John Wick 4 (2023) Review

Title: John Wick 4
Year: 2023
Director: Chad Stahelski
Country: US
Language: English

I have not seen the first three installments of the John Wick Franchise, but I had become well aware of its reputation for reinvigorating the action genre with eye popping "did you just see that?" violence. Keanu Reeves has become an action star, one that has more similarities to Buster Keaton than traditional action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was quite excited to see this film in theatres. 

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe.

Perhaps to the surprise of nobody, the script is razor-thin as the plot only serves to get us to the next action sequence. These sequences are amazing, Coordinated by Chad Stanhelski, the fight choreography comes off as a series of sleek and smooth performances that leave audiences in awe. He manages to suspend our disbelief; even when Reeves survives falling several stories out of a window onto a van.

The camera shots are incredible and inventive, allowing us to be fully immersed in the chaos of each set piece. The editing is refined; much restraint is shown when cutting between shots. Two many "action" movies nowadays feel the need to cut every second whereas John Wick's crew know how to really sell the brutal violence. 

John Wick 4 is the best pure "action" movie I have seen in many years. It's a brainless style-over-substance flick for sure, but it delivers on its promise of showing audiences great visually appealing fights. I enjoyed the picture's obvious references to The Warriors (1978) as well. 

Flubber (1997) Review

Title: Flubber
Year: 1997
Director: Les Mayfield
Country: US
Language: English

Robin Williams is one of the greatest comedic actors to hit the Silver Screen. I'm very glad my childhood was filled with his films, as his infectious unrelenting energy would radiate through the screen and make a huge impression on me. He was even able to make mediocre pictures seem bigger than life. Despite this enigmatic energy, I was 6 years old and I found Flubber (1997) to be a bore. 

A remake of The Absent Minded Professor (1961), Flubber is about a man trying to save his marriage and business by creating an invention that will change the world. He accidentally creates an unstable rubber-like substance called Flubber.

Flubber would make a great short film, maybe 30 minutes at most. The movie has an intriguing gimmick, "what amazing things can we see this weird invention do?", but once we've satisfied out curiosity there really isn't any more substance to this picture. Robin Williams isn't especially zany; infact his forgetfullness lacks charm & makes the guy look like an ass. Who forgets about their own wedding 3x in a row!?

The two leads don't have any chemistry. Like in Mrs.Doubtfire Williams' onscreen wife comes across more like a motherly figure and their "love" just comes across weird. Despite having such an engaging persona, Williams himself doesn't bring anything special to this role. He is an empty vessel & any actor could have played the role with more enthusiasm. 

Flubber was terribly boring when I was 6 years old & its far worse now. What a "flub" of a movie. 

0 Stars

George of the Jungle (1997) Review

Title: George of the Jungle
Year: 1997
Director: Sam Weisman
Country: US
Language: English

Now that Brendan Fraiser won Best Actor for The Whale it's cool to say you enjoyed his earlier, more cheesy work right? George of the Jungle (1997) was Fraiser's breakthrough Hollywood role. It pushed him beyond B-comedy pictures like Encino Man (1991) & made the studio execs consider him a possible leading man candidate. Without this role, he may not have been in the action packed Blockbuster The Mummy (2000).

A man raised in the jungle by apes (Brendan Fraiser) falls in love with a wealthy American heiress (Leslie Mann).

Made alongside a wealth of "Boomer TV Shows made into 90's Family Friendly Movies" (see also: Rocky and Bullwinkle) George of the Jungle is a mindless popcorn munching flick that combines the silliness of the 90's, with the naivete of the 60's. It's charming, heartwarming and is a surprisingly effective romantic comedy. I certainly buy the chemistry between the two leads.

I appreciate that we are given two wacky "fish out of water" scenarios. One where the wealthy heiress is mixing it up in the Jungle, and another where George has to survive the city. For the most part the humor is infectiously funny, but sometimes it can be tone deaf & cringe. George of the Jungle has one too many scatological jokes for my taste.

Both leads give a tremendous performance. Leslie Mann & Brendan Fraiser make us invested in an unbelievable scenario and, despite how silly their lines can be, make us excited for their blossoming romance. George of the Jungle is an underrated classic. 

Knock at the Cabin (2023) Review

Title: Knock at the Cabin
Year: 2023
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Country: US
Language: English

Knock at the Cabin (2023) is director M Night Shyamalan's fifteenth film. His body of work is usually hit or miss. The Sixth Sense (1999) won the hearts of audiences & critics, while pictures like The Last Airbender (2010) resulted in his popularity plummeting. Even his decent films, like Signs (2002) can be polarizing. His latest picture is no exception. 

While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

Although it takes some liberties with the source material, Paul G. Tremblay’s book The Cabin at the End of the World, Shyamalan's "what would you do?" film is compelling and thought provoking. Throughout the run-time the script picks at our assuredness; inciting us to go from skeptical to unsure about the strangers' claims. 

Manipulating his viewers with fluid camera movements and claustrophobic cinematography, Shyamalan proves that he has the ability to be a master storyteller. The actors, particularly Dave Bautista, do their part in creating a convincing scenario despite how ridiculous it is on paper. 

Knock at the Cabin would be a great picture - if only Shyamalan landed the ending. Is there a way to end this film in a satisfying way? It seems as if he wrote himself into a corner wherein any climax would have 50% of the audience frustrated. I found myself indifferent, and I don't rewatch films that make me feel indifferent. 

Ant-Man: Quantumania (2023) Review

Title: Ant-Man Quantumania
Year: 2023
Director: Peyton Reed
Country: US
Language: English

Ever since Kang the Conquerer (Jonathon Majors) appeared in Loki (2021) I was excited to see how the character would be portrayed in later films. Supposedly, he has killed The Avengers in countless Universes. I was greatly impressed with the Infinity War (2018) villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) and I thought the stakes could only be increased. 

After a mishap, the Pym family is accidentally sent to the Quantum Realm where they found themselves at odds with the creatures within. 

I have a numerous amount of problems with the film. Visually, I could not tell if we were in the MCU Quatum Realm or the Star Wars Universe.  There's a bar scene where many of the creatures look like they came straight from A New Hope's Cantina scene. The villain is a jabroni who doesn't pose any real threat. The stakes for future films (Avengers: Kang Dynasty) are so high that they are unfathomable. 

The film's attempt to be both dramatic & comedic come off as awkward and tone deaf. A character makes a big heroic sacrifice scene...and afterwards we laugh at him. The overt political messages about socialism (Hank Pym even says "In this political climate it's hard to talk about socialism, but it seems to work.") just come off as weird considering the film is made by one of the biggest corporate overlords to ever exist. 

I also hate that in recent MCU films/shows the new characters shrug off older heroes' accomplishments. They have a scene where Scott Lang's daughter basically tells him "You saved the world, but what have you done lately?" What!? Avoid Quantumania if you can. At least I can confirm it's more tolerable than She Hulk (2022). 

10 Best Christmas Movies

 10 Best Christmas Movies

A "Christmas" movie is defined as a film that has a "Christmas" theme or takes place sometime during the "Christmas" holidays (Nov 30th- Jan 2nd). Christmas refers to either the commercial holiday of gift-giving or the religious holiday when Christians believe that Christ was born.  

"Christmas" movies are a time-honored tradition that teach a life lesson and are fairly heart warming, often family friendly.  The following are my "Ten Favourite Christmas Movies". Enjoy!

10. Santa Clause Conquers the Martians (1964)

9. Gremlins (1984)

8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

6. The Bishop's Wife (1947)

5. Shop Around the Corner (1940)

4. A Christmas Carol (1951)

3. Meet Me in St.Louis (1944) 

2. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

1.It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

10 Best Films of 2022

10 Best Films of 2022

This year I haven't watched as many films due to my local cheap theatre, Town Cinema 8 ($5 tickets) "temporarily" closing. In addition, I missed out on Toronto International Film Festival due to a new career change. Thankfully, I did manage to find some time to watch some great pictures.

While I feel like last years' top 5 was stronger than this year (I liked Spielbergs' West Side Story more) I do think my #1 pick will be a standout for many decades to come. I'm beginning to love Cannes' Palm D'or winners. 

1. Triangle of Sadness

2. The Tragedy of Macbeth 

3. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story

4. Belle

5. The Fablemans

6. Decision to Leave

7. Nope

8.  EO

9. Elvis

10. Everything Everywhere All At Once

Triangle of Sadness (2022) Review

Title: Triangle of Sadness
Year: 2022
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Country: Sweden
Language: English

One of my favorite filmmakers is Luis Bunuel. I love how his pictures, specifically Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1971) dissect class in a satirical and absurd way. Ruben Ostlund explores similar territory in very unsubtle, yet hilarious ways in Triangle of Sadness. The picture is a treasure; it's a much needed jolt of cinema as society is slowly coming out of the pandemic. 

Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). 

Triangle of Sadness is a shot of madness; it's a remarkably entertaining satire that allows a tremendous amount of enjoyment in mocking the rich & dismantling our odd societal structures. It takes familiar ideas (see: Lord of the Flies) and catapults them into uncharted territory. Though the themes may not be original takes, the script uses them in clever and creative ways.

This movie has one of the most outrageous, memorable 30 minute scenes you'll see in the entirety of film history. It left me amused, bewildered and delighted. Triangle of Sadness is incredibly well made, featuring tremendous cinematography, excellent acting and a script that is completely off the rails. This is a weird movie. 

Triangle of Sadness won the Palm D'or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and I can certainly see why. It is an absurd piece of social commentary. Some may not enjoy the over-the-top message, but I am all for it. 

She Said (2022) Review

Title: She Said
Year: 2022
Director: Maria Schrader
Country: US
Language: English

In October 2017, the expose Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades was published in the New York Times. The story, investigated by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, led to 80+ women coming forward with allegations about Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct and lit the fuse for the culture's incredibly important #MeToo movement. 

Like Spotlight (2015), the film is a retelling of how the reporters slowly unraveled incredibly shocking stories of sexual abuse. This time, it's about Harvey Weinstein. 

She Said recounts much of the information and publicly recorded statements that are already available in the original story and subsequent book. It's a well made picture, but it is a bit bland because it takes few creative risks. It is so straightforward in its storytelling & characters that this might as well have been a traditionally made documentary. 

She Said is very familiar if you've seen more than one picture about investigative journalism. It hits all the same beats. The only real emotional difference you'll feel in these movies (She Said, Spotlight, The Report, The Post, Zodiac etc.) will be based on your personal interest in the subject matter. If you are disgusted by perverted men like Weinstein, then this film will successfully anger you. 

Many movies include "Based on a True Story."  to give themselves creative freedom to loosely play with reality. For instance, very little in Amadeus (1984) actually happened. It's strange to see films like She Said be so matter-of-fact about the truth. Some will adore the film for its honest take, but I thought it would have used more movie magic to raise the stakes for these journalists. They talk a little about how "Weinstein might have people watching us." but I wanted it to go further. 

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) Review

Title: Meshes of the Afternoon
Year: 1943
Director: Maya Deren
Language: N/A
Country: US

Clocking in at 14 minutes, Meshes of the Afternoon was the shortest entry in this decades' Sight and Sound Greatest Films Poll. On the Critics' list it made #16. Curious, I checked it out on Criterion Channel. Although a soundtrack was later added, Criterion presented the film as it originally played without sound. It is quite a peculiar picture; made during Hollywood's Golden Era, the film is unlike anything made at the rime.

In this, a woman (Maya Deren) returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality.

Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon is a standout in 1940's cinema, because of how avant-garde it is. It's disorienting due to its surreal imagery and complex psychological themes. It's a feminist picture because of how it dissects oneself and the female psyche. Through visual techniques and symbols we see her innermost desires. 

The handheld POV shots, mixed with uncomfortable closeups and remarkable medium compositions tell a remarkable story that is only intensified with innovative editing and German Expressionistic set design. Depicting fragments of the unconscious mind; Meshes of the Afternoon is one of the rare "dream" films that actually feels like a dream. Its atmosphere is uncanny and one will have to look hard to find anything like it.

Very long, very remarkable essays have been written about this film since its inception. It would be fun to view Meshes of the Afternoon in a psychology class & see what interpretations come out of this art. I found myself in awe; this will certainly have a lasting impression on my mind. 

No Rating