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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: The Amateur
IT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST pet peeves when I was younger and it still is one of my biggest pet peeves as I get older. I cannot stand when someone says they will do something then not follow through with it. I would always get annoyed when an elementary school friend would tell me they will call me on a certain day then never call. Or, when a relative would say to me they found something in their attic they think I would like, but never show it to me, despite the implications they wanted me to have it. As I grew older, I verbalized my displeasure in a friendly way to a few friends who were always saying they would do something with me, but never followed through with it; even when I would call as a follow up, they would tell me they would have to get back with me, to let me know when we could get together. I learned a long time ago not to put much effort into those friends and relatives who habitually told me one thing but did something entirely different. I had one friend who actually made plans to get together with me but then cancel at the last minute. They would reschedule but as the date neared they would cancel again. This used to upset me because I would keep the date and time open, declining other offers, then wind up with nothing to do because they backed out at the last minute. Talk about adding fuel to my anger and annoyance. IN THE WORKPLACE, I WOULD FIND myself getting annoyed with fellow employees and bosses who did not follow through with what they told me they would do. I had one boss who was always late giving me my annual performance review, which was used partially to justify to upper management the reason for me getting a salary increase. My boss would send me short emails that said they were working on my review, pushing back the date for our one-on-one meeting, then cancel the meeting at the last minute. It drove me crazy. In the workplace, I truly understand things come up and meetings have to be rescheduled; however, for my boss to go through this same scenario each year made me believe he was just a procrastinator. Outside of the workplace, it drives me crazy when a person repeats the same plan over and over. I have a relative who has always ended our get togethers with the same phrase each time. They tell me they will have me over for a BBQ and sit out on their backyard deck. We are going on four years with me hearing them say this each time we are together, but never following up with an actual invite. So you can see why I would act similarly to the main character in this spy, action thriller when he felt his superiors were not following up on the evidence he gathered for them. WHEN A CIA EMPLOYEE’S WIFE IS killed in a terrorist attack, he decides to take matters in his own hands to hunt down his wife’s killers, even if the agency does not follow up on the evidence he has accumulated. With Rami Malek (No Time to Die, The Little Things) as Heller, Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Finest Hours) as Sarah, Jon Bernthal (The Accountant 2, The Unforgivable) as The Bear, Evan Milton (Eyewitness: D-Day, The Lost Pirate Kingdom-TV) as Slater, and Nick Mills (Shilo, Succession-TV) as Finn; the script for this film was not always believable. Some of the scenes were far-fetched and unrealistic. Adding in Rami’s performance, I found it to be an odd mixture of awkward nerdiness vs. cold killer. Some of his scenes displayed a creativeness that was fascinating to watch. But what kept throwing me was his unemotional reactions to some of the violent scenes. Still, I was feeling entertained, remaining hopeful that the “good guy” would eventually prevail. I also appreciated that the advertising for this movie pretty much showed you what to expect from the story. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Courier
I FELT SAD FOR HER PATIENTS, wondering what it must be like to have her as their therapist. She was a neighbor of mine and granted I did not know much about her, but I heard a lot of talk about her. From the few times I had interactions with her, I felt she had an edge. You know that energy that comes off a person that is stark and harsh, sensing it might shock you like static electricity? Well, she had it in spades. I never saw her smile; only having seen a sour look on her face. She had piercing eyes, but they did not look happy to me. They didn’t have that spark of life in them, only a brown dullness. When she said she was a therapist I was stunned because never had I felt a warm fuzziness from her. At least a sense of empathy; I could not imagine what time of “bedside manner” she must have had with her patients. I mean seriously, even her dog was not friendly. It was always barking at anyone who came near it and I knew it was not a friendly bark because the tail was not wagging. I had heard several things about her from other neighbors who had a run in with her. Some of the complaints were: she didn’t pickup after her dog, she never acknowledged any of them with a hello when their paths crossed on the street or at the grocery store and she took up two spaces when she parked her car. Seriously, I had no idea how she psychoanalyzed someone. MAYBE I AM GUILTY AS OTHERS by stereotyping what a therapist should look like; I am not sure. I do not believe I am alone in assuming certain people gravitate to certain professions. I remember riding the train into the city and having a conversation with the individual next to me. When I mentioned I was a fitness instructor, they looked at me and said right to my face, “You do not look like an instructor. Don’t they usually have muscles and are more on the slim side?” I was dumbfounded. All I did was give a slight chuckle and tell him there were no body requirements to teach fitness because we deal with the entire body, not just making muscles. I am not sure he got it, but it did not matter to me. It is funny because I make a point of telling a new class that I am not a typical fitness instructor; I do not just eat broccoli and tofu and live at the gym. I tell them I would like to sit at home, eating a pizza; but know I must balance out that desire by helping my body maintain all its functions. Then I add by doing this work now I hope I delay having to depend on someone or something to help me function in my daily life. If nothing else, I pride myself on being different and that is one of the reasons I especially enjoyed watching this dramatic thriller because that was the reason the main character was asked to help his country. DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD war, a British salesman was asked to go on a sales call to the Soviet Union. Hopefully he would be able to make a contact. With Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, Doctor Strange) as Greville Wynne, Merab Ninidze (My Happy Family, Jupiter’s Moon) as Oleg Penkovsky, Rachel Brosnahan (I’m Your Woman, Patriot’s Day) as Emily, relative newcomer James Schofield as Cox and Anton Lesser (Miss Potter, Game of Thrones-TV) as Bertrand; this historical film based on a true story was a good old fashioned suspense picture. I was attracted to the methodical pacing of the story as well as to the whole look of the film. The acting was excellent as I felt like an insider to that era’s crisis. Another reason why I enjoyed this film was specifically due to not having any special effects or product placements from a marketing department; I simply enjoyed hearing and watching a story, albeit an important story.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: I’m Your Woman
MY FRIEND WAS TELLING ME HOW stunned he was when he found out what his mother had done. Through their entire lives, his parents lived frugally; he thought it was out of necessity. It turned out that was not totally correct. His mother handled all the finances, from paying bills to shopping for food. My friend told me his father was given strict instructions on how much he could spend on any replacement clothing or food when he went shopping. Some of the stories my friend would tell me about his parents seemed extreme to me. For example, his mother would continue to wear a sweater or blouse even after it was discolored from age or frayed to the point where a small hole would appear. She never went clothes shopping unless there was no way she could continue to wear an article of clothing, after all the mending she tried to do to it. The thing that surprised me was the fact, according to my friend, his father had no idea how much money he and his wife really had saved. Throughout their entire marriage, the father never once wrote a check. I found this to be the weirdest thing out of all the things my friend told me about his parents. WHEN I THINK ABOUT OLDER GENERATIONS, I remember how the household was divided between “male” and “female” chores. It was expected the women would clean and cook while the men shoveled snow and mowed the grass. To me, it seemed like 2 separate worlds co-existing together instead of 2 people working in unison to create one world. I never understood why changing a diaper was the mother’s job or washing the car was the husband’s job. As I witnessed the growth of later generations, I noticed a refreshing change in the way married/partnered couples handled the running of their households. Males were now changing diapers or cooking while their significant other would take on the repair of a household item. There is a couple I know who have a near perfect union in the way they managed to remove “male” and “female” labels to the functions of running their home. It would not be unusual for either of them to cook dinner, clean, pay bills or grocery shop. Whoever has available time, takes on the duty and it works beautifully for them. The only area where they are not equal is with their finances. The husband does all the investing of their funds, setting them up for their retirement years. I believe this is an error in judgment because if the husband were to die first, his wife would have no idea how to manage the finances he set up for them. Imagine what kind of trauma his wife would experience. Though the circumstances are a bit different in this crime drama, one can still see the affect it has on a spouse when they are left out of the loop. FIRST, SHE WAS HANDED A NEWBORN baby, then she was forced to go on the run; all due to her husband’s actions. All Jean, played by Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-TV), wanted was to get answers from her husband. With Marsha Stephanie Blake (See You Yesterday, The Laundromat) as Teri, Arinze Kene (The Pass, Been so Long) as Cal, Frankie Faison (Do the Right Thing, White Chicks) as Art and Marceline Hugot (Working Girl, The Messenger) as Evelyn; the strength of this film was solely placed on Rachel’s performance. I thought she did an excellent job in the role. Set in the 1970s, I enjoyed the sets and costumes in this picture; however, I found the script to be lacking. The first half of the film was slow to me. It was not until the halfway point where things started to pick up and I took more of an interest in Jean’s plight. Also, I liked seeing her growth in the story. Overall, it just seemed as if the writers and director did not talk much to each other when they were creating this disjointed movie.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Spies in Disguise
HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE friends but that was not really the case. I felt I had to for my own self-preservation. We hung around the same group of people. If I remember correctly, he was a friend of a friend who started including him in our get togethers. He had a loud and boisterous personality that was quick with sarcasm; that was the part of him that was fun to be around. However, he also had a quick temper that was the first thing to flare up in any kind of confrontational circumstances. His “go-to” comment was “Do you want to take this outside?” This is the reason why I stayed on good terms with him; I did not want to get pulled into his negative drama. Whenever we would all go out to a club, the chances were better than 50% he would get into some type of altercation with one of the patrons of the place. I found it maddening and ridiculous because before you knew it, he would be asking the person to join him outside. Now granted he made an imposing figure; but still, there was no reason he needed the theatrics. The way I used to deal with him was simply to agree to his extreme pontifications on life and living, by nodding my head or grunting a sound that he could interpret as an affirmative answer. THOUGH IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I have seen him, he is the first person I think of whenever I hear someone saying, “Do you want to take this outside?” Even if I hear it in a movie, he comes to mind. I was never the type of person who willingly confronted someone. Growing up people fell into two categories, aggressive or passive. I was in the passive group during my childhood years. It was not until I was in college before I found my voice. After what I went through during high school, I worked on myself to get to a point where no one would take advantage of me. It was not an easy process by any means; but I acquired the tools necessary to have an argument without including negative or demeaning comments. What I learned that was valuable to me was to remove the emotions from the equation and talk about my feelings instead. There are some people who think if they talk loudly enough, they will win the fight; as you know that does not work in the real world. As I was watching this animated, action adventure I identified more with one of the characters than the other; you probably could guess which one. AFTER INGESTING AN EXPERIMENTAL CONCOCTION WITHOUT it being tested, the only thing super spy Lance, voiced by Will Smith (I Am Legend, Men in Black franchise) had to rely on was his wits and new-found avian abilities to bring down an evil genius bent on destroying the agency. With Tom Holland (Spider-Man franchise, In the Heart of the Sea) voicing Walter, Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Robin Hood) voicing Killian, Reba McEntire (The Little Rascals, One Night at McCool’s) voicing Joyless and Rachel Brosnahan (The Finest Hours, Patriots Day) voicing Wendy; this film festival nominee had wonderful animation work. Including the cast of actors; overall, this was a pleasant, family friendly film to watch. There was nothing extreme about it; I felt it fell in the middle of other animated films. There was more of a focus on fun instead of a series of humorous jokes and pranks. The message however was what grabbed me the most. I connected more with the last half of the film, finding it to be a touching statement. If you choose to see this film, you would easily see why I felt a strong affinity to one of the characters.
2 ½ stars
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