Flash Movie Review: Superman
A PILE OF HAND-ME-DOWN comic books was my first introduction to Superman. I read and reread them many times over until I started buying comic books at the local five and dime store in our neighborhood. Superman’s strength was what attracted me to him, along with his X-ray vision. Not being much of an athletic kid, I wished I had muscles like Superman. The reason I wanted his X-ray vision was so I could spot someone hiding to ambush me when I was walking home from school. From allowances and getting money for returning soda bottle for the deposit, I bought every issue that came out. Besides Superman, I had enough money to buy Batman comics which was my other obsession. The array of gadgets Batman had always fascinated me. I think my thrill for fast cars was due to the Batmobile. Though, it was a toss-up for which car I liked better: James Bond’s car or Batman’s, both were equipped with amazing inventive tricks like machines guns hidden behind headlights, smokescreens and rocket launchers. Whether it was Superman or Batman, I loved all the special abilities they utilized in fighting “bad guys.” One of my biggest regrets was selling my comic books from my summer lemonade stands; little did I know how much they would be worth today. DESPITE ALL THE READING I DID of Superman, I did not focus on his ability to fly until I saw the live action television show. Seeing an actual person flying, sparked my imagination and desires. As a little kid, I thought the actor was actually flying. Now, whenever I happen to see a clip of the old television show, it looks more like Superman is just lying on a flat surface and either strings or a fan is making his cape move, to look like the wind is blowing it. I had dreams about flying; most of the time I was flying to escape getting picked on or beaten up. Summer days, I would sit out on our back porch and study the height of the trees nearby, wondering what would be a safe height for me to practice flying. Of course, my imagination was fully engaged with ideas about building some type of apparatus to help me fly. I thought about the possibility of attaching fabric to wing shaped wooden frames that I could build, then strapping them on my arms with belts. Or, maybe having someone sew fabric directly to my jeans and shirt so that the wind could get in it and float me up like a kite. Gratefully, I never acted on any of these thoughts that I just realized got nudged in my brain after seeing this action, superhero adventure. CONFLICTED BETWEEN HIS HERITAGE AND HUMAN upbringing was not the only thing that was causing Superman/Clark Kent, played by David Corenswet (Twisters, The Greatest Hits) stress and grief. Encountering a being as strong as himself was something new. With Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-TV) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, The Order) as Lex Luthor, Alan Tidy (The Trouble with Jessica, Resident Alien-TV) as Gary, and Bradley Cooper (Maestro, Nightmare Alley) as Jor-El; this reboot’s script was written for today’s current climate, with dashes of humor thrown in. The CGI dog was strictly there for comic relief. I was conflicted by this mix and wished there had been a stronger sense of doom in the plot. Though the actors did a good job, I felt their characters were a bit cartoonish and not fully fleshed out. At some point it seemed the scenes were jumping from one action fight to another. Maybe the intention was to make Superman more human, which I do not have an issue with, but I like my superhero characters to have a stronger foundation. Overall, I enjoyed watching this picture and felt everyone involved did a good job. Maybe I was hoping for a great job instead.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Jurassic World Rebirth
THE WAY SHE SAID “HI” TO ME, told me she did not recognize me. Instead of saying my name, she said hers, as an introduction. I looked into her eyes and replied “hi” it is Jordan. Her face transformed from momentary confusion to shock to bubbling joy; she lunged and put her arms around me, saying over and over, she could not believe I was there.When she moved back from hugging me, I smiled and she said she now recognized me because of my dimples. We had not seen each other in close to forty years. However, in our early years when we were not even enrolled yet in elementary school, we lived and grew up in the same apartment building. We were related because my mother and her father were siblings. We spent so much time together, from holidays to weekends plus many times after school. I was over to their apartment for dinner just as much as they came over to our place. Our foundation was vast and strong, filled with so many memories, both happy and sad. We were at a celebration of life memorial, in a small banquet room that was off of the dining room of a well established restaurant. There were on the average thirty to forty people milling about at any given time. Despite the crowd, we managed to get a little history about each other including spouses and children. it was such a surreal experience for me. ALL THE WAY HOME AND THROUGH the rest of the week, I kept getting a variety of memories about her when we were children. Honestly, if she had not introduced herself, I would have had to take a second look at her before going up to her; the transformation from child to senior citizen was more dramatic since there were no reference points established through the decades between. It is funny what a child will remember. We were playing outside in front of our building when her grandmother from the other side of the family came out to give her some candy before she was going to go home. I was standing right next to her but the grandmother never offered me any which hurt my feelings. Over the following years, I made a point of never being anywhere near the woman, having grown a strong dislike of her. Truth be told, a hatred of her for not giving me any candy. Luckily, there were so few times I saw her that eventually she slipped into the recesses of my mind. Plus, the good memories I had growing up far outweighed the negative ones. These reactions were so similar to the ones I was having as I viewed this latest installment of the action, adventure franchise. A SMALL EXPEDITION MADE UP OF individuals from different backgrounds, agreed to navigate isolated waters to extract DNA from forgotten creatures, to be used in what would hopefully be a revolutionary medical breakthrough. The crew, however, each had their own reasons for agreeing to undertake such a dangerous mission. With Scarlett Johansson ((Fly Me to the Moon, Black Widow) as Zora Bennett, Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind, Green Book) as Duncan Kincaid, Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton-TV) as Dr. Henry Loomis, Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria, Pride & Prejudice) as Martin Krebs, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven, Widows) as Reuben Delgado; this science fiction film had excellent CGI effects working in its favor. The action scenes were exciting and thrilling, aided by a strong cast of actors. I enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs and felt the action scenes were well choreographed. On the negative side, the script was a letdown. Every character was transparent, making it easy to immediately know what the character would do in every scene. The dialog was basic, avoiding any kind of depth, both mentally and emotionally. Despite these flaws, I still had a good time watching this on the big screen.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon
I WAS NOT EVEN ENROLLED IN the school, and yet I knew about his reputation. After my sophomore year, I took my driver’s education course during the summer. It was not offered at my school so I had to take it at his school, knowing full well he was one of the teachers who taught the class. I desperately hoped I would not get him, but luck was not in my favor. There were conflicting stories about him; some people said he taught history, others said it was physical education, during the regular school year. I came to find out he mainly was a history teacher, but filled in for a couple of semesters as the PE teacher when one of the PE teachers was on medical leave. Some of the comments I had heard about him were, he yells at the students, loved handing out detentions, flunked many of his students, called the kids names, and demanded complete respect and attention. I dreaded the idea of sitting with him in a car. The only thing I felt working to my advantage was the fact I already knew how to drive, having been taught around our house first before going to empty parking lots, then graduating to drive up and down the side streets of our neighborhood. THE FIRST PART OF THE COURSE was all done in the classroom with each of us using a driving simulator. It was nerve-racking because when any one of us made a mistake he would sternly tell us we just killed a pedestrian or caused an accident that resulted in whiplash or death. It was an intense environment; however, out of the class I was one of three students that did not get yelled at, thank heavens! After we completed the simulator training, it was time to get behind the wheel of real cars and drive them around the test track that was behind the school. My first day it was me with two other students and this dreaded instructor. From my high scores in the simulator, he assigned me to be his brakeman which meant I was sitting in the front seat with him, with a second brake pedal on the front passenger side. He told me I was in charge of taking the students on the course, evaluating them and reporting back to him. He remained outside, walking around to each car, shouting directions or corrections at each driver. At one point, I found myself in the car alone with him; I was driving. We had this conversation where he explained why he was so tough on the students because anytime we got behind the wheel, we were putting our life in jeopardy, and he wanted to make sure every one of his students had the skills to remain alive. Through the rest of the course, I discovered he had a sense of humor, though he only shared it with me. I grew to respect him even more and appreciated how much he cared about all of us. This was nothing like the reputation that he was given. There was no reason to fear him as far as I was concerned. It was a great lesson for me that I saw repeated in this adventure, action, fantasy. FOR YEARS VIKINGS AND DRAGONS WERE bitter enemies, but that did not stop one young inventive boy from searching for the elusive feared dragon, Night Fury. The discovery could easily alter his life. With Mason Thames (The Black Phone, Incoming) as Hiccup, Nico Parker (Dumbo, Suncoast) as Astrid, Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves franchise, Law Abiding Citizen) as Stoick, Nick Frost (The World’s End, Get Away) as Gobber, and Gabriel Howell (The Fence, Bodies-TV) as Snotlout; this comedic live action drama was a special effects feast for the eyes. Though the script was a bit weak, I found the action scenes and the message more than made up for the script. There was excitement, tenderness and an even blend of comedy and drama which all together made for a satisfying movie viewing experience. Gerard was made for this role since he was the voice used in the original animated film, and along with Mason, they were a wonderful combo. An interesting note, there were only adults present at the theater where I saw this picture. With a touch of nostalgia, a big dose of special effects, and a well groomed cast of actors, I totally enjoyed this movie.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Lilo & Stitch
HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN IN LOVE at first sight? I cannot exactly say I have; but, I can say I have felt an immediate attraction upon meeting someone for the first time. There has been several friends and family members who have experienced falling in love immediately; for some it worked out, for others it did not. I remember questioning them after they told me, while I tried figuring out the how and why in taking such a leap from first meeting to falling in love. The answer remained elusive for me. All of us must have experienced at one time feeling immediate dislike for someone upon meeting them; I certainly have over the years. However, when it comes to experiencing, in my case, immediate attraction, it has very little to do with the physical features of a person. I have mentioned before I never cared about a person’s height, weight, hair or face; it has always been the personality, their mind, their humor and most importantly their hygiene. A complete turnoff for me was bad/dirty teeth and/or fingernails. If they suffered with acne, a physical issue such as a limp or picking something as random as a cleft palette; it did not matter to me. My only concern if I am being perfectly honest was if they did not take the state of their health seriously. AS THEY SAY, “BEAUTY IS IN the eye of the beholder,” and I perfectly understand it. One summer a long time ago, I felt I needed to jumpstart my dating status. So, I posted an online ad to see what would happen. To my shock, I received over 50 responses; I must admit I did write a unique ad that was meant to catch the eye. For each date I went on, I would only agree to meet for a cup of coffee for approximately one hour. There were some first dates that were near painful trying to maintain a conversation; others, did go over an hour by double or more because of the stimulating conversation. It was always dictated by the combination of our personalities. When this happened in a positive way, there was always a good chance by the end of the first date, I felt a strong attraction to them. Granted, there were times where it was not reciprocated and I was okay with it, but did feel a little letdown. I had to keep telling myself it was not meant to be, so just keep on trying. However, those times where the two of us were in synch (humor, personality, mind) it was magical. I would feel this strong connection, though I might not be able to easily explain it. This is the reason why I understood what the young girl was feeling in this fantasy, family, action, adventure movie. A LITTLE GIRL WAS IMMEDIATELY ATTRACTED to the runaway alien she discovered. Her problem would be convincing her older sister to let her keep it. With newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lily, Sydney Agudong (At Her Feet, West Michigan) as Nani, Chris Sanders (The Croods franchise, Lilo & Stitch: The Series-TV) voicing Stitch, Zach Galifianakis (Winner, Due Date) voicing Jumba, and Courtney B. Vance (Ben is Back, Dangerous Minds) as Cobra Bubbles; this dramatic comedy had a pull on my heart. Having never seen the original animated film or series, I thought Maia was excellent in her role. The special effects were fun as was the script, though there were a few sad parts in it. During the viewing of this picture there was a time where I thought the antics were getting too repetitive, but there were definitely a few of the scenes that had an underlying message which the adult viewer would understand. All in all, I thought this picture was well done, and is suitable for the entire family.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Showgirl
HAVING THE COMBINATION OF BEING CHANGE resistant and finding comfort in having a routine, it is difficult for me whenever I am forced to accept a new situation in my daily routine. For example, at a past job, when our department was moving to a remodeled space, I nearly became catatonic because I was so overwhelmed with the thought of packing up my area and moving my stuff to a different location in the office building. My co-workers noticed the week of our scheduled move, I barely had the drawers of my desk packed up, let alone my files. They had to come in and get everything into cardboard files or boxes, label them and put them in a pile for the people who were in charge of physically moving our stuff. To this day, I am still grateful for all the work they put in to get me to our new office space. I do not know why I am so resistant to change, but even throughout my career I have had numerous phone calls from recruiters, enticing me with job opportunities at various companies that were offering bigger salaries than what I was currently receiving. I turned all of them down because I simply did not want to change the daily routine I had in place. I know, this sounds crazy but it is the truth; that is how uncomfortable I am when it comes to change. THIS FEAR OF CHANGE WAS ONE of the main reasons why I created choreographed routines in my aerobic classes. If I had to come into the exercise studio each time with a different move or step pattern I would have given up teaching classes. On the average, I would have ten to twelve songs on my playlist with each song representing a different choreographed piece. This way, I could walk into class for the next six to ten weeks knowing exactly what i was going to do and monitor the class participants’ progress. If you think that might be a little bit OCD, I am sure I have told you that I ate the exact same lunch every day at work for over thirty years. Knowing that I would be eating the same food, where each item was a favorite of mine, was my daily oasis of bliss during the work day. No matter how hard the day was going, knowing what was waiting for me at lunchtime always made me happy and excited. I know I am not the only person who finds comfort with having a routine, and when I do discover someone else of a like mind it simply validates what I feel about myself. You will quickly know and understand why I enjoyed this film festival winning drama. AFTER WORKING FOR YEARS AT THE same Las Vegas stage show, a seasoned showgirl must come to terms with the fact the show would soon be closing, leaving her to figure out what she needed to do to make a living. With Pamela Anderson (Baywatch-TV, Home Improvement-TV) as Shelly, Brenda Song (Love Accidentally, Dollface-TV) as Mary-Anne, Kiernan Shipka (Red One, Mad Men-TV) as Jodie, Dave Bautista (The Killer’s Game, In the Lost Lands) as Eddie, and Jamie Lee Curtis (Borderlands, Haunted Mansion) as Annette; the performances in this film were excellent. I thought Pamela did her best work in this story and wondered if the writers had her in mind when creating this character. The way she came across with this tiny high pitched voice and love of feathers and sequins, it was a delight to see the maturity of her character bleeding out of her as the story progressed. Also, it is understandable why she was nominated for a Golden Globes Award. I enjoyed seeing a different side of Las Vegas with the story focused more on the workers who created the glitz and glamour. The script was decent but I would have appreciated learning more about the characters. However, watching the acting and my fascination with Las Vegas, made this an enlightening viewing experience.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Novocaine
THOSE IN MY SPHERE OF FRIENDS and relatives would not use the word “risky” to describe me. Yet, though it would not be the first, third, or tenth thing down the list; I would say I am a calculated risk type of individual. This is especially true when it comes to relationships. I remember this person I had only gone out with twice before they invited me to their New Year’s Eve party, no less. I was hesitant with my reply because I had to go over all the information I had acquired from our two dates. To my advantage, they were an afternoon coffee date and dinner date; so, there was a lot of talking done in those two events. When I replied I mentioned I had another party to go to but I would stop by. This was true, though the other party was a yearly get together at a friend’s house for whoever wanted to stop by. The reason I mentioned the other party was in case I was not comfortable being at a party filled with strangers, except for the host who I had only known for a couple of weeks. It was a risk for me and at the party I was quite aware I was the topic of conversation amongst their closer friends. Gratefully, I had a pleasant time despite feeling like I was on display; I did catch the host telling a friend that I was the one who they had been “dating” the past couple of weeks. I AM NOT MAKING ANY JUDGEMENTS regarding that New Year’s Eve party because I have taken the same type of risk myself. When I first meet a potential date, I tend to steer the conversation into deeper waters because I have never been good at small talk. If I find my mind is engaged with theirs, I can quickly find myself being attracted to them; I want to learn and explore more with them. And for some reason, if a situation comes up where it appears they are taking a risk, that can be quite informative. The last time when I was available and dating, I had met someone for coffee one evening after work. The conversation went well and I felt we had a variety of things in common. It was towards the end of our third date when I decided to take a risk and see if they would accept it. I mentioned I was going to an outdoor music festival in a couple of weeks and asked if they cared to join me. A good part of me thought they would decline because I was pretty sure the artists were not the type of musicians they were interested in. Imagine going on a date and spending the entire time not enjoying the venue; it certainly could be a test. To my surprise, they accepted my offer; I was actually stunned but pleased. The reason being is that this showed me the interest was mutual, which allowed my defenses to recede and let my heart expand. We had a wonderful time and from that moment on, the relationship got stronger and stronger. So, I absolutely understood what the main character had to do in this action, crime, comedy, thriller. WHEN ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES IS taken as a hostage, who he believes might be the girl of his dreams, the assistant bank manager sets out to rescue her, using his unique physical trait to assist him. With Jack Quaid (Companion, The Boys-TV) as Nate, Amber Midthunder (Prey, The Ice Road) as Sherry, Ray Nicholson (Smile 2, Borderline) as Simon, Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man franchise, Tarot) as Roscoe, and Betty Gabriel (Get Out, It Lives Inside) as Mincy; this movie had a novel story line that I found attractive. Granted, there were scenes filled with blood and violence; but I enjoyed the acting, especially coming from Jack and Amber. Some of the scenes were creative but at some point they started reaching to the level of far-fetched. A layer of disbelief formed in my head that lasted through the last half of the film. Also, the same type of gag repeating itself made the last half of the story a bit tiresome. However, with the novel approach, good acting, and creativity involved; I still enjoyed watching this picture, though I had to turn my head away a couple of times. There were scenes of blood and violence.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Thunderbolts
ONE OF THE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCES during my elementary and high school years was when we would have to pick teams in physical ed classes. Usually the teacher would pick two of his favorites in the class to be team captains, and let them choose the students they wanted for their teams. This meant I would have to stand in line with the rest of the students and watch each one get picked before me; if I was not the last one picked, I was always close to last. I knew and everyone else knew right then and there the captain really did not want me on their team because I would not be an asset to the team. Heck, I knew I would not be because I did not like playing team sports. The best I could hope for was not to make a mistake that would cost the team not to win. Depending on the game, I would always stay in the back and just run from side to side with the other students around me, hoping the ball never came close to me. The most amazing thing that ever came out of those experiences was finding myself the last member standing for my team and having to try and make the winning play. The game, I can distinctly remember to this day, was bombardment. Each side would throw the ball to the other side and try to hit a member from the opposing team. If hit, they were then out of the game; the last person standing was the winner for the team. It was during this game that I discovered I could throw the ball fast and really hard. It was a revelation to me. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, THIS WAS the only game I ever wanted to play. And trust me, the other students noticed my “talent” quickly. Added to my new ability, I had a high accuracy rate; I could quickly knock off boy after boy on the opposing team. Sadly, once we graduated to high school, where I thought I could start with a clean slate and not have all the other boys think I was a loser except in this one game, none of the PE classes offered bombardment as a sport. So, I found myself back to being part of a small group of boys who were always picked last in any of the sporting events. If you were never in such a situation, it would be hard to tell you how truly awful the feeling was to stand while everyone around you was getting picked before you. It does a real number on one’s confidence and for many of us, the feelings leaked out into our other school activities. Imagine having to get up in front of the class to give an oral report and see your fellow students not paying attention to anything you were saying, or teaming up on a science project and your lab partner telling you he wants to do the experiment alone because he is in your PE class and knows about your poor performances. Due to these life experiences I have endured, my heart always quickly goes out to the underdog, no matter the venue or activity. This is way I found myself early on, rooting on the castoffs in this action, adventure, science fiction drama. FINDING THEMSELVES CALLED TO THE SAME place, only to discover it was a trap, a group of unconventional beings must form a tight knit group if they want to save themselves and save the world. With Florence Pugh (We Live in Time, Dune: Part Two) as Yelena Belva, Sebastian Stan (A Different Man, Dumb Money) as Bucky Barnes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Tuesday, You Hurt my Feelings) as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Lewis Pullman (Water Rises, Bad Times at the El Royale) as Robert Reynolds, and David Harbour (A Working Man, Violent Night) as Alexei Shostakov; this superhero political drama was a refreshing twist to the superhero genre. The cast was perfectly suited to the script, especially Florence with her character. She has such a strong screen presence that demands one’s attention. Another surprise for me was seeing Julia do such a wonderful job with her character who was so unlike any of her other characters. I appreciated the lack, or at least the soft marketing influences to the script. There were humorous moments throughout the story as well as touching moments that were unexpected but helped balance out the script. Even though the story may not be a total original, I enjoyed watching this film and felt sympathy for this group of characters. I would not mind seeing them come together in a sequel. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Nonnas
IN RETIREMENT, I DID NOT WANT to make cooking one of my goals. Instead, I left it as a work in progress. Presently, I do not have the confidence to trust my cooking skills, so whenever we have company over for dinner, I make two main courses; this way if one of them turns out bad, there is another one that hopefully is better. I like to increase the odds in my favor. However, in my mind I have visions of family and friends gathering at our house, to use one of my favorite sayings, to “break bread.” I truly enjoy that phrase because it is simple and direct. It has its origins in religious scriptures but I am referring to the modern slang version of it which means to share a meal, a significant event to foster meaningful connections and cooperation. In my thank you speech to our wedding guests, I thanked them for attending to break bread with us because we were all as one. So this idea of creating and sharing a meal is in my head and has been for decades. The example of it came from my now deceased relatives who every weekend took turns hosting the entire family over for a dinner, a lunch, a brunch, or a barbecue. The home would be filled with relatives all gathered around the dining room table that had its extra leaves put into it. We would sometimes be jammed tightly around it depending on how many relatives were present, but it did not make a difference to any of us; we all loved being together to share in the stories that would be told and the home cooked food. WITH THAT AS MY EXAMPLE, I want to be able to carry on that tradition which is why I want to practice and get more comfortable with the cooking aspect of a meal. I do pretty good in the baked desserts category. Along with this mental picture, the idea of using the kitchen items that have been handed down to me, is the icing on the cake, pun intended. I have serving platters and bowls that I remember when I was a toddler. In my possession are only a few of the recipes that my relatives used when they were alive and hosting meals. I would love to be able to recreate some of their dishes and surprise the current generations of our families. However, there is a problem with some of the recipes; there are no exact measurements to the ingredients. Back then, the people who did the cooking and baking had most of their recipes committed to memory. I even remember sitting down with a relative and having them show me how much of each ingredient they used, then taking it and measuring it out. That would be the ultimate achievement if I could do something like that, but I do not think at this stage of my life I will ever achieve such a feat. In the meantime, I sit and study the recipes and tackle them with estimated amounts, doing them over and over, until the reality matches the memory of the item. This dramatic comedy reinforces my belief that sitting together and breaking bread is a powerful force, especially when one has at their disposal those old family recipes. AFTER HIS MOTHER’S PASSING, A SON wants to honor her in a special way; by opening a restaurant though he knows nothing about running such an operation. With Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Fighting with my Family) as Joe Scaravella, Lorraine Bracco (The Basketball Diaries, The Sopranos-TV) as Roberts, Talia Shire (Rocky franchise, The Godfather franchise) as Teresa, Brenda Vaccaro (Capricorn One, Midnight Cowboy) as Antonella, and Joe Manganiello (The Kill Room, Magic Mike franchise) as Bruno; this film based on a true story was an easy comforting viewing experience. I enjoyed seeing the long well known actors working seamlessly together, doing what they do best. The script, though it was predictable, still provided warm fuzzy moments, helped by scenes of the wonderful looking home cooked meals. This film does not put on airs or thinks it is some kind of masterpiece in cinema; it simply provides a couple of chuckles, solid acting from the cast, and a great idea that became a well known reality. Excuse my choice of words, but this was a delicious little piece of a picture.
3 stars
moviejoltz 