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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: Transformers One
WHEN I WAS INVITED OVER, I thought there was going to be only a few people visiting. There were a little more than that. My friend’s sister was visiting from out of town; we had all grown up together, so I was treated like a family member. When I arrived at their mother’s house, I quickly realized other relatives must have come over based on the number of cars that were parked in the driveway and on the street. After finding a parking spot, I walked up to the opened front door and let myself in. There were some relatives I recognized from past family functions as I navigated my way through trying to find my friend. I finally found him in the kitchen pouring some drinks for guests. I walked up and we embraced hello. The first thing he mentioned was that his mother had invited a lot of family over to see her new grandbaby. That reminded me to congratulate him again on becoming an uncle. This was the reason I was invited over, to see his sister’s new baby. The two of us made our way back into the living room to find her. Of course, she was planted where most of the guests were congregated, sitting in a chair with the baby cradled in her arms. When she saw me walking towards her, she got up to hug me and introduced me to her daughter. It was a special moment. IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE OTHER guests wanted their chance to talk to the new mother; I excused myself and made my way to an open spot on the sofa. There were a couple of bowls of snacks on the coffee table in front of me that I wanted to try. I looked to the end table I was sitting next to, to find a coaster to set my drink upon. The only thing sitting on the table was a small truck. I folded a napkin to set my drink on and picked up the truck. It must have been from one of the kids I spotted playing outside when I first arrived. The truck was brightly colored and heavier than I expected when I picked it up. I turned it around in my hand to admire the detailing on it; I was big into trucks and cars when I was a little kid. As I was turning it over, the cab unfolded; it was hinged. This was unexpected, so I began to gently press on the various edges of the toy. To my amazement everything was hinged and before you knew it, I had the figure of a robot cradled in the palm of my hand. It was amazing to me, besides being very cool. I had never seen such a toy and marveled at its complexity. Of course, it was not long before I started seeing and hearing about these robot toys everywhere. The amazement I felt those years ago filtered back to me as I watched with delight this animated, action, adventure film. FOR THE FIRST TIME, SINCE WE were introduced to the Transformers’ world, we find out how friends could become enemies. With Chris Hemsworth (Extraction, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) voicing Orion Pax, Brian Tyree-Henry (Bullet Train, The Woman in the Window) voicing D-16, Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon, Jojo Rabbit) voicing Elita, Keegan-Michael Key (Wonka, The Predator) voicing B-127, and Steve Buscemi (The Death of Stalin, Ghost World) voicing Starscream; this science fiction fantasy story surprised me. Though I was intrigued by the toys when they first came out, I did not have much invested into the films. This prequel had wonderful animation, action, and an easy-to-follow story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The script was solid with a mix of humor and drama. I would not be surprised if the movie studio works to turn this film into a multiple franchise. Also, I saw this picture in 3D but do not feel it is a necessity; it did not add anything new for me. Of course, it would help if the viewer had even a small inkling of the background to the Transformers story, but I do not think it would rob anyone of the enjoyment in seeing this film. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Asteroid City
IT WAS THE CLOSEST I HAD ever been to another planet and I did not want it to end. After seeing Jupiter and Saturn, I quickly lost my amazement over the moon and Mars. I even got to see a shooting star; there was always talk about one, but I had never seen it before. No pun intended, but my mind expanded in a new way while I leaned back in one of the cushy chairs there in the dark auditorium of the planetarium. It was my first time and seeing the solar system come “alive” above my head was exciting. The only reference I had to the other planets in our solar system had been movies and children’s books. I do not think we had studied the system yet in elementary school. So, you can see how stunned I was to see crystal clear images of the planets floating in the air, or at least it certainly seemed that way. One of my favorite television shows was Flash Gordon; at one point, I wondered if during the show I would get to see the planet, Mongo. Alas, it was never shown. I left the planetarium with a stronger fascination about outer space and the possibilities that were out there. THIS FEELING WAS SUCH A STRONG contrast to what took place in school. When I tell you what took place, there might be a chance you will not believe me. The reason I say this is because recently I was talking with a group of people, some of them educators, who shared their school’s protocols for safety. I was stunned when they said they must perform “active shooter” training with their classes. We discussed the horrors that are attached to it. For example, one teacher said they have a couple of students who were traumatized by a shooting in their town, and they must be excused because the training was too intense for them. I expressed my horror that we now live in a time where “active shooter” training is the norm. When I was in first grade, we periodically would have air raid drills. I surprised the educators because they had never heard of such a thing. I told them an alarm would sound and we would all have to leave our classrooms and go into the hallway, to sit down with our backs up to our locker, then cross our legs and try to get our heads down to our laps. I always wondered who would harm us in an air raid in the Midwest. It was a similar wonder to what happened to the junior stargazers in this dramatic comedy romance. COMING TO A SMALL SPOT IN the desert, a group of strangers encounter something unworldly that changes their perceptions of the world. With Jason Schwartzman (The French Dispatch, Big Eyes) as Augie Steenbeck, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, JoJo Rabbit) as Midge Campbell, Tom Hanks (A Man Called Otto, Elvis) as Stanley Zak, Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, The French Dispatch) as General Gibson and Bryan Cranston (The One and Only Ivan, Jerry and Marge Go Large) as the Host; this Wes Anderson film had all of the same trappings as his previous films. It had a great and diverse cast, quirky and colorful sets, multiple story lines and odd characters in the story. What was missing for me was the fun factor, along with a better cohesive script. Things felt forced to me. It seemed various scenes were tossed in to keep the audience entertained, but they did not offer much. I found myself being bored at times and not really getting a sense of where the story wanted to go. There was an element of humor and silliness, but it did not help to get me into an excited mood to sit and enjoy the rest of the film.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Sing 2
I KEPT ENCOURAGING HER TO CONTINUE delving into designing jewelry. She really had an eye for creating unique earrings and necklaces. The problem was she did not have the confidence or the belief that she could actually do it and possibly do it for a living. The only person she designed for was herself, except for the occasional friend or relative celebrating a birthday. I made a point of commenting on the jewelry she was wearing anytime we got together; not because I felt I had to, but because her pieces were striking. She created interesting patterns using tiny colored beads and crystals. There was one pair of earrings where she had a series of hoops from small to large hanging together that had rows of beads on each one. When the beads were perfectly aligned, they would create an image; it could be of an animal, a human’s face or some object. The idea was when the person was moving their head the beads would separate a little, distorting the image; but when the person was still and the beads settled down, an image would appear. They were the coolest things, and I really thought my friend could do something with them. I suggested she could sign up for a couple of art fairs or see if there were any boutiques who would take her creations on consignment, but she was too afraid. BEING AFRAID WAS SOMETHING I WAS familiar with, so I understood where she was coming from with her fear of failure. I get it that no one wants to set themselves up for failure; but I also feel no one wants to look back at their life and wonder “What if…” My journey into the fitness world was not easy for me, since I had flunked PE twice in high school and tried avoiding all physical classes through the rest of my schooling. It wasn’t until I was with a friend at a small local aerobic class years after I graduated, where I got my first taste of how exercise could be fun. The class was held in a temple’s meeting room on a hard linoleum floor. The instructor/owner was this bubbly, friendly woman who encouraged each of us to simply do our best, not what we think our classmate thinks is best. She was a big influence on me because she was the first “teacher” I encountered in a fitness class who genuinely wanted to see me be happy with myself. It was an extraordinary experience for me. I think because of my experience with her, I enjoyed this sequel as much as I did the first one. HAVING ACHIEVED SOME LEVEL OF SUCCESS on the local level, theater owner Buster Moon, voiced by Matthew McConaughey (Killer Joe, The Beach Bum), has his sights set on the big city. But he soon finds out the only way he can put on a show is to get a musical icon who has not been seen in years. Buster may be putting more on the line than he thinks with this new show. With Reese Witherspoon (Wild, Water for Elephants) voicing Rosita, Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story, Black Widow) voicing Ash, Taron Egerton (Rocketman, Eddie the Eagle) voicing Johnny and relative newcomer Tori Kelly voicing Meena; I got swept into this film with all its musical numbers and fun animation. Though the script was not clearly defined in parts, I found the story to be both joyous and touching. Granted if you have seen the first film then there will be no surprises in this one, but it still was a charming, sweet picture. And for no other reason, the musical numbers were spot on. Conveying a wonderful message wrapped inside a colorful exciting palette, there is no need to be fearful in seeing this well-done sequel.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Black Widow
I SHOULD HAVE READ THE FINE print before agreeing to participate. We were on vacation, staying at a hotel. When we checked in, we were handed an invitation to a presentation that was going to be held in one of the hotel’s conference rooms. The topic was about a new property the hotel was going to open. Refreshments would be served, and each guest would receive a gift bag worth $300.00. We agreed to participate, hoping the gift bag would at least contain food and drink coupons. On the day of the presentation, we walked into the conference room where a hotel employee greeted us with the gift bag. Finding seats, I went through the bag. There was an assortment of travel sized items like toothpaste, bagged peanuts and body lotion. Along with the stuff there was a gold cardboard envelope. I opened it and found a coupon towards a one night’s stay at their new property being built in the Bahamas; that was where the $300.00 value came in. Though I understood the whole marketing aspect of it, I was still annoyed that I agreed to sit through a 2 hour presentation; where at the end of it, the employee tried to sell us a time share unit at their new property. The way I saw this was I received a few travel sized things and a coupon, which I found out did not include air fare and was not enough for a one night stay, for using up 2 hours of my time. I REALIZE I HAVE A CHOICE; I do not have to agree to these types of sale pitches. For me it is about my time and effort, and what I am getting in return. Here is an example; remember those old TV dinners in the metal trays with the compartments for each food group? I used to get the turkey and gravy one, despite not really liking it. The reason was I loved the dessert that came with it, a baked apple crisp type of thing. The turkey was not horrible; but I was not a gravy person and did not care for the wetness with pieces of mushy stuffing floating in it. I powered through despite it, just so I could enjoy the dessert. As a little boy, I used to go through a box of cereal I disliked just to pull out the sweetened raisins and add them to a different box of cereal that I really enjoyed. Even today, my friends and family know I rarely order something straight off the restaurant menu without making small adjustments for the things I like and dislike. I wish I could have done that for this action, adventure film I saw at the movie theaters. NATASHA ROMANOFF, PLAYED BY SCARLETT JOHNSON (Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story), must confront her past if she wants to overcome the sinister forces that are circling around her. With Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth, Fighting with my Family) as Yelena Belova, David Harbour (No Sudden Move, Suicide Squad) as Alexei, Rachel Weisz (The Favourite, My Cousin Rachel) as Melina and Ray Winstone (The Departed, Cold Mountain) as Dreykov; this science fiction origin story was a mixed bag for me. There were times where the scenes were brilliant, both in content and visually; but other times I was not as impressed. I think the basic issue had to do with the script. In a Marvel film, we get overloaded with excitement, peril, humor and incredible CGI effects. This film came close at times but did not quite make it. The women were incredible together, especially Scarlett and Florence, who I think has a future in the Marvel universe based on her performance here. For the story, the evil aspect just wasn’t as diabolical as it could have been. I enjoyed watching the movie, but I did not love it. Sort of like that TV dinner I used to eat. There was an extra scene after the credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Marriage Story
THE FIRST TIME I ENCOUNTERED SOMEONE affected by a divorce was a boy in 5th grade. He and his mother had recently moved to the neighborhood after her divorce. If someone had asked me if I noticed anything different because this boy’s parents were divorced, I would have said not one thing. His mother worked which was no different than many of the other mothers who had a job outside the home. I do not recall any time when this classmate could not attend a school function or activity due to a missing parent or affordability; he was like any other student. It was not until 7th grade before there was another student who had parents that were divorced. Now during this time there were kids in school who had one out of both parents who had to be away from home for extended periods of time, either for work or the military. There would be times when the parent remaining at home would get help from a family member or neighbor; but it was not like that would make any kind of difference. The only time where it would ever make a difference, if you even want to call it that, was when there was a gender specific event like a father/daughter dance or a field trip where parents were needed to chaperone. So, an uncle or older cousin would fill in for the dance and some relative would handle being a chaperone; it was easily workable. HAVING HAD SUCH EXPERIENCES WHILE GROWING UP, made the realization there was another option couples employed when they no longer wanted to be together much more difficult for me to rationalize. In fact, even today when I hear someone say they are staying together for the kids’ sake, I have to cringe. In my experiences I have not once seen where that option does anyone any good. I knew a family where the parents were doing this and all it accomplished was their kids having to go into therapy to deal with the craziness, they wound up experiencing, during what was a toxic environment. One parent started using the kids to deliver messages to their spouse; besides, trying to sway the kids’ opinion about the other parent into negative thoughts. It was sad to see the manipulation that was taking place in that household. Even worse was when I heard through a second party that one parent told one of their children, they were the cause for the breakdown in their marriage. To me that was criminal to say to a child. Because of my experiences; I intently watched this comedic, dramatic romance to see what was happening with the couple’s marriage. MARRIAGE REQUIRES AN ABILITY IN BEING able to give and take; it appeared Charlie and Nicole, played by Adam Driver (Star Wars franchise, The Dead Don’t Die) and Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit, Lost in Translation), thought they were good at it. With Laura Dern (Certain Women, J.T. Leroy) as Nora Fanshaw, Alan Alda (Bridge of Spies, The Four Seasons) as Bert Spitz and Julie Hagerty (A Master Builder, Airplane franchise) as Sandra; this film festival winner’s cast was brilliant. I enjoyed each actor and the words they spoke. The story may appear to have a theme that is common to many other films; however, this script came across fresh and new to me. Adam and Scarlett were so good that I thought their characters were actual, real people. The dialog was authentic which only added to the realness of the characters. If I have any criticism, I think some viewers might find the beginning of the story sedated. Like a marriage, it can take a little work to get into it; but once you are, it can turn into a valuable lesson.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Jojo Rabbit
WITH THE RESTAURANT BEING SO CROWDED, I was wedged between two sets of diners. We were seated on a vinyl covered bench that spanned the length of the wall. Small wooden tables were barely spaced apart, all the way down, in front of the bench. Next to me sat a mother and her young daughter who happened to be standing in front of me in line, while we were waiting to be seated. A waiter walked up to them first to take their food order. I could not help but hear what they ordered. The mother ordered first and with everything she chose, she asked the waiter to make an alteration to the item. With one food item she did not want the sauce, another she did not want the pickles and so on. Normally I would not have paid attention; however, when it was time for the young daughter to order, the little girl did the same thing. Everything the girl ordered was almost identical to her mother’s orders. I thought how odd; both mother and daughter had identical taste buds? What made me think about this more was the fact when the mother ordered she did not just say, remove the item; she used the words, did not like it or hated it. This made me wonder if the daughter really did not like the items that were being removed or had she learned to dislike them from her mother. Hmmm. WHEN I WAS THAT DAUGHTER’S AGE, there were many foods I did not like. Many of them I had not even tasted before deciding I wasn’t going to eat them. I did not realize back then I was a visual and texture eater. If something did not look right, whatever right meant, I would not touch it. The same thing went for the texture of the food; I always preferred food that was crunchy instead of creamy. There are foods I eat now that back then I would never allow on my plate. In my case I had decided whether I wanted an item or not; no one influenced me. However, with this little girl I wasn’t sure if she had issues with texture and appearance or she was simply mimicking her mother. If her mother did not like something did the daughter choose not to like the same thing? I thought it would be sad if this little girl went through life missing out on different foods or things because she was taught to hate them. If you care to see how it can happen then feel free to watch this dramatic war comedy. JOJO, PLAYED BY NEWCOMER ROMAN GRIFFIN Davis, wanted to grow up and do his part for Nazi Germany. However, all his beliefs and dreams got shattered when he discovered his mother Rosie, played by Scarlett Johansson (Rough Night, Under the Skin), had been hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa, played by Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies), in their attic. What would the Fuhrer think of him? With Taika Waititi (Green Lantern, Wat We Do in the Shadows) as Adolf and Sam Rockwell (Vice, Mr. Right) as Captain Klenzendorf; this story would appear to be another take on the horrors of World War II; however, it was not done the same. The script was both original and fun; I was impressed with the cleverness in which it conveyed its message. The ensemble of actors each provided a particular thread that woven together created an outrageous satire that was enjoyable and funny. For me, this was a bold experiment that zeroed in on the subject of hatred and put it directly in front of the viewer’s face. Truly different and original, I hope no one makes a snap judgement based solely on the movie trailer without experiencing for themselves the magic in this satire.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Avengers: Endgame
IF YOU WERE A BOY, THE one thing you would not want to do is cry in public. If you were caught crying it would become the catalyst for a slew of derogatory nicknames, teasing and abuse. It was just a fact of life back then. And this is not me imagining or over dramatizing it; every boy in school knew no matter what, don’t cry and do not even let your eyes water up. It was expected girls would cry because they were more “emotional.” I had no idea where I was taught this fact; there were no surveys done or analysis completed. It was just something that all of us in school knew or assumed at least. I have seen girls fight each other as well as boys and I can tell you the two sexes fought in totally different ways. The girls were more vicious; they would slap, punch, pinch, scratch and use any item they could grab their hands on. The boys would limit their fighting to punches, wrestling holds and kicks. Where the girls would scream and yell, the boys rarely uttered a word. No matter what happened if someone was going to cry during their fight it was usually a girl. A boy might crumble up in pain and moan but would do everything possible not to cry. THANK HEAVENS TIMES HAVE CHANGED OR AT least I hope so. Gratefully I have not been in a fight since I have been an adult, but I can easily tear up or cry during a movie. This is not something exclusive; I can easily tear up while listening to music or during an emotional conversation. There is something freeing about releasing tears, both of sadness and joy. Think about the amount of energy it takes to hold in your emotions. I find it exhausting, so rarely do I try to keep my feelings/emotions in check these days. However, when I was in school being picked on or bullied, I held my emotions in. Thinking back at those times, it surprises me how we lived in a compartmentalized society; girls and boys, men and woman each had to act a certain way. I remember a parent saying it was not ladylike for a girl to fight. What did ladylike mean? Emotions and feelings are not defined by gender; they are unisex, universal. One emotion is not exclusive to one sex; yet for my generation, we were raised to believe differently. Therefore, films like this action fantasy are necessary. WITH THE WORLD LEFT IN SHAMBLES minus half the population, the remaining members of the Avengers had to move on with their lives. Losing a battle was hard for them; something they never wanted to experience again. But when a sliver of hope to rectify the past appeared, would any of the superheroes take the chance to change the past? With Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge, Chef) as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans (Gifted, Before We Go) as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right, Spotlight) as Bruce Banner/Hulk; Chris Hemsworth (Bad Times at the El Royale, 12 Strong) as Thor and Scarlett Johansson (Rough Night, Lucy) as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; this adventure sequel was a culmination of the past Avengers films. Coming in at 3 hours and 58 seconds; be prepared for a moving experience. I cried multiple times during this movie. The script was special; it was thoughtful and tied up every little detail for this franchise. What impressed me the most was the fact that female and male characters were equal, both in emotions and fighting skills. It did not matter whether a character had little or more screen time; they each played an important part in creating this superhero masterpiece. I felt there was more story than action in this picture; however, what action there was in the story was incredible to watch. How the movie studio will ever top this, I do not know. Whatever gender you identify with, I suggest you bring tissues with you and allow yourself to experience this epic movie. There were NO extra scenes at the end of the film.
3 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Rough Night
STANDING outside the café waiting for a friend I saw a group of people goofing off across the street. One individual was using a street lamp as a stripper pole. Another person had a squirt gun; however, periodically he was squirting it into his mouth and the others around him. I assumed there was something more than water inside the play toy. Seeing this group acting silly made me reminisce about some of the pranks and laughs I had with my friends when we were younger. There was that time in biology class where we had to dissect fetal pigs. A lab partner dressed their pig up with a beret, sunglasses and lit cigarette; then had someone take pictures of him with his head next to the pig. Another time a group of us dressed up for Halloween to go to a street party down in the city. One of us was dressed as a pirate, including a fake sword. He would jump into the street and stop traffic for a moment, shouting “Yo me bucko!” We were so young back then; not a care in the world, just focusing on having a good time. RECONNECTING with people I had not seen for years was a heady experience for me. The last time some of us had seen each other we had full heads of hair, some were larger and others were thinner. It was funny how the aging process affected each of us differently. Despite the years apart there still was a bond between all of us. The thing that surprised me was how some individuals who were hard partiers back then had mellowed now. Depending on the person’s age part of the discussion drifted towards what medications we were on now; heaven help us we are turning into our parents. I understand as life goes on we each take on responsibilities; there are things I used to do back then that I would not consider doing now. Maybe this is all part of the aging process; I just know I would never act like the friends did in this comedy film. JESS’, played by Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers franchise, Lucy), upcoming bachelorette party was the perfect time for a group of girlfriends to get together and let loose. The way they used to party years ago would be hard to reproduce this time. Along with Scarlett the cast included Jillian Bell (Fist Fight, Goosebumps) as Alice, Zoe Kravitz (Divergent franchise, Good Kill) as Blair, Ilana Glazer (The Night Before, Broad City-TV) as Frankie and Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters, Office Christmas Party) as Kiwi/Pippa. At first glance I felt the story was a female version of comedies I had seen before. The cast was talented; everyone’s timing was on mark. I had a slight issue with Jillian and Kate; their characters were no different than other characters they played in other films. Kate, who I think is gifted, seems to be the “go to” actor to play these over the top odd characters. Jillian has played the inappropriate person character before. At least there were a couple of laughs in the movie, but I found the script was all over the place. With this type of cast there could have been way more opportunities to utilize the actress’ comedic skills that the script did not offer. For having such a wild time I was left feeling bored at times. When I was younger I never partied like the women did in this picture and after watching them I have no interest in trying now. There is an extra scene in the middle of the credits and at the end.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell
WHEN I saw Rosie helping the Jetson family and Data assisting the crew of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, I believed an opportunity was being created for mankind to better itself. Removing some of the unimportant necessities of the day would allow man to study and learn more about life; in other words humans could reach a higher level of consciousness. Witnessing the blending of mechanical objects with people really has been an extraordinary event. Just think about individuals who received mechanical hearts and valves or athletes getting artificial arms and legs; it has changed people’s perceptions about what it means to be physically challenged. Just in the past several months the news reported on an artificial hand that a person could control with their mind; did you ever imagine this becoming reality during your lifetime? I vaguely remember an advertisement tagline that said something like, “better living through science.” This idea certainly has validity; however, I have a growing concern that science, depending on who is calling the shots, could dominate mankind. ONE of my concerns for some time has been the manipulations taking place in our food chain. I am not comfortable ingesting a food item that has been genetically modified. The idea of animals being injected with growth hormones to create supersized creatures to yield more meat or milk frightens me. This was one of the reasons I gave up red meat years ago. Another area that concerns me is the “beauty” industry. With the amount of chemicals people apply to themselves on a daily basis with their soaps, dyes and makeup; I just wonder what the body does with it when the products get absorbed into the skin. Even seeing people who have gone through extensive plastic surgery to maintain their youthful appearance troubles me. I remember standing next to a television celebrity who was talking to their aide. Their face barely budged as the lips were forming words; their facial expression was totally void of any emotion. The title of this futuristic action film could easily apply to this celebrity. MAJOR, played by Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers franchise, Lost in Translation), was the first of her kind; she was the ultimate blend of human and machine. At least she thought so until she started experiencing flashbacks. Watching this dramatic crime movie was a wild visual ride. All I could think about was it looked like a cross between the films Blade Runner and The Fifth Element. Based on the graphic novel this movie also starred Pilou Asbaek (Lucy, A Hijacking) as Batou, Juliette Binoche (Godzilla, The 33) as Dr. Ouelet and Michael Pitt (Seven Psychopaths, The Dreamers) as Kuze. I am not familiar with the story; however, the first half of this picture had me totally into it. Scarlett was good with the physical demands of the role, but I thought the acting part was one dimensional; unless that was how the character was written in the book. The last half of the film for me turned into a typical action movie; in fact, I am concerned Scarlett is being typecast since her character shared similarities with her Lucy and Avengers characters. I would have preferred if the script had stayed focused on the storyline regarding the flashbacks. The title of this movie remained with me afterwards as I wondered if this is where science will be going in the future.
2 ½ stars
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