Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Has it really been 30 years since “The Return of the Jedi”?  Wow!  My, how time flies when you’re having fun.  In all honesty, I wish we could have forgone the “prequels” and just started up with this continuation; no Jar-Jar Binks, or crazy compatibility-free relationships.  We know Darth Vader is Luke and Leia’s real dad and so pointing out something that was already clear, just seemed a bit redundant, however, with this go, the questions continue right up to the last scene, as in “Where’s Luke?  Although everyone in the series is from a planet long ago and far away, this is a more “human” portrayal of the dark side than I think we’ve ever been exposed to in any of the first six episodes.  It reminded me, just a very tiny bit, of the Death Star Cafeteria by Eddie Izzard.  If you’re not familiar with this, it’s a conversation between a Cafeteria worker serving lunch to Lord Darth Vader.  Definitely worth a peek on YouTube or wherever you can get a listen.  So, in the infamous words of Diane Keaton in “Sleeper”, “rebels are we, steadfast and free”, but not if the dark side has anything to say about it.  The galaxy/universe is a big place, so why beings with magical mystical supernatural powers want to oppress others and not find a place where they can be happy and free and do their own thing without demanding others go with them, is totally beyond me.  It’s probably just me, but I think the strongest character is Rey, the “orphan”.  She’s had to kick-butt and take names for an awfully long time.  Follow her up with Finn, a recently defected Stormtrooper with a Han Solo attitude, a couple of new villains, a roly-poly droid, and some key members of the franchise and we’re off on a new adventure in that galaxy long ago and far away.  J.J. Abrams is at the helm under the wings of Disney and the transition, to say the very least, is brilliant.  Rating:  Pick a laser sword, any laser sword…blue, green, red, purple = 4 stars and may the Force be with you.

Hail Caesar

I was so looking forward to seeing this comedy by the Coen brothers and hoped, upon hope that this would be as good as something like O’ Brother Where for Art Thou?  Sadly, it was just “meh”.  The closest I could compare it to is Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (a film I’ve yet to not fall asleep to, even in a theater—sorry Steve Martin…I just can’t keep my head up even though it was brilliantly edited with clips and actors from some of my favorite film noir classics).  I couldn’t really get past the bullet delivery and disjointed dialogue.  It’s sort of like waking up from a conk on the head similar to what the “hero”, although it’s hard to say who the “hero” really is here and understanding that he’s just screwed the pooch by becoming a part of the issue instead of solving the problem.  Josh Brolin is the pivot point…he runs a fictional movie studio who’s dealing with personal issues, trying to stop smoking, keep his contract actors on the up-and-up, stop the local gossip hounds from destroying careers, and  complete a biblical epic similar to The Robe/Quo Vadis/The Ten Commandments/Spartacus/and-or Ben Hur.  It’s so bad you’d think they put it together with a giant can of Cheez Whiz.  This is not to say that the entire movie was bad, there are some very bright spots.  For example:  Scarlett Johansson (a semi-reasonable facsimile of Esther Williams), Channing Tatum (tapping his way into the hearts of manly men in uniform everywhere), Ralph Fiennes (a director without an equal in delivering lines using the Queen’s English), Alden Ehrenreich (the singing stunt cowboy who is phenomenal on a horse with a rope, but not so much as a debonair man about town), and we get an ever-so brief glimpse of the divine Frances McDormand (Mrs. Joel Coen).  As always in a period piece by the Coen’s, attention to detail is extraordinary.  If nothing else, I would give this a big thumbs up for the set design, hair and make-up, and costume design.  Although I’ll probably see this once again when it’s out on DVD or streamed or something digital…I can’t recommend it until then, so it’s getting a 2-star salute to films in the forties.   

The Martian

Last Sunday I checked an item off of my bucket list.  You could say that it was a “first” for me, since until now, there was only one McMenamin’s location in Washington that includes a theater.  That location is in Centralia and is way too far away for this writer to attend on a regular basis.  Fortunately, the new W.A. Anderson School has opened in Bothell, a mere 15 minutes away, and is doing a brisk business.  The film being shown is The Martian starring Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Chitewel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, and is the main subject of this review. 

First of all, I’d like to say that I don’t think there’s another actor I would have considered, had I been the one casting the part of Marc Watney, the astronaut who has to figure out how to survive on a uninhabited planet until/or if help arrives.  It’s a little bit MacGuyver in Space, Botany 101, and how to think quickly in very high stress situations.  Everybody sticks their neck out, their job on the line, and we, as human beings and Americans, could learn a thing or two from this film/book about cooperation, teamwork, and finding the good in any situation.  Not now, but in the future, there is definitely a plan in place to get out of “Dodge” and head to Mars.  It might be good to use this film as a training guide on how to prepare for a worst case scenario or several worst case scenario(s).  The author of the book, Andy Weir, must have been an Eagle Scout or a survivalist, or something akin to this and I also think the book is definitely in my future read list.  Rating:  roll of duct tape, a parachute, a crucifix, a few disco downloads, and potatoes….a lot of potatoes aka 4 stars.  To the moon, Alice, but in this case to Mars.    

Tomorrowland

This is coming out on video soon and I hope it’s better received than it was in the theater.  Banking on the premise that the future is bleak or non-existent without the skills of a girl who keeps breaking into NASA, we are taken to said future via a transporter button, it looks something like it stepped out of a comic book.  It instantly takes you to a wheat field in a prairie state, I’m thinking from Florida or Texas, or wherever these people live, and looks a bit like the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz.  In an odd sort of way, it reminded me of a live action version of “The Robinsons” combined with elements of The Last Starfighter, Mockingjay, Star Trek, and about a zillion other sci-fi fantasies that have to do with quantum leaping and making the future so bright, you have to wear shades.   The main characters, of which there are three, include a rather scruffy looking George Clooney, a bright new up and comer, Raffey Cassidy, and the flavor of the year in the lead role, Britt Robertson, whom you may recall was the middle ‘desperately in love’ daughter in “Dan in Real Life”.  The cherry on top of this cake is Hugh Laurie…evil is as evil does, and nobody does evil quite as well as Hugh.  He can go from snarky funny to mean and nasty in 2.5 seconds.  So now I’m wondering if there’s going to be a new ride at Disneyland or Disney World that’s based on the film.  I’d go on it, now all I need is a magic transporter button.  Rating:  2.5 stars and rockets

Inside Out

I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart…..it’s simple, really, we’re all emotional for both the positive and the negative…it’s called a balance and it makes us who we are.  Personify those emotions and put a child into a new situation in one of the best cities in the world (San Francisco….love it) and you’ve got your basis for the latest Pixar flick.  It relies on the voice character actors to emit the feelings they’re portraying working as a team in a little girl who’s out of her comfort zone and does so brilliantly.  Amy Poehler is the stand-out among this motley crew as “Joy”.  She finds the good, the happy place from any situation.  On the opposite end, we have “Sadness” voiced by Phyllis Smith, “Anger” - Lewis Black, “Fear” -  Bill Hader, and “Disgust” - Mindy Kaling, all of whom are key to our girl's, Riley’s, healthy emotional state and well-being.  A special shout-out about Richard Kind as “Bing Bong”, I had a friend like you, but his name was Tommy.  The parallels to this writer’s life are spot-on…the dialogue, extremely familiar, and the one-liners, priceless.  I would love to see Riley progress even further in a sequel.  This film gets a heartfelt rating of happy, silly, fluffy, blue, and rainbow aka 4 stars.  

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Knights of the Roundtable, not looking for the Holy Grail, but protecting the British Empire and the world from crazy, what more could you ask for?  The special effects are brilliant…and even if you frown when someone tells you that this movie is extremely violent, there’s still the fact that most of it is “clean”, not visceral.  Still in all, the style used in telling the story of Eggsy and his journey from a “slacker” to the potential to be a new Lancelot or Galahad, is definitely worth the watch.  Situations pop along at a brisk pace with several surprises throughout, and even though it’s exceptionally violent, it still has its tongue firmly placed in its cheek.  Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Sir Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, and cool as a cucumber, Sofia Boutella as Gazelle, all deliver the goods with style, grace, and less “cheese” than you would expect from a movie based on a comic book.  Rating:  3.25 stars…not for the little ones by any stretch of the imagination, and by that, I mean pay attention to the rating, it’s there for a good reason.  Looking forward to a new episode when and if, it comes to pass. 

Avengers - The Age of Ultron

My head is spinning from the absolutely wonderful opportunity I was afforded to be able to attend this screening of the continuing Avengers series.  Thank you to my friend and former colleague, Ruby, for inviting me.  Besides the great company and the chance to see this film on a truly big screen (Cinerama), it was fun, exciting, edge of your seat anticipatory and I'm ready to go again.  We're introduced to new characters, alliances are formed, and amazing as it seems, technology is merged with fantasy in a wholly believable way.  It's every serial watching kid's dream-come-true.  Kudos to all the players (Downey, Johannson, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Evans, and Renner).  It took me a moment to figure out who the voice actor was for Ultron, but when I did, it was perfect.  Loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this and looking forward to the next installment.  Rating:  6 Stars forging a better future for the planet.