Just Before Opening Day... "Fastball"

Fastball (2016)

Not Rated

Narrated by Kevin Costner

Directed by Johnathan Hock

The Story:

A relatively simple, straightforward documentary about the history of the fastball in baseball is actually way more complex than you could imagine.

And, if you're going to have a documentary about baseball, is there any better voice to carry the film than that of Kevin Costner?

The film takes a look at the fastball, specifically, and the history of the game all while trying to figure out which pitcher really, truly has thrown the fastest fastball in the history of the game.

Using science, physics, history and math, they are able to compare the greats of different eras and crown the ultimate King of the Fastball.

The answer might surprise you...

With interviews from some of the best that ever threw it, and those that dared to hit it, this compelling tale keeps you interested from start to finish.

Even if you don't like baseball, you'll likely find something to enjoy about this film.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A-

Criminal "Masterminds" Indeed!

Masterminds (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones

Directed by Jared Hess

The Story:

In 1997, David Ghantt (Galifianakis) pulled off one of the largest bank heists in American history when he robbed the Loomis Fargo armored car company of $17 million dollars. This is pretty much his story, and it's mostly all true.

Ghantt meets the lovely Kelly (Wiig) and he is so smitten with her that he would do anything. When Kelly leaves the company, Ghantt is depressed until she contacts him again about the possibility of robbing Loomis of all that money just sitting in the vault.

Ghantt agrees, and becomes the inside man that gets the money and passes it along to Kelly and Steve (Wilson), the brains behind the operation. They take the money, send David to Mexico with a few thousand dollars to lay low, and then plan to cut the guy loose while they keep the rest.

There are a few laugh out loud moments, but for the most part, this is a retelling of a true story that punches up some of the humorous aspects of what really happened, and pads the rest with creative story devices and characters to add meat to the story.

Sudeikis pumps some much needed fun and energy when he arrives as a hitman that is to eliminate Ghantt, but even that doesn't go right.

Nothing that reinvents the comedy genre, but it's harmless enough, and gets a lot of extra mileage from an enjoyable cast of characters.

Final Grade:  C+

War Is Hell... "Hacksaw Ridge"

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Rated R

Starring Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington,

Directed by Mel Gibson

The Story:

Desmond Doss (Garfield) is a conscientious objector who still feels the need to serve his country during World War II. He enlists but refuses to carry a weapon. He simply wants to be a medic and do his part by saving people.

This is his true story.

The actions and decisions by Doss at an early age shape his beliefs as he grows older. He makes a fateful mistake one day that has nearly tragic consequences.

His parents (Weaving and Griffiths) are of course a huge influence on the man he would become. His father served in The Great War, and Desmond watches as everyone around him grows up and goes off to war.

He feels the need to make the sacrifice as well, even if it means losing the love of his life (Palmer) while in combat.

Of course the second half of the movie details Doss' training and the fact that the Army really didn't care to have someone unwilling to pick up a rifle take up their time and energy during basic training.

The movie establishes the rest of the characters at this point that will be a part of Doss' life until the fateful day on Hacksaw Ridge.

The horrors of war that Gibson portrays on film are just as effective as Spielberg's D-Day Invasion for Saving Private Ryan.

What Doss does once he gets to the top of Hacksaw Ridge is nothing short of miraculous.

It's an inspirational story, more than worth your time.

Final Grade: A-

A Head Scratcher..."Last Shift"

Last Shift (2014)

Rated R

Starring Juliana Harkavy, Joshua Mikel,

Written and Directed by Anthony DiBlasi

The Story:

A rookie cop (Harkavy) is assigned the final shift at a police precinct that is closing the next day. She simply has to wait until a HazMat team shows up in the morning to collect and transfer some waste from the armory. Of course, there's a reason the precinct is closing...some really strange things have been happening ever since cult leader Michael Paymon (Mikel) and 2 of his followers committed suicide in the precinct.

Take John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, and change it so that it's ghosts that are attacking the station, not bad guys.

The movie, overall has an atmospheric and sometimes creepy vibe to it, but ultimately I found it annoying by the end.

Essentially, it's a Final Girl vs. The Bad Guy.

Unfortunately, the typical formula isn't followed and I was disappointed by the ending.

Harkavy does a great job carrying the film considering the focus is on her for pretty much the entire duration.

There were a few effective jump scares and some nice twists and turns along the way but otherwise, it gets hard to believe that our rookie doesn't just walk out that door and sit in her car for the rest of the night.

Harder still to believe that they assign a rookie to the station, considering what everyone else knows and they refuse to tell her. 

It's currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

I still can't get past the ending of the film, so I'm grading it accordingly. Your mileage may vary...

Final Grade: D+

Not Quite The A-Team..."Soldiers Of Fortune"

Soldiers of Fortune (2012)

Rated R

Starring Christian Slater, Sean Bean, Ving Rhames, Dominic Monaghan, Colm Meaney, James Cromwell,

Directed by Maxim Korostyshevsky

The Story:

Craig McCenzie (Slater), fresh from his stint in the military is asked to train a bunch of wealthy men on how to be soldiers. At the end of their training, they will be inserted in an area near a war zone, but will totally be safe. The thrill of the hunt and all that...

What could possibly go wrong.

Spoiler Alert: Sean Bean finally lives through a movie.  :)

In all seriousness, this is a pure B movie that takes a bunch of familiar faces and lets them go out and play war.

Slater leads the cast as the military mind who whips these rich dudes into an actually effective military team.

Naturally, even before they arrive at their location, things hit the fan pretty quickly and not only do they have to save themselves, they end up needing to save a local village from being decimated further by the evil-doers that have taken control of the island.

It's the Expendables meets Hard Target with a touch of The Magnificent Seven thrown in for good measure.

At least they had lofty goals, and seemed to enjoy themselves while making it.

Nothing to rush out and see, but not a complete waste of time either.

Final Grade: C

Don't Believe The (Negative) Hype..."Iron Fist"

Iron Fist (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jessica Stroup, Tom Pelphrey, David Wenham, Wai Ching Ho, Rosario Dawson,

Created by Scott Buck

The Story:

When he was 10, Danny Rand (Jones), was presumed dead in a plane crash that killed his parents. Control of Rand Enterprises went to Harold Meachum (Wenham) and his children, Ward (Pelphrey) and Joy (Stroup). Over 15 years have passed, when suddenly some guy claiming to be Danny Rand strolls into Rand Enterprises with the craziest tale about who he really is and where he's been all these years.

So begins the tale of The Iron Fist...

It's amusing that to explain the Iron Fist saga any deeper than that, you will come off nearly as crazy sounding as Danny does in those first few episodes as he tries to convince everyone of who he is.

I was explaining it to my wife, the mystical city of K'un Lun, how his powers work... and even began to chuckle.

Yes, it sounds weird, but it all makes sense as it plays out.

Unless, you happen to be a professional critic.

This series has been savaged by reviews that basically can be summed up by the 3 things below:

1) Danny Rand should have been recast as an Asian-American.

2) It's boring.

3) Finn Jones has no charisma to play Iron Fist.


First, Danny Rand always has been a white guy from his very inception. Whether it was in response to the Kung Fu series of the 70s, this is history.  This wasn't some racist, non political correctness on the part of Marvel.

They wrestled with changing Danny's ethnicity, but in the end, it makes way more sense to see how Danny is treated by everyone if the Iron Fist is a white guy.

As for the boredom issues...

Everyone that has read any of my reviews for Daredevil, Jessica Jones or Luke Cage, I've nearly copied and pasted the following in some form or another:

"It's a great 8 episodes stretched over 13 installments".

More of the same follows here.

It's a pacing thing, and I get that.

Marvel runs the risk of putting TOO much story into 13 episodes if they don't pad and stretch.

It is what it is.

With The Defenders, they are planning on 8 episodes. Sounds just about perfect.

Finally, Finn Jones.  He bounced around in the series as too brash, no charisma, too much, then towards the end, I realized that Danny Rand is still very much a child. He was 10 when his parents died.

Then raised by monks for the next 15 years, he was trained to fight, but never given the chance to grow up, so he is still very much an adolescent.

Looking back, Jones does play the little boy who has to grow up, finally, as the series moves along.

In fact, I dare say that the entire cast actually enjoys possibly the most character growth as a cast that any series from Marvel and Netflix has enjoyed yet.

Where Danny and all the Meachums start the series is a far cry from where they end up.

The one thing I will agree with most critics on:

Colleen Wing (Henwick) is easily the best character on the show.

Iron Fist also pulls the tapestry of the Marvel Netflix Universe much closer together, whether by mentioning other characters or those that happen to appear in this installment.

The biggest disappointments for me from the series:

a) The lack of any flashbacks to training in K'un Lun
b) The lack of Iron Fist's costume.

Both will probably be rectified in the future, but when you have a costume as visually striking as Iron Fist's, that needs to be seen sooner, rather than later.

The setup for season 2 is there, and I'm not really sure whether it will take place before or after (or during?) The Defenders.

But I'll be back!

Final Grade: B to B- range.

The Fate Of History Decided In Court... "Denial"

Denial (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall

Directed by Mick Jackson

The Story:

Historian and author Deborah Lipstadt (Weisz) is accused of libel by historian David Irving (Spall). He makes the accusation in England, where Deborah is forced to prove that Irving's claims are false. With Richard Rampton (Wilkinson) and his team on her side, she must prove that Irving's claims that the Holocaust never happened are patently false.

If she should fail, then the British government will be forced to rule that the Holocaust never happened.

How's that for a high stakes game of  Law & Order?

It's a fascinating, and sad, story to be told.

How anyone could deny what happened during World War II is unfathomable to begin with. To do so as an author and historian seems incredible to believe.  But here it is.

And did I mention it was based on the real court case that happened in the late 90s?

Because if I didn't, well, it was.

The entire existence of whether or not the Holocaust ever occurred was played out in an English courtroom.

To make things even more challenging, Rampton refused to let Leipstadt or any Holocaust survivors even testify.

They refused to give Irving any ability to question, interrogate, harass and belittle any survivor, as he was very much a "shock and awe" public speaker.

Instead, they would use his own words against him whenever possible, and rely on historical fact and inaccuracies in Irving's own published words against him to win the case.

If you're up for a good legal thriller, look no further.

Final Grade:  B

Just Can't Get Enough..."Sing Street"

Sing Street (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aiden Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Mark McKenna, Ben Carolan, Ian Kenny,

Directed by John Carney

The Story:

Growing up in Dublin, Conor (Walsh-Peelo) is watching his family break apart as his parents (GIllen & Kennedy) are inching ever closer to divorce and he is pulled from his expensive prep school and sent to a Catholic school instead. Receiving the usual new kid welcome, Conor will have to deal with the school bully (Kenny) and is simply hating life. But when a new friend (Carolan) points out the mysterious girl across the way (Boynton), Conor figures out what he needs to do to impress the girl and make his life better: he's going to start a band.

This is everything that I hoped Pretty in Pink would be.

: )

Buoyed by an impressive soundtrack (it was the 80s after all), this coming of age comedy drama is also a musical.

But not that kind of musical.

No, the music is interspersed within the story as the kids perform covers and eventually sing their own songs.

The beauty of it all, the songs sound like they came straight from the 80s.

The new songs for the film fit in seamlessly with the works of Duran Duran and The Cure and other bands that influence these teens (and pepper the soundtrack) as they come to terms with who they are as a band.

The girl in question, Raphina is dying to leave Dublin and head to London to be a model.

This of course causes friction between her and Conor as she is his muse, and she sees him as just a sweet kid.

At least at first.

I would be remiss not to mention Conor's brother, Brendan (Raynor). He is the catalyst for a lot of what goes on in the movie, even though he doesn't have nearly as much screen time as he should.

The interaction between brothers gives the film the extra layer of heart it needs for an emotional finale that is so befitting this very charming tale.

The movie is streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade:  B+ 

Not Interested..."Manchester By The Sea"

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Rated R

Starring Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, Michelle Williams, C.J. Williams

Written and Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

The Story:

Lee (Affleck) is a bitter handyman that nobody really likes. When he gets the news that his brother (Chandler) has passed away, he goes back to Manchester By The Sea to pay his respects and learns that his brother has named him as guardian.

Ugh.

These are the times when I consider giving movies the grade of incomplete when I give up on watching them.

There's nothing inherently wrong or bad with the movie... it's just not my cup of tea.

Affleck's character is not someone I want to watch for over 2 hours.

He's a bitter, angry man, and while he has his reasons, quite frankly, I didn't care to want to invest anymore time or energy as each of the flashbacks revealed a new layer to the story.

I get it, but I just wasn't that interested.

I invested 30 minutes into the film, 10 more than I normally give, but I just wasn't absorbed or interested in the story.

Bravo for Amazon Studios for making a film that received Golden Globes, Oscars and other awards.

But nope, this one wasn't for me.

If I want to see an angry Affleck brother punch something, I'll go watch Batman vs. Superman again.

:)

Final Grade:   D

The Long Con..."Sneaky Pete"

Sneaky Pete (2015)

TV-MA

Starring Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Shane McRae, Libe Barer, Michael Drayer, Peter Gerety, Margo Martindale, Bryan Cranston, Michael O'Keefe ,Ethan Embry

Created by Bryan Cranston & David Shore

The Story:

Marius (Ribisi) is doing time in prison. His cell mate, Pete (Embry) has spent the last few years talking to Marius all about his childhood growing up. Now that Marius is being released, he's back on the radar of Vince (Cranston) a man he owes a lot of money to, and Vince is holding Marius' brother, Eddie (Drayer) as collateral to keep Marius from running. Marius however decides to lay low, and utilizing his talents as a con man, he decides to head "home" and returns to the Bernhardt family as their long lost, haven't seen him since he was a little kid, cousin Pete.

It's hard to write a review of a series that focuses on a con-man as the lead character, so I'll keep it brief, and keep it short and avoid as many possible spoilers as I can.

For me, the show starts off a little slow, with a very deliberate pace.

Pete's family, while they all seemingly welcome him back home with open arms, there are a few that have their suspicions about him.

Not so much that he's not really Pete, but more that he's simply up to no good.

Ribisi does most of the heavy lifting as both Marius and Pete, juggling both personas with ease and a silver tongue that gets him both into and out of trouble at the drop of a hat.

The rest of the cast are a lot familiar character actors and new faces that flesh out their characters into a nice variety of supporting characters.

Even the villains in the show aren't just cardboard cutout caricatures. They all have depth to them.

Especially Cranston, who gets to be the most villainous of them all. If you're going to create a series, you might as well give  yourself the best part that isn't the star of the show.

He's a character that is likable, and yet terrifying, often at the same time.

It's a slow build, but by the halfway point, the story begins picking up so much momentum, you begin to wonder how it's all going to get resolved within the 10 episode season.

And then in the back of your mind, you begin to wonder how this can be anything more than 1 season long.

True to form though, Sneaky Pete doesn't disappoint on that front either.

This is an Amazon Studios original, and available to stream for those with Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: A-

Be Careful Who You Push Around..."Some Guy Who Kills People"

Some Guy Who Kills People (2011)

Rated R

Starring Kevin Corrigan, Ariel Gade, Barry Bostwick, Karen Black, Leo Fitzpatrick, Eric Price,

Directed by Jack Perez

The Story:

Ken Boyd (Corrigan) has finished his stint in the mental institution, and he's back, trying to make a living at the local burger and shake establishment. However, some of the people that were hurtful to Ken back in high school start turning up dead. The local sheriff (Bostwick) slowly begins to suspect Ken is the killer, but he's dating Ken's mom (Black) and doesn't want to mess up that relationship.

Sounds like the latest review for a decent entry into the horror comedy genre.

Corrigan carries the movie, but he is surrounded by some eccentric characters in his own right.

In addition to Bostwick having some serious fun as the sheriff, there is also the adorable daughter-he-never-knew-he-had (Gade) who brings some much needed love into Ken's life.

Will Ken's murderous revenge be curbed now that he has something worth living for?

Will it all be for nothing, as his daughter watches him get hauled away again?

Will the sheriff still be able to date the mom if he puts the son in prison?

All of these questions, and many more will be answered in a charming little B movie that was fun to watch, and would be a welcome entry to anyone who likes their horror with a side of fun.

Final Grade: B

His Will Remained "Unbroken"

Unbroken (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi,

Directed by Angelina Jolie

The Story:

Louis Zamperini (O'Connell) went from being an Olympic medalist in Berlin to a POW in World War II in just the span of a few short years. When his plane crashes in the Pacific, Louis makes God a deal that he'll dedicate his life to following God if he surives. Louis and Phil endure 47 long, arduous days on a life raft with his friend Phil (Gleeson) before they are picked up by the Japanese and interned into a prison camp. There, he receives even more punishment under the brutal reign of the camp warden (Miyavi) but Zamperini's spirit remains...

wait for it...

Unbroken.

Cheesy, I know.

But then, this movie sometimes felt the same way.

On paper, it's one of those amazing but true, true life stories brought to life by Hollywood.

In practice, it was nearly 2 1/2 hours, and you literally feel every minute of it.

Zamperini suffered at the hands of the Japanese because he was a famous athlete. He was then given a chance to broadcast that he was alive and well back to America, much to the relief of his family.

When he refused to broadcast anti-American propaganda, he was returned back to the Japanese where further brutality awaited.

Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with the story, the actors, the direction, it just seemed like it was missing some key ingredient or two to make this film feel special.

If I'm going to devote over 2 hours of my life watching a film, I need that spark to keep me interested, and sometimes more importantly with movies, wanting to come back in the future to see it again.

This one was okay, but could have, and should have been so much more.

Final Grade: C+

They Were (Mostly) Unstoppable..."Red Army"

Red Army (2014)

Rated PG

Written & Directed by Gabe Polsky

The Story:

The story of the greatest sports dynasty of all time: The Soviet Union's Red Army hockey team. The only chink in their armor came in 1980 with the "Do You Believe In Miracles" moment in Lake Placid where they fell to the American Olympic team. This is their story, as told by the members of that elite group.

Polsky leaves few stones unturned as he tracked down each member of the team, some more willing to comment and weave stories than others.

The story focuses mostly on team captain Viacheslav Fetisov and his struggles to carry the team, then his desire to leave the team and the animosity it created between him and his country.

The unparalleled success the Russian hockey team enjoyed is examined thoroughly and the debate could be in spite of or because of the way they were treated as to how well they played on the ice.

They would tour the world and beat professional hockey teams soundly in exhibition games.

Then when they were finally able to play professionally, teams snapped them up, but the players were never that successful as they were back home.

Many were not treated the best on their teams to begin with, but their talents could not be harnessed as effectively as when they skated together.

Enter Scotty Bowman, then coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

He brought the Red Army team under his leadership and basically let them skate.

They began to play as they once had, and his advice was to simply keep doing what it is you do.

He sat back and let them skate their way to a Stanley Cup.

Yes, the Soviet team was that good, and so was this documentary, whether you are a hockey fan or not.

Final Grade:  B+

It's Difficult "Keeping Up With The Joneses"

Keeping Up With The Joneses (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot

Directed by Greg Mottola

The Story:

Jeff and Karen Gaffney (Galifianakis & Fisher) are a happy couple living in a wonderful neighborhood in suburbia. And then the Jones family moves in and Tim and Natalie (Hamm & Gadot) just seem to be so cool...so different.

Well that's because they are international spies...

The movie literally begins with a bang and then fills us in on the backstory of the Gaffney's, their lives, their jobs, their neighborhood.

But why on earth would spies want to live in the suburbs?

That's the next layer of the film as eventually, their mission is learned as their identities are compromised.

It's not a laugh out loud comedy, though it does have it's fair share of laughs.

Much of the humor is situational comedy as stereotypes of suburbia and espionage are both examined a little closer.

It's a great cast, and with a few tweaks here or there to punch up the comedy, this could've been really good. However, the interaction between the characters is what keeps the movie afloat and invests you in the overall story.

But I've seen worse spy films, comedies, and comedy spy films, so there's that at least. :)

Final Grade:  C+

He's The Man..."WInston Churchill: Walking With Destiny"

Winston Churchill: Walking With Destiny (2010)

Not Rated

Narrated by Ben Kingsley

Directed by Richard Trank

The Story:

This documentary / biography of Winston Churchill takes a look at his life and his legacy of leadership to Great Britain and the World.  Biographers, historians and others look at what he did to help stop the Nazis in World War II and touches on many of the stands Churchill had attempted to make prior to the war that could have severely impacted the Nazi influence and if properly heeded could have, perhaps, stopped or severely limited the Holocaust.

I'm sure arguments could be made for the most influential political figures of the 20th century, but any conversation that doesn't include Churchill is incorrect.

My opinion, any argument that doesn't conclude that Churchill was THE most important political figure of the 20th Century is flat out wrong.

In addition to Churchill's early worries and concerns over Nazi Germany, long before the war had even started, the history as laid out in this program show that were it not for a few tactical errors on the part of Hitler, it is possible, perhaps even probable that Britain too would have fallen to the Germans.

It will touch on the importance of Churchill being seen among the people and the rubble after each German bombing during the raids by Germany. His resolve kept the people strong and rebuilding, and it was of great concern and consternation by the Germans.

The film does wander away from Churchill exclusively on several occasions, but it all falls under the scope of his leadership and what was going on in the world at the time.

So while not a thorough, extensive biography on Churchill, it does hit all of the main points of interest as a very good example of World War II history, and Churchill's important role in world events.

This is currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B+

'Eleven Hundred Men Went Into The Water'... "U.S.S. Indianapolis: Men of Courage"

U.S.S. Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016)

Rated R

Starring Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter, James Remar, Brian Presley, Yutaka Takeuchi,

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

The Story:

Captain McVay (Cage) receives orders to deliver a Top Secret cargo which will help end World War II. Because of the secrecy, nobody is tracking the departures and arrivals of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Once the cargo is delivered, McVay requests their tracking to be announced, but he is told since they "never officially arrived, how can they officially depart?" As they return home, they are torpedoed and sank in the Phillipine Sea. No rescue efforts were mounted, as no ship was presumed missing.

Naturally, this one is based on the true story of the U.S. Navy's single worst disaster in history.

If you've seen the movie Jaws, then you've heard this story encapsulated into one of the best monologues ever delivered in cinematic history, that of Quint's recount of surviving the sinking and the subsequent days of shark attacks on the survivors.

This movie stretches that 5 minute scene into 2 hours, but the film divides the storyline very well.

We get to know the Captain and the crew in the first half, so that when the attack and subsequent sinking occur, we feel sympathy and sadness as each character meets their fate, whether they survive the initial sinking or perish days later due to a shark or exposure.

Of the 1,100 men that went into the water, days later just a little over 300 came out alive when they were finally rescued.

The film ends with the court martial of Captain McVay, the only Naval commander to be court martialed for losing a ship during the war. Even the enemy submarine commander (Takeuchi) testified on whether or not McVay's decision of not to zig zag the ship played any part in the attack.

The attack haunted McVay in the years that followed. Families of those that lost someone called him for years and said hateful things to him until he could take it no longer.

It's a good, but not great account of the tragedy.

If you don't have the time though, spend 5 minutes and look up Quint's speech on YouTube if you've never seen Jaws before, or it's been years, and you'll save a few hours instead.

Final Grade: C

If You Smell...What Tom Hanks...Is Cooking! "Inferno"

Inferno (2016)  

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster, Ana Ularu

Directed by Ron Howard

The Story:

Symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) awakes in a hospital with no memory of how he got there. As Dr. Brooks (Jones) helps to try and piece some of the missing pieces of what happened back, someone attempts to kill Langdon. They escape, and begin a whirlwind world tour trying to stay one step of the people trying to kill Langdon while attempting to solve a puzzle left behind from a zealot billionaire (Foster) who has devised a virus that will render the majority of the world's population extinct.

Well, I guess I was wrong about reviewing the last of the 2016 sequels to long-dormant franchises a few weeks back.

THIS is the last one.

I'm almost sure of it.

:)

So if  you remember The Da Vinci Code from way back in 2006, or Angels and Demons from 2009, then you are already familiar with the character played by Hanks and what he does.

However if you never saw those films, or like me, vaguely remember seeing them back in the day, and that's really your only recollection of the films, then you'll probably still be okay.

On its own, it's a slick thriller with competent direction by the always reliable Ron Howard.

This time, instead of direct involvement with the church and overtly religious tones, it's dialed back a bit as the mystery centers on the works of the poet Dante and his work: Inferno.

Add a touch of the modern spy thriller, and you have a film that is going to do the best it can to keep you guessing at what happens next, who you can trust, and what it all means.

Naturally, some things work better than others, but the film is filled with enough interesting characters and a pretty talented cast from top to bottom that they make all of the characters have a three dimensional feeling and they aren't just cardboard caricatures helping to prop up the movie.

I'm not sure if there will be another film in the series, but I doubt they'll want to wait another decade if they decide to continue the films. Hanks and Howard aren't getting any younger.

It's quite likely that instead we'll be treated to a cinematic reboot, and that means that most likely Chris Pine will be taking over the role in the next outing.

: )

Final Grade: B-

They Weren't That Bad..."Middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life"

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (2016)  

Rated PG

Starring Griffin Gluck, Alexa Nisenson, Thomas Barbusca, Lauren Graham, Andrew Daly, Adam Pally, Rob Riggle, Isabela Moner

Directed by Steve Carr

The Story:

Rafe (Gluck) is trying to get through his middle school years, but just can't seem to catch a break. Now on his latest, and last chance at school, his creativity is immediately stifled by a seriously by-the-rules principal (Daly). Meanwhile at home, Rafe's mom (Graham) is getting serious with an obnoxious boyfriend (Riggle) who is driving Rafe and his sister (Nisenson) crazy. At the prompting of his best friend Leo (Barbusca) they devise a plan to undermine all of the principal's rules, and hopefully get through the rest of the year in one piece.

This was a pretty fun film.

Based on a series of books, it is close in style and tone to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, only I found this one to be more enjoyable. It does borrow a bit of plot from Max Keeble's Big Move, but that's okay, because that too was a pretty funny movie.

The kids do a pretty fine job of carrying a lot of the film as they build prank upon prank at the school.

This eventually wins many of Rafe's classmates to begin to like and respect him, which is a feeling that Rafe hadn't had in some time, with so many moves under his belt.

As for the villains of the film, they struck comedy gold with boy Daly and Riggle. The two are insufferable and egotistical, and garner much of the laughs in the movie as they both get put in their place by film's end.

There's also some surprisingly heartfelt moments in the film that creep up on you when you're least expecting it.

Very well done, and a very enjoyable film.

Probably not good enough for best of the year honors, but one I wouldn't mind watching with the kids again.

Final Grade: B

Spielberg Does It Again..."The BFG"

The BFG (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance, Jermaine Clement, Bill Hader,

Directed by Steven Spielberg

The Story:

Sophie (Barnhill) spots a giant (Rylance) outside of the orphanage one night. Since he was seen, he snatches Sophie up and runs away with her back to the land of giants. But this is no ordinary giant that eats kids, he actually befriends Sophie and the two begin to become friends. However, a human in the land of giants soon attracts the unwanted attention of the other giants that live there, and soon they are out to eat the delicious morsel.

It seems like Spielberg only makes two kinds of movies:

Those that become instant classics for generations

or

Those that are beautifully average and overall forgettable in the grand scheme of the movies.

This one falls in the latter category.

It's beautiful to watch, but really doesn't hold any interest for me to see again.

That's not how a family movie should be.

Of course, given Spielberg's own filmography, he doesn't really do "family" films all that often, the last one probably being E.T. back in the early 80s.

The last time he tried one specifically for younger audiences (I assume) would be Hook, and that one was critically and commercially shot down, so maybe he's wise to stay away from this type of movie and concentrate on action films and period dramas.

The voice cast for all of the giants do great work, and Rylance imbues the BFG with a wonderful spirit.

Barnhill will hopefully return in other films as she does a great job leading 85% of the movie for her first time on the big screen.

So the film itself is enjoyable enough, just nothing I feel would be one worth watching again in the future.

Final Grade: C+

Welcome To The Friend Zone..."Pretty In Pink"

Pretty In Pink (1986)

Rated PG-13

Starring Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Annie Potts, Harry Dean Stanton,

Directed by Howard Deutch

The Story:

A girl from the wrong side of the tracks (Ringwald) is trying to get through life in high school while deciding whether or not to go to prom with Blane (McCarthy) Meanwhile, the only guy that's loved her forever (Cryer) can't get the time of day with this girl.

Confession time: This was my first time watching Pretty In Pink.

I can't even remember seeing any portion of it prior to streaming it on Amazon Prime, though I've seen the poster countless times over the intervening 30+ years since its release.

Let that soak in a moment. Over. 30. Years.

Eep!

So I don't come to this one with rose-colored glasses of nostalgia and love for the film.

And much like when I approached the venerable Say Anything a few years back, I found this one lacking.

Sorely lacking.

There was little appeal to any portion of the film for me.

From characterizations to plot points, this seemed a very slapdash effort by one of the masters of the game, John Hughes.

I would now argue that of the catalog of movies that he wrote and I have watched, this is likely my least favorite.

It's a film that is never quite sure what it wants to be.

Is it a comedy? Not really, because the laughs, if any, are very few and really far between.

So it's a teen romance.  Again...not so much.

Mostly several characters all have the hots for Andie, with no real explanation for why, minus Duckie's lifelong obsession with the girl. Steff  (Spader), who when he shows up onscreen at all, seems to be doing so in a drunken stupor, just wants to sleep with her, and then turns on his friend when it looks like Blane will succeed where he fell short.

There's no real explanation for why Blane suddenly feels the urge to be with Andie. Yet there he is with his creepy stalker smile, almost relentless in his pursuit. Yet I kept waiting for some secret reveal that he had a bet with Steff over whether he could convince her to go to prom or not.

See?

I know my 80s films and how they are supposed to work. ;)

No, this mostly seems to be about the creation of the 'Friend Zone' as more of the movie centers on Duckie's well-being and obvious obsessions with Andie than anything else.  He's stood by her side from day one, defended her, and given her whatever she's needed, and in return, he gets dumped and humiliated every step of the way.

But in the end, Duckie is the smartest of them all, because he winds up with the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kristy Swanson.

And that's way better than Ringwald, any day of the week.

So keep hope alive for those of you in the Friend Zone! Your Buffy is still out there!! :)

In fact, were it not for the inclusion of "If You Leave" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), I would likely have given this one a D and included it on my worst films of the year roundup.

That's how amazing that song is, that I'm willing to overlook the 90 minutes of mediocrity that preceded it and let this movie have a pass.

However, it is totally mis-played during the crucial finale as much of the emotional lyrics take place before the characters even interact with one another. Then there are dancers seemingly dancing to a variety of different songs than what is playing.

Which again, sums up this film quite appropriately.

No, I'm happy for those of you that love this one and have nothing but fondness for it, but I'd like to think even if I had seen this one 30 years ago, I would have shook my head in disbelief and moved on.

Final Grade: C-

To Remake Or Not To Remake..."Pete's Dragon"

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oona Laurence, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban,

Directed by David Lowery

The Story:

Pete (Fegley) becomes orphaned and is raised in the wild Pacific Northwest by a dragon he calls Elliot. As the years pass, he is discovered by a girl (Laurence) and her mom (Howard), the local forest ranger. The only real problem, Gavin (Urban) has learned that the forest has a dragon in it, and he's decided it would fetch him a fortune.

Well, Disney swung for the fences with this one, making a live action adaptation of a late 70s hybrid live action/animated feature.

The good thing, it's better than the original, unless you happen to adore that movie, then it's quite likely you might hate this one.

Hard to say, I've seen differing opinions all over the internet.

One lady was reduced to tears because of the changes between films.

Yikes.

Some people need to get out more.

:)

Personally, I was pleased that the musical numbers were gone, and so too the abusive foster parents that Pete had to endure growing up.

The problem, for me, that has plagued most of these live action remakes, is that they're still just average at the end.

Disney has taken beloved animated classics, or in this case, an older movie (heheheh...) and just put a new coat of paint on it and pushed it out the door.

Maleficent at least had the decency to tell an entirely new story, and it remains the benchmark of quality for these films.

The rest have come across as average, which for other studios might be okay, but when this is Disney putting out a Disney movie, it seems like we should expect a little bit more, and I'm still just not seeing it.

Again, there's nothing wrong with the film on its own merits, it simply exists.

Plus, like most movies, they severely underutilized Karl Urban and so his villainous turn is half-hearted, at best.

Perhaps I'm jaded because How To Train Your Dragon has already taken the story of a boy and his dragon and raised the bar so well, this one just didn't have a chance.

Final Grade:  C