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Flash Movie Review: Hidden Strike
A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS for a dessert are chocolate and butter. Rarely have I come across a dessert with these two items included that was not delicious. The chocolate can be in the form of cocoa powder, chips, syrup, pudding or even crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Those who know me know the dessert is the most important part of dinner. I do not want to say the entrée is just a formality to get to the dessert, but it comes close. Since I was a small boy, I always enjoyed having something sweet to eat after dinner. Chocolate has always been my “go to” food after a meal, but that does not mean I do not like other flavors. Being a texture and visual eater, I love the combination of flavors and texture. For example, I prefer brownies with nuts in them because I like having a bit of crunch when I am chewing. The same goes with chocolate chips. A good chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips is heavenly. There just are certain pairings that make perfect sense, whether they are familiar or something brand new; it just tastes damn good is all I can say. THE IDEA OF PAIRING IS NOT solely something for desserts. The first thing that comes to mind are the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movies, like Road to Bali and Road to Rio. With one being the comedian and the other the straight man, they made a great pair. Another pairing that worked was Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; they did several movies together besides doing stand-up comedy. One of my earliest memories was seeing an old black and white film with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant called Bringing Up Baby. There was something about that film that grabbed my attention. Maybe it was the interaction between the two movie stars or the antics that took place; but the memory of it has stayed with my all these years. When you get two celebrities together and it is obvious there is a connection between them that works, it usually has been encouraged by their management teams and/or film studios. One can see it is a winning formula all the way around because studios still try to pair up different actors for a movie project. Just look at the film franchise, The Expendables. Getting a group of Type A personality types in one room can always provide hours of entertainment. This is one of the reasons why I was intrigued to see this action, adventure comedy because of its pairing of two action stars from different genres. WHEN A GROUP OF EMPLOYEES HE was escorting safely out of the country gets ambushed, a special forces soldier finds himself in the unusual position of working with someone who had similar training to himself but uses it for a different purpose. Can the two ever find a way to work together to get the kidnapped crew back? With John Cena (Vacation Friends, 12 Rounds) as Chris Van Horne, Jackie Chan (Rush Hour franchise, Iron Mask) as Luo Fang, Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones-TV, A Hijacking) as Owen Paddock, Rachel Holoway (Momentum, Ransom’s Law-TV) as Raider and Amadeus Serafini (Smiley Face Killers, Scream: The TV Series) as Henry Van Horne; my other curiosity was seeing if Jackie Chan’s character would be up to Jackie’s past fighting mode. The answer is yes, but it doesn’t look like Jackie did much if any of his physical demanding stunts. This was only one of many disappointments, I am afraid to say. I found the story to be a generic blueprint for these types of films where the hero must try to get someone/something out of a hostile territory while the villain tries to stop them. With a predictable script and poor special effects, this is a throwaway film. In other words, if you have nothing else to do then go ahead and watch it before you toss it away physically and/or mentally. Sadly, this was a forgettable pairing. There were outtakes during the ending credits.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: 65
THERE WERE NO MORE THAN A dozen small cages, but they were my fantasyland. In our neighborhood was a park that had a children’s zoo in the middle of it. I knew all the animals before I was even enrolled in kindergarten. Among the animals there was one bear, one llama, one peacock and one monkey. Since this was my first exposure to a zoo, I was enthralled with the variety of animals. I could spend hours sitting and watching them, though there was not much they could do. The bear would pace from side to side in its cage and the monkey could only climb on the front bars of its cage or the tire that was suspended from the ceiling of its enclosure. At that early age, it never occurred to me how awful their lives must have been. There was only one animal per cage; they had nothing to stimulate them. No playmates, toys, or suitable landscapes to help them pass the time. One of the things I remember distinctly was throwing shelled peanuts into the bear’s cage. At some point the bear must have realized I was the one who was throwing the peanuts because they walked to the side of the cage where I was standing and stood up with its front paws on the bars. I would try to toss the peanuts directly into its mouth. It was one of the biggest highlights of all the times I spent at the park and zoo. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS older that I realized how horrific the conditions were for those animals at that neighborhood zoo. By the time I graduated elementary school, I had seen enough zoos to know which excelled in their treatment of their animals. I know there is some controversy about even having zoos, but I will not go into it here. In the city where I lived, there were two zoos; one was in the heart of the city and the other was situated in a western suburb. These zoos were the first that I experienced that did away with metal bars. Instead, the animals lived in habitats that were recognizable to the animals. They had landscaped outside areas with entryways that led to indoor glass enclosed pens. The animals looked healthier and, in a way, appeared more alive if that makes sense. For the animals that were born to climb, there were artificial or real trees with vines hanging down. Some holding areas had water coursing through like a small stream or river. Recently on a trip, I went to a well known zoo that looked like I was on the live set of The Lion King; it was amazing. With the animals in this science fiction, adventure drama; I felt like I was at something closer to that little zoo from my neighborhood. ON AN ASSIGNMENT TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE to a different planet, a pilot crash lands on Earth. However, it was Earth during prehistoric times. He would have to navigate his way through the terrors of the land to find a way off the planet. With Adam Driver (Star Wars franchise, Marriage Story) as Mills, Ariana Greenblatt (Love and Monsters, The One and Only Ivan) as Koa, Chloe Coleman (My Spy, Marry Me) as Nevine and Nika King (Euphoria-TV, Greenleaf-TV) as Nevine’s Mom; this movie was a misfire. Though I appreciated the cast’s efforts, the story was predictable and pretty much a rehash of similar films that have been shown before. The drama and thrills were lower intensity instead of higher. There were times I felt I was watching a poor version of one of the Jurassic Park films; I was bored several times. It was too bad because I was initially intrigued by the story’s premise. The only reason I can think of watching this film is if you have any children fascinated with dinosaurs or if you cannot find anything else to watch.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE wedding where I was struck by nostalgic waves of a time from years ago. The wedding was beautiful, and my first sense of nostalgia was when I entered the venue. A man was seated by a baby grand piano, playing a variety of classic songs. Sitting on top were several framed photos of the wedding couple’s deceased parents. Seeing how the parents were dressed reminded me of a celebratory time when my family and I were attending a relative’s wedding and we were all dressed up. I was wearing a new suit and it was the first time I got to wear a tie with it; granted, it was one of those ready-made ties that clip onto the shirt. In attendance at the wedding, were many relatives of mine. Being together was a comforting feeling. For the ones that were close in age to me, there was a long history of us sticking together and sitting at the same table during meals. We talked about when we were kids and had to sit at the “kid’s table” away from the main dining table. Usually, one aunt or uncle would keep tabs on us to make sure we were behaving and eating the food on our plates. AFTER DINNER AT THE WEDDING RECEPTION, there were several events planned by the wedded couple. One of them was a family photo. I cannot describe the feelings I got when the DJ called up all the family members to the dance floor for a group photo. With the photographer and his assistant getting everyone arranged to be visible, showing off their best side, I was teleported back in time at an earlier staging for a family photo. Looking around at the relatives standing next to me, I could see and remember how they looked when we were all much younger. The feeling was incredible. I even remember one of the family photos we all sat in, I was seated on the floor, and I was the only one who was not smiling. In fact, I looked miserable as if I had been crying. Right after the photographer took the picture, I was taken home and a doctor was called to the house. It turned out I had strep throat and to this day, I remember how awful it felt. That photo that was taken hangs on the wall in the hallway of our home. Though I was sick, the memories and nostalgic feelings I had being around a familiar family outweighed any negative feelings about being ill. This same type of nostalgic feeling was strong through me as I was experiencing it multiple times throughout this action-adventure movie. DESPITE BEING OF RETIREMENT AGE, ARCHAEOLOGIST Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford (The Call of the Wild, Ender’s Game), must travel the world to reach a legendary artifact before it falls into the wrong hands and changes the course of history. With Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Goodbye Christopher Robin, Fleabag-TV) as Helena, Antonio Banderas (The Skin I Live in, The Laundromat) as Renaldo, Karen Allen (Year by the Sea, Starman) as Marion and Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round, Doctor Strange) as Dr. Voller; this latest installment of the film franchise did not have the sharp humor and directorial prowess of Steven Spielberg; however, it did provide a ton of thrills and action sequences. The first 20 minutes were exhilarating and after that the story went from one chase scene to another to another to another. It got to be too repetitive for me; gratefully they were well choreographed and several of them had sly references to the earlier films. Ultimately, if you are a fan of this franchise then you will enjoy this one. Besides Harrison and Mads being perfect, the nostalgic factor was too big for me not to like it.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Elemental
WHEN SHE TOLD ME SHE AND her family were planning to move to the city, I was surprised. Not that there was anything wrong with the city where we both were born; however, it was not the trend anyone in the family was doing. As far as I knew, both families and friends were moving further and further north and west of the city. I did not understand the trend, assumed it was following new construction. Nevertheless, when I asked my relative why they were moving from the suburbs back to the city, she said she did not want her children to grow up in a neighborhood like she had when she was small. Seeing the confusion on my face, she explained to me that there was nothing wrong with her childhood neighborhood, but it was not the real world. Almost everyone she knew growing up was the same religion and race; there was little diversity, and she wanted her kids to be exposed to people from all parts of the world. Thinking about my childhood home, I began to understand what she was trying to do. The neighborhood she planned on moving to was known as a diverse neighborhood; it was a conglomeration of various ethnic and religious groups. Instead of buying a house, she and her husband decided to buy a three flat, so the kids would learn the ways of living with neighbors. I had to admire my relative’s determination in creating a meaningful life lesson for her children. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS RELATIVE WHEN I was living on my own. One of my first places to live was in a two flat in the city. I lived on the 2nd floor; the landlord and his family on the first. In one of the hotspots of the world our two religions were at war; however, here in the city we were friendly and neighborly with no issues. In fact, we both were curious to learn about the other’s customs and beliefs. I could not help but think about what my relative was trying to achieve with her children, to instill respect and acceptance in people who were not the same as themselves. It really was an admirable goal. My thoughts triggered a memory I had from elementary school, when a new student was introduced to our class. They were the first person of color to be enrolled at my school. Most of the students treated this new student like any other new student; but I can remember a few classmates who used to tease this new student. Those kids could have used my relative’s guidance in how to treat people. HER FAMILY WAS FROM FIRE AND his from water; two unlikely residents of the city who discovered the things they were led to believe all these years about the other were not necessarily true. With the city in danger, could they overcome their differences to help protect the residents in peril. With Leah Lewis (The Half of It, How to Deter a Robber) voicing Ember, Mamoudou Athie (Underwater, Jurassic: World Dominion) voicing Wade Ripple, Ronnie Del Carmen (Inside Out, Soul) voicing Bernie, Shila Ommi (The Illegal, Tehran-TV) voicing Cinder and Wendi McLendon-Lovey (Bridesmaids, Reno 911! -TV) voicing Gale; this latest animated Pixar film had a beautiful message about immigrants and diversity. I appreciated how the writers spun these themes into the story. The visuals were interesting and at times stunning; however, compared to other movies of the same ilk, this one did not overwhelm me. I did not get a strong sense of contrasts in the emotional and dramatic scenes. There was decent humor but nothing memorable. This comedy, adventure movie’s strength was the story line; it was sweet and charming, with a touch of insightfulness to stimulate the viewer’s mindset.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
ONCE THE SEEDS OF DOUBT ARE planted inside of you, it takes a monumental amount of effort to overcome them. I had to deal with it for most of my young life. The first seeds that were planted inside of me were the ones associated with my weight. I cannot tell you how many times I heard from classmates and neighborhood kids I could not do something because I was big, as in excessive weight. There were not many kids that were overweight as far as I can remember, which I find odd in itself. One episode that came to mind was watching my friends climb something, like a tree or fence. I can still see me standing there, too afraid to attempt such an activity because I was afraid my girth would break the tree branch, or my arms and legs were not strong enough to lift my weight up. While my friends would climb a tree, I would sit in the grass and watch while shouting out encouragement. Another area where I receded and tried to fade into the background was sports activities. Being told I could not throw or hit a ball far was enough for me to avoid sports games. While neighborhood kids were deep into the action of a baseball game, I was standing off to the side, tossing a rubber ball against a flat surface, trying to get it to bounce directly back at me. THE NEXT MAJOR EPISODE THAT BECAME life changing for me was during seventh grade. I may have mentioned this some time ago, about the teacher who asked each of us what we wanted to do when we graduated high school. When it came to my turn and I said I wanted to be a writer, the teacher looked up at me and stated I would never amount to anything. I believed her and as a result, turned my focus strictly to science-based classes. I kept it up through the rest of high school and halfway through my college years. When I finally built up the courage to take a writing class in college, I went overboard with every assignment. I needed to prove to myself and everyone else (whether they believed it or not) that I belonged in class and the only way I knew how was to produce volumes of work. So many individuals do not realize an offhanded remark or comment can leave a deep impression on a young person’s mind. Believe me, it takes a strong amount of work to break free of those damaging thoughts once doubt takes root in one’s mind. It was quite evident to see the effort needed by the main character in this animated, action-adventure sequel. THERE WAS LITTE TIME TO TAKE in the multiverse with all the different Spider-Men protecting each universe for Miles Morales/Spider-Man, voiced by Shameik Moore (Let it Snow, The Pretenders). There was a villain like no other that needed to be stopped and if Miles wanted to help, he would have to redefine who he was and his place in the universe. With Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee, The Edge of Seventeen) voicing Gwen Stacy, Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train, If Beale Street Could Talk) voicing Jeff Morales, Luna Lauren Velez (Windows of the World, The First Purge) voicing Rio Morales and Jake Johnson (Safety Not Guaranteed, New Girl-TV) voicing Peter B. Parker; this movie continued the high standards of the previous one’s animation and humor. I found the idea of the story creative and felt the writers did a wonderful job of mixing drama with sadness and humor. If one is not familiar with this budding franchise, then I feel they would be lost at times. During the last half of the film, I started feeling as if I was overloaded and scenes seemed to blur into repetition. Not knowing this installment was part one of two, bothered me because I am not a fan of cliffhangers that do not get resolved for months at a time.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Fast X
WHEN I WAS LITTLE, BIG FAMILY dinners were exciting for me. It was there where I had my first taste of coffee; granted, it was a couple of drops in a coffee cup with milk filling up the rest. However, I felt like such a grownup sitting there sipping on my coffee like the adults around me. The family dinner was also the setting where I tasted wine for the first time and made everyone laugh by the sour look on my face after tasting it. The food was always plentiful because relatives would always contribute a side dish or dessert. I along with my cousins would always sit together. We started out at the “kid’s table” which was a separate folding table, usually covered with some type of water-resistant tablecloth. One adult would oversee us, placing plates of food in front of us and periodically checking to see if we were goofing off. It was not until we reached the middle school years before we would be allowed to sit at the “big” table with the rest of the adults. It was there where the conversations would cover a variety of topics that could cause almost anything from laughter to arguments. It did not matter to me because it was a great learning ground to see how one tells a story, a joke, has a debate or disagreement. AS WE WERE GETTING OLDER, THERE came a time when family members were getting engaged and married. For me, it added a new element into the mix of these family dinners. Suddenly this stranger entered our domain, as the boy or girlfriend of one of my relatives. Having them enter the mix immediately changed the dynamics of the get together. Suddenly individuals were on their best behavior. The language was toned down; in other words, less salty shall we say. Sometimes the person would fit in easily, but other times they would be the only one not laughing at something the rest of us found funny. Of course, some of these boys and girlfriends never lasted; however, if one turned into a fiancée or fiancé then that meant our family dinner would expand to include the future in-laws. There were times where the kid’s table had to be used for adults because there were so many people invited. I found the experience odd. Here were strangers I had never met, sitting and eating with us; it was always a crapshoot. Some could handle our noise level, while others sat there quietly throughout the meal. The more in-laws joining us eventually caused our big family meals to break apart where one sibling and all her offspring would hold their own holiday meal. With all the family connections in this action-packed sequel, I do not know how they could still sit around a dining room table. A SON WHO LOST HIS DRUG LORD father during one of Dominic Toretto’s, played by Vin Diesel (Bloodshot, The Last Witch Hunter), jobs is hellbent on seeking revenge against Dom and his family. With Michelle Rodriguez (The Assignment, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Letty, Jason Statham (The Meg, Spy) as Shaw, Jordana Brewster (Hooking Up, Who Invited Charlie?) as Mia and Tyrese Gibson (Dangerous, Black and Blue) as Roman; this crime adventure film was a mixed bag for me. The movie had all the elements that go into this franchise: fast cars, unbelievable stunts, intense fighting, explosions, scantily dressed women, dancing and speeches. It was too much for me. I felt the script was designed to incorporate everything that had been used before in the previous sequels. This does not mean there were not times where it was exciting to watch the action; but I was starting to feel that this franchise had run its course. This picture was only the first half of the story; there will be another film coming out which explains the extra scene in the middle of the ending credits. If you like cars and car chases and are invested in the characters, then you will have an easier time watching this movie. There were many scenes with blood and violence.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
THE TICKETS WERE MORE THAN I like to spend for live theater, but the recommendation I got was glowing for this production. A friend raved about this pre-Broadway production that was stopping here for a trial run before heading to New York; they said I had to see it. I get a kick out of seeing a play or musical before its Broadway run because the tickets are a whole lot cheaper, and I enjoy being first to discover something that becomes a major sensation afterwards. The night of the performance, a small group of us got dressed up and went out to dinner before curtain time. When we finally arrived at the theater, it looked like a mob scene. There were people everywhere, taking selfies in front of the theater posters and marquee. We bypassed all of it to make our way inside the theater lobby. By the time we settled into our seats, the theater lights flashed on and off to signal to all those standing it was time to get seated. And right on time the lights went off and the production began. It was staged beautifully, with elaborate sets and dramatic lighting. There were parts that were amusing, but to be honest, I was bored through parts of it. For everything my friend praised about this play; I had a different reaction. I did not get it at all, and I already was regretting the amount of money I spent to come see it. Just one big disappointment. IT IS BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE that, I am hesitant to recommend anything. I am sure you have experienced going to a restaurant where someone told you to try and discover you did not care for the meal. Or try a new food item from the grocery store and your reaction differs from the person who told you about the product. Taste is such a personal thing; we all have different combinations of taste buds, where some people think an item is too salty and others feel it is too sweet. When I suggest a restaurant place to someone, I always preface it with my food issues, such as not liking spicy, or heat infused food. I also do not like gooey types of food. My pizza must be well done; if it comes to the table looking wet with oil and the cheese ready to slide off the crust, I will not eat it. So, you can see, this is why I tell people my taste preferences, to lessen the chance of disappointment. On a similar note, I found myself in this situation. Having heard so much about the Dungeons & Dragons game, I was all prepared to have a great time watching this action, adventure comedy. DESPARATE TO REVIVE HIS DECEASED WIFE, a thief plots to steal a lost relic to help in his quest. He soon discovers he cannot accomplish it on his own. With Chris Pine (Star Trek franchise, Don’t Worry Darling) as Edgin, Michelle Rodriguez (The Fast and the Furious franchise, Widows) as Holga, Rege-Jean Page (The Gray Man, Bridgerton-TV) as Xenk, Justice Smith (Paper Towns, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu) as Simon and Sophie Lillie (It franchise, Gretel & Hansel) as Doric; this fantasy film confused me. Keeping in mind I was not familiar with the game this film is based on, I felt lost many a time. For the first half, I was bored multiple times. On the plus side, the movie was visually stimulating as well as creative. I enjoyed the cast, especially the chemistry between Chris and Michelle. There were parts of the story I did not understand; maybe because I never played the game. Not until the last half of the story, did things pick up for me. The fight scenes were fun and well-choreographed. And the special effects were well done. I wished I would not have been as disappointed as I was with this picture. For me, it has potential for creating a better sequel. There was one brief extra scene during the ending credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
ALL I COULD DO WAS STARE at my dinner plate while everyone around me was yelling at each other. I was a dinner guest at a friend’s house, and I was familiar with the family’s outspokenness. What started out as a pleasant meal turned into a screaming match all because some of the family members started talking about politics. This is something I always avoid in mixed company for these exact reasons. I was enjoying the food and wanted to continue to eat during the arguments, but it felt weird to do so for some reason. The combatants were at the stage of their argument where they were calling each other names. Other family members were taking sides to defend their relative; it was either going to be a short evening or tension filled long night. By the time the arguing died down, with people storming out of the room then coming back in, the food was cold. It did not stop anyone from eating since we were all starving. When dessert finally came out, the conversation had shifted to a lighter mood as members talked about their children and/or trips they were planning. The rest of the evening was filled with jokes, laughter and teasing; you would never have known, only a couple of hours earlier, that family members were close to fisticuffs. I chalked it up to believing this was the way relatives related and expressed themselves to each other in this family. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, I WAS OUT with a group of friends for dinner and a play. Seated around the table, I looked at them with the thought of how many years we had known each other. When one friend had a medical issue that required hospitalization, each friend found time to visit them in the hospital; some even snuck in food treats that were okay for them to eat. All the friends attended the funeral of a friend when their parents had passed away. Over our meal at the restaurant, we touched on a variety of topics, from the personal to absurd. There was laughter, comfort, advice and joy throughout our meal and into the evening. Each of us were so close to one another that it dawned on me, we were a family in many ways. Except for not sharing the same bloodline, we were no different than any other family. We would do anything for each other and knowing that was a comfort. Except for their superpowers, I can totally see similarities between what I have and what the main characters have in this action, adventure comedy. WHEN ONE OF THE GUARDIANS WAS fatally injured, the others would need to come together to find a way to save him while they were trying to save the universe. With Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War, The Kid) as Peter Quill, Chukwudi Iwuji (John Wick: Chapter 2, The Split-TV) as The High Evolutionary, Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born, Nightmare Alley) voicing Rocket, Pom Klementieff (Oldboy, Uncut Gems) as Mantis and Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin, Glass Onion) as Drax; this sequel was jam packed with story lines and action. It was a little too much for me. I was touched by the personal story lines, but with so much going on, I felt some intensity and emotional connection was sacrificed. At times, it seemed as if part of the story was a retelling of the Wolverine origin story line. On the plus side, the soundtrack and the splashes of humor were great and added more punch to the fight scenes which were well choregraphed. I appreciated the emphasis on family and thought the writers correctly steered the script through to its conclusion. There were 2 extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 stars
moviejoltz 