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
Thursday, October 31, 2019
FRIGHT FEST: DOCTOR SLEEP TAKES US BACK TO THE OVERLOOK
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! This year, let's travel back to The Overlook with Doctor Sleep!
In Doctor Sleep, we follow the continuing "adventures" of Danny Torrence (Ewan Mcregor). Years after his unhappy childhood at The Overlook, Danny still suffers from hidden trauma and struggles to cope with his powerful Shining ability. He turns to drink in an effort to numb everything away, and quickly becomes an alcoholic. It's not until he escapes to a tiny town in New England called Frazier that he finally summons up the courage to throw away the bottle once and for all. It's just in time too, for a young girl called Abra (Kyleigh Curran) has the shine too, and a ravenous gang of Shining vampires (called The True Knot) led by an alluring woman named Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), is hot on her trail, intent on turning her into their next meal. It's up to Danny to mentor Abra and protect her from those who would do them both harm.
Doctor Sleep has a difficult task in front of it. It has to both be faithful to its source material, while remaining a sequel to the horror classic. The Shining (the novel) is quite different from The Shining (the film). For starters, The Overlook burns down/explodes at the end of the novel...so there's that. Not to mention in the novel, the character of Jack Torrence isn't downright evil, but instead a good but deeply flawed man who battles with his demons, only to be swallowed up by them in the end. Happily, the film is able to make peace with both versions of The Shining. As far as an adaptation of the novel Doctor Sleep, it does a fine job. The first two acts are fairly faithful, and the third act is where it becomes something wholly unique and original. It's an above-average adaptation of a mediocre novel (though there are some issues with things it chooses to leave out. For example: We don't spend as much intimate time with The True Knot.).
Doctor Sleep schools us on how to properly use characters that appeared in a prior beloved classic. The film doesn't use de-aging technology, but instead casts actors that look similar to those seen in The Shining (Carl Lumbly portrays Dick Hallorann, Roger Dale Floyd portrays young Danny, and Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes fame portrays Wendy Torrance). All the actors cast look close enough to the original actors, and are believable in their roles while still putting their own slight spin on the characters. Alex Essoe and Carl Lumbly in particular impress. Alex Essoe is a more beautiful version of Wendy/ Shelly Duvall, and Lumbly looks and acts almost exactly like Scatman Crothers/Dick Hallorann. Henry Thomas (aka Elliot in E.T.) also shows up for a surprise role, and is in what might be the best scene in the entire film. He was downright unrecognizable, and was incredibly impressive. Not only did he look like the actor/character he was portraying, he also gave a similar but slightly different performance as well. In the end, not having distracting CGI definitely aids in the believability of these characters and the actors' performances.
Ewan McGregor is well cast as adult Danny Torrence. It's not hard to see young Danny growing up into him. He has a slight pathos to him, and is very easy to root for. Kyleigh Curran as Abra is quite good as well. She adds a surprising menace to her character in certain scenes that really works, but is mostly a jovial but increasingly worried (due to her Shining and The True Knot) middle school prodigy. Rebecca Ferguson is perfect as Rose The Hat, an incredibly sexy but increasingly dangerous and deadly woman who is the head of the True Knot. It's hard to take your eyes off her when she is on, and she manages to be sympathetic, frightening, and appropriately threatening.
As for the supporting cast, they all do fine jobs. Zahn McClarnon is great as Crow Daddy, Rose's second in command. He's pretty likable, despite being bad at his core and is one of the stand-outs of the supporting cast. Cliff Curtis does a fine job as Billy, a close friend to Danny and a conductor of a toy train. His character is a slightly different version of the Billy character from the novel (for starters, the Billy in the novel is much older), but is still someone you would want on your side during a tough time. Carel Struckyn (aka Lurch in the 1990s Addams Family movies and The Moonlight Man in Gerald's Game) is fine in his small role as Grandpa Flick. Jacob Tremblay is fantastic in his minor role as Bradley Trevor, a young kid who falls victim to The True Knot. It's incredibly hard to watch his murder, and his cries of pain and terror are super affecting. It's surprising to see him here, and in such a small role....but he absolutely nails it (Interestingly enough, in the novel Doctor Sleep, his character has the Measels which he passes on to The True Knot when they feast on him. The True Knot slowly begin to die off from the disease, which puts their backs against the wall and is ultimately why they decide to go after Abra with such gusto. This aspect is completely absent from the film though, and is sorely missed as it would have added a little bit to the proceedings.).
Don't walk into Doctor Sleep expecting a thrill-a-minute, terrifying horror film. Like the novel, there isn't a whole lot of forward momentum, and it's a fairly quiet, introspective movie. It's not boring, it's just pretty slow for the first two acts. It's really in it's third act where Doctor Sleep starts to shine (no pun intended), as character's fates are altered and we are re-introduced to The Overlook Hotel, which has been condemned and long-abandoned after the incidents of The Shining. This is when the film puts the pedal to the medal, and Doctor Sleep becomes something pretty thrilling as we are treated to what is essentially a fun and nostalgic haunted house maze inside the crumbling Overlook. The direction by Mike Flannagan, the production design by Maher Ahmad, the art direction by Richie Bearden, Austin Gorg, and Justin O'Neal Miller, and the set decoration by Gene Serdena are all superb. Doctor Sleep's Overlook looks exactly like the classic Overlook in The Shining (there's even a cool scene early on that replicates the office of Mr. Ullman, for no clear reason other than to give the audience some serious willies). It's just nice to re-visit a classic location, it's almost like coming home in a weird way. There's a lot of fun to be had inside The Overlook in Doctor Sleep, although there are some parts that border on feeling like a re-make. That said, it's nice to have the ol' girl appear for a final curtain bow and to get to explore her halls once again (the score by The Newton Brothers even resembles that of The Shining in odd moments, which is nice. The end credits even roll to the tune of Midnight, The Stars and You which is the same song that The Shining ends with).
Doctor Sleep ends on a satisfying, bitter-sweet note and closes out The Shining films in appropriate fashion. Doctor Sleep certainly won't win over everyone who sees it. Hardcore fans of Doctor Sleep (the novel) may be disappointed or frustrated with some of the changes made. Mega fans of The Shining (the film), may be unhappy with how few scares and chills this film has. So, your mileage may vary. All that being said, Doctor Sleep is still a mostly entertaining, fun, freaky film that is elevated to something somewhat greater due to its thrilling final act and it's superb performances from its large cast. It makes for an easy recommendation.
Doctor Sleep gets released Nov. 8 2019
3.5 STARS
And so ends another Fright Fest. Till next year, pleasant frightmares, ghosties and ghoulies!
In Doctor Sleep, we follow the continuing "adventures" of Danny Torrence (Ewan Mcregor). Years after his unhappy childhood at The Overlook, Danny still suffers from hidden trauma and struggles to cope with his powerful Shining ability. He turns to drink in an effort to numb everything away, and quickly becomes an alcoholic. It's not until he escapes to a tiny town in New England called Frazier that he finally summons up the courage to throw away the bottle once and for all. It's just in time too, for a young girl called Abra (Kyleigh Curran) has the shine too, and a ravenous gang of Shining vampires (called The True Knot) led by an alluring woman named Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), is hot on her trail, intent on turning her into their next meal. It's up to Danny to mentor Abra and protect her from those who would do them both harm.
Doctor Sleep has a difficult task in front of it. It has to both be faithful to its source material, while remaining a sequel to the horror classic. The Shining (the novel) is quite different from The Shining (the film). For starters, The Overlook burns down/explodes at the end of the novel...so there's that. Not to mention in the novel, the character of Jack Torrence isn't downright evil, but instead a good but deeply flawed man who battles with his demons, only to be swallowed up by them in the end. Happily, the film is able to make peace with both versions of The Shining. As far as an adaptation of the novel Doctor Sleep, it does a fine job. The first two acts are fairly faithful, and the third act is where it becomes something wholly unique and original. It's an above-average adaptation of a mediocre novel (though there are some issues with things it chooses to leave out. For example: We don't spend as much intimate time with The True Knot.).
Doctor Sleep schools us on how to properly use characters that appeared in a prior beloved classic. The film doesn't use de-aging technology, but instead casts actors that look similar to those seen in The Shining (Carl Lumbly portrays Dick Hallorann, Roger Dale Floyd portrays young Danny, and Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes fame portrays Wendy Torrance). All the actors cast look close enough to the original actors, and are believable in their roles while still putting their own slight spin on the characters. Alex Essoe and Carl Lumbly in particular impress. Alex Essoe is a more beautiful version of Wendy/ Shelly Duvall, and Lumbly looks and acts almost exactly like Scatman Crothers/Dick Hallorann. Henry Thomas (aka Elliot in E.T.) also shows up for a surprise role, and is in what might be the best scene in the entire film. He was downright unrecognizable, and was incredibly impressive. Not only did he look like the actor/character he was portraying, he also gave a similar but slightly different performance as well. In the end, not having distracting CGI definitely aids in the believability of these characters and the actors' performances.
Ewan McGregor is well cast as adult Danny Torrence. It's not hard to see young Danny growing up into him. He has a slight pathos to him, and is very easy to root for. Kyleigh Curran as Abra is quite good as well. She adds a surprising menace to her character in certain scenes that really works, but is mostly a jovial but increasingly worried (due to her Shining and The True Knot) middle school prodigy. Rebecca Ferguson is perfect as Rose The Hat, an incredibly sexy but increasingly dangerous and deadly woman who is the head of the True Knot. It's hard to take your eyes off her when she is on, and she manages to be sympathetic, frightening, and appropriately threatening.
As for the supporting cast, they all do fine jobs. Zahn McClarnon is great as Crow Daddy, Rose's second in command. He's pretty likable, despite being bad at his core and is one of the stand-outs of the supporting cast. Cliff Curtis does a fine job as Billy, a close friend to Danny and a conductor of a toy train. His character is a slightly different version of the Billy character from the novel (for starters, the Billy in the novel is much older), but is still someone you would want on your side during a tough time. Carel Struckyn (aka Lurch in the 1990s Addams Family movies and The Moonlight Man in Gerald's Game) is fine in his small role as Grandpa Flick. Jacob Tremblay is fantastic in his minor role as Bradley Trevor, a young kid who falls victim to The True Knot. It's incredibly hard to watch his murder, and his cries of pain and terror are super affecting. It's surprising to see him here, and in such a small role....but he absolutely nails it (Interestingly enough, in the novel Doctor Sleep, his character has the Measels which he passes on to The True Knot when they feast on him. The True Knot slowly begin to die off from the disease, which puts their backs against the wall and is ultimately why they decide to go after Abra with such gusto. This aspect is completely absent from the film though, and is sorely missed as it would have added a little bit to the proceedings.).
Don't walk into Doctor Sleep expecting a thrill-a-minute, terrifying horror film. Like the novel, there isn't a whole lot of forward momentum, and it's a fairly quiet, introspective movie. It's not boring, it's just pretty slow for the first two acts. It's really in it's third act where Doctor Sleep starts to shine (no pun intended), as character's fates are altered and we are re-introduced to The Overlook Hotel, which has been condemned and long-abandoned after the incidents of The Shining. This is when the film puts the pedal to the medal, and Doctor Sleep becomes something pretty thrilling as we are treated to what is essentially a fun and nostalgic haunted house maze inside the crumbling Overlook. The direction by Mike Flannagan, the production design by Maher Ahmad, the art direction by Richie Bearden, Austin Gorg, and Justin O'Neal Miller, and the set decoration by Gene Serdena are all superb. Doctor Sleep's Overlook looks exactly like the classic Overlook in The Shining (there's even a cool scene early on that replicates the office of Mr. Ullman, for no clear reason other than to give the audience some serious willies). It's just nice to re-visit a classic location, it's almost like coming home in a weird way. There's a lot of fun to be had inside The Overlook in Doctor Sleep, although there are some parts that border on feeling like a re-make. That said, it's nice to have the ol' girl appear for a final curtain bow and to get to explore her halls once again (the score by The Newton Brothers even resembles that of The Shining in odd moments, which is nice. The end credits even roll to the tune of Midnight, The Stars and You which is the same song that The Shining ends with).
Doctor Sleep ends on a satisfying, bitter-sweet note and closes out The Shining films in appropriate fashion. Doctor Sleep certainly won't win over everyone who sees it. Hardcore fans of Doctor Sleep (the novel) may be disappointed or frustrated with some of the changes made. Mega fans of The Shining (the film), may be unhappy with how few scares and chills this film has. So, your mileage may vary. All that being said, Doctor Sleep is still a mostly entertaining, fun, freaky film that is elevated to something somewhat greater due to its thrilling final act and it's superb performances from its large cast. It makes for an easy recommendation.
Doctor Sleep gets released Nov. 8 2019
3.5 STARS
And so ends another Fright Fest. Till next year, pleasant frightmares, ghosties and ghoulies!
Sunday, October 27, 2019
FRIGHT FEST: DAYBREAK WILL GIVE YOU WHIPLASH
In Daybreak, we follow Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford) and his adventures after the apocalypse. After a biological nuke drops in Glendale, CA most of the adults are eviscerated and the ones that survive are turned into mindless zombie-esque cannibals. For some odd reason though, everyone under the age of 18 is unaffected and survives, inevitably splitting off into various different cliques/groups/tribes who all continually fight for control. Before the bomb, Josh was a kind-hearted loner who was madly in love with (and dating) high-school queen Sam Dean (Sophie Simnett). After the apocalypse, Josh is thriving in the new world, living it up in his swanky apartment that's stocked with everything he could ever want or need. There's only one problem: Sam is missing, and Josh has been desperately searching for her so he can make amends and maybe win her back over. He winds up at a deserted shopping mall where he teams up with jock-turned-pacifist samurai Wesley Fists (Austin Crute) and adorable but unhinged pre-teen psycho Angelica Green (Aylvia Alyn Lind). Together, they form their own clique/group/tribe, and set out to save Sam and rid post-apocalyptic Glendale from a dangerous cannibalistic madman named Baron Triumph who has some very big, bad plans for the new world.
All of our leads do superb jobs (though Angelica does become a little grating as the season rolls on). The stand-outs by far are Colin Ford as Josh and Sophie Simnett as Sam. They make a super-cute (and super ship-able) couple. Colin carries most of the weight of the show as our "hero", and does so exceedingly well. He is easy to root for, and hides some nuances that are appreciated and make him more than just an audience cypher. Sophie Simnett as Sam is super easy to fall for as she is both pretty and kind, but as the show continually teases throughout its 10 episode first season, she hides layers we aren't even aware of. Aylvia Alyn Lind as Angelica is the rare pre-teen psycho who is legitimately scary at times and always unpredictable. As I said previously though, her story just isn't as interesting as the other characters' stories are. Austin Crates as Wesley Fists is great as a riff on the samurai with a strict code. He plays a tormented ex-jock who is trying to atone for past sins by assisting those in need of help and by swearing off violence. He's also gay, which plays a huge role in his story. It's nice to see a show that has a LGBTQ character as one of the heroes, and Wesley's story is one of the more interesting ones in Daybreak.
Daybreak also has a fantastic supporting cast. There's kind high school teacher turned crazy cannibal witch Ms. Crumble (Krytsa Rodriguez), super-woke principal Burr (Matthew Broderick) who genuinely cares for and would do anything to help his students, loser jerk Eli (Gregory Kasyan) who has claimed an abandoned shopping mall as his own, and Mad Max-esque villain Turbo (Cody Kearsley) who rules over the super violent Jocks and whom Wesley has some beef with. Each has their own stories to share, and each are equally interesting. Matthew Broderick in particular is a joy as Burr, and his story has some real twists and turns. Broderick is asked to juggle a lot here, and he mostly succeeds. Krysta Rodriguez as Ms. Crumble is surprisingly sympathetic and sad, her story has some nice reveals and surprises hidden inside it that make her character one of the more interesting and well-fleshed out ones you can find on Daybreak. Gregory Kasyan as Eli makes for a nice antagonist that is fun and funny, while hiding a touch of pathos behind his loser douche-bro facade. Cody Kearsley is also surprisingly likable, cool, and funny as a mostly-mute would-be villain. It's interesting that in Daybreak, even our villains are sympathetic and likable.
Daybreak hits the ground running like a kid jacked up on sugar, caffeine, and cocaine. It has a speedy, breathless momentum that it isn't quite able to maintain throughout its ten episode first season. The show is hyper-stylized, hyper-ADHD, and easily distracted (It's also consistently very funny). Most of the ten episodes aren't focused on the main plot of saving Sam and stopping Baron Triumph, but are instead dedicated to exploring all of our main and supporting character's back stories. This can get frustrating. It's appreciated to find a show that is so dedicated to its characters and their development (and to the art of expertly crafted and timed surprises, twists, and reveals), but it gets to the point where you may find yourself wishing they would just get back to the plot. There are A LOT of flashbacks, and each character has their own distinctive voice (for example: Josh is Ferris Bueller-esque. he constantly breaks the fourth wall to address the viewer and has a mostly laid-back attitude, while Wesley has The RZA narrate his back story like it's a ninja/samurai origin story). It can all feel like a little too much at times, but I'll always take a show that tries too hard and attempts to tackle a lot, over a show that doesn't try to do anything new and is more than content to sit back and rest on its laurels.
Daybreak ends up being more of a mixed bag than anything else, with it's positive elements easily outweighing its negative and more frustrating ones. Season one ends on one helluva mic drop/surprise twist that may leave some feeling a little sad/disappointed and uncomfortable (It definitely doesn't end at all in the way you would hope or expect it to, introducing us to a potential new villain for season two. You gotta say this much for Daybreak, it's always challenging our notions/perceptions of who these characters really are). Daybreak is a show that is fiercely dedicated to its characters, their development, and having a ton of fun. It certainly won't be for everyone, but you have to appreciate a show that is so fearless, ballsy and surprisingly nuanced. Daybreak is like the love-child of Mad Max, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Zombieland, and Detention (a little known indie-horror-comedy film). If you do decide to make the trek into Daybreak's vivid, insane post-apocalyptic world, throw away your Adderall, buckle your seat belts, and hang the fuck on...it's going to be a wild, bumpy, fun ride.
4 STARS
If there is a Season 2 (PLEASE GOD let there be a season 2), I'm thinking it might be better than Season One since there would (hopefully) be less flashbacks because we know all of our characters' stories, and so maybe they could focus more on plot next time around.
It's also weird that the show references on occasion that High School is supposed to be the time where you figure out who you are. Maybe I'm alone here, but for me that time was College.
Daybreak compares itself to Arthurian legend at one point, a comparison that would be apt if it spent more time focused on plot instead of fleshing out every character (and their back story) that is on screen.
All of our leads do superb jobs (though Angelica does become a little grating as the season rolls on). The stand-outs by far are Colin Ford as Josh and Sophie Simnett as Sam. They make a super-cute (and super ship-able) couple. Colin carries most of the weight of the show as our "hero", and does so exceedingly well. He is easy to root for, and hides some nuances that are appreciated and make him more than just an audience cypher. Sophie Simnett as Sam is super easy to fall for as she is both pretty and kind, but as the show continually teases throughout its 10 episode first season, she hides layers we aren't even aware of. Aylvia Alyn Lind as Angelica is the rare pre-teen psycho who is legitimately scary at times and always unpredictable. As I said previously though, her story just isn't as interesting as the other characters' stories are. Austin Crates as Wesley Fists is great as a riff on the samurai with a strict code. He plays a tormented ex-jock who is trying to atone for past sins by assisting those in need of help and by swearing off violence. He's also gay, which plays a huge role in his story. It's nice to see a show that has a LGBTQ character as one of the heroes, and Wesley's story is one of the more interesting ones in Daybreak.
Daybreak also has a fantastic supporting cast. There's kind high school teacher turned crazy cannibal witch Ms. Crumble (Krytsa Rodriguez), super-woke principal Burr (Matthew Broderick) who genuinely cares for and would do anything to help his students, loser jerk Eli (Gregory Kasyan) who has claimed an abandoned shopping mall as his own, and Mad Max-esque villain Turbo (Cody Kearsley) who rules over the super violent Jocks and whom Wesley has some beef with. Each has their own stories to share, and each are equally interesting. Matthew Broderick in particular is a joy as Burr, and his story has some real twists and turns. Broderick is asked to juggle a lot here, and he mostly succeeds. Krysta Rodriguez as Ms. Crumble is surprisingly sympathetic and sad, her story has some nice reveals and surprises hidden inside it that make her character one of the more interesting and well-fleshed out ones you can find on Daybreak. Gregory Kasyan as Eli makes for a nice antagonist that is fun and funny, while hiding a touch of pathos behind his loser douche-bro facade. Cody Kearsley is also surprisingly likable, cool, and funny as a mostly-mute would-be villain. It's interesting that in Daybreak, even our villains are sympathetic and likable.
Daybreak hits the ground running like a kid jacked up on sugar, caffeine, and cocaine. It has a speedy, breathless momentum that it isn't quite able to maintain throughout its ten episode first season. The show is hyper-stylized, hyper-ADHD, and easily distracted (It's also consistently very funny). Most of the ten episodes aren't focused on the main plot of saving Sam and stopping Baron Triumph, but are instead dedicated to exploring all of our main and supporting character's back stories. This can get frustrating. It's appreciated to find a show that is so dedicated to its characters and their development (and to the art of expertly crafted and timed surprises, twists, and reveals), but it gets to the point where you may find yourself wishing they would just get back to the plot. There are A LOT of flashbacks, and each character has their own distinctive voice (for example: Josh is Ferris Bueller-esque. he constantly breaks the fourth wall to address the viewer and has a mostly laid-back attitude, while Wesley has The RZA narrate his back story like it's a ninja/samurai origin story). It can all feel like a little too much at times, but I'll always take a show that tries too hard and attempts to tackle a lot, over a show that doesn't try to do anything new and is more than content to sit back and rest on its laurels.
Daybreak ends up being more of a mixed bag than anything else, with it's positive elements easily outweighing its negative and more frustrating ones. Season one ends on one helluva mic drop/surprise twist that may leave some feeling a little sad/disappointed and uncomfortable (It definitely doesn't end at all in the way you would hope or expect it to, introducing us to a potential new villain for season two. You gotta say this much for Daybreak, it's always challenging our notions/perceptions of who these characters really are). Daybreak is a show that is fiercely dedicated to its characters, their development, and having a ton of fun. It certainly won't be for everyone, but you have to appreciate a show that is so fearless, ballsy and surprisingly nuanced. Daybreak is like the love-child of Mad Max, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Zombieland, and Detention (a little known indie-horror-comedy film). If you do decide to make the trek into Daybreak's vivid, insane post-apocalyptic world, throw away your Adderall, buckle your seat belts, and hang the fuck on...it's going to be a wild, bumpy, fun ride.
4 STARS
If there is a Season 2 (PLEASE GOD let there be a season 2), I'm thinking it might be better than Season One since there would (hopefully) be less flashbacks because we know all of our characters' stories, and so maybe they could focus more on plot next time around.
It's also weird that the show references on occasion that High School is supposed to be the time where you figure out who you are. Maybe I'm alone here, but for me that time was College.
Daybreak compares itself to Arthurian legend at one point, a comparison that would be apt if it spent more time focused on plot instead of fleshing out every character (and their back story) that is on screen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)