone who regularly dines at an Old Country Buffet or Cracker Barrel. Likewise, the movie’s pacing and story feels like a mix of a too tame for The Golden Girls but too hardcore for Lifetime or CBS, which, given all the sadness it shows in regards to getting older before attempting to salvage a genuinely uplifting, “nice” finale, Poms doesn’t seem to have a specific enough focus to make you feel the way you should.Then again, Poms isn’t really for anyone under the senior circuit – and that’s not a bad thing. It’s perfect palatable celluloid for daughters to take their mothers to or for seniors to enjoy as the characters (especially Weaver as the film’s resident sexpot/free spirit) are exactly like the members of your mom’s bridge or book club that may or may not exist. Poms isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel; it’s just putting a fresh batch of grease on the wheel to give it one last ride.

Weaver steals the show in Poms; Keaton is more or less the straight woman who serves to keep the movie moving forward. Her character mopes, suffers through bouts of vomiting and feels like she’s just a lady you feel sad for and sad to be around for the first half of the film; problem is, once things get going, you don’t care about her as much as you do how she will get the rest of her squad going as they are inherently more interesting … Even though your interest may never peak with a paint-by-numbers script saved only by the cast’s genuine enthusiasm for each other’s company. Alisha Boe and Charlie Tahan add some youthful exuberance to as Martha’s high school cheerleader rival turned coach and Sheryl’s awkward grandson add some much needed youthful exuberance (to the somewhat stale script, NOT the cast), but only in the way a grandparent is proud of them graduating high school.

And ultimately, that’s the main thing that hinders Poms: Instead of going for its full potential with a game-changing break from the routine, it gives you a safe one sure to please audiences who enjoy a nice, simple one they are used to. Poms will occasionally rub your funny bone, but you definitely won’t fall over laughing and will be able to get up and leave the theater easily once it’s done.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: The Intruder

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The Intruder a testament to bad movies that will stand the test of time due to their awfulness!

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good and Joseph Sikora

DIRECTOR(S): Deon Taylor
THE BACK STORY: Imagine being in love and finding your dream home? Well, that’s what’s happening for Annie (Meagan Good) and Scott Russell (Michael Ealy), which is why they can’t wait to move in once the home’s former owner Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid) is out. Charlie has grown up in the home and as the story develops, it becomes clear that he doesn’t seem to really be ready to no longer be its owner and caretaker, let alone have anyone else fulfill those roles. 

Thus, as Annie and Scott are about to find out, a house is not a home when the previous owner isn’t ready for anyone else to take it over. 

THE REVIEW: Forty-seven minutes in. That’s when I began contemplating should I walk out of The Intruder or not. Which is a problem given that (a) That’s not the thought I’m sure the film’s cast and crew wanted anyone to have watching the movie and because (b) There’s at least another 50 minutes of the movie left from that point.Let me be brief: The Intruder is bad. Like, really bad. I could spend a long time picking apart all the things wrong The Intruder … And since the filmmakers felt compelled to make to put them all out there for the world to see, I might as well break it all down for the world to see as well in hopes they chose NOT to suffer the same fate I did.

In 2019, any man with any common sense is not going to spend time discussing Megan Good’s appearance as even saying that she is an attractive woman seems like a way to open yourself up to a host of criticism. However, watching The Intruder, her character’s sweet, seeing the good in everyone nature comes off as naïve to the point of being well, stupid or, to put it nicely, about as smart as the average non-ethnic teenager in an 80s horror movie. Is this progress that an African-American lead can come off as smart as a woman running in high heels or doing her best Bryce Dallas Howard impression? I don’t know; what I do know is that Good’s character feels like she was stolen from a bad Lifetime movie. I don’t mean the modern ones, I mean the ones that comedians used to make fun of before Lifetime got hip to its own foibles.

Ealy tries his best to come off as the somewhat smarter of the two – which one could argue makes Good’s character look even worse by comparison since her male counterpart is the one “smart” enough to see what’s happening” – but in doing so he comes off looking like exactly what his character fears: The man who can’t keep his lady safe. In an era where beards and tattoos reign supreme, Ealy’s character’s intellect actually comes off as his potential downfall. But that’s only because of the man who makes The Intruder a horribly bad-yet-so-bad-it’s-borderline-comedic-genius of a movie.

Quaid. Dennis Freakin’ Quaid.

There have been plenty of movies that actors have admitted they did for the most ludicrous of reasons. Michael Caine in Jaws 4. Morgan Freeman in London Has Fallen. And the less said about Nicolas Cage’s reported love of dinosaur bones. Hell, Cedric the Entertainer admitted to me in an interview I did for a revered-yet-now-deceased publication that he did the utter-debacle that is The Cleaner because he got to take his family on a nice vacation to Hawaii. While I await the interview where Quaid reveals why in the world he did THIS movie, his performance is so ridiculous that it deserves its own documentary or, at the very least, a mock ESPN 30 for 30.

As it comes to pass in The Intruder, Quaid’s character is given a reason for his bonkers behavior; given the events of the film, one can’t help but wonder if Quaid himself may be suffering from a similar fate for him to be involved with this utter debacle of a film. (Maybe this article could give some possible explanations?) But BOY OH BOY does Quaid go all in as Charlie Peck.

In one of the greatest over-the-top performances not seen since the aforementioned Cage’s turn in that nuclear waste of a remake of The Wicker Man, Quaid’s performance finds him twitching, shaking, clenching his fists … And doing the craziest sexual thing you may ever see him do in a film that could change how his fans see him forever. Let’s just say I’m sure this man approves of a scene that is sure to become a meme or .GIF if not both in the near future. I cannot – repeat, CANNOT – give you enough detail as to how insane Quaid’s performance is. If he’s not a Razzie nominee, he might deserve an Academy Award as he might be the best Marvel villain to never chase after Infinity Stones, Wakanda or try to stop a teenager from thwarting his plans to take over New York City. (You watch the movie and tell me you can’t help but think what Quaid might have done as Venom. Sorry Tom Hardy.)

Throw in a script that could NOT be more predictable with direction that could NOT foreshadow what’s going to happen more unless the director literally told you and The Intruder is the type of film you watch to go talk to the screen. The Intruder‘s best shot for success won’t come in theaters, however, at least not for a while – for director Deon Taylor may have created an experience that, much like Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, needs to be experienced with others to enjoy as you talk, laugh and make fun of it.

If this were an episode of House Hunters, it would definitely be the episode you wouldn’t want to miss. Unfortunately for Good, Ealy and Quaid, it’s supposed to be a thriller – which is why the fact this movie will intrude on audiences’ wallets this weekend is a travesty in and of itself.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

Marvel Studios Delivers Its Genre-Defining Masterpiece with Avengers: Endgame

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WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


 

 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo, Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Dania Gurai and Josh Brolin … PLUS A BUNCH OF OTHERS (You want me to spoil it for you?!)


DIRECTOR(S): Anthony and Joe Russo
THE BACK STORY: The last time we saw them, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans),  Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson),  Col. Rhodes aka War Machine (Don Cheadle) and Dr. Bruce Banner aka the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) were dealing with the aftermath of being the last heroes standing after “the mad Titan” Thanos (Josh Brolin) found all six of the Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers, eliminating half of the life in the universe in the process. Now, our heroes have no clue what to do with themselves or how to fix the catastrophe.


Luckily for them, the retired Hawkeye a.k.a. Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) survived the snap, as did Nebula (Karen Gillan), Thanos formerly war-minded adopted daughter, Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who was stuck in The Quantum Realm. And once the pager from a former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative reaches Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), it looks like there may be hope to undo the damage Thanos has caused. It’s just going to require (1) a bunch of time travel, (2) a lot of extremely coordinated teamwork and (3) a wee bit of luck to make everything go right. 


But with the literal fate of the universe hanging in their avenging hands, they’re the best – and only – chance we have …

THE REVIEW: Imagine telling someone a decade ago “Yeah, I heard Marvel Comics is going to form a movie studio and then make 20+ movies that will all tie together with a huge finale featuring 3 hours of action and emotion the likes of which has never been seen on the silver screen.” Given where superhero movies were as a genre before – 2007 gave us Spider-Man 3 a.k.a. the bad one, Ghost Rider and Fantastic Four featuring yup, Chris Evans – you would have a better bet thinking the Cleveland Browns would become Super Bowl champions.Fast-forward to 2019 and Marvel has made money hand over muscular fist to the point that the closing film is set to break records left and right and the only question now remaining is – much like the Avengers own prospects battling the toughest enemy they’ve ever faced – can Endgame live up to its massive hype?

Yes. The answer is a resounding, action-packed, emotionally charged and fitting–ending to the first 10 years of Marvel Studios yes.

Sure, next month’s collaboration with Sony, Spider–Man: Far From Home, is the official ending to Marvel Studios’ Phase 3 plans according to studio head Kevin Feige, but Endgame sure feels like a finale in a lot of ways. With spoilers abound on the Internet as of Tuesday, April 23 (when this review was posted), it’s hard to talk about Endgame in detail without giving away too much.

Thus, here’s a checklist of Marvel-themed .GIFs that will give you information without giving you too much information.

Comedy on the level of Thor: Ragnarok that brings great levity at times?

Plot that feels convoluted but makes sense for the most part?

Fight scenes that will have your adrenaline pumping?

Is there a moment that feels like Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women” should be playing during it to make it feel complete?

Moments that are pulled from the comics that feel natural enough to set up future cinematic adventures?

Worried about whether you’ll need tissues? Let’s just say I’d expect a lot of people to do this at some point during the movie …

With those non-spoiler spoilers out the way, here’s what I can say: Endgame ties together just about every Marvel movie where it feels like not only a conclusion, but a payoff for sticking with our heroes throughout this journey. We’ve watched them go from not knowing the powers they had or how to use them to maturing and growing with each conflict to now what may or may not be their final and greatest battle to date. The character arcs are executed to perfection, despite its run time, there never feels like any wasted moments and the climax is just about everything you could hope for … Unless you’re a D.C. Comics fan who still has hope Warner Bros. has ANYTHING ready to compete with this. Evans and Downey, Jr. doing the heaviest lifting in the film emotionally (with Hemsworth coming in as the third man quite well) with Renner and Ruffalo – much like their characters – exhibiting strong supporting player performances. To say more would be to ruin the experience, and given how much of an experience Endgame is, that would be a crime against (movie) nature itself.

Superheroes have come and gone over the years; what Endgame showcases, however, is that no matter how much their powers may make them cool or be the things many of us wish we had, its their human traits (yes, even in Rocket’s case) are what keep us watching. Infinity War is arguably the first superhero movie to end on a down note, but Marvel’s heroes have always shown reflected the best and worst parts of the human experience: The desire for power, the need for hope in the face of extreme adversity, the importance of family, you name it – Marvel has covered it and done so in quite spectacular fashion. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have delivered a masterpiece of a movie, but since we all know comic book movies don’t win major awards, what we have to simply do is admire Marvel’s crowning achievement in all its glory and wait for baited breath to see what comes next.

Even when we’re down, Endgame proves that they are just a snap second from helping us all remember why movies like these give us hope for the future.

 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 


 

McCoy on Movies: Little

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“You expect ME to tell her she didn’t get the black-ish spin-off?! This is why she’s making a movie jump now!” April Williams (Issa Rae) has a very uncomfortable meeting with her now-13 again boss Jordan Sanders (Marsai Martin) in a scene from director Tina Gordon’s comedy LITTLE. Credit: © 2019 Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.



WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Marsai Martin, Issa Rae, Regina Hall, Luke James, Tone Bell, Thalia Tran, JD McCrary, Tucker Meek, Marley Taylor, Eva Carlton, Justin Hartley, Rachel Dratch and Mikey Day

DIRECTOR(S): Tina Gordon
THE BACK STORY: Brought to you by black-ish creator Kenya Barris (who serves as a producer on the film), Little stars as Regina Hall as Jordan Sanders, a 38 year-old successful CEO of her own technology company located in Atlanta. There’s just one thing about Jordan that seems to drive everyone around her crazy: Her insane work ethic and mean-spirited nature drive everyone – her employees, her neighbors, people at stores she frequents and especially her over-worked and highly under-appreciated assistant April Williams (Issa Rae) – crazy. But since Jordan learned at the age of 13 that people can be mean-spirited, she made a vow that when she became big, she would be the boss and bully everyone else before they could bully her.


Now, the tables have turned and Jordan has been mean to the wrong person, which is why she wakes up only to find herself facing her worst fear: Being 13 again.


Cursed to relive the worse age of her life when she was little, Jordan finds herself out of her element. Now, she is forced to rely on April to run her company, can’t spend any quality time with her “D-Boy” (Luke James), drink, drive … Or, after a Child Protective Services agent (Rachel Dratch) is called to her home where April is posing as her aunt, the one thing she hates more than anything else in the world: A return to her old middle school. But with a major pitch to video game upstart Connor (Mikey Day) that could make or break her company on the line, the last thing Jordan has time for is dealing with mean-spirited classmates like Jasmine (Eva Carlton). 

THE REVIEW: Sometimes, when you’ve got a special team in place, you get products that show what happens when you let their creativity bring new life to an old idea. And trust me, the idea behind Little is freakishly old for a movie hitting theaters nationwide this Friday. (If you couldn’t figure out that reference, you shouldn’t be reading this; you should be trying to become little yourself so you can find all the requisite viewing your childhood apparently lacked.) So, given the success Barris and company have had with black-ish and its subsequent spinoff grown-ish, it really should come as no surprise that Little is big-ish on laughs and heart.First off, while Rae delivers a great performance as a grown woman taking orders from a child half her size, it’s Martin’s performance as a grown adult in a child’s body that wins the movie. Martin is so good in her role there are times that while you don’t forget she actually is a child, you may be taken with just how excellent she is at mastering all of the adult things she nails in the film. Be it a woman feeling amorous, running a company or a young child dealing with the horrors of middle school, Martin hits every note like a Grammy Award winner for best new artist before realizing that they were once a successful indie artist that has just been given a shot on a major label. A bigger scope just showcases the talent they possess on a grander stage, which is exactly what Martin does in Little. She holds center court with adults in every scene when paired up with actors twice her literal size to the point the film never feels unbelievable; when acting around peers her own age she feels as out of place as someone who is supposed to be 38 would around today’s snarky social media savvy (try tweeting that three times fast!) teens.

Throw in a perfect balance of youthful exuberance by the film’s young cast to work alongside the adults – Hall, by the way, does her job well in her limited but largely crucial screen time – and Little delivers original laughs by putting a fresh coast of paint on the “fish out of water” scenario body switch movies have given of such a familiar formula. Little is so well done that its blackness never is a dominant trait of the film; sure, there are some “black girl magic” references and whatnot, but if you go into Little thinking its going to touch the same issues you’d find in a typical story arc of black-ish, you’ll either be highly disappointed or highly surprised. Little is just a good film that stars a large African-American cast, not a film with a lot of African-Americans that just happens to be good – that distinction. As African-Americans continue to prove there’s more to the black entertainment experience than just being pimps, thugs and slaves – they can be quirky, insecure (see what I did there, Issa Rae fans), have the same concerns as anyone else about work and life, etc. – Little delivers a big step forward in making sure that ideal isn’t forgotten by Hollywood anytime soon.

Thus, much like a middle school talent show that actually features more talent than you’d expect, Little delivers big entertainment value mature (and maturing) audiences will enjoy.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Happy Death Day 2U

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Genre-bending Happy Death Day 2U proves there can be plenty of fun, romance in a serial killer thriller
By Tabari McCoy

“Wait a minute … Didn’t this happen the last time I starred in this movie?!” Tree (Jessica Rothe) experiences deja vú in a scene from HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U. Credit: Universal Pictures © 2019 Universal Studios.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Suraj Sharma, Sarah Yarkin, Rachel Matthews, Ruby Modine, Steve Zissis, Rob Mello and Charles Aitken

DIRECTOR(S): Christopher Landon
THE BACK STORY: Did you happen to catch 2017’s Happy Death Day? If not, you might have missed what happened when young college student Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) got murdered on her birthday, only to wake up in the bed of fellow college student Carter (Israel Broussard) … Who was nice enough to try to bring her home before she got killed … And then go through the rest of her day, only to get murdered again. Then she found out who was her killer – SPOILER ALERT: It was her jealous roomie Lori (Ruby Modine) – and then she was able to break the loop and begin living her life again without the threat of a baby-masked assassin coming to kill her. 


Or so she thought.


For you see, Happy Death Day 2U begins with Ryan (Phi Vu) dying at the hands of a baby-faced killer. And then he wakes up in his garbage-filled car, only to get back to his room where he catches Tree and Carter about to … embrace. And once he starts describing what happened to him, Tree quickly realizes much to her horror what is happening: The loop has started all over again, only this time it’s affecting Ryan. Thus, you can imagine her shock, horror and anger when she discovers both loops were inadvertently created by Ryan and his fellow science students Samar (Suraj Sharma) and Dre (Sarah Yarkin) due to a time-altering device they’ve nicknamed “Sissy.” 


And that’s when things get REALLY weird – I’d say more, but it would ruin all the surprises. But if there’s one last thing Tree is looking for, it’s surprises; unfortunately for her, there are plenty of surprises on the way that is going to alter her reality in ways she never, ever envisioned in this dimension – or any others for that matter. 
THE REVIEW: Are you in search of a film this Valentine’s Day that (1) will make you laugh at the most unexpected, surreal scenario possible while (2) delivering a few cheap scares while still somehow (3) being self-deprecating to the point it might be one of the smarter films of its genre-bending ilk which in turn (4) makes it inexplicably entertaining and dare one suggest one of the most genuine-in-an-extremely-absurd-way romantic comedies in quite some time? If the answer to all of those winding enough to drive the average editor nuts questions is “yes,” look no further.For Happy Death Day 2U is a must-see that deserves praise not seen since Scream made people say the name “Skeet Ulrich” with reverence.

Boasting a keen sense of self-awareness and a wicked-funny yet strong performance by Rothe, Happy Death Day 2U does the thing that is extremely rare with movies rooted in a horror/thriller mold: Not only live up to the original, but surpass it. Whereas the original Happy Death Day felt like a silly-yet-enjoyable one-off, 2U provides a back story that expands its characters growth without losing any of its predecessor’s charm. Of course, that is due largely to Rothe’s ability to make her Groundhog Day-like existence consistently intriguing while making you root for her as her quest continues. It’s almost like writer/director Christopher Landon and the rest of the Blumhouse team (the production company responsible for hits like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Get Out and the most recent Halloween remake/sequel/way to keep making money off that franchise) found out about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and said “How could we make a movie like that with a killer and keep all the humor?”

To her credit, Rothe does something rarely seen in horror-esque movies: Act. Like really, really act. She makes Tree equal parts crazy yet determined, hilarious yet not a caricature while at the same time using her skills to help make fun of and show reverence for the very genre that may make her a star. Playing well off of her co-stars Vu and Broussard, 2U is Rothe’s show the way the Golden State Warriors are Seth Curry’s team (at least, pre-Kevin Durant). And while the movie – which does have its fair share of “Ok, that’s corny even for this movie” moments and it is kinda easy to figure out who’s behind the mask if you pay a lick of attention – isn’t perfect, it’s got a great mix of comedy, thrills and irreverence to prove itself worthy of being a sequel.

In fact, given that it’s releasing just in time for Valentine’s Day, Happy Death Day 2U might just be the most romantic way to show your significant other you really love them … By watching a film breathe new life into a genre that can always use some.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Glass

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M. Night Shyamalan delivers his twist on superheroes and villains with Glass

“Man … I think someone has paid ‘Dance, Dance Revolution’ a little bit TOO much …” Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) watches in awe as one of the many personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) dances with his newfound friend in a scene from the final (?) installment in M. Night Shyamalan’s heavy comic book-influenced thriller GLASS. Credit: Jessica Kourkounis/Universal Pictures © 2019 Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard and Adam David Thompson


DIRECTOR(S): M. Night Shyamalan 
THE BACK STORY: The culmination of the events of his previous films Unbreakable and Split, Glass stars Sarah Paulson as Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), a psychologist who has been brought in to a Philadelphia-area mental hospital. It is there where she is working to relieve three men of their delusions of being superheroes: Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), better known by his nicknames of “The Horde” in reference to his two dozen personalities ranging from 9 year-old Hedwig to stern British headmistress Patricia and “The Beast,” named for his deadliest, serial-killing personality. Only one woman, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) has escaped The Beast and lived to tell about it … And now she is fixated on the him in potentially unhealthy ways. 


Next up is David Dunn, a.k.a. The Overseer, a green poncho-wearing seemingly unbreakable (sorry – couldn’t resist!) man who was the only survivor of a train accident 19 years ago. Now, with the aid of his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), works as a vigilante around the City of Brotherly Love … As long as he doesn’t get wet. Last but certainly not least? Elijah Price, better known to law enforcement as first name Mister, last name Glass – a criminal mastermind with a very severe case of brittle bone disease that did not stop him from orchestrating the train accident that revealed David’s gift (or is that caused his delusion?) all those years ago. His mother (Charlayne Woodard) loves her son and just can’t seem to look past his murderous ways …


Now tasked with curing the men, Dr. Staple has her work cut out for her … Especially if their delusions of grandeur aren’t.
 
THE REVIEW: Much like his beloved comic books, M. Night Shyamalan’s movies are often the source of great debate about which ones are really good and which ones are just, well, awful. And after taking a much-deserved beating afters several hate-it-or-love-it features, the captain of the twist pulled a Dark Knight and redeemed himself with 2015’s quirky The Visit and then 2016’s Split, which featured one of the greatest (I know what I said!) performances in recent history by McAvoy as the Dissociative Identity Disorder-suffering Crumb. Then it was revealed (spoiler alert – you’ve had enough time) that the film was connected to the world Unbreakable created way back in 2000 and the hype that Glass would be his penultimate work became very real among his longstanding fans.Well, guess what? Glass – while not perfect – delivers a super (enough) payoff for all your years of patience.

Glass has story holes in it – I mean, how else to explain one of the character’s actions given that everything that happened to that character should likely make them act in the EXACT opposite way they do. Likewise, if you’ve been paying attention to Shyamalan for any significant period of time, you’ll likely figure out there is something amiss before it is revealed even if you don’t figure out everything.

Those two things notwithstanding, Glass benefits from its best elements well: Shyamlan’s true exploration of comic book dynamics (as opposed to pure good vs. evil fights) and the performances of McAvoy and Jackson. Seriously, Glass isn’t the type of film that will ever get someone nominated, but McAvoy really deserves some type of recognition for making his role work so well while Jackson really pulls off that whole “evil mastermind despite his limitations” character phenomenally well. Be happy Mr. Glass isn’t real, folks …

The last point is made because in this golden age of superheroes movies, Shyamalan’s film is much more of an intellectual comic book movie moreso than what audiences have come to expect from the Marvel Universe (and usually pray DC Comics/Warner Bros. can try to emulate with their various properties). Thus, if you really enjoyed Unbreakable and Split, you’ll likely like Glass. If you are expecting something like Aquaman or Avengers: Infinity War‘s big blowout action sequences, you’re in the wrong place. This is more Scream for the superhero movie … If instead of parodies and murder you just had Jamie Kennedy’s Randy character moving the story forward. This is more a tale of connected lives, destinies and of course, the unique ways people with extraordinary abilities in comic books function.

Given the glut of superhero movies these days, the fact Glass challenges you to explore them in a way rarely seen these days is quite a twist, indeed.

 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):