Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Despicable Me 4
TO ME, IT REPRESENTED THE ULTIMATE prize. I had two amusement parks, close enough to me, that were easy to get to with a single city transit bus when I was growing up. I was familiar with every ride at both parks and knew what foods to eat at each one. At one park, I would always get a sky-blue snow cone which was shaved ice with a sweet blue colored syrup poured over it. My favorite food to order at the other park was a mini hamburger; the quantities varied depending on how long I would stay at the park. Despite having two easily accessible amusement parks near me while growing up, all anyone talked about was the huge, national amusement parks out of state. Friends would come back from summer vacation and talk about all the different rides and attractions. They had breakfast with one cartoon character and lunch with a different one. There was never a negative comment; it all sounded like a dream coming true. Staying purposely at a motel/hotel near or at the park so you could go back the next day and the next if you chose, was simply unimaginable to my young mind. I was not envious, but I absolutely wanted to experience this for myself someday. It took several years before I could venture out and participate in everything I heard about these magical parks. MY FIRST TIME VISITING A NATIONAL amusement park, I accompanied family members. It was an amazing encounter to see for myself things I had only seen on television. We all had a wonderful time. A few years later I went by myself because one of the parks was holding a special event. I loved every minute of it and was on the go from dawn to bedtime. I met people from my hometown and hung out with them. When I came back and was telling my friends about the wonderful time I had, it was decided we would all have to go next year, which we did. By this time, it was my third time and despite enjoying the time with my friends, the rides and attractions were familiar enough to me that they lost that “wow” factor of surprise. I knew where the scary parts were, so I no longer jumped in my seat. The various musical backgrounds were turning into white noise; I no longer felt that excitement when I sat down and buckled myself into my seat. I wound up feeling the same when I watched this latest installment of the animated film franchise. WHEN AN OLD RIVAL VOWS TO get revenge, Gru, voiced by Steve Carrell (The Big Short, Welcome to Marwen), must take his family and go into hiding; all with new identities. How long will it be before they will be discovered and will Gru be able to defend his family against this new villain? With Kristen Wiig (Where’d You Go, Bernadette; Wonder Woman 1984) voicing Lucy, Joey King (A Family Affair, Bullet Train) voicing Poppy Prescott, Will Ferrell (Quiz Lady, Blades of Glory) voicing Maxime and Sofia Vergara (Chef, Modern Family-TV) voicing Valentina; this adventure comedy had all the same elements as the previous films except a good script. At least the actors did a decent job voicing their characters. The Minions as usual were fun to watch and the animation was well done. However, the script did not provide anything new except some confusion. For young viewers, they will get a kick out of seeing this movie. But, for their parents and older viewers, there was truly little above the standard fare. I was bored in parts and honestly did not find much to make me laugh. It may be time to give Gru and the Minions a rest; they deserve it. There were Minions acting out during the ending credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Book of Clarence
I WAS HESITANT TO GO, BUT my friend did not want to go alone and asked if I would go along. My friend had been following an “entrepreneur” online, who claimed to have found a pathway to success. The few videos I was forced to sit through showed a man talking in front of these impressive backdrops like a stately mansion or at the edge of a line of dramatic cliffs. He was pitching a series of courses that would teach an individual how to become a successful entrepreneur like him. I knew this was just a sales pitch and honestly could not believe my friend was buying into it. However, they were convinced they could succeed and make money from it. We had to leave early for the hotel where the entrepreneur was conducting an all-day seminar because my friend wanted to get a seat up close. I was surprised by the amount of people filtering into the ballroom to essentially listen to a sales pitch. Over half the room was filled with people; I could not believe it. When the lights dimmed and he walked out onto the stage, everyone stood up out of their chairs and cheered him. Based on the videos I watched, in the room at that moment, I felt as if I was in the middle of a cult. THE DAY WAS LONG AND BY the time everything was done, I was exhausted. Listening to his sales pitch and instructions on how one could earn money, it was clear to me his business model was like a pyramid scheme. Not to disrespect companies that use such a tactic, but this man was telling everyone they could double their income solely by signing up enough individuals who would then work for them. If I understood correctly, there really was no business plan except to get other people to sign up for the courses. I could see my friend was excited and “revved up” from the seminar but I had to express my concerns. They listened but always had a rebuttal to anything I said, so I eventually dropped it and let them go on talking about their plan of action. They listed the things they would need to buy despite having already spent close to three thousand dollars for a variety of DVD’s and “sales tools.” I honestly hoped I was wrong with my thinking, but I could not see where my friend could make a living out of doing this thing. Of all the people my friend could emulate, I did not think this entrepreneur was the best choice. Maybe they needed to have higher aspirations like the main character in this dramatic, comedy adventure. SEEKING A BETTER LIFE FOR HIMSELF, a struggling man decides to act more like the rising messiah everyone was talking about. With LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Judas and the Black Messiah) as Clarence, Omar Sy (The Strangers’ Case, The Intouchables) as Barabbas, Anna Diop (Us, Something About Her) as Varinia, RJ Cyler (The Harder They Fall, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Elijah and David Oyelowo (Selma, Role Play) as John the Baptist; this history film confused me. Yes, there was a mix of comedic and dramatic scenes, and I enjoyed the well-versed cast; however, nothing stood out for me. Most of the scenes lacked punch; it felt like everything was on one level. I did not feel connected to any of the characters which, at times, led to boredom. With the idea for the story being outrageous, I thought the script would have gone all in to either the comedic or dramatic side. The best thing I can say about this movie is that it had some amusing moments.
2 stars
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
I SIMPLY SAID, “HOW ARE YOU doing,” then spent the next ten minutes cringing. Looking for a housewarming gift, I went to the nearby shopping mall. I knew there were a couple of stores that could serve my purpose. While walking to the store after finding a nearby parking spot, I crossed paths with a former co-worker. What had caught my eye first was seeing a woman walking towards me with a black eye patch over one of her eyes. I then realized we used to work together. Part of me wanted to ask what happened but I did not want to make her uncomfortable; so, I just said “Hi, it is so good to see you.” She replied in kind and then I said those four fateful words, “How are you doing?” and she pointed to the eye patch and asked me how I liked her new accessory. Before I could think of something to say, she began telling me what happened to her. She had woken up one morning and saw a halo around everything she was seeing around her. She knew that was a warning sign for a detached retina, so called the eye doctor immediately and they rushed her that day for an appointment. I stood there listening to every procedure the doctor had to do on her eyeball to correct her situation. From numbing this to removing that, with detailed descriptions of all the instruments being used, I was close to being nauseous. I have a thing about eyes. It was more information than I ever needed to know. I AM ALL FOR A GOOD story but sometimes people, like the co-worker I mentioned, share more information that people may not need to hear. On the other hand, I recently saw my neighbor at the grocery store. He is a recent widower. Going up to him, I asked how he was doing. He explained he was teaching himself how to cook. I offered my help, though I am a novice. He said he wanted to make one of his wife’s favorite dinner meals. He shared with me his memory of his first time eating it while they were dating. By listening to him, I found out they had been married for 50 years. They met in high school and through those years they dated on and off on a casual basis. When they discovered they were accepted at the same university, their dating became serious. It was such a beautiful story; I teared up and was grateful he shared it with me. So, you see, sometimes hearing about the background to a story is an added plus. Unfortunately, we cannot pick and choose which stories we want to hear. For this prequel, I still am not sure if I needed to know all about it. YEARS BEFORE HE WOULD BECOME THE president of Panem, a young Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth (Scott and Sid, Billy the Kid-TV) was smitten by a young tribute from District 12. With Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as Lucy Gray Baird, Viola Davis (The Woman King, The Unforlivable) as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Fionnula Flanagan (Sight, The Others) as Grandma’am, and Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo, Euphoria-TV) as Tigris; this action, adventure, dramatic thriller left me with mixed feelings. There were some exciting scenes, but there were some that went flat. I enjoyed the sets and costumes, especially Viola Davis’s character which she made a real force on screen. From what I remember about the previous films, this one’s script lacked emotional punch and excitement. I do not want to say it is because they did not have Jennifer Lawrence, but I will say it was a combination of the cast and directing that created bland scenes. I also was not that thrilled with how the story turned out. I do not believe one needs to see the other movies to watch this one. Because this science fiction film is already becoming forgettable to me, I do not think there is a strong need to know the pre-story to the Hunger Games saga.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: It Ends With Us
I LEARNED QUICKLY TO STAY OUT of one student’s line of sight. To this day, I do not understand how I did not become one of his targets, but whatever was watching over me, I am thankful. There is no other way to say this, but he was truly a mean kid. He would pick on students during PE classes, in the school hallways, on the school grounds; it did not matter who was around him. He was a real “alpha male” with his group of cronies who followed him everywhere, acting as his audience and cheering section. Through my years at the school, I only suffered his bullying once; I was not the direct target but was with a group of friends who all suffered his nastiness. After witnessing a few of his pranks on students, I started imagining what could have happened that made him turn out so mean. It was “normal” for him to trip or knock students down in the hallway. Another of his acts was to grab an unsuspecting student’s book, lunch bag, or personal item and throw it down a staircase. I always believed he was hoping the item would get trampled on by students on the way to their next classes. ONE COULD CALL IT LUCK OR fate, but whatever it was I happened to be in the right place at the right time. One day at the grocery store, I spotted him standing with a police officer. I assumed it was his father because they looked so much alike. Also, a police officer would not be yelling and slapping a perpetrator’s face in the middle of a crowded store. I was not close enough to hear everything since I was trying to remain partially out of their sight. The thing that struck me was how our school bully looked so timid and fearful; his “tough man” persona was gone. They soon left the store after making their purchases and I was left processing everything I had witnessed. I understood our bully was being bullied/abused by his father, which explained where he learned how to become a bully. It was not until my college years that I learned what the other ramifications could be by being a victim of an abusive parent. Whether he was taking out his frustrations on innocent students or trying to temporarily beef up his masculinity, it still did not take away the fact he was becoming just like his father. If I were to venture a guess, I do not think he ever acquired self-awareness to his actions; I can only hope if he has children, he has not taught them what he learned from his father. WITH OPENING HER OWN BUSINESS AND being in a committed relationship, everything seemed to be on track for Lily Bloom, played by Blake Lively (A Simple Favor, The Age of Adaline). However, when an old flame enters the picture, Lily begins to question the path she has taken in life. With Justin Baldoni (Con Man, Jane the Virgin-TV) as Ryle Kincaid, Jenny Slate (Obvious Child, I Want you Back) as Allysa, Hasan Minhaj (Babes, No Hard Feelings) as Marshall and Brandon Sklenar (Midway, The Big Ugly) as Atlas Corrigan; this movie based on the best-selling novel was a perfect vehicle for Blake to act out in. She had the screen presence and emotions to make her character come to life. I became attached to the story, having been abused/bullied myself; but felt the script could have gone through a rewrite to tighten and improve the dialog. Also, one did not have to experience an abusive episode to appreciate this picture. I also thought Blake and Jenny worked well together. With an important story and message, this was a worthwhile viewing experience.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Back to Black
IF I AM DOING SOMETHING STUPID, I want a friend or family member to tell me. I am not so conceited that I think every action I do is the perfect response to the situation. If you do not believe me, just see how I always pick the checkout line that takes the longest. But seriously, I hope the decisions I make are sound ones that make sense; I hesitate to use the word “right” because I believe many situations can conclude with various answers, except mathematics. I park in a secure parking lot, where we are supposed to stop after entering and wait for the garage door to close, to prevent any unauthorized individual who does not belong in the building from entering in. I cannot tell you how many people continue driving before the door even begins to close. Now if I oversaw the property, I would send a notice to each person who is not following the rules for parking and let them know they may have to forfeit their parking space if they continue leaving before the garage door is closed. Since I am not part of management, I am not going to do such a thing, but I continue stopping to wait for the door to close whether I am coming or going. Plus, friends of mine told me not to confront anyone on my own because it is not my place; just set an example by following the rules. JUST AS I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE to let me know if my decisions are not the best, I have no problem telling someone that what they are planning to do may not be a good idea. A was out with a friend for dinner who spotted a former boss we had when we worked at the same company. He had a rough time in his dealings with the boss, so he wanted to go up and tell him exactly how he felt about him. With the man sitting at a table of six people, I told my friend though it might feel good for a moment, he would look like a crazy person confronting our boss in the middle of a restaurant, better to forget about it. I did not disagree with my friend’s assessment of our boss, but I did not think this would be the place to air one’s grievances or say something nasty that could have gotten my friend kicked out of the restaurant. I am all for expressing feelings/opinions in a constructive way. It is such a shame no one could do that for the musical artist in this biographical drama. FROM ADOLESCENCE TO THE CREATION OF her Grammy winning album, this movie will take you on her journey. With Marisa Abela (Rogue Agent, Industry-TV) as Amy, Eddie Marsan (Fair Play, Happy-Go-Lucky) as Mitch, Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, Tulip Fever) as Blake, Lesley Manville (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Let Him Go) as Cynthia and Juliet Cowan (Falling into Place, The Power-TV) as Janis; I was impressed with Marisa’s acting and singing in this film. I had no idea it was her until I saw her listed as the performer in the song credits. The cast was a perfect mix for the story, but the script was so underdeveloped that it whitewashed the drama and intensity out of it. My favorite scenes were the musical ones. And one of the re-creations done in this picture, I remember seeing on television and thought the directing of this scene was well done. Another issue I had with this picture was the fact there was no variation of drama/intensity, which left scenes with a more generic flavor to them. Unfortunately, if one wants to get a better idea of who Amy Winehouse was then I would recommend watching the documentary instead.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Atlas
ON A FINANCIAL STATEMENT, I NOTICED for the first time a deduction was taken for “other tax.” I had never seen this before and had no idea what it could be. I found a customer service phone number on the statement and called to find out. After a couple of rings, an automated message came on the line thanking me for the call. Thanking me?!?! I would have preferred there to have been an explanation on the form so I would not have had to make the phone call. The voice next began listing possible reasons for my call, such as if I needed to check on my account balances, dial extension 1102 or to open a new account dial extension 1150. I sat and listened to nine different options before the voice asked me to say in a few words the reason for my call. When I said, “questioning other tax deduction on statement,” the voice asked if I needed a replacement ATM card. I said no and the voice asked me to repeat my request. After trying again and getting the same response, I said “help” into the phone receiver. The voice tried asking something else, but I talked over it and repeated my request for help. Before connecting me to a customer relations representative, the voice said, it needed to ask me a couple of questions about my account so it could connect me to the correct party. I provided the information and was put on hold. A COUPLE OF MINUTES PASSED BEFORE a different voice came on the line and asked how they could help me. At first, I was not sure if it was a human or an AI generated voice asking me; however, after a couple of interactions I realized it was not human. It also did not comprehend my request. We went back and forth with a few exchanges where they would reply with an incorrect response until, I became so frustrated I blurted out, “customer service.” Of course, the artificial voice had to confirm that I wanted to speak to customer service, which I sternly replied, “Yes.” So once again, I was put back on hold but instead of hearing a list of options I had non-descript music playing in my ear. By now, I had been on this call for nearly 15 minutes and my frustration level mixed with anger was rising. Finally, the music stopped, and an actual person was on the line. Hallelujah! Though she had to go through her list of security questions to confirm my identity, she was able to answer my question about the other tax deduction on my financial statement. I thanked her and quickly ended the call. Why couldn’t I have just started out with her instead of all the automated messages and the artificial intelligence exchanges. You can now understand why I felt the same way about AI as the main character in this dramatic, action adventure, science fiction film. A BRILLIANT DATA ANALYST WHO HAS a deep mistrust for AI joins a mission to neutralize a rogue robot who is threatening humankind. The only way she can help is to embrace AI. With Jennifer Lopez (Shotgun Wedding, Marry Me) as Atlas Shepherd, Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, One True Loves) as Harlan Shepherd, Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction, This is Us-TV) as Colonel Elias Banks, Mark Strong (The Critic, Shazam! Franchise) as Gen. Jake Boothe and Abraham Popoola (Cruella, The Marvels) as Casca Decius; this was all about Jennifer struggling and screaming through most of the film. The script was generic and did not offer much character development, besides the direction being poorly done. I also thought the special effects were rudimentary, nothing spectacular. Through most of this picture, I thought I was seeing bits and pieces of previous other films from this genre; the whole production was not very original. It was a shame because, as I have said before, Jennifer has a strong believable screen presence which with the right combination of script and direction would have made this movie a better viewing experience. Instead, I found myself being almost as frustrated as I was with my recent experience with AI.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Bikeriders
MY FRIEND KNEW HOW MUCH I enjoy looking at photo albums which is why she asked me over to her place one day. After I arrived and showed me her latest art project, she led us into the dining room. I thought it was odd since most other times we spend time together in her studio or den. When we entered the room, I immediately understood her reasons; there placed in the middle of the dining room table was an old-fashioned photo album. I am not talking about the kind that has that sticky heavy stock paperboard, where you simply press the photo anywhere on it and it will stick; though as time goes on the photos can become permanently attached. I could tell this was an incredibly old album, even if it did not have its cracked and worn cover, along with a couple of loose pages sticking out. This album had black construction type paper pages where the photos were held in place by four little corners that were glued onto the pages. She must have seen the expression on my face because she said she thought it would be better lighting in the dining room, with the light fixture hanging above the table and the amount of sunlight coming through the windows, to look at the photos. I agreed with her. WE SAT DOWN AND SHE MOVED the album towards me. I did not even ask if she was sure about it, that maybe she wanted to turn the pages. Opening the cover, the first page had eight black and white photographs attached in a grid pattern. Most of the photos were standard size, but there were a couple of wallet sized ones as well. They were all people; one of a little boy bundled up in what looked like a wool and fur lined coat, with a fur hat. I asked where it was taken and who he was, but she had no idea. There were not any labels anywhere on the page. She added she looked on the back and nothing had been written there. I continued looking at the photos and turning the pages. The variety of photographs impressed me; there were outdoor activity shots mixed in with portraits and candid shots. Anytime I asked her about a photo, she could not provide any sort of details; she did not know anyone in the book. By the end of the book, I was disappointed because though the photos had the potential to tell a historical story I could not connect to any of them. As a result, I was a little bored just looking at random photos. I felt the same way while watching this crime drama. AFTER SEEING EACH OTHER AT A local bar, the soon-to-be couple see a change taking place around them and the motorcycle club where her boyfriend is a member. It could go either way on where the boy’s loyalty ends up. With Jodie Comer (The Last Dual, Free Guy) as Kathy, Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune: Part Two) as Benny, Tom Hardy (Venom franchise, The Dark Knight Rises) as Johnny, Michael Shannon (The Flash, A Little White Lie) as Zipco and Mike Faist (West Side Story, Challengers) as Danny; this film festival winning movie had a nearly perfect cast to tell the writers’ story. However, the script given to them had lifeless passages in it. There were times where I felt I was watching a short vignette or someone’s home movies without any sound or explanation. It left me feeling bored. I did like the sets and the filming of this picture and thought the actors did as good of a job with their acting as they could. I wanted to know more about the characters and what motivated them to be part of their motorcycle club. Without knowing it, the scenes felt lifeless at times. The mix of good and bad parts to this film never added up for me; I felt I was watching someone’s home movies.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: A Quiet Place: Day One
NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP ME from getting to the restaurant, which I had first heard about from a movie. I was on vacation, traveling to a state I had never been to before. Since I was staying close to the border, I looked up to see how far the restaurant was from where I was staying. It was a two-to-two-and-a-half-hour drive. I mapped it out and discovered the trip would be part highway driving and part country roads. All I hoped for was pretty scenery. I had tickets for a couple of tours and events for my stay, so I had to figure out which day I could carve out enough time to drive to and back from the restaurant. The only day that would work was the day I had tickets for a play at night. I was confident I could leave early enough to get there for lunch then drive back and have enough time to freshen up, grab a light dinner, and attend the play. Thursday was going to be the day and I could not wait to try the restaurant’s famous pizza, or at least famous in the movie. Just the idea of being at the place and walking around the area where the movie was filmed gave me a thrill. THURSDAY MORNING, I AWOKE TO DARK cloudy skies. I was not happy about it, but I did not care what the weather was going to be, I was determined to cross state lines and have myself a couple of slices of pizza. With a full tank of gas, my camera, phone charger and a couple of bottles of water, I headed out onto the highway. No sooner had I passed the next entrance ramp to the highway, than there was a sudden flash of lightning followed by a low, rumbling roll of thunder, sounding like it had been drawn out from a subwoofer. The sky ahead was darker than the one I was seeing out of my rearview mirror. It was none to long before I drove right into a wall of beating rain. I could barely see, and my wipers were at the highest speed. Up ahead, I could make out an overpass; so, I made my way to it and pulled over to the side and put on my hazard lights. I could not believe my luck; could not it have waited to rain until I was at least at the restaurant. It was twenty minutes before the rain lightened up slightly, so that I could head back out onto the highway. I had to reduce my speed, but I was determined to make it to the restaurant. A little over an hour later, with the rain reduced to drizzle, I saw up ahead a group of brake lights glowering at me. Now what? As I got closer, I saw an emergency vehicle and realized there was an accident. From a three-lane highway, the emergency personnel had closed all the lanes and were directing cars in single file to drive onto the shoulder around the accident. I stopped looking at the time on the dashboard; though, once I made it through, I started hearing the minutes ticking off in my brain as I tried to surpass the speed limit to make up time. The remainder of the trip was stressful as I knew I would have to rush my plans. But do you know what, it was worth it when I was seated at a booth enjoying my steaming hot pizza. You will understand this feeling if you choose to watch this captivating movie. FINDING HERSELF IN NEW YORK CITY, a terminally ill woman is determined to have pizza from her favorite restaurant. It does not matter if the city is under attack, she wants to get her pizza. With Lupita Nyong’o (The 355, Black Panther franchise) as Samira, Joseph Quinn (Overlord, Make Up) as Eric, Alex Wolff (Pig, The Line) as Reuben, Djimon Hounsou (Grand Turismo, In America) as Henri and Eliane Umuhire (Omen, Trees of Peace) as Zena; this prequel to the science fiction horror franchise has absolutely nothing to apologize for. It was terrific and could easily stand on its own. What I enjoyed about this film was that the focus was on the characters. And having Lupita and Joseph chosen for their roles, they brilliantly brought their characters to life. The other character I must mention is the cat; I could not get over how perfect the cat was in its scenes. I sat on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, during multiple scenes throughout the picture. The script was well done as was the directing. I do not believe one needs to see the previous films to understand what was taking place in this film and for those who have, I suggest not spending the time comparing them to this newest one. This film was more drama driven and for a science fiction horror flick, I appreciated the differences.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 