Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Tabari McCoy

McCoy on Movies: If Beale Street Could Talk

By

Cincinnati native KiKi Layne shines bright in writer/director
Barry Jenkins adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk

“Girl, I love you … But you’re kind of killing my left shoulder right now …” Fonny (Stephan James) contemplates his next move while Tish (KiKi Layne) ponders their future in a scene from IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Credit: Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures. © 2018 Annapurna Releasing, LLC. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:






KEY CAST MEMBERS: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Teyonah Parris, Finn Wittrock, Dave Franco, Emily Rios, Ed Skrein and Aujanue Ellis

 

DIRECTOR(S): Barry Jenkins
THE BACK STORY: Based on the novel of the same name by James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk stars newcomer KiKi Layne as Tish, a 19 year-old New York resident (the opening title card explains why a movie set in NYC takes its title from a famous New Orleans locale) who is in love with Alfonso (Stephan James) – Fonny for short. The young lovers embrace each other completely having known each other for years, producing the sort of romance that young people have dreamed of for centuries.


But their relationship is not without its problems for certain.


There’s Fonny’s sisters (Ebony Obisidian and Dominique Thorne)  and mother (Aujanue Ellis) who doesn’t exactly approve of Tish or the situation she’s gotten Fonny into …. But if you think Tish’s mother (Regina King) or sister (Teyonah Parris) is going to just let them run down their family, however, you, like them, have another thing coming. At least Fonny’s dad (Michael Beach) and Tish’s father (Colman Domingo) get along. Fonny’s friend Daniel (Brian Tyree Henry) is having a rough go of things, too, following his release from prison.


But none of those problems are anything compared to what lies ahead when Fonny is accused of raping a woman (Emily Rios) by a police officer who may or may not have an axe to grind …
 
THE REVIEW: It’s romantic. It’s majestic. It’s infuriating. It’s depressing. It’s soulful. It’s upbeat. It’s melancholy. It’s heartbreaking. It’s artistic. It’s creative.  It’s hopeful. It’s frustrating. It’s raw and it’s unapologetic. In short, If Beale Street Could Talk is the African-American experience captured in two hours for the world to see.Certain movies strike cords with certain audiences more than others. For as many people loved Black Panther, the film showed the economic power that African-Americans have in catapulting what could have been just another superhero movie into an Academy Award contender. I mention this because while the critical acclaim for If Beale Street Could Talk is widespread (just Google it – ok, I did the work for you), it’s inherently bound to resonate with African-American audiences just a little bit more than others because of how dynamically it nails down various parts of what being black in America is like today as much as it did when its source material was first published in 1974.

There’s the fragile look of heartbreak and envy Henry gives as his character watches the interplay between Tish and Fonny and knowing he will likely never enjoy it … There’s the #metoo creepiness of watching Tish be subtly sexually assaulted by a white male customer under the guise of shopping … Beale Street delivers more nuanced facets of the struggles many African-Americans face in a country where they are often reminded they are and that there will always be some that view them second-class citizens. The police scenes are why I made the “infuriating” comment above, especially in lieu of the continued incidents like this and this and this and this and … Thus, anyone still wanting to have a conversation to determine their level of “woke” may find Beale Street to be either the perfect conversation starter … or ender.

On a positive note, there are the happy moments that prove the human experience, however has no color and can be enjoyed by everyone. This includes watching Dave Franco’s character bond with Fonny over a potential living space, Domingo and King’s coming to Tish’s aid and the love and chemistry between James and Layne as Fonny and Tish. Forget the earlier commentary made about how the film will strike an extra accord with African-Americans; the way in which screenwriter/director Barry Jenkins (the guy who made 2017’s Academy Awards Best Picture winner Moonlight) shoots their scenes will possibly inspire plenty of Match.com/eHarmony accounts in hopes of finding a love like theirs. Layne and James are the heart of the movie, its driving force and its beacon of hope not only for each other, but also the audience watching it.

If Beale Street Can Talk has plenty to say – which is why the words “must see” are the only two you really need in regards to whether or not you should.

 

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

 

McCoy on Movies: AQUAMAN

By

Jason Momoa brings credibility, fun to D.C. Comics longstanding fish-out-of-water hero

“My Crossfit instructor is going to be so proud!” Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) makes his way through a sea (pun intended) of would-be submarine pirates in a scene from director James Wan’s take on the D.C. Comics iconic character best known to fans as AQUAMAN. Credit: Jasin Boland/ ™ & © DC Comics.  © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:





KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Dolph Lundgren with Nicole Kidman, Graham McTavish, Michael Beach and Randall Park

DIRECTOR(S): James Wan
THE BACK STORY: Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) was born of parents never meant to meet. For his mother Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) escaped the underwater kingdom of Atlantis to forgo an arranged marriage, which is why she fell in love with Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) and gave birth to a young son. But since she knew the only way to keep him safe was to eventually return, she left young Arthur in Tom’s care, her young child never getting to know the mother he so desperately wished to be able to do. That’s why she made sure to charge Vulko (Willem Dafoe) with raising him in her place, teaching young Arthur the ways of Atlantis to make sure he knows part of where he came from.
 
Problem is, while Arthur may never meet his mother, he will meet Prince turned King Orm (Patrick Wilson), his vengeful half-brother who is tired of all the pollution and attacks from the “surface world.” That’s why, with the aid of King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) and his daughter/soon to be Orm’s wife Mera (Amber Heard), he plans to take the war to the surface world and let mankind know their time is up. But since only a true king can stop Orm and his evil ways, Mera seeks out Arthur to stop him before it is too late for both of their worlds. 
 
Then again, since the pirate who will become known as Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is after Arthur for what he did – or should that be didn’t do for – his father (Michael Beach), it seems like our hero is going to have his hands full.
 
THE REVIEW: Of all the members of the D.C. Comics world (Marvel kind of has that Universe thing on lockdown), none have been more ridiculed, scrutinized and generally made fun of more than Aquaman. I mean, he was the long-running source of material on the show Entourage (link language NSFW), Robot Chicken has skewered him for years and even the god-awful abomination that was the Justice League movie even poked fun at one of his most well-known abilities. Like Wonder Woman before him (language NSFW), there was no shortage of jokes about his costume, his skills and, in general, the very idea that someone would want to watch a full-length movie about him.
Then came 2017’s Wonder Woman film – and all the jokes stopped. Now, just in time to round out 2018, Aquaman finds itself in a similar boat (pun intended) … And just like his female predecessor,  Arthur Curry is going to get the last laugh since D.C. Comics’ latest solo superhero cinematic adventure is non-stop fun from start to finish.
Momoa, possibly the ultimate bro among leading men right now, brings all the swag Aquaman has never had as a character to life and then some as the film’s lead. Confident and cool, he proves to be more than brooding brawn and massive muscle as he flexes his thespian talents throughout the film. Of course, being a hulking human being certainly doesn’t hurt as every time he thrashes, bashes and/or generally mashes an enemy, it’s never not believable.
Of course, having a pretty solid cast doesn’t hurt matters, which is why Heard does her best to not just to be a pretty (and extremely) redheaded face throughout the film as Mera. In line with Natalie Portman as Thor’s former love interest Jane Watson in the Marvel Universe, Heard displays a nice Harrison Ford/Kate Capshaw Raiders of the Lost Ark-like chemistry with Momoa, a niche that definitely helps the movie move forward with a balance of antagonistic humor and heart. Wilson is likewise solid as the villainous King Orm; Abdul-Mateen II does seem to be channeling his best Michael B. Jordan/Erik Killmonger rage as secondary villain Black Manta, although one would hope (should the inevitable sequel come to light) he will get to do much more than just huff and buff and try to blown Aquaman’s sea house in. 
 
Throw in Dafoe and Lundgren as the solid veteran male support with Kidman getting throw in a nice bit of physicality to go with the standard long-lost mother role and you get what most comic book movies should be: fun and energetic with just enough heart to make them last for more than one bucket of popcorn. That’s not even including director James Wan’s work with the rest of his team to create this most fascinating and visually-appealing world in a superhero movie this side of Wakanda and the film brings it in nearly every scene.
 
Now, as long as Warner Bros./D.C. can get that whole two-Joker movies thing together by the time 2019 starts, maybe D.C. can keep things going in swimming fashion – Aquaman has already done its part to get them there.

 

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

 

McCoy on Movies: Crazy Rich Asians

By

Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel gets the Hollywood treatment – and it’s crazy well done.

“So … Which of these accessories is going to make Lady Gaga jealous?” Rachel Chu (Constance Wu, right, in red) gets some fashion advice from her college best friend – and the secretly rich – Peik Lin Goh (Awkafina) in a scene from CRAZY RICH ASIANS. Credit: 



 


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:
 



 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Ken Jeong, Awkwafina, Lisa Lu, Ronny Chieng, Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang, Pierre Png, Jimmy O. Yang, Tan Kheng Hua, Remi Hii and Nico Santos

WRITER(S): Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim (screenplay); Kevin Kwan (novel on which the film is based)

DIRECTOR(S): Jon M. Chu

WEB SITE: http://www.crazyrichasiansmovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, a New York economics professor who’s happily in love with her Oxord education boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding in his debut feature film). So when Nick asks her to accompany him on a trip home to Singapore for the wedding of his good friend Colin (Chris Pang) to Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno), she happily says yes. And since she’ll be able to see her old college friend Peik (Awkwafina), Rachel is excited to visit the native land of her people since her mother Kerry (Tan Kheng Hua) left Asia before she was born.


That’s when she discovers that not only is Peik rich, but Nick’s family is really rich. Like, crazy rich – and Nick’s mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) is “old world” Chinese in both tradition and practice. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who enjoyed the novel; fans of people living lavish lifestyles the average person can only dream of; mothers and daughters looking for a good bonding movie; independent women; anyone of Asian descent searching for a major Hollywood film that features their people in a positive, entertaining light; those looking for a film that doesn’t play into the usual romantic comedy/race-centric tropes; Awkwafina fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People with no interest in Asian culture; those will find the slow parts in the film’s first hour too, well, slow; people who always say “the book was better;” people who think you have to be Asian to appreciate the film’s universal themes of love, acceptance and family


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A movie that is essentially a classic love story with modern elements in a setting unfamiliar to many American audiences, Crazy Rich Asians is an entertaining, heartfelt romantic comedy that doesn’t break any new ground as far as romantic comedies go – but breaks plenty in just being a good movie.


Crazy Rich Asians features just about everything you could want in a story: Chemistry between its two leads and supporting characters that, well, save for one or two characters that might seem a like a toned down version of co-star Ken Jeong’s work in The Hangover, are not caricatures of Asians in American eyes. Whereas Wu and Golding (he of British-Malaysian descent) seem like a real couple, Awkafina and Nico Santos – who plays Nick’s fashion and family-conscious cousin Oliver T’Sien – steal every scene they’re in with their good-natured, perfectly timed and well-meaning quips. Likewise, whereas Yeoh plays the role of the seemingly icy family matriarch with a good duality to her like many a Marvel Universe villain – she’s is cautious to never operate at one extreme at any one time – and Gemma Chan plays her role as Nick’s beautiful yet personally suffering in her relationship with her husband Michael (Pierre Png) in a way that feels extremely real (and thus inspiring without going out of her way to be so). 


Beautifully shot by director Jon M. Chu as essentially a tourist agency’s dream video postcard for Singapore, the film presents some of the best visuals captured on film this year, acting as the perfect backdrop for the film’s characters to play, love and learn throughout their respective journeys. Throw in a soundtrack that interpolates classic American songs of various genres in native Asian tongues and Crazy Rich Asians is the type of film that will feel revolutionary when in fact it’s simply more evolutionary.


For given how solid the film is, hopefully Crazy Rich Asians marks the evolution of an industry that has long underserved the Asian moviegoing population but at the same time proves a movie like this can entertain anyone.

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

 

McCoy on Movies: Skyscraper

By

Dwayne Johnson flexes his dramatic muscle to lead familiar-yet-palatable Skyscraper

“You know, compared to this, taking steel chairs to the head from other men in spandex wasn’t so bad!” Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) used a makeshift rappelling apparatus for reasons he’d rather not have to deal with in a scene from writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s action thriller SKYSCRAPER. Credit: © 2018 Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC. and Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Noah Cottrell, Bryon Mann, McKenna Roberts, Hannah Quinlivan, Elfina Luk, Noah Taylor, Adrian Holmes and Pablo Schreiber
WRITER(S): Rawson Marshall Thurber

DIRECTOR(S): Rawson Marshall Thurber

WEB SITE: https://www.skyscrapermovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is a simple man. A decorated military veteran, his life was changed 10 years ago when an unfortunate situation altered his life in two drastic ways: the loss of the lower half of his left leg and meeting the love of his life, his cell phone-challenged/fellow veteran/doctor wife Sarah (Neve Campbell). Now working as the proprietor of his own small security company, Will finds himself thrust into the opportunity of his working lifetime when an old military buddy (Pablo Schreiber) gets him a gig checking out “The Pearl.” 


What is the Pearl? It’s the new commercial/residential structure in Hong Kong designed by billionaire Zaho Long Ji (Chin Han), who now wants Will to make sure that everything in his buildingis up to snuff before the residential half opens up (from the 96th floor on up). But what Will doesn’t know is that why he, Sarah and their two kids Georgia (McKenna Roberts) and Henry (Noah Cottrell) are enjoying their stay, there are some nefarious forces plotting a much different visit to the Pearl. That would be the ruthless assassin Xia (Hannah Quinlivan) and the mercenary Botha (Roland Møller), who are after something that Will has no knowledge of nor why.


But he and his family are about to – if they can survive the certain to be fatal scenario awaiting them in the world’s tallest skyscraper. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Dwayne Johnson fans who like it when he does physical roles that don’t focus on comedy; Neve Campbell fans; people who like 80s-style action movies without 80s style dialogue

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who will find some of the scenarios too implausible; those who prefer action movies that either go full-on outrageous or full-on logical; anyone who hates violent films

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? An action movie that tries to balance its more (seemingly) outrageous moments with committed performances and intriguing camera work before tying together just how you’d expect (if you pay attention to all the foreshadowing), Skyscraper is an entertaining, family-involved-yet-extremely-violent at times diet Die Hard that while not original, it’s satisfying enough to keep you interested. And if that sentence seems like a mouthful, it should.


Because that’s what happens when you are catering to at least three different types of audiences at once.Johnson, as he has proven in a variety of his roles, commands attention as Will Sawyer, a man who is not invincible yet at the same time extremely determined to do what he needs to do to save the people he loves. His limited stunts seem ridiculous yet, given his commitment and approach, plausible – which, for action movies, has long been an issue for many people paying attention (skip ahead to 1:54 in that link; language NSFW!). Likewise, neither Campbell nor young co-stars Roberts or Cottrell seem to act in an over-the-top fashion, their actions instead seeming reasonable, logical and again, (somewhat) sensible given the situation in which they find themselves.Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, We’re the Millers) has a history of producing surprising hits, most of which are exclusively comedies. With Skyscraper, he proves he has potential to deliver an action film that, while it does not do anything to reinvent the genre, doesn’t have to be dumb, either. While it lacks a distinct quality to make it stand out from the pack – Johnson’s prosthetic leg accessory comes into play quite often, but it doesn’t always feel as handi-capable as intended – the interplay between the characters works more than it does not, the film moves along swiftly and, again, the story plays out with a good mix of brain and bravado … As best you can in this type of film. Sure, the film could have likely reached a more classic status with a full “R” rating or a

Or at least it does it enough to keep you from wanting to burn down the theater the way the Pearl does on the screen.

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

McCoy on Movies: Ant-Man and the Wasp

By

Marvel returns to delivering fun in various sizes with humorous Ant-Man and the Wasp!

 

“When I asked if you had seen Blade, this is NOT what I meant!” Hope Van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) runs against an assailant’s attack in a scene from Peyton Reed’s latest entry into the Marvel Universe, ANT-MAN & THE WASP. Credit: Film Frame © 2018 Marvel Studios. All rights reserved. 


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:
 


 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Abby Ryder Fortson, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins, Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Randall Park, Judy Greer and Bobby Cannavale with Laurence Fishburne and Michele Pfeiffer 

WRITER(S): Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari; based on characters created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber and Ernie Hart

DIRECTOR(S): Peyton Reed

WEB SITE: http://marvel.com/movies/movie/245/ant-man_and_the_waspHERE’S THE STORY: Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War but BEFORE Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp finds our hero Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) on house arrest as a result of his actions in Sovokia since, you know, he wasn’t legally about to be there. FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) is ready to bust Scott at a moment’s notice, even though he only has 3 days until his sentence is up – which he can’t wait to spend with his daughter Cassie a.k.a. Peanut (Abby Ryder Fortson). Even Scott’s ex wife Maggie (Judy Greer) and her new husband Paxton (Bobby Cannavale) are supportive of his changed ways and his best friend Luis (Michael Peña) is running the security company he started with their other friends Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (Tip “T.I.” Harris), so what could go wrong?


Well, once Scott starts seeing visions of Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) – the wife of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and mother of Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) long lost to the mysterious Quantum Realm – plenty.


Despite having not spoken to Hank or Hope in 2 years since, you know, they became FBI fugitives for their use of the Pym particle technology that enables Ant-Man to shrink and increase his size to massive heights, Scott contacts the duo with his news. This, in turn, makes them excited about the prospect of finding Janet – even if it means having to get technology off the black market from guys like Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), a man always on the lookout for a new way to get rich, no matter what the cost. Sonny and the FBI, however, will soon be far from the biggest problem facing Scott, Hank and Hope, however.


No, that would be the presence of the mysterious malevolent presence of Ava a.k.a. Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), a woman who needs Pym’s technology for reasons that will soon be revealed in startling fashion …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fans of the first Ant-Man movie and Thor: Ragnarok; Paul Rudd fans; people who like superhero movies that go for more lighthearted fare than the darker subject matter of Marvel entries such as the Captain America series; people awaiting anything related to 2019’s Avengers 4 movie 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who joke about Ant-Man as a character the same way Robot Chicken has Aquaman; those who like a villain that is more pure evil that motivated for a logical reason


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Another solid entry into the Marvel Universe from start to finish, Ant-Man and the Wasp features everything fans of the first movie came to enjoy, just with more of it. There is plenty of humor, well-constructed action sequences that balances its human cartoon with traditional fight elements with Peña once again stealing nearly every scene he’s in, Lilly – who’s Wasp proves she’s no second fiddle to her male partner – and Rudd exhibiting a familiar yet growing, believable chemistry. Likewise, Rudd’s character’s desire to be a good dad never feeling forced due to the great interplay between he and the lovably precocious Fortson. (Seriously, she’s just too cute as his daughter like a live version of Agnes from Despicable Me but more mature.) Surprisingly, Douglas adds an unexpected emotional center to the film, playing both the crotchety old man archetype well when necessary but without ever becoming a parody of it (or himself).


If there is any real flaw in the film, it’s that Ant-Man may have the least compelling villains as of yet seen in Marvel films. (It’s really hard to follow Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger and Josh Brolin’s finger-snapping Thanos/hard-ass Cable with a villain who’s cause is extremely sympathetic and more misunderstood than anything.) Perhaps having a more hard-edged, truly threatening presence on screen might tilt the film in a direction director Peyton Reed and his team may not want to explore, but John-Kamen turns in a solid performance, hitting all the necessary beats. Goggins, for his part, portrays a much more interesting character here than he did in the already forgotten Tomb Raider, bringing some of his Vice Principals “I-should-dislike-you-but-you’re-too-fun” charm to the movie to round things out. 


Throw in some really fun, early Spielberg-like use of Pym’s ants their selves and the movie is while nowhere near as emotionally gripping as say Black Panther or Infinity War, it is full of fun while filled with enough nuances to stand on its own.


Other than that, there’s not much else one really needs to know about Ant-Man and the Wasp as Marvel is wrapping up Phase Three of its master plan – except that the movie proves that Marvel having a plan has led to a decade’s worth of quality films. Ant-Man and the Wasp is all about the idea of family and trying to do right by the people they love while overcoming the odds throw in their way. 


Ant-Man and the Wasp does both of those things in spades and while not the mightiest of Avengers heroes, they definitely team players that prove they are worth a spot in the lineup … Especially if you want to see what just may lie ahead for the man who could become one of the biggest (or, depending on his physical size, smallest) players in Marvel plans heading into 2019.

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

 

image001.jpg

McCoy on Movies: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

By

Prehistoric silliness makes Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom extinct upon arrival.

“OK, we’ve got to walk past this Tyrannosaurus Rex without waking it up … Bryce, did your character remember NOT to wear something ridiculous like high heels unlike the last time we were on this island?!” Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) try to not awaken a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a scene from JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. Credit: Giles Keyte. © 2018 Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment and Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

 





KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, B.D. Wong, James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum

WRITER(S): Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow (written by); Michael Crichton (based on characters created by)

DIRECTOR(S): J.A. Bayona

WEB SITE: http://www.jurassicworld.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Isla Nublar, the island home west of Costa Rica that has long been home to the late John Hammond’s vision of a park where humans could see the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth again live and in person, is under attack from a once dormant volcano that now threatens to destroy all life on its surface. And while Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) has seen the error of her ways and now wants to save the dinosaurs, the U.S. government – especially given the testimony of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) – sees no real reason to do so. And Claire’s old flame Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), who helped trained the now-closed park’s velociraptors, just wants to be left alone to build his cabin in the woods.


But Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) has different plans. For you see he is the man who, along with Hammond, took the first dinosaur DNA and brought the prehistoric beasts back to life. ANow that he is in the final stages of his own life, he wants to save the dinosaurs by placing them on an undisclosed island sanctuary with natural borders where they can live in peace with no humans to interfere (or be eaten). Iris (Geraldine Chaplin) can look after his granddaughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon), but who is going to look after the dinosaurs?


Well, if Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) and his hunter/dinosaur wrangler (Ted Levine) have their way, something much more sinister than Benjamin, Claire, Owen, Maisie or anyone else on earth may have ever imagined …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Children; Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/TMNT movie series fans; people who like big action movies where splash reigns over substance

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Anyone who loved the first Jurassic Park; anyone who hates movies where the story is corny, predictable and/or has characters that make silly decisions

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Remember how the first Jurassic Park movie at the time of its release was groundbreaking, innovative and a new take on the monster movie akin to its director’s timeless classic Jaws? Then Steven Spielberg stepped away from hands on directing and moved into a producer’s role … which resulted in two so-so sequels and the franchise lying dormant  until 2015’s Jurassic World saw the park finally open to public.  

And now, the park is closed … And unfortunately, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom proves the franchise should be as well.

As my friend who attended the sneak preview screening I went to said, “I came in thinking of it as a comedy” and that “the bar set low for me, so I enjoyed it.” I had zero expectations based on the previous film’s ridiculousness and the fact the franchise has migrated from sci-fi family film to explosion and monsters and got exactly what I expected. And neither of us is wrong.

Fallen Kingdom, in a word, is silly. In another word, it’s ridiculous. And in a final word, it’s predictable as all get out from start to finish – and there is so much to pick apart, scientists might clone an actual dinosaur before one is done.


While Howard is no longer running around in high heels, the actions of the film’s characters are just so ridiculous that you keep waiting for Mel Blanc to voice this live action Looney Tunes-esque farce. If the first four Jurassic movies have taught us anything, it’s that you are going to always find the following things in a Jurassic movie:


[1] Old rich man who wants to give dinosaurs a place to live in peace;
[2] Person working said old rich man who sees dinosaurs and gets dollars signs running through his or her head;
[3] Scientist who cracks sarcastic one liners;
[4] Business person or scientistic who is clearly so out of his or her element that there is no way they should be there;
[5] Strong male lead that always knows what to do and didn’t want to be there in the first place;
[6] Child who will prove to be smarter and more stealthy than half of the adults in the movie;
[7] A hunter whose own hubris will prove to be his undoing;
[8] The greedy businessman will just be comically – but not in a funny way – dumb and physically weak;
[9] Things that don’t make a lick of sense based on the movie’s own logic;


Continuing on …


[10] A dinosaur hunting a human in a tight space sequence;
[11] A ton of foreshadowing so you can figure out what will happen long before the characters do;
[12] A climatic sequence that will have blown all possible logic out of the window;
[13] A setting that 
[14] … and now, B.D. Wong to pop up since he somehow keeps surviving these movies.


Seriously, Fallen Kingdom couldn’t be a more aptly named release due to the flaws mentioned above. Whereas Daniella Pineda’s character as a female badass dino veterinarian is ok despite a line getting cut that should have been obvious to anyone paying attention, poor Justice Smith comes off as either a humorous Steve Urkel or just a shrieking little (edited for content). Likewise, Howard is still essentially a damsel (albeit not so much in distress as much as just there) for the most part, Spall’s character is a wasteland and the actual story is just filled with “can you tell what’s getting ready to happen next?” moments to the point you get tired of doing so. 


Isabella Sermon continues the tradition of children being smarter than adults in Amblin Entertainment releases, the twist of her character being an allright-yet-predictable one right down to her critical act … Which will then either make you laugh or slap yourself upside the head in “of COURSE SHE does THAT!” fashion. (Seriously, there’s no other option – if you’re surprised, you will love the next sequel, which should be titled “Jurassic World: Extinction” so that either the movies end or at least the stupid humans in them will be.)


Besides the general stupidity of the humans, Fallen Kingdom is essentially an monster movie (oh, how the days of something that felt real with Dr. Alan Grant are missed!) run awry in the same vein of the Transformers and TMNT franchises. The dinosaurs are reduced to either comic foils or, in the case of the new big bad introduced in this particular film, vindictive (edited for content) that, if they could talk, might as well be walking around spouting lines as bad as the ones here. There is no tense build here; nope, instead we’re treated to snarling and stalking silliness at every turn. 


So, to recap, from silly science that no one in their right mind would do (then again, we are in the age of the “space force,” so who knows), dinosaurs that act like superheroes and supervillains, settings which are too “look how the action unfolds in here!” and a story that feels like a 10 year-old wrote the final act with help from a hacky Stephen King wannabe, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom lives up to its title in the worst way possible. Director J.A. Bayona does his best to make this mess look good, but remixing that (in)famous lipstick on a pig quote from a few elections ago, it’s still a mess. 


Then again, Rampage – this year’s other entry into the “how bad can a monster movie be?” category has an “A-” grade with audiences through Cinemascore, so maybe its’ best to just think of Fallen Kingdom like most fast-food. Yeah, it’s bad and it’s bad for you, but it’s quick, cheap and easy and every once in a while, that’s all you want.

Oh, how the mighty Kingdom has fallen indeed.

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

 

McCoy on Movies: INCREDIBLES2

By

Disney•Pixar’s superheroes return for fun sequel worthy of its
name and place in growing cartoon canon

“Oh honey – don’t make me have to Tweet about you feeling emasculated!” Helen Parr a.k.a. ElastIgirl (Holly Hunter) prepares to go to work at her new job while her husband BOB a.k.a Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) look on in a scene from THE INCREDIBLES 2. CREDIT: © 2018 Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved.




WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Brad Bird, Catherine Keener, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, Bob Odenkirk, Huck Milner, Eli Fucile and Sophia Bush with John Ratzenberger

WRITER(S): Brad Bird

DIRECTOR(S): Brad Bird

WEB SITE: https://movies.disney.com/incredibles-2HERE’S THE STORY: Picking up right where the first film left off 14 (yes, 14) years ago, The Incredibles 2 finds the Parr family – Helen a.k.a. Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), Bob a.k.a. Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Dash (Huck Milner), Violet (Sarah Vowell) and baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) – adjusting to life since working as superheroes (“supers” for short) are still illegal. Furthering complicating matters is Violet’s growing interest in boys, Dash being Dash and Jack-Jack’s growing unpredictable powers.


But, after a brief entanglement with the villainous Underminder (John Ratzenberger), supers find themselves again at the forefront of the public eye … And not in a good way. This troubles Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), who runs – along with his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) – runs a tech company and has a love of superheroes, despite a personal tragedy that befell he and his sister’s parents. Determined to show the world it needs supers, he devises a plan to have Helen work to show all the good supers can do while Bob, well … He’s just going to have to stay at home and raise the children for now, occasionally calling the help of his good friend Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) for help.

And while things are going great for Elastigirl once she is called back into action, Bob finds being a full-time parent quite difficult, Violet has her troubles dealing with adolescence and Jack-Jack? Well, let’s just say that his powers might make him an incredible problem for Bob and everyone’s safety.

But once the mysterious ScreenSlaver shows up on the scene to cause havoc for all superheroes, it becomes clear that despite the laws, it’s time once again for the Parr family to become incredible …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fans of the original Incredibles movie, superhero movie fans; Disney•Pixar fans; Holly Hunter fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who don’t like animation or superhero movies; those will make more of the film’s potential pro/anti (depending on what you read into the movie) feminist stance; those who overanalyze aspects of a movie more than necessary

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A movie that proves to be just as good (and in some aspects, better and in others, not so much) than the original, The Incredibles 2 delivers the trademark Disney•Pixar magic with a well-crafted mix of humor, action and heart to satisfy audiences of all ages.


Flipping gender roles for Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl proves to work without any of the trappings of stereotypical/traditional comedy tropes; whereas Bob finds himself out of sorts, it’s not because of his gender, it’s because of his role in the world. Likewise, Helen comes into her own while balancing her desire to be a success, strong and still wanting to be a part of her day-to-day family life. The juxtaposition works more to show the demands of being a modern working family and sorting out one’s role in the world, which of course flows well with the story’s overall family dynamic. Likewise, Violet and Dash maintain their child and sibling sensibilities in a way that make all of their interactions work and feel right, especially within the film’s 1960s-style setting. 


Family values aside, the thing that keeps the Incredibles 2 moving along well is the genuine connection the viewer will feel with each of the Parr family members and their interactions with each other. Whereas the true villain of the picture is relatively easy to figure out early on in the picture, the action, humor and interplay between the Parrs more than overcomes any story flaws present. Throw in possibly the best performance in the film by writer/director Brad Bird as fan favorite Edna Mole (to say more would ruin much of the fun), a solid turn by Jackson and the introduction of other superheroes – Sophia Bush does a solid job as Elastigirl fan turned superhero herself the Void – and you have just about everything you need for a solid animated, family-friendly yet inspired adventure. 


Given that 14 years have passed since the first film’s release, it’s a pretty incredible feat that it all comes together so well.

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

 

McCoy on Movies: Ocean’s 8

By

 

Star-studded female cast turns in great performances despite uneven script

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 


 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Armitage, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Awkafina, Sarah Paulson with James Corden, Carl Reiner and … Another familiar face from the other Ocean’s films.


WRITER(S): Gary Ross and Olivia Milch (screenplay); Gary Ross (story); George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell (based on characters by)

DIRECTOR(S): Gary Ross

WEB SITE: http://www.oceans8movie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has spent nearly 6 years in prison in New Jersey. And now, she’s about to be released. And what does she have planned the moment she gets out of jail, other than hanging out with her friend Lou (Cate Blanchett)? A heist, of course, just like her late brother Danny would have done. Her idea? Rob the Metropolitan Museum of Art during its biggest social event of the year of a $150 million dollar necklace locked in a Cartier vault.


How is she going to do that? Well, it starts with getting fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter) to convince prominent socialite Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) to let her style her for the gala. Of course, Daphne will have no clue that she is being used, nor that pick pocket Constance (Awkafina), computer hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), fencing – stolen property, not the sport – expert Tammy (Sarah Paulson) and jeweler Amita (Mindy Kahling) fit into the mix. Then again, when you have a $150 million on the line, it’s probably best to not ask a whole lot of questions. 


Given that Claude Becker (Richard Armitage), the man responsible for Debbie going to jail in the first place, is also going to be Daphne’s date for the evening, however, there are a lot of questions waiting to be answered indeed …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway and James Corden fans; fans of heist movies; people who liked Ghostbusters: Answer the Call; feminists 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who feel that franchise reboots/add-on movies are unnecessary; people who will miss the original – and by original, I mean modern – Ocean‘s cast; people who have difficulty accepting movies where the audience is required to continually make large and critical leaps of faith


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A film that features strong performances despite nearly being undone by a script that tries to make a major plot twist and instead creates a major script problem, Ocean’s 8 isn’t a bad film nor great film by any means …


It’s just a nice diversion from your day-to-day existence, which given the nature of the film will be more than enough to satisfy most fans.


Ocean’s 8 is fun because of the seriousness most of the cast gives their roles in terms of performing, NOT because of the situations tin which they find their selves. For much like the scathing reviews of the hot mess that was Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s 8 has a script that requires the audience to believe one of its characters makes a massive switch in a plot twist that only works because it has to for the entire film to work, which distracts from what otherwise would be a fun if not predictable due to its, well, predictable nature. 


Bullock, who has somehow started looking like Michael Jackson all of the sudden, keeps everything flowing smoothly with a solemn resolve while Blanchett plays up her character’s cool and confident nature. Rihanna continues her streak of picking roles where she really gets to continue develop her acting skills into a solid package and Hathaway gets the biggest spotlight, which given the discussion of her role in the film’s trailer, makes total sense seeing as how she does so much to make what could have bene a throwaway role a critical one. At least James Corden continues to prove he may be the most talented host on late night TV with his role as an insurance investigator called in post-heist as he proves there’s a lot more to him than being a more affable Ricky Gervais who does great stuff with pop culture and music. (That’s a roundabout way of saying he can act.)


And like its male-driven counterparts, Ocean’s 8 is a movie you don’t go to for a logical story; it’s one you see for its stars and their interplay with one another. There are cameos from celebrities you’d expect to see at an event involving a big gala at a major metropolitan museum, the main cast trade jokes and interplay well with each other; unfortunately co-writer/director Gary Ross plays things down the easiest path and while there are several subplots that are potentially interesting – what happened with Danny? Are Blanchett’s and Bullock’s characters more than just friends? Why is Armitage’s character even connected to Hathaway’s character in the first place? And we’re supposed to just roll with THAT explanation for Hathaway’s character?! – that are just left unexplored or that are unsatisfying that the grand potential for Ocean’s 8 never quite materialized.


But behind every great fortune is a crime … Audiences will just wish it wasn’t in robbing them of a better movie that could have been made. 

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

 
 

McCoy on Movies: SOLO

By

The galaxy’s most famous scoundrel finds himself often upstaged in latest Star Wars stand alone

“You know, once you see my face … You’ll know I’m not Harrison Ford!” Alden Ehrenreich prepares to make his presence known in a scene from SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. Credit: Jonathan Olley © & ™ Lucasfilm, Inc. All rights reserved.
 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Paul Bettany, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Thandie Newton

WRITER(S): Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay); George Lucas (based on characters created by)

DIRECTOR(S): Ron Howard

WEB SITE: https://www.starwars.com/films/soloHERE’S THE STORY: The second installment in the Star Wars “here’s the story behind this character/moment in the main films,” Solo focuses on the most famous scoundrel in a galaxy far, far away: Han Solo, now portrayed as his younger self by Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!, Rules Don’t Apply). And this is a much different solo than fans are used to, for the young solo is a man with a dream: To escape his current life on the planet of Corellia where he is living under the rule of Lady Proxima (voiced by Linda Hunt), become a pilot in the Empire fleet (!) and possibly marry his lady love, Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke). 


But once he and Qi’Ra run afoul of Lady Proxima, Solo finds himself eventually in a whole lot of trouble – which is why once he escapes from prison via a very hairy newfound friend (Joonas Suotamo), he is quick to take on a risky job with Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Of course, that job has much more to it than he originally suspects, which sets in motion a trail of events that make being in debt to Crimson Dawn leader Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) a very, very bad thing. Throw in a contentious relationship with the most notorious and charismatic smuggler in the galaxy (Donald Glover) and you have an epic tale in the making.


Or at least that’s what everyone behind the world’s most popular sci-fi fantasy franchise hopes, anyway …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Donald Glover fans; Star Wars diehards; Chewbacca fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who hate anything outside of the “original” Star Wars films (now known as episodes four, five and six, respectively); adults that are not already Star Wars fans; those who will

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Far less hard-hitting (both in terms of storytelling, character development and action), Solo is in fact a Star Wars story … It’s just not the best Wars story despite having it focused on what many consider to be the best character in its galaxy.


Accompanied by a friend at the screening I went to, I was asked for my opinion of the film, which took me a second to formulate. And then it came to me: Watching Solo is like watching your team’s franchise quarterback that often underperforms lead to victory as he passes for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns … Only to remember that what was supposed to be said team’s championship season is instead going to end up 8-8 and missing the playoffs. 


Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that’s there’s necessarily anything wrong with Solo. Ehrenreich proves himself capable of hitting all the beats as younger version of one (if not the) most famous of Harrison Ford’s roles. He conveys the expected mix of ambition, recklessness and confidence one might expect while mixing in a nice bit of sensitivity that will set up for why he becomes cold as ice later in his life. Likewise, the rest of the cast turns in commendable performances, Glover in particular in continuing his hot streak by making his turns as Lando Calrissian count for all they’re worth. Harrelson does exactly what he needs to do to make his character’s arc work from start to finish and Chewbacca is Chewbacca – “lol” intended.


However, Solo doesn’t feel like the epic its intended to be for a very simple reason: It doesn’t feel special in any way. It just feels like a standard action film set within the Star Wars universe.


The first hour of the film feels like conveniently placed together events made to fit the existing character fans know INSTEAD of bringing about any real revelations other than how he got his name. To put it another way, the backstory isn’t so much of a coming of age tale where we see how Solo evolves from a boy to a man or any major change in his life that feels organic or revelatory. Instead, it’s a standard action story that doesn’t make Solo feel so much special as just a capable hero. There’s not gritty, soul searching moment, there’s no epic, battle sequence – the most intense sequence in the film is arguably more of a ship battle where several people play a critical part in the outcome – and the most interesting character is barely given a name and has a more interesting backstory than Solo’s in his own movie. In fact, for a man named “Solo” it’s only at his best, it seems, when he has a bunch of people – or Wookies or droids – helping his cause. (Seriously, you see the movie and tell me who was more interesting head-to-head: Solo or Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3-37?)


It would just help Solo‘s cause a lot more if he was always the main attraction in his own movie.

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

McCoy On Movies: Life of the Party

By

 

“Hi – I’m every Midwestern mom you’ve ever seen in a Hollywood movie where I get to smile!” Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) shows her school spirit in a scene from Warner Bros. new comedy LIFE OF THE PARTY. Credit: Hopper Stone. © 2018 Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: Melissa McCarthy, Molly Gordon, Maya Rudolph, Julie Bowen, Gillian Jacobs, Stephen Root, Debby Ryan, Jimmy O. Yang, Chris Parnell, Luke Benward, Adria Arjona, Sarah Baker, Matt Walsh, Heidi Gardner and Jessie Ennis


WRITER(S): Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone

DIRECTOR(S): Ben Falcone

WEB SITE: http://www.lifeoftheparty-movie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) is having a great time; her daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) is starting her final year of college and she is set to go on a dream vacation to Italy with her husband Dan (Matt Walsh). 


Then Dan tells her she wants a divorce and her world is turned completely upside down.


Buoyed by her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph), Deanna decides to overcome her sadness about her marriage ending by righting the one thing she’s always regretted: Not finishing her college degree by going back to school with her daughter. But as she will soon find out, being a college student in her 40s is going to be even wilder than it was when she was in her 20s … Especially if her daughter’s friends have anything to say about it.  

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Melissa McCarthy fans; Mike & Molly fans; Lifetime movie fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People hoping for something more like McCarthy’s earlier work; many adult males who will have nothing to relate or latch on to; people who will be bored by the film’s cute but simplistic nature. 


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Released in time for Mother’s Day, Life of the Party could best be described as a simple but cute comedy, or, more descriptively, an inspirational comedy … If the Lifetime Network made comedies where some man didn’t murder a woman.


McCarthy, who co-wrote the movie with her husband and the film’s director Ben Falcone (who continues his short but effective cameo streak), must have had a very specific target audience in mind when creating Life of the Party: late 30s to early 50s age suburbanite women who have young daughters they want to bond with – because nearly every scene in the film feels like one big mother-daughter field trip with a few laughs here and there for good measure. Nothing like any of her previous efforts save for the forgettable Tammy, Life of the Party is cute, fun in parts … But lacks anything than its overt, sappy charm to make it last once you’ve left the theater. 


The side characters are fairly one-dimensional but somewhat fun sidekicks, the story is easily digestible and again, McCarthy makes her character relatable as she has a fairly common story. But there again lies the issue as the film itself feels rather common, right down to its cut-and-paste ending. Maya Rudolph gets to serve as most of the film’s comic relief, even though she doesn’t seem to be allowed to take it as far as she could.


And that’s the underlying tragedy of Life of the Party: Despite all the scenarios where McCarthy and company find themselves in that would lend to more outrageous, more comedic moments, much of the film feels restrained so it can stick to a PG-13 rating. There is a much funnier, much more heartfelt movie waiting to get out of Life of the Party, but since the film would be more accurately named “Life of the Afternoon Brunch Party,” it sadly never materialized.


Consider going to this party if you need a simple outing for your mom or middle-aged friend … Otherwise, this classic movie scene might sum up how this party may feel for anyone else. 

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

 
 

McCoy on Movies: Rampage

By

Rampage proves not all video games deserve to be movies … Especially when they’re this bad.

“Wait! Stop – I’ve got a better movie coming out soon!” Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) and George (Jason Liles) in New Line Cinema’s and ASAP Entertainment’t action-adventure RAMPAGE. Credit: © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Jake Lacy, Malin Akerman, P.J. Byrne, Marley Shelton, Breanne Hill, Jack Quaid, Matt Gerald, Jason Liles, Demetrius Grosse and Will Yun Lee

WRITER(S): Ryan Engle and Carlton Cuse & Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel (screenplay), Ryan Engle (story)

DIRECTOR(S): Brad Peyton

 
WEB SITE: www.RampageTheMovie.comHERE’S THE STORY: Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) is a primatologist who loves working with his buddy George (an albino gorilla performed by Jason Liles) more than he does with people. But unbecknownst to him, the cunning and manipulative Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) and her halfwit brother Brett (Jake Lacy) are the heads of a Chicago-based corporation that conducted an experiment that will soon change George’s life forever. You see, Claire and Brett have come up with a pathogen engineered by disgraced scientist Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) that can weaponize anything that comes in contact with it.


So, when George starts to grow in size and aggression, Davis is understandably concerned since he doesn’t know or understand what is happening to his friend. But, once government cowboy Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) tells him about the 30-foot wolf also on the loose, he starts to get an idea.


… Just wait till they all find out about what has started swimming off the coast of Florida …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Children under 18; people who just need a few explosions, fight sequences and simple jokes to make them happy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; people who like gorillas

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Dwayne Johnson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; anyone paying attention

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Two things I’m going to admit right off the top of this review: 


(1) As a professional wrestling sports entertainment fan, I have for the better part of going on 20+ years been a fan of the man once known as The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. As my all-time favorite in-ring performer, I’ve seen nearly every TV and film role the man has done, save for The Game Plan, San Andreas and The Tooth Fairy – the latter two of which are regarded as, while somewhat commercially successful, among his worst work. (I mean there’s always The Scorpion King, but everyone has to start somewhere.)


(2) I grew up as a child during the 1980s, when arcades were plentiful and rich, glorious after school haunts where hordes of children would congregate to play the latest in the still relatively new technology of video games – and oh, how glorious those days were! There was Punch-Out! (long before Mike Tyson came into the mix), Paperboy, Dragon’s Lair … And then there was Rampage. The inspiration for the video-game-within-the-video-game-movie Wreck-It Ralph, Rampage was a simple, side-scrolling beat-’em-up that had a simple concept: Three human beings had been mutated – George into a giant brown gorilla, Ralph into a huge werewolf … And a woman named Lizzie into a huge alligator – by a mega-vitamin, radioactive lake or food additive. As you fight off military forces trying to stop you, you eat people hiding in buildings while smashing buildings, clearing a level once you had finished obliterating the structures present to little more than rubble. And if your character’s rampage stopped, you were reduced to a very embarrassed human being walking off screen with your hands covering the parts a leaf would if this were the Garden of Eden.


And that was it. A game simple enough in its execution and enjoyment that seemed as basic as your could get for 1986. Problem is, someone decided that classic by Midway Games needed to be a nearly two hour movie. Wanna know what 40 year-old me learned that nearly 10 year-old me didn’t know back then?


Sometimes its best to leave childish things to children … because as much as I love Dwayne Johnson and the Rampage video game, Rampage the movie is a prime candidate for the 2018 Golden Raspberry Awards and deservingly so. For this movie is an absolute gorilla-sized horrible excuse of a B (or F) movie that thankfully Harambe will never see.


I almost don’t even know where to really start with Rampage. I mean, Johnson tries his absolute best to make the film anything close to salvageable, but given the downright cartoonish brother-sister villain combo played by Akerman and Lacy (who also deserve Razzies for their “work”), the “I’m Negan 24/7 now” smiling slickness that is Morgan’s performance, the fake “I’m a soldier – I can’t listen to anything close to reason!” colonel that is Demetrius Grosse (channeling his inner Thunderbolt Ross right down to the high-and-tight mustache) and the “here’s the answer for everything even though I seem clueless as hell” scientist played by Harris, there is no other option even close to choose. 


George might not only be the best character but best actor in the film, which is either a CGI triumph or a travesty for his human counterparts, if not both. (At least Joe Manganiello had the common sense to take a role that obscures his face so that most people won’t even notice.)


Of course, the bad acting is only possibly outdone by the film’s dialogue – which sounds like a 12 year-old wrote it with the help of his slightly smarter but still immature older brother. Of course, when you make every scene predictable so you can sit in the audience and deconstruct it as it unfolds on the screen Mystery Science Theater 3000-style with direction that feels copycatted from just about any other monster movie you’ve seen, you can’t be surprised at the “how is the hero surviving moments that should have killed him five times over?!” action sequences. (Seriously, for a man with no superpowers, even Bruce Willis’ John McClane would have said “C’mon man – you’d be dead by now!”)At the advance screening I attended, there were more than enough audience members who laughed at a few of the film’s borderline-level dad jokes, liked the monster fights and ignored the straight illogical (even for the world the film creates) actions of the film’s characters. Then again, plenty of people once thought the world was flat … And many people who are not scientists (or who have never paid attention to science) still think it is.Unfortunately, the only thing flat is Rampage – because this film is so corny/ridiculous, it might make smart audiences go on one back to the ticket office demanding their money back.

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

 

McCoy on Movies: Blockers

By

Blockers brings mature-but-raunchy-when-it-needs-to-be fun, positive mentality to teenage sexcapades

“Help – I don’t have an opponent for Wrestlemania yet … And if I don’t find one, they’re gonna make me star in The Marine 7! L to R: Ike Barinholtz, John Cena and Leslie Mann star in a scene from first-time director Kay Cannon’s comingof age comedy BLOCKERS. Credit: Quantrell D. Colbert © 2018 Universal Studios.
 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: John Cena, Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon, Ramona Young, Sarayu Blue, Geraldine Viswanathan, Miles Robbins, Graham Phillips, Gary Cole, Gina Gershon and Jimmy Bellinger


WRITER(S): Brian and Jim Kehoe

DIRECTOR(S): Kay Cannon 

 
WEB SITE: https://www.blockersmovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: The directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series), Blockers tells the story of two parents – Mitchell (John Cena) and Lisa (Leslie Mann) … And one they drag along for the ride in Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) – who accidentally discover their respective daughters Julie (Kathryn Aldon), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Sam (Gideon Adlon) have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. And, as you might expect, the parents’ quest to stop their daughters from becoming women isn’t going to go quite as they would expect … But neither is the daughters’.


What ensues is a lesson in adolescence that might teach parents as much as it does their kids …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? “Cool” parents who are open with their kids about sexual situations and how they relate to their overall life; teenagers who are coming into their own; people who enjoy raucous comedies with heart/a positive message like Bridesmaids, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Trainwreck, Superbad and Girls Trip; the LGBTQ community

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Anyone who does not want to think about the LGBTQ community, teenagers having sex and/or feels movies like this normalize young people have sex by promoting it (even though the film does not); anyone who does not want to support anything that allows sex out of wedlock (or at least a committed relationship)


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A film that is not what it seems – in a very good way – Blockers is the perfect, anti-#metoo movement sex-related comedy that is more mature than you might believe. 


Blockers works for a very simple reason: It explores a very common subject with a funny-yet-mature honesty missing from many films of its ilk coupled with a sense of non-stupidity in its approach. Sure, there may be a few scenes involving body parts, bodily fluids and a way 99.9% of its audience will most likely NEVER want to think about beer, but there are plenty of moments that approach the film’s core topics – sex, growing up and growing apart, etc. – that are as poignant as they are comedically profane. 


The three young actresses of the film almost serve as a bit of the straight(wo)men for Blockers‘ hijinks, leaving most – but not all – of the heavy lifting to Cena, Barinholtz and Mann who expose all the various fears parents have about their children leaving the nest. Whereas Cena plays his seriously muscular presence for laughs as a man with a overly sensitive nature, Mann goes tiger mom with Barinholtz being the screw-up who may be more sensible than the quote-unquote sensible parents. You get well-developed characters that grow over the course of the story, those whose problems may be outrageous but relatable and jokes that pop, shock and make you laugh. 


Director Kay Cannon and writers Brian and Jim Kehoe deserve an equal amount of credit for delivering a body-positive, funny film that takes one of the most awkward things in life and trying to render it  part of growing up as it can. There are plenty of “OMG” moments, but they are all well-balanced by plenty of “wow – that makes a lot of sense” moments, too.


In other words, Blockers is a lot like sex itself the first time you have – only hopefully this experience is filled with more laughs.

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

McCoy on Movies: READY PLAYER ONE

By

Steven Spielberg delivers a visually stunning arcade experience long on
optical treats with his adaptation of Ready Player One

“This is probably not the right time to work on our Kid N’ Play kickstep dance moves, huh?!” Samantha (Olivia Cooke) and Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) in a scene from Warner Bros. Pictures’, Amblin Entertainment’s and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure READY PLAYER ONE, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Credit: Jaap Buitendijk © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Village Roadshow Films North America, Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, LLC. – U.S. Canada, Bahamas & Bermuda.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tye Sheridan, Mark Rylance, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Lena Waithe, Hannah John-Kamen, Simon Pegg, Philip Zao, Win Morisaki, Susan Lynch and Ralph Ineson

WRITER(S): Zak Penn and Ernest Cline (screenplay); Ernest Cline (based on the novel by)

DIRECTOR(S): Steven Spielberg 

 
WEB SITE: http://readyplayeronemovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Based on Ernest Cline’s immensely popular best-selling book of the same name, Ready Player One stars Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts, a young man living in 2045 Columbus, Ohio. With most of society in a state of dystopia for unknown reasons, Wade lives in a slum known simply as “The Stacks” with his aunt (Susan Lynch) and her less-than-stellar current boyfriend (Ralph Ineson). And like many people, Wade spends most of his time by playing in an online video game system known as “The Oasis.” The creation of the eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), the Oasis is more than just an online video game network, it’s the escape from reality of choice for just about everyone. 


And then Halliday dies – leaving behind a challenge that prompts just about any and everyone to log on to the Oasis: Find three keys and unlock an Easter egg that will result in the winner being given all the rights to Oasis. 


Wade – better known by his online avatar of Parzival  – is determined to win the prize as is his online best friend Aech (Lena Waithe) and fellow gamers Daito (Win Morisaki) and Sho (Phillip Zhao). But he’s not counting on is the presence of Art3mis (Olivia Cooke) and Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn); for whereas Art3mis is hoping to find the egg for a positive purpose, Sorrento is hoping to win to give his company Innovative Online Industries (IOI for short) the ability to monetize the Oasis and basically run the world. And since Sorrento has the help of I-Rok (T.J. Miller) to help him, the odds are heavily stacked against Parzival.


But then again, what’s a good video game without some impossible odds to overcome?

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who love Spielberg’s 80s work; those who love video games; those who liked the book and will be excited to see it brought to life on the big screen; fans of The Shining; people who love seeing 80s and 90s pop culture hidden like video game Easter eggs throughout a film

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People hoping for more details from the book; those who have zero interest in gaming, especially online gaming; parents upset that you can have one f-bomb in a movie and still receive a PG-13 film rating

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A film that feels visually built for generations of video game enthusiasts while blending in elements of classic Steven Spielberg films, Ready Player One is a visual masterpiece … With just enough acting behind it to back up that optical appeal.


Make no mistake about it, Ready Player One follows a lot of classic Spielberg young actor-led films to a “T,” just in a modern (or futuristic, if you will) setting with eye-popping visuals. Almost like the veteran director’s own Avatar, the digital scenes in One are amazing. The race and Shining sequences are nearly worth the price of admission alone, showcasing the type of imagery the creators of 4K Ultra HD must have dreamed of while perfecting the technology. 


Visuals aside, Ready Player One delivers an easily digestible story that, as mentioned above, has all the elements of a Spielberg young-actor driven story: 

  1. A young man who’s disconnected and/or has lost the adults in his life (√);
  2. A young girl that is going to make that young man come out of his comfort zone and/or mature once he gets over his own nerves (√);
  3. A group of fellow, young misfits that will assist our hero along the way (√);
  4. A villain with cartoonish qualities (note: this is ONLY in Spielberg films where the protagonist is young and not Indiana Jones style affairs) (√); AND
  5. A sympathetic, simple older character (a la Goonies) that seems out of place in the real world and needs the young protagonist(s) to understand him or her (√).
Sheridan proves himself capable in his human and avatar form of moving the story forward, but it’s really a team effort as he is at his best when interacting with his fellow gamers – especially when in avatar form. Of course, if you are not up on gamer culture or your 80s references, much of the fun of One will likely be lost on you as a lack of a frame of reference will severely hurt your understanding.
If it seems like I’m not saying too much about the story or the acting therein, there is a reason: While competent, the film is more an ensemble piece of technology and story held together by the compelling (if not “here’s my depiction of the ultimate sweetheart nerd’) performance of Rylance and the fascinating, engaging world of the Oasis. TJ Miller nearly steals the show as Sorrento’s avatar hitman I-Rok, delivering his trademark sarcastic quips with humorous fury whenever he gets a chance. That’s what ultimately makes the movie more of a great visual experience than an emotional one: One’s characters are better developed in the digital world than in its real one, even though that’s the one the film attempts to get you to embrace.
Then again, the film is fun enough to forgive those foibles and keep you plugged in from start to finish that Ready Player One will likely be a multi-player experience audiences will enjoy for years to come.

 

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

 

Alicia Vinkander Shines in Tomb Raider

By

“This … Was … NOT … What … I … Took … A … Crossfit … Class FOR!” Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) hangs on for dear life in a scene from TOMB RAIDER. Photo credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 

Alicia Vinkander shines in Tomb Raider, but does the movie match her effort?

(In a word, “no.”)


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas and Nick Frost

WRITER(S): Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons (screenplay by); Evan Daugherty and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (story by)

DIRECTOR(S): Roar Uthaug

 
WEB SITE: http://www.tombraidermovie.com/
HERE’S THE STORY: Taking elements from the 2013 reboot of the long-standing video game series, the 2018 Warner Bros.’ take on Tomb Raider stars Academy Award®-winner Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. A different Lara than seen in the Angelina Jolie years, this Croft has traded in her high education for work as a courier with daddy issues since her rich father Richard (Dominic West) disappeared 7 years ago when she was a young woman. 


Finally ready to sign the papers that will give her control of the Croft empire (and declare her father officially dead), Lara drops everything when she discovers a clue in a box given to her right before she closes the deal – leading her to naturally head to Hong Kong. It is there she encounters Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), son of the man Lara’s dad tried to buy a boat from …


Fast-forward a few scenes later and Lara and Lu Ren find themselves on a remote island off the coast of Japan. But they are not alone. For while Lara (and an in-it-for-the-money Lu Ren) are there to find their fathers, it seems someone has found them first: Matthias (Walton Goggins), the on-island leader for a mysterious group known only as Trinity. And why is Trinity on this island that Lara’s father tried to go to in the first place? To find the lost tomb of Himiko, a.k.a. the Queen of Death. For as Richard would tell Lara – while instructed her to burn all of his research in the event of his death – it is believed that her supernatural powers will help Trinity take over the world. 


But not if Lara can stop them first …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Alicia Vikander fans; those who enjoy movies where the heroine is the best thing about the movie; Nick Frost fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Angelina Jolie fans; fans of the Tomb Raider video games; those who hate action movies with familiar tropes

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? March, as many sports fans know, is college basketball season. One team that gathered attention this year is the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team – not because the team itself was that great, but because it had one star by the name of Trae Young that was CLEARLY the best thing the team had going for it. Even when he made a bunch of turnovers, he could deliver one electric play that could seemingly make the audience forget about the previous mistakes as his play was just that dynamic, dazzling and must-see. But ultimately, while his team did make this year’s NCAA tournament, they exited quickly with a first round defeat – called by yours truly in the two bracket pools he entered, by the way – to the little-regarded Rhode Island Rams.


If you haven’t figured out where I’m going with this, you will should you choose to watch Trae Young Alicia Vikander take on the role of Lara Croft in Warner Bros.’ reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise – because she is far and wide the BEST thing about the entire experience.


If you were to take away the Tomb Raider name from the movie, what you would be left with is, for the most part, a basic action movie. Likewise, the story is told in such a easy-to-predict foretelling fashion that the story itself – save for some standard-yet-still-interesting Indiana Jones/Mummy movie-series style traps – is ONLY interesting because Vikander is compelling as Croft. Her male counterparts, however, not so much.


Goggins, who has played his share of great villains in his day, is pretty much a standard issue crime boss in Tomb Raider from snarl to actions alike. Likewise, West’s “loving” father routine plays out a bit too syrupy at times as Lara’s father – sometimes to an uncomfortable, near-incestuous level. Wu is somewhat the male standout as Lu Ren in his limited scenes, in which he fortunately strikes a good balance between bravado and common sense.


Then again, the actions of just about every other male character either (1) don’t make sense or (2) almost undo the motif of the story. Since this review stays spoiler-free, let’s just say some things require a grand suspension of disbelief even within the world the movie establishes, which is saying something. (The games have more believable storylines than the movie does, right down to the twist at the end I figured out 8 minutes before it was revealed to the rest of the audience.)

Don’t get me wrong, the movie is not bad; it’s just that in an age of movies where Wonder Woman and Black Panther have set a higher standard for female superhero characters, Tomb Raider makes progress in a bad way by putting a great woman in a mediocre movie. Then again, given that March is women’s history month, maybe it’s fitting Tomb Raider proves a strong woman can outdo her male counterparts.


It’s just a shame she has to in every scene to make her journey try to reach the heights it should have naturally.

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

 
 

Funny By Any Pronunciation

By

Pronounced “Shall-Lee-Foo,” his last name – C–H–A–L–I–F–O–U–X – has given those taking those taking the stage before him trouble for years. Now, the Cincinnati-based comedian aims to make audiences remember not only his name, but how funny the man behind it is when Wiley’s Comedy Joint this Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24.

 

A regular at the world-famous Comic Strip Live during his time in New York City, Chalifoux’s accolades are those of a comedian that has worked to earn his keep at his craft. A featured past performer at both the Limestone Comedy Festival in Bloomington, Ind. and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta among others, Chalifoux has also been featured on The Bob & Tom Show as well as BBC Radio. Additionally, his jokes have been heard on Sirius/XM radio, featured in Reader’s Digest and he’s written for ESPN.com.

 

Now that he’s served his time in the trenches of the city he calls “comedy college,” Chalifoux is excited to be back home in the state where his career started years ago.

 

“I loved New York City. I loved living there and I loved doing standup there; the mix of audiences and venues is incredible and the amount of incredible talent you’re alongside in the trenches is inspiring,” Chalifoux says, speaking of the city he called his “comedy college.” “At the same time, there are certain lifestyle things NYC isn’t the best for and there are things outside of comedy I wanted in life, so moving back to Ohio once my family grew made the most sense.”

 

Chalifoux’s on-stage persona is much like his off-stage, a fact he knows sometimes comes as a shock to those who think of comedians as wild and crazy individuals that are always “on.” A married father of two daughters, Chalifoux credits his domesticated lifestyle for giving him a “wealth” of material seeing how “I’m home with the kids a lot and constantly failing in new and increasingly embarrassing ways.”

Saying stand-up has instilled “a deep love and respect for jokes in me,” Chalifoux says being a married stand-up comic that doesn’t party hard on the road does come with its share of pros and cons.

 

“It’s much worse to be the unbearably obnoxious guy trying to be funny in every conversation. I do it professionally, so I’m not trying to prove myself to people around a water cooler,” he says. “In terms of wild road stories, I do miss out on that a bit. When I’m gone for a weekend, I try to treat it professionally, and spend most of the days holed up in a coffee shop somewhere writing jokes … After spending a chunk of my 20s in a city with reliable public transportation and spending most nights in bars/nightclubs drinking for free, you have to get a handle on that.”

 

Now preparing to release his debut stand-up comedy album this year, Chalifoux promises to deliver a mix of entertaining stories and observations from the mind of a man trying to make people “laugh a lot and forget all their BS for a few hours.”

“I don’t do a ton of observational/topical stuff – there’s Twitter for that – so audiences can expect to see a lot of jokes at my expense. I’m also not going to be up there doing ‘Git-R-Done’ jokes or talking about my penis a lot (only a tasteful amount),” he says. “I’m also bringing two terrific comedians with me in Josh O’Neill and Molly Hartzell, who are both hilarious. So, audiences can expect a lot of jokes … And maybe cookies.”

 

THE DETAILS

 

WHO: Mark Chalifoux with opening acts Molly Hartzell and Josh O’Neill

WHERE: Wiley’s Comedy Joint, 101 Pine Street, Dayton, OH 45402
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28; 7:15 and 9:30 p.m., Saturday Feb. 24

COST: $10

FOR MORE INFORMATION: (937) 224-5653 or  http://www.wileyscomedy.com/events/21783

Black Panther Delivers Definitive Superhero Experience That Transcends Race

By

Director Ryan Coogler, cast deliver definitive superhero experience that transcends race in Black Panther

“Quit asking me if I know Catwoman … Or I will claw your face off!” T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) stares down a foe as his royal alter ego in a scene from BLACK PANTHER. Credit: Matt Kennedy © 2018 Marvel Studios. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Forest Whitaker, John Kani, Sterling K. Brown, Florence Kasumba and Daniel Kaluuya

WRITER(S): Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole (Screenplay); Stan Lee & Jack Kirby (based on the Marvel comic by)

DIRECTOR(S): Ryan Coogler

 
WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/black-pantherHERE’S THE STORY: Introduced to the Marvel Universe in Captain America: Civil War; Black Panther finds T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) still reeling from the loss of his father T’Chaka (John Kani) during a terrorist attack in Vienna. Now preparing to take the throne, T’Challa return home to his native Wakanda for the ceremony where he will officially become king over the most technologically advanced nation on Earth.


And the rest of the world believes Wakanda to be a third world nation, Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) knows the truth. An arms dealer, Klaue wants to steal the rest of the vibranium – the fictional metal that is the rarest in the world in the Marvel Universe – on which Wakanda has built a marvelous empire. And since Klaue led a fatal attack against Wakanda many years ago during T’Chaka’s reign, T’Challa and many of his fellow Wakandans – including W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), elder statesman Zuri (Forest Whitaker), T’Challa’s mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), his technologically wiz kid sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), Wakandian spy/T’Challa’s former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye, (Danai Gurira), the head of the Dora Miljae, Wakanda’s female military specialists who essentially serve as the king’s secret service. 


But while T’Challa and company are concerning their selves with protecting Wakanda and taking on Klaue, there is another threat brewing that they don’t even know about that is much bigger and much deadlier – and this threat has a personal connection to T’Challa no one knows.


Then again, with a nickname like “Killmonger” (Michael B. Jordan), what else would you expect? 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? African-American comic book readers, Marvel Universe fans; people who really enjoyed Captain America: Civil War; those hoping to see a positive but not preachy African-American dominated superhero movie that is also consumable for all audiences

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? The alt-right/anyone who only gets their information from Breitbart/Fox News; people who hate the liberties taken with the backstories – which vary from their comic book origins – of Ulysses Klaue and Erik Killmonger; anyone who has their mind made up heading in what the movie is or should be.

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Look, I don’t want to take a lot of time overly lauding Marvel Studios or its head Kevin Feige for making what The New York Times accurately called “a landmark event for Black America.” (Seriously – click the link; it sums up everything from why Blade and Hancock were superheroes whose blackness felt coincidental and how the forgotten Blankman and Meteor Man lack the combination of storytelling, poignance and for lack of a better word, coolness of Black Panther) has. 


So, instead, what cane someone say about Black Panther without getting into its larger fit into a culture where a reality TV star – who has been married multiple times and delivered one of the most crass sentences ever heard about women before being caught calling countries like the fictional one at the center of the film … you know – is president and the alt-right’s attempted boycott of the movie had thousands of supporters? It’s simple, really.


Black Panther is a solid superhero film with a fictional country and fictional metal that address very real modern socio-political issues in a way comic book fans – and people who just consider them selves movie lovers – can enjoy.


With Fruitvale Station and Creed under his belt, co-writer/director Ryan Coogler has proven he knows how to handle both socially conscious scripts and action sequences – and never have the two mixed together on screen than they do in Black Panther. From his examination of the ideas of the responsibilities of the haves to the have nots to how vital women can be to any man’s success, Black Panther is a showcase of how to tell a story where multiple characters are critical to its overall vibe – all within the context of the Marvel Universe. Of course, Coogler’s kudos wouldn’t exist without a phenomenal acting job by all the parties involved. 


Bozeman – in one might argue is his best on-screen performance yet – creates T’Challa from the ground up (yes, there are decades of comics to draw from, but there was no real-life person to research unlike his previous roles). Nothing feels like a parody of a man, let alone a superhero; T’Challa is man on a familiar mission but Bozeman makes his Wakandian warrior unique. This is why he plays extremely well against the former Johnny Storm Jordan in his second Marvel outing, as his Tupac-like Killmonger feels both menacing and yet, at the same time, justified in his destruction. You know what he’s doing is ultimately wrong – and T’Challa asserts as such – but you completely understand why, which makes his whole presence much more attention-grabbing. Serkis adds a ton of humor as Klaue in playing a more-traditional evil doer, but Jordan’s role is the one that takes over when it’s time.


The rest of the film’s supporting cast is just as strong in their work, the ladies especially. One could write an entire dissertation on how the performances of Wright, Gurira and Nyong’o are three best African-American female roles in a film not named Hidden Figures in terms of their reveals of strength, intelligence, humor and emotion (I would try but it would be a disservice as I am nowhere properly equipped to do so). That being said, Gurira makes sure all her Walking Dead-fans know she is as strong and lethal in Wakanda as she is Virginia as Michonne, Wright plays the Lisa Simpson-smart kid role better than anyone outside of Yeardley Smith herself and Nyong’o balances the two out perfectly. 


Non-leading man wise, Martin Freeman gets a chance to shine as CIA Agent Everett Ross who’s growing appreciation of Wakanda serves as a subtle appreciation for learning someone’s culture. Meanwhile, Winston Duke – who’s character’s comic book origins were a source of concern for the makers of the film – brings a nice sense of levity to his M’Baku character while the Oscar®-nominated Kaluuya and Bassett make the most of their limited yet functional roles. If my about-as-subtle-as-a-grenade-thrown-through-your-front-door rant above didn’t tip you off before, it is impossible as an adult to not think about Black Panther in the larger context of the world today and the points it does make in a very non-preachy manner. As opposed to discussing that, I will simply let you know Black Panther entertains and then, when the opportunity is ripe, seizes the moment in delivering some of the most common sense, pro-humanity messages while at the same time making us think about why some African-Americans could all be Erik Killmonger given recent, ongoing atrocities even if they want to be T’Challa. But make no mistake: You DON’T have to be black to enjoy Black Panther nor do you have to listen to or even pay attention to the larger implications, but it certainly will add to your experience if you are or discuss it with a black friend.

In adding the first true black superhero to the Marvel Universe, Black Panther‘s cast and crew have proven that judging a character’s content is much better than just the color of their costume.

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