Not gonna lie, this is going to be a tough one to review. The film is almost review-proof, it's so hard to truthfully and accurately talk about what the film is and what happens in it without spoiling a single thing. That said, here goes nothing.
In Knives Out, eccentric, rich mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in his elaborate mansion the morning after his 85th birthday. Detective Lieutenant Elliot (Lakeith Stanfield) and trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) are more than content to label the death a suicide and move on, since that's exactly what it appears to be. However, when private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, sporting a swanky southern accent) gets involved, it's not long before every member of Harlan's large family becomes a suspect in what Blanc suspects might actually be a homicide.
Knives Out wields a large, impressive, strong cast of colorful characters. Ana de Armas plays Marta Cabrera (Harlan's personal nurse and close friend, she also just happens to be an immigrant), Jamie Lee Curtis plays Linda Drysdale (Harlan's eldest daughter), Michael Shannon plays Walt Thrombey (Harlan's youngest son), Don Johnson plays Richard Drysdale (Harlan's son-in-law, married to Linda), Toni Collette plays Joni Thrombey (Harlan's dumb blonde daughter-in-law), Chris Evans plays Hugh "Ransome" Thrombey (Harlan's ne're do well grandson, eldest son to Linda and Richard ), Jaeden Martell plays Jacob Thrombley (Harlan's grandson who has some serious alt-right leanings, son to Walt), Katherine Langford plays Meg Thrombey (Harlan's granddaughter, daughter to Joni), K Callan plays Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey (mother to Harlan), Riki Lindhome plays Donna Thrombey (Harlan's daughter-in-law, married to Walt), and Edi Patterson plays Fran (Harlan's housekeeper.). Even the great Frank Oz has a small role as Alan Stevens; Harlan's lawyer.
Everyone does what is required of them and more, each are immensely entertaining in their roles. Chris Evans goes from playing Captain America earlier this year to a swanky, hilarious, scene-stealing playboy in this film. Man, he is such a gift. Noah Segan is perfect as the enthusiastic trooper. He has played a role in each of Rian Johnson's films, and is always an absolute joy to watch on screen. Lakeith Stanfield is great, impressive and fun as usual. Michael Shannon gets to show off his great humor and his ability to make us shrink back in our seats...this film definitely shows off both sides of this talented actor. Jamie Lee Curtis is stoic, sarcastic and great fun (her role reminded me of her role in the tv series Scream Queens). Toni Collette nails her role with ease (it's a hoot to watch her play the airhead). Christopher Plummer is great and likable as one of the only "nice" ones in the film (his character has a big heart and is kind). Daniel Craig is perfection as the cool, suave expert who may or may not always be five steps ahead of everyone else. Ana de Armas is fantastic as a genuinely good person with a heart of gold (She is drop-dead gorgeous, and previously played Joi in Blade Runner 2049. Look for her next in the upcoming Bond film "No Time To Die". Daniel Craig and her get the largest amount of screen time as they act as a pair for most of Knives Out). Don Johnson is great as well.
Knives Out is a film that defies genre-ization. It cannot be defined by any one genre, and is it's own wholly unique and original thing. It bills itself as a classic murder-mystery whodunit in the vein of Clue, Deathtrap, or Murder on The Orient Express and it certainly has elements from that genre within it. Knives Out is a movie that continually morphs and shifts as you watch it ( you never quite know exactly what you're watching). It's certainly a hard one to categorize or define (if anything, the film plays more like a game than anything else). This much is definitely true though, it's a ton of fun and it enjoys continually challenging your expectations.
Rian Johnson (who previously directed Brick, Looper, The Brothers Bloom, and The Last Jedi) writes and directs, and Steve Yedlin is in charge of cinematography (indeed, there are some gorgeous shots within the film). Rian Johnson is one of the best directors we have working in the business today, and he once again proves that here. He plays within multiple different genres in Knives Out, while commenting on the culture/society/times we are currently living in. There are nice messages/commentary here (naturally some of which are about the attitudes/behaviors of the rich), and the film could even be viewed as a metaphor for America and our immigrant situation. The script is clever, funny and impressive. Brick, Looper, and Last Jedi were gifts, and so is Knives Out.
Knives Out is very complex (some might say convoluted/confusing), there are many twists and turns, and an aspect of the big climax comes off as unrealistic while the climax itself feels clunky (though the issues with the climax could easily be viewed as a common issue with most detective films when you really think about it). When all is said and done, Knives Out is certainly not going to be what you expect (or maybe even want) it to be, and either you're going to be ok with that or you wont. Whether or not you like the film, it's hard to deny that a lot of hard work and love clearly went into making it (indeed, Knives Out is expertly crafted). Knives Out easily emerges as one of the best, most surprising, most fun films of 2019.
4.5 STARS
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019
FROZEN 2 TRAVELS INTO THE UNKNOWN WITH MIXED (BUT MOSTLY POSITIVE) RESULTS
In Frozen 2, things are pretty peachy in the kingdom of Arendelle. Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) is still getting used to being Queen, Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) is enjoying how normal and idyllic everything is while Olaf (Josh Gad) fears that nothing stays the same for very long, and Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) is tormenting himself over getting his proposal to Anna just right. Everything changes for the worst when Elsa engages in a duet with a strange voice that only she can hear, angering the elements (Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire....they each have their own personalities in the film. The fire spirit in particular is adorable as heck) which results with the citizens of Arendelle getting kicked out of their kingdom. The only way to make things right lies in a mysterious forest enshrouded in a thick mist. Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff will have to uncover the mystery that lies in the heart of the forest, and find a way to make things right.
Well, it's been six years since Frozen came out and took the world by storm, and now Frozen 2 sits poised to do it all over again. The whole cast is back for round 2, and is more than game for their beefed up roles (Olaf is also in much more of the film this time around, and is still entertaining....especially his recap of the first film. That said, he can be grating at times. Idina Menzel continues to absolutely own her role. Sterling K. Brown joins the cast in a small role as newcomer Destin Mattias, a member of the Arendelle royal guard. He's memorable and likable enough.). Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck return. Lee once again pens the script, but with assistance this outing from Allison Schroeder. The script is still mostly good, although Disney seems to be taking notes from Marvel. The songs this time around (once again by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez) are still mostly great, though the first film undeniably has the stronger soundtrack. The clear stand-out is 'Into the Unknown' (which is all but guaranteed to become the next big, inescapable earworm, just like 'Let It Go' before it.) , a playful and infectious song about the joy of venturing into new and possibly dangerous adventures. The visual sequence that accompanies it houses some of the first real WOW visuals in the movie. 'Some Things Never Change', and'When I Am Older' are a bit lacking. 'Lost in the Woods' plays better on the soundtrack, as in the film it's mostly played for laughs when in reality the lyrics are fairly serious.
Frozen 2 falls into the same trap that most sequels fall into: It tries to be bigger, darker, and more mature. It mostly succeeds, but bigger does not always mean better. The film is slower than the first, and borders on being boring at times. Some might find themselves wishing Frozen 2 would just get on with it. It doesn't help that there is an expanded focus on backstory and exposition here, to a point where it almost overwhelms everything (For example: The first scene is a flashback to young Anna and Elsa, which then segues into ANOTHER flashback of their father when he was young). Yet another issue is that the characters are slowly separated as the film progresses onwards(Example: Kristoff appears in the first act and a half, only to disappear until the end of the final act. Sad to see a great character be mostly ignored), and while sisterhood still plays a key role here...this outing is more about the continuing adventure of self-discovery that Elsa is on. The film also features some heavy foreshadowing that all but telegraphs how things are going to play out, and is like being hit in the face with a brick (repeatedly).
One of the things about wanting to be darker and more mature, is that you have to commit. Each character does experience significant growth throughout the film (and the film is indeed quite dark and more mature), but Frozen 2 teases a much darker ending and almost completely goes for it, only to pull back at the very last second. That said, one of the sequel's largest positives is this: if you are looking for a spectacular wonderland for the eyes, you don't get much better than Frozen 2. The film is consistently stunning and gorgeous (Step aside Lion King 2019). There is always something to marvel at (so much wonderful, rich eye candy), and it's hard not to enjoy getting lost in the world the filmmakers create (especially in 3-D. There are plenty of screen-penetrating moments).
Frozen 2 is certainly not without some flaws, but still mostly succeeds despite itself (admittedly, some things don't exactly add up/make sense when you stop to really think about them. The film also recycles some elements/parts from the first Frozen) . It's a very entertaining, fun, visually dazzling film that has some memorable tunes and plays host to some great messages for the young and young-at-heart. It borders on being great, but doesn't quite get there. As far as sequels go, it's one of the better ones. In the end, there is plenty to enjoy here. Don't 'Let It Go', it's worth the trip 'Into the Unknown'.
3.5 STARS
Well, it's been six years since Frozen came out and took the world by storm, and now Frozen 2 sits poised to do it all over again. The whole cast is back for round 2, and is more than game for their beefed up roles (Olaf is also in much more of the film this time around, and is still entertaining....especially his recap of the first film. That said, he can be grating at times. Idina Menzel continues to absolutely own her role. Sterling K. Brown joins the cast in a small role as newcomer Destin Mattias, a member of the Arendelle royal guard. He's memorable and likable enough.). Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck return. Lee once again pens the script, but with assistance this outing from Allison Schroeder. The script is still mostly good, although Disney seems to be taking notes from Marvel. The songs this time around (once again by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez) are still mostly great, though the first film undeniably has the stronger soundtrack. The clear stand-out is 'Into the Unknown' (which is all but guaranteed to become the next big, inescapable earworm, just like 'Let It Go' before it.) , a playful and infectious song about the joy of venturing into new and possibly dangerous adventures. The visual sequence that accompanies it houses some of the first real WOW visuals in the movie. 'Some Things Never Change', and'When I Am Older' are a bit lacking. 'Lost in the Woods' plays better on the soundtrack, as in the film it's mostly played for laughs when in reality the lyrics are fairly serious.
Frozen 2 falls into the same trap that most sequels fall into: It tries to be bigger, darker, and more mature. It mostly succeeds, but bigger does not always mean better. The film is slower than the first, and borders on being boring at times. Some might find themselves wishing Frozen 2 would just get on with it. It doesn't help that there is an expanded focus on backstory and exposition here, to a point where it almost overwhelms everything (For example: The first scene is a flashback to young Anna and Elsa, which then segues into ANOTHER flashback of their father when he was young). Yet another issue is that the characters are slowly separated as the film progresses onwards(Example: Kristoff appears in the first act and a half, only to disappear until the end of the final act. Sad to see a great character be mostly ignored), and while sisterhood still plays a key role here...this outing is more about the continuing adventure of self-discovery that Elsa is on. The film also features some heavy foreshadowing that all but telegraphs how things are going to play out, and is like being hit in the face with a brick (repeatedly).
One of the things about wanting to be darker and more mature, is that you have to commit. Each character does experience significant growth throughout the film (and the film is indeed quite dark and more mature), but Frozen 2 teases a much darker ending and almost completely goes for it, only to pull back at the very last second. That said, one of the sequel's largest positives is this: if you are looking for a spectacular wonderland for the eyes, you don't get much better than Frozen 2. The film is consistently stunning and gorgeous (Step aside Lion King 2019). There is always something to marvel at (so much wonderful, rich eye candy), and it's hard not to enjoy getting lost in the world the filmmakers create (especially in 3-D. There are plenty of screen-penetrating moments).
Frozen 2 is certainly not without some flaws, but still mostly succeeds despite itself (admittedly, some things don't exactly add up/make sense when you stop to really think about them. The film also recycles some elements/parts from the first Frozen) . It's a very entertaining, fun, visually dazzling film that has some memorable tunes and plays host to some great messages for the young and young-at-heart. It borders on being great, but doesn't quite get there. As far as sequels go, it's one of the better ones. In the end, there is plenty to enjoy here. Don't 'Let It Go', it's worth the trip 'Into the Unknown'.
3.5 STARS
ASSASSINATION NATION IS THE GREAT AMERICAN NIGHTMARE BROUGHT TO LIFE
This review has been a long time coming.
In Assassination Nation, Lilly (Odessa Young) and her BFFs Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), and Em (Abra) are traversing the ups and downs of high school and social media. When their small town of Salem (clearly named as a reference to the Salem Witch Trials. Appropriate considering what goes down at the end of this film.) falls victim to a vicious hacker who hacks half the citizens of the town and publicly releases all of their data, it isn't long before the whole town is in a complete state of hysteria, and a violent mob forms. They target Lilly, viewing her as a "whore" (due to her sexual escapades) and blame her for the hack. Her friends are targeted as well, due to their friendship with her. It's up to the four-some to band together and do what it takes to survive.
Assassination Nation plays like The Purge meets Spring Breakers. The cinematography (by Marcell Rev) is gorgeous and flashy, the script by Sam Levinson (who also directs) is strong and humorous, and the editing by Ron Patane is great. The film opens with a humorous but serious trigger warning. Assassination Nation deals with themes of homophobia, privacy (or the lack thereof) in today's age, hypocrisy, and toxic masculinity among other things. It's ultimately a social commentary that feels very real and very current.
Out of our leads, the standouts are Odessa Young as Lilly and Hari Nef as Bex. Lilly is definitely not without her flaws (she is indeed quite sexual and promiscuous, which winds up bringing her a lot of pain throughout the film), but she is also incredibly smart and aware of the age/times she is living in. Odessa Young plays her with confidence and vulnerability, allowing the shy, awkward, nervous 18 year old to shine through. Her monologues throughout the film are strong and gripping (especially the last one). Hari Nef is fantastic as her sympathetic and cool transgender BF Bex, who is going through some stuff as well. Bex is pining over one of the football studs who has a clear interest in her, but is not comfortable with his own sexuality. Hari Nef manages to put on a strong, naturalistic performance and is quite likable in the role. Bill Skarsgard has a small supporting role as Lilly's nasty boyfriend (He is pretty scary), and Joel McHale puts on maybe his best performance yet as Lilly's next door neighbor-turned-psycho that Lilly has been crushing on.
Assassination Nation is a film that many may find hard to watch. It's incredibly dark and graphic. When the Purge-esque portion comes into play near the end (which commences with a scene of home-made waterboarding, immediately followed by the best sequence in a film in 2018: The break-in and attack on Abra's house) we aren't encouraged to revel in the anarchy. Instead it's all very disturbing and frightening. It's a relief when the film ends with an enthusiastic marching band marching through the destroyed streets of Salem, set to the tune of Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop' (It's sure to send you out smiling and dancing). Despite all the anarchy, chaos and depravity to be sampled in Assassination Nation, the film itself is still very entertaining and darkly humorous, and has some strong messages that are worth hearing (It even advocates for tearing the whole system down and starting over again, a scary but liberating idea). Assassination Nation is a film that acts as a mirror, reflecting the darkest parts of our society and ourselves. Some parts do come across as a bit exaggerated, but that can be expected in social satires and commentaries. The film will undoubtedly challenge you and disturb you, but is still an absolute must-see.
5 STARS
In Assassination Nation, Lilly (Odessa Young) and her BFFs Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), and Em (Abra) are traversing the ups and downs of high school and social media. When their small town of Salem (clearly named as a reference to the Salem Witch Trials. Appropriate considering what goes down at the end of this film.) falls victim to a vicious hacker who hacks half the citizens of the town and publicly releases all of their data, it isn't long before the whole town is in a complete state of hysteria, and a violent mob forms. They target Lilly, viewing her as a "whore" (due to her sexual escapades) and blame her for the hack. Her friends are targeted as well, due to their friendship with her. It's up to the four-some to band together and do what it takes to survive.
Assassination Nation plays like The Purge meets Spring Breakers. The cinematography (by Marcell Rev) is gorgeous and flashy, the script by Sam Levinson (who also directs) is strong and humorous, and the editing by Ron Patane is great. The film opens with a humorous but serious trigger warning. Assassination Nation deals with themes of homophobia, privacy (or the lack thereof) in today's age, hypocrisy, and toxic masculinity among other things. It's ultimately a social commentary that feels very real and very current.
Out of our leads, the standouts are Odessa Young as Lilly and Hari Nef as Bex. Lilly is definitely not without her flaws (she is indeed quite sexual and promiscuous, which winds up bringing her a lot of pain throughout the film), but she is also incredibly smart and aware of the age/times she is living in. Odessa Young plays her with confidence and vulnerability, allowing the shy, awkward, nervous 18 year old to shine through. Her monologues throughout the film are strong and gripping (especially the last one). Hari Nef is fantastic as her sympathetic and cool transgender BF Bex, who is going through some stuff as well. Bex is pining over one of the football studs who has a clear interest in her, but is not comfortable with his own sexuality. Hari Nef manages to put on a strong, naturalistic performance and is quite likable in the role. Bill Skarsgard has a small supporting role as Lilly's nasty boyfriend (He is pretty scary), and Joel McHale puts on maybe his best performance yet as Lilly's next door neighbor-turned-psycho that Lilly has been crushing on.
Assassination Nation is a film that many may find hard to watch. It's incredibly dark and graphic. When the Purge-esque portion comes into play near the end (which commences with a scene of home-made waterboarding, immediately followed by the best sequence in a film in 2018: The break-in and attack on Abra's house) we aren't encouraged to revel in the anarchy. Instead it's all very disturbing and frightening. It's a relief when the film ends with an enthusiastic marching band marching through the destroyed streets of Salem, set to the tune of Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop' (It's sure to send you out smiling and dancing). Despite all the anarchy, chaos and depravity to be sampled in Assassination Nation, the film itself is still very entertaining and darkly humorous, and has some strong messages that are worth hearing (It even advocates for tearing the whole system down and starting over again, a scary but liberating idea). Assassination Nation is a film that acts as a mirror, reflecting the darkest parts of our society and ourselves. Some parts do come across as a bit exaggerated, but that can be expected in social satires and commentaries. The film will undoubtedly challenge you and disturb you, but is still an absolute must-see.
5 STARS
Saturday, November 2, 2019
CHERNOBYL IS THE ICARUS FABLE BROUGHT TO HORRIFYING LIFE
The HBO miniseries Chernobyl is about the events immediately following the horrific Chernobyl explosion that occurred April 1986, and the efforts to contain and stop the catastrophic fallout and consequences of human hubris. We follow professor Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), Council of minister's deputy chairman Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgard), and nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson, her character is fictional, and meant to represent all the scientists who worked effortlessly during the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster) who are tasked with getting the situation under control and uncovering the reason for the explosion. Needless to say, both are herculean, almost impossible tasks.
Chernobyl is about the explosion, and why things went so horrifically, unimaginably wrong. It's also very much so about the thousands of men and women who put their lives on the line in an effort to ensure things didn't get any worse. It's a harrowing, horrifying nightmare and is incredibly grim, bleak and graphic. The show doesn't hold back when it comes to depicting the full horrors of the Icarus fable, and what happens when man is foolish enough to think he has complete control over anything and everything. Bodies melt, babies die, sacrifices are made, and people suffer unimaginably.
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, and Emily Watson (who's character also represents the viewpoint of history) are all phenomenal and put on fantastic performances as people that are struggling not only against enormous odds, but also against a system/government that is dedicated to disinformation and lies. The show does a great job at memorializing not just Legasov and Shcherbina and their heroic efforts, but also the efforts and tireless work of everyone who worked around the clock to neutralize the aftermath and effects of Chernobyl.
Chernobyl makes for a tough, but informative and rewarding watch. It is a dramatization/fictionalization so don't assume it gets everything right (It doesn't. It does seem to get the sequence of events that lead to the explosion correct, the same goes for the basics of the clean-up effort). The show succeeds in showing just how small man is when compared to the power of the Gods (It really does make you feel like an ant. A bunch of ants trying to extinguish an inextinguishable fire), and it certainly will make you want to chuck your cell phone and any device that emits radiation into the nearest garbage can (the effects of radiation sickness are truly sickening and horrifying). In the end, if you are looking for a great piece of horror based on a real-life nightmare...Chernobyl is the way to go. It's only 5 episodes, but is still challenging, effective, and is easily the most horrifying piece of "entertainment" to come out of 2019.
5 STARS
Some articles about what Chernobyl got right and wrong
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-hbos-chernobyl-got-right-and-what-it-got-terribly-wrong
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/06/27/how-hbo-got-it-wrong-on-chernobyl/
https://www.businessinsider.com/chernobyl-hbo-whats-true-myths-2019-5
https://www.businessinsider.com/chernobyl-director-hbo-series-villain-hero-2019-7
Chernobyl is about the explosion, and why things went so horrifically, unimaginably wrong. It's also very much so about the thousands of men and women who put their lives on the line in an effort to ensure things didn't get any worse. It's a harrowing, horrifying nightmare and is incredibly grim, bleak and graphic. The show doesn't hold back when it comes to depicting the full horrors of the Icarus fable, and what happens when man is foolish enough to think he has complete control over anything and everything. Bodies melt, babies die, sacrifices are made, and people suffer unimaginably.
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, and Emily Watson (who's character also represents the viewpoint of history) are all phenomenal and put on fantastic performances as people that are struggling not only against enormous odds, but also against a system/government that is dedicated to disinformation and lies. The show does a great job at memorializing not just Legasov and Shcherbina and their heroic efforts, but also the efforts and tireless work of everyone who worked around the clock to neutralize the aftermath and effects of Chernobyl.
Chernobyl makes for a tough, but informative and rewarding watch. It is a dramatization/fictionalization so don't assume it gets everything right (It doesn't. It does seem to get the sequence of events that lead to the explosion correct, the same goes for the basics of the clean-up effort). The show succeeds in showing just how small man is when compared to the power of the Gods (It really does make you feel like an ant. A bunch of ants trying to extinguish an inextinguishable fire), and it certainly will make you want to chuck your cell phone and any device that emits radiation into the nearest garbage can (the effects of radiation sickness are truly sickening and horrifying). In the end, if you are looking for a great piece of horror based on a real-life nightmare...Chernobyl is the way to go. It's only 5 episodes, but is still challenging, effective, and is easily the most horrifying piece of "entertainment" to come out of 2019.
5 STARS
Some articles about what Chernobyl got right and wrong
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-hbos-chernobyl-got-right-and-what-it-got-terribly-wrong
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/06/27/how-hbo-got-it-wrong-on-chernobyl/
https://www.businessinsider.com/chernobyl-hbo-whats-true-myths-2019-5
https://www.businessinsider.com/chernobyl-director-hbo-series-villain-hero-2019-7
TERMINATOR: DARK FATE ATTEMPTS TO REBOOT THE FRANCHISE (AGAIN)
Be warned, there be spoilers ahead!
In Terminator: Dark Fate, Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) finds herself targeted by a new kind of terminator dubbed the REV9 (Gabriel Luna), who hails from a new post-apocalyptic future that was created after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John destroyed Skynet. Now, it's up to augmented super soldier from the future Grace (Mackenzie Davis), Sarah Connor, and an aging T-800 named Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to protect Dani and find a way to destroy the REV9.
After the failure of Terminator: Genisys, it would appear that Hollywood refused to give up so easily, and (taking heavy notes from the reboot of Halloween), they decided to try again with Terminator: Dark Fate. Indeed, Dark Fate definitely feels like Genisys 2.0 (it recycles a lot from the previous film: John Connor dies, it's another attempt at "rebooting" the franchise, and it's yet another Terminator film that feels like more of an excuse to create thrilling action set pieces instead of a cohesive and captivating plot). It's certainly better than Genisys, and it's one of the better Terminator sequels....but it still ain't great.
Let's start with the good. The film is well-cast, with Hamilton, Davis, and Schwarzenegger easily carrying the weight of the film. Hamilton steps back into the role of bad-ass, sexy grandma Sarah Connor with ease. After losing John to another T-800 in 1998, she has been adrift and filled with an all-encompassing grief. She failed her mission, and she doesn't know what to do now (She even states at one point that she has started to forget how John looked, and regrets not taking any pictures of him. This decision stemming from a paranoia that if the terminators didn't know how he looked, they wouldn't be able to find him). She has gone globe-trotting, destroying any rogue terminator she finds. It's surprising to realize how much she has been missed during the last 28 years. Just having her in the film elevates the proceedings considerably, and her arc is quite satisfying and sad. It's hard not to grieve along with her.
Mackenzie Davis is fantastic as Grace. She hails from the new post-apocalyptic future, Legion (a new cyber warfare tech that rises up against humanity, turning off all technology. It's essentially a less cool, not as well fleshed out version of Skynet) has created machines to eradicate mankind. After suffering grievous injuries, she volunteers to become an augmented super soldier. Her mission is to travel to the past and protect new resistance leader Dani Ramos. Davis is believable as an action hero, and her scenes of butt-kicking are surprisingly cool and impressive. It helps that she has an interesting backstory that is reminiscent of Kyle Reese's. Davis is easily the stand-out of the new cast.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as aging T-800 Carl, who was responsible for terminating John Connor. After his mission was complete, he slowly grew something resembling a conscience and saved a mother and her young son. He became her husband, and the son's step-father of sorts. Raising the son made him realize what he took away from Sarah, and he now spends his days protecting his new family and trying to make amends to Sarah for his mistake. His catch-phrase isn't "I'll be back", but is now "For John". This is easily Arnold's best reprisal of his beloved character in any of the sequels post-T2. He is very funny, charming, believable and sympathetic as Carl the T-800. It's a performance that is reminiscent of the one her gave in Terminator 2, and he makes it clear this is his final performance as the character ( "I won't be back"). It's a fitting, beautiful swan song. What a way to go.
Tim Miller previously directed the stellar Deadpool, and is in the director's seat for Dark Fate. It's clear him and the other people responsible for creating the film are huge fans of the franchise as there are many, many nods to Terminator and Terminator 2 ('Guitars, Cadillacs' even plays in the back ground of one scene). None of the references bothered me, but I could see how they could rub some the wrong way (Some might say "too much fan service"). As director, Miller isn't exactly great, excelling at directing the numerous action scenes (which are thrilling, exciting and cool....when you can make out what's going on. The CGI is also inconsistent. Some of it is very obvious and bad, but some of it is stunningly gorgeous) but not doing so well the rest of the time. The screenplay by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray ain't great. The characters are fleshed out enough, but the plot just isn't cool, interesting, or engaging.
It is interesting that most of the first act, and some of the second, is set in Mexico City. This new location makes the characters feel more vulnerable, and more in danger than in previous sequels (The authority figures/police just don't seem as present, or as good at their jobs). Things get even more unsettling when our protagonists have to make a run for the border, and ultimately wind up in a confrontation with Border Patrol. There isn't much commentary to be sampled in Dark Fate, but it's appreciated that the film places us in the shoes of undocumented immigrants and somewhat attempts to show us some of their plights.
Gabriel Luna as the REV9 is one of the more impressive terminators from the sequel films. He is a metal endo-skeleton covered in a liquid metal alloy (think a cooler, more bad-ass version of the TX from Terminator 3). The liquid metal can separate from the metal endo-skeleton to create a 2nd terminator. It's very unsettling to watch the two merge back together after any battle. Unfortunately, his performance just isn't great and he never feels like a real presence in the film. You don't buy him as the next, great, unstoppable killing machine (One thing that is distracting: He can form guns with his hands...something that previous Terminators are explicitly stated can never do. The film gets away with this via the excuse that he comes from Legion, which is different from Skynet, so the old rules don't apply. What exactly the new rules are, aren't made clear.)
Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos barely makes an impression. The film tries to make her into a new, bad-ass female icon and fails. Her character just isn't interesting, and we don't know enough about her to root for her or buy her as the new John Connor. It doesn't help that all our other protagonists are given so much more material to work with than her. In the end, she is more-so delegated to sit on the sidelines and try to look tough. Not sure if the fault lies with how she was written, how Reyes performed her role, or both. Either way, she is one of the least memorable things in Dark Fate.
Another thing that many will undoubtedly be pissed off by is John Connor's death (two shotgun blasts to the chest). The de-aging used in the scene is seamless and impressive, Sarah and John look exactly the way we remember them...which drives the knife even further into our guts when the termination happens. It doesn't help that John didn't really need to die. John could have easily lived and went into hiding or went on to live a regular life. His death didn't result in Dani Ramos becoming the new leader, Skynet's death did...so his fate feels unearned, meaningless and even more tragic. It would have been better if he wasn't included at all. Such a waste of Edward Furlong (John only appears in around a minute or less of screen time. And no, there isn't an end credits scene where John appears and his death is undone....so don't bother sitting through the credits). The only positive result is that it makes Sarah's story and arc that much more rich and engaging.
Terminator: Dark Fate is an undeniably flawed, but entertaining film. It's certainly one of the better Termintor sequels you can see....but that doesn't mean it earns a recommendation. Despite Sarah Connor, Grace, and Carl being fairly strong, engaging, well-written characters and the action being some of the best and most thrilling you can sample in any of the Terminator sequels post T2, the plot is exceptionally weak and uninteresting and it just feels like the film is trying much too hard with very little payoff. It's so incredibly disappointing that we have had four freakin' Terminator sequels after T2, and not one has been worth its weight in salt. Terminator: Dark Fate tries to be the Halloween 2018 of the Terminator franchise (featuring female characters who struggle with their own versions of grief, ultimately having to work together to defeat a big, bad male) and ultimately fails. In the end, it's just another flawed, failed attempt at rebooting a franchise that should have terminated with T2. Check it out when it is available to rent (worth a view to see the end of Sarah Connor's story, and for Arnold's final swan song as the T-800), but don't bother running to theaters to see it.
3 STARS
In Terminator: Dark Fate, Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) finds herself targeted by a new kind of terminator dubbed the REV9 (Gabriel Luna), who hails from a new post-apocalyptic future that was created after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John destroyed Skynet. Now, it's up to augmented super soldier from the future Grace (Mackenzie Davis), Sarah Connor, and an aging T-800 named Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to protect Dani and find a way to destroy the REV9.
After the failure of Terminator: Genisys, it would appear that Hollywood refused to give up so easily, and (taking heavy notes from the reboot of Halloween), they decided to try again with Terminator: Dark Fate. Indeed, Dark Fate definitely feels like Genisys 2.0 (it recycles a lot from the previous film: John Connor dies, it's another attempt at "rebooting" the franchise, and it's yet another Terminator film that feels like more of an excuse to create thrilling action set pieces instead of a cohesive and captivating plot). It's certainly better than Genisys, and it's one of the better Terminator sequels....but it still ain't great.
Let's start with the good. The film is well-cast, with Hamilton, Davis, and Schwarzenegger easily carrying the weight of the film. Hamilton steps back into the role of bad-ass, sexy grandma Sarah Connor with ease. After losing John to another T-800 in 1998, she has been adrift and filled with an all-encompassing grief. She failed her mission, and she doesn't know what to do now (She even states at one point that she has started to forget how John looked, and regrets not taking any pictures of him. This decision stemming from a paranoia that if the terminators didn't know how he looked, they wouldn't be able to find him). She has gone globe-trotting, destroying any rogue terminator she finds. It's surprising to realize how much she has been missed during the last 28 years. Just having her in the film elevates the proceedings considerably, and her arc is quite satisfying and sad. It's hard not to grieve along with her.
Mackenzie Davis is fantastic as Grace. She hails from the new post-apocalyptic future, Legion (a new cyber warfare tech that rises up against humanity, turning off all technology. It's essentially a less cool, not as well fleshed out version of Skynet) has created machines to eradicate mankind. After suffering grievous injuries, she volunteers to become an augmented super soldier. Her mission is to travel to the past and protect new resistance leader Dani Ramos. Davis is believable as an action hero, and her scenes of butt-kicking are surprisingly cool and impressive. It helps that she has an interesting backstory that is reminiscent of Kyle Reese's. Davis is easily the stand-out of the new cast.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as aging T-800 Carl, who was responsible for terminating John Connor. After his mission was complete, he slowly grew something resembling a conscience and saved a mother and her young son. He became her husband, and the son's step-father of sorts. Raising the son made him realize what he took away from Sarah, and he now spends his days protecting his new family and trying to make amends to Sarah for his mistake. His catch-phrase isn't "I'll be back", but is now "For John". This is easily Arnold's best reprisal of his beloved character in any of the sequels post-T2. He is very funny, charming, believable and sympathetic as Carl the T-800. It's a performance that is reminiscent of the one her gave in Terminator 2, and he makes it clear this is his final performance as the character ( "I won't be back"). It's a fitting, beautiful swan song. What a way to go.
Tim Miller previously directed the stellar Deadpool, and is in the director's seat for Dark Fate. It's clear him and the other people responsible for creating the film are huge fans of the franchise as there are many, many nods to Terminator and Terminator 2 ('Guitars, Cadillacs' even plays in the back ground of one scene). None of the references bothered me, but I could see how they could rub some the wrong way (Some might say "too much fan service"). As director, Miller isn't exactly great, excelling at directing the numerous action scenes (which are thrilling, exciting and cool....when you can make out what's going on. The CGI is also inconsistent. Some of it is very obvious and bad, but some of it is stunningly gorgeous) but not doing so well the rest of the time. The screenplay by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray ain't great. The characters are fleshed out enough, but the plot just isn't cool, interesting, or engaging.
It is interesting that most of the first act, and some of the second, is set in Mexico City. This new location makes the characters feel more vulnerable, and more in danger than in previous sequels (The authority figures/police just don't seem as present, or as good at their jobs). Things get even more unsettling when our protagonists have to make a run for the border, and ultimately wind up in a confrontation with Border Patrol. There isn't much commentary to be sampled in Dark Fate, but it's appreciated that the film places us in the shoes of undocumented immigrants and somewhat attempts to show us some of their plights.
Gabriel Luna as the REV9 is one of the more impressive terminators from the sequel films. He is a metal endo-skeleton covered in a liquid metal alloy (think a cooler, more bad-ass version of the TX from Terminator 3). The liquid metal can separate from the metal endo-skeleton to create a 2nd terminator. It's very unsettling to watch the two merge back together after any battle. Unfortunately, his performance just isn't great and he never feels like a real presence in the film. You don't buy him as the next, great, unstoppable killing machine (One thing that is distracting: He can form guns with his hands...something that previous Terminators are explicitly stated can never do. The film gets away with this via the excuse that he comes from Legion, which is different from Skynet, so the old rules don't apply. What exactly the new rules are, aren't made clear.)
Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos barely makes an impression. The film tries to make her into a new, bad-ass female icon and fails. Her character just isn't interesting, and we don't know enough about her to root for her or buy her as the new John Connor. It doesn't help that all our other protagonists are given so much more material to work with than her. In the end, she is more-so delegated to sit on the sidelines and try to look tough. Not sure if the fault lies with how she was written, how Reyes performed her role, or both. Either way, she is one of the least memorable things in Dark Fate.
Another thing that many will undoubtedly be pissed off by is John Connor's death (two shotgun blasts to the chest). The de-aging used in the scene is seamless and impressive, Sarah and John look exactly the way we remember them...which drives the knife even further into our guts when the termination happens. It doesn't help that John didn't really need to die. John could have easily lived and went into hiding or went on to live a regular life. His death didn't result in Dani Ramos becoming the new leader, Skynet's death did...so his fate feels unearned, meaningless and even more tragic. It would have been better if he wasn't included at all. Such a waste of Edward Furlong (John only appears in around a minute or less of screen time. And no, there isn't an end credits scene where John appears and his death is undone....so don't bother sitting through the credits). The only positive result is that it makes Sarah's story and arc that much more rich and engaging.
Terminator: Dark Fate is an undeniably flawed, but entertaining film. It's certainly one of the better Termintor sequels you can see....but that doesn't mean it earns a recommendation. Despite Sarah Connor, Grace, and Carl being fairly strong, engaging, well-written characters and the action being some of the best and most thrilling you can sample in any of the Terminator sequels post T2, the plot is exceptionally weak and uninteresting and it just feels like the film is trying much too hard with very little payoff. It's so incredibly disappointing that we have had four freakin' Terminator sequels after T2, and not one has been worth its weight in salt. Terminator: Dark Fate tries to be the Halloween 2018 of the Terminator franchise (featuring female characters who struggle with their own versions of grief, ultimately having to work together to defeat a big, bad male) and ultimately fails. In the end, it's just another flawed, failed attempt at rebooting a franchise that should have terminated with T2. Check it out when it is available to rent (worth a view to see the end of Sarah Connor's story, and for Arnold's final swan song as the T-800), but don't bother running to theaters to see it.
3 STARS
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