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Flash Movie Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
WHAT HE WAS TELLING US WAS something I had lived through as well. A friend was working at a place that treated everyone like one big family. The company was private, not affiliated with a large corporation. They were profitable, successful, and gave back to the community. He told us how the owners were hands on, meaning they were always stopping by to check on the store and employees. They wanted to make sure employees were comfortable with what they were doing and encouraged them to learn more about the business. There was a reason for this; they preferred to hire and promote from within. The friend had worked there for two years, and besides learning about the retail side of the business, he also was trained for the wholesale side. This meant he already had more opportunities available to him and he said he was not done. He already was established with several customers, who only wanted to deal with him whenever they came into the store. It is funny to me; when you hear someone praising their job, you remember it along with the details. I was happy for him and glad he found a niche in the employment world that suited him. IT WAS AROUND SIX OR EIGHT months later we happened to all get together again. This friend had a completely different story to tell this time about his job. The owners of the company had sold the business to a competitor. This new company’s focus was on profitability, so it was not long before changes started to take place. Our friend was unhappy with the changes. For example, they initiated a no absent work policy. If an employee had PTO, they could take a day off. However, if they did not and an employee, let us say, was out sick, they could only be out a total of three days a year, otherwise they would be terminated. He only had one day available to be out of the office for the next six months, which meant he sometimes would be sick at work. There were other changes, none that benefited any of the employees. I expressed my sympathy because I could relate to his situation. I worked at a place where things were going great and then someone new took over and made life at work unbearable. I have no issue with a company focusing on making profits; but in my experience, each time it happens there is always someone involved who becomes greedy and only thinks of themselves. I have seen this in companies, in politics, organizations and now I can see it in this action, science fiction adventure. THE APE WORLD EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING different from its past. A young ape, in search of his family, discovers what he was told may not have been entirely true. With Owen Teague (It franchise, You Hurt my Feelings) as Noa, Freya Allan (Gunpowder Milkshake, Baghead) as Mae, Kevin Durand (Abigail, I Am Number Four) as Proximus Caesar, Peter Macon (Shelter in Solitude, The Orville-TV) as Raka and Eka Darville (The Sapphires, Jessica Jones-TV) as Sylva; this latest installment in the long running franchise had wonderful cinematography and special effects. I enjoyed the actors’ work to become apes, but I did not care for Freya’s performance. It felt hollow to me; granted, it did not help that the first half of the film dragged to the point where I was hoping things would move along. Gratefully, they did in the last half. The action scenes were intense and there were a few standout moments that made up for the slow pace in the beginning of the movie. I believe this story will lay the groundwork for more films to come. My only hope is that it is a collaborative effort instead of one person controlling every aspect of the production.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Spaceman
I HAD A RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE two of us did not know how to communicate with one another. The weird thing for me was that I thought I was doing it, but it was not being received. For their part, they did not know how to express their feelings. I thought things were going along fine, but then one day, something happened where we disagreed about something, and they blew up with anger. Anger that was not appropriate to the small disagreement we were just talking about. I remember asking them why they were so angry and that evidently opened the gates because they started bringing up events from the past that did not even register as if we had a problem. I was so confused and asked why, if they were upset at the time, they did not tell me. I asked them how I would know otherwise, and they said I should have been able to tell. For me, this line is a copout; I am not a mind reader and if the person especially does not wear their heart on their sleeve, there were no physical changes that I would have questioned. We tried to patch things up and move on with our lives together but there were too many emotions involved that were stuck inside of each of us. EVER SINCE THAT RELATIONSHIP, I MADE a point to always express my feelings to my partner. It would not suit us well if we could not express our feelings at the time we were feeling them. Another reason is because I do not like having a discussion where the person mentions stuff from the past that has no bearing on what we are confronting presently. If the person feels something was not worth discussing when it happened, then why keep it stored and bring it up later; it makes no sense to me. I remember early on after that initial relationship ended, I was a few months into a new relationship and asked them how they felt about something I said. It took them by surprise but kudos to them, they did reply. We wound up having a discussion that dug below the surface we had temporarily settled on, giving us the opportunity to not only be vulnerable with each other but also to form a deeper connection. Because of that, we soon became a couple and spent the next few years enjoying our life together. If I had the opportunity, I would have offered my advice, for what it is worth, about communication to the main character in this science fiction, adventure drama. ON A MISSION TO THE OUTER edges of our solar system, an astronaut discovers several months into his voyage, he is not alone on his ship. With Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, You Are so Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) as Jakub Prochazka, Carey Mulligan (Maestro, The Dig) as Lenka, Paul Dano (Dumb Money, The Fabelmans) voicing Hanus, Kunal Nayyar (Think Like a Dog, The Big Bang Theory-TV) as Peter and Isabella Rossellini (Death Becomes Her, Enemy) as Commissioner Tuma; I enjoyed watching Adam in this role because I prefer his dramatic work over comedic ones on film. Pair him up with Carey and what could go wrong? The answer would be the script. I thought the idea was interesting, though I was confused at first by what Adam’s character discovered on his ship. It seemed an odd choice to pick for the character. But as the dialog kept going, I soon understood what was taking place. With good visuals and a curious story, I wished the script would have had some more stimulating portions to it. It felt like the film was dragging on and at times, it also felt repetitive. I was fluctuating between feeling sorry for Adam’s character and irritated that he was not taking care of his matters. The best way I can express myself after watching this movie is to say it was just okay.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER, I was not fond of being part of a team on a school project. Even after school, with some of the jobs I had, I disliked having to do something as a team. It never failed in school, I would be on a team that had someone who was a bully or a “goof-off.” It was rare to be on a team where everyone was in synch, who shared in the work. I remember one project, where the four of us had to give a presentation on a cultural tradition of our choosing, using props and physical examples to show the classroom. One of the students on my team spent most of the time doodling on paper, never offering a suggestion or opinion. When it was our time to present to the students, he did one physical example and that was it: his entire contribution to our team effort. I did not think he deserved the grade the teacher gave us. I felt the same way after school, when I was teaching my fitness classes. Whenever there was a special occasion and our fitness director announced we would be holding team taught classes, I cringed. Everyone had a different style and personality, where they did not always mesh well together. Plus, I thought pairing someone with a big personality, which I had, with a quiet or more rigid instructor made things awkward in the class. I never wanted a situation where one instructor would outshine another. ONE OF THE COMPANIES I WORKED for had a series of huge mailings, where samples and advertisements would be boxed and mailed to our customers. Many of the employees, no matter what type of position they had, were asked to participate in the process. It may have sounded like a request, but all the employees knew it was not one. I found myself stuck with an employee who I knew did recreational drugs on the job. We would sit together and try to create an assembly line where one person gathers the samples, and the other person places them in a certain order inside the shipping box. After a time, we would switch roles, so no one would get tired of doing the same thing over and over. Many times, they would stop to go outside for a smoke or inside would go to the kitchen to see if there was any food to eat, leaving me to do both parts of the job. I soon became irritated. What annoyed me further was the lack of respect; they never even apologized or made an excuse for being away, leaving me to do the work. Where everyone else finished earlier, we were the last ones to complete the task. I never wanted to work with them again. I hoped the two enemy titans in this action, sci-fi adventure had better luck than I did. WHEN A THREAT TO MANKIND THAT could destroy the planet begins to form, Kong and Godzilla would have to find a way to work together if they wanted to overcome the evil force. They were not the type to trust each other. With Rebecca Hall (The Night House, The Prestige) as Ilene Andrews, Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train, Widows) as Bernie Hayes, Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast, The Guest) as Trapper, relative newcomer Kaylee Hottie as Jia and Alex Ferns (The Batman, Joyeux Noel) as Mikael; this latest in the monster universe world had a script that was nonsensical. There were so many different things taking place in the story that I was bored most of the time. The special effects were okay for the most part but did not make me go “wow.” I felt the writers were trying to cover too many bases, from a heartfelt family story line to a mystic wonder one to a good against evil one; this movie left me not carrying about the outcome.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Madame Web
I BELIEVE MOST INDIVIDUALS CAN DISCERN if some upcoming thing they will experience will be pleasant or not. The easy example would be going to the dentist; but I am talking about something more in the grey area. For instance, a family function can be anything from a fist fight event to a supremely festive one. Some of our intuition is based on what facts we know about the soon to be event. I used to dread going to certain family milestone events if alcohol were being served because I knew what that would do to some of the people in attendance. They would have too much to drink and make a spectacle of themselves; as a result, upsetting multiple relatives and casting a dark pallor over the event. Another situation is going out to eat with a friend of mine. This person tends to send their food back every time we have gotten together. I can understand if the wait staff got the order wrong, but if the food is not piping hot or does not have the taste they were expecting, they will return it and do it in a way that makes their displeasure obvious. I find it uncomfortable so I have resorted to never offering a suggestion on where we should eat. Instead, I let them choose with the hopes they know the place and will accept their food the first time it is brought to the table. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I have had a feeling of déjà vu. I may meet someone and immediately feel a connection as if I had been with them a previous time. Again, it is based on my past experiences, but any plans made to get together again are met with a joyful feeling. I try not to go to something with the expectation that I am going to have a miserable or unpleasant time, though that has not been my nature in the past. Putting negative energy out into the world can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, in my opinion. This is one of the reasons why I try to avoid any reviews or comments about a movie before I have the chance to see it for myself. I mentioned before I am not a fan of slasher movies, but I try to keep an open mind still. When I saw the advertisement for this movie, I could not figure out what it was supposed to be. It was not until I saw the preview for it prior while waiting for a different film that I realized this was an origin story in the Spiderman world. I was not sure what I was watching so I did not give it much thought. When I finally got to see this action, adventure, science fiction film, I was glad I did not pay attention. AFTER HAVING A LIFE-THREATENING EXPERIENCE on the job, a New York paramedic begins to see snippets of things that have not taken place yet in her life. One of the snippets involved protecting three strangers on a train. With Dakota Johnson (The Lost Daughter, The Hight Note) as Cassandra Webb, Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Americana) as Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced (Father of the Bride, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Anya Corazon, Celeste O’Connor (The In Between, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Mattie Franklin and Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Kindness of Strangers) as Ezekiel Sims; this movie was not a pleasant experience for me. I was bored through most of it. The script was basic, predictable, and filled with nonsense. Dakota was okay but she was not able to hold up the mess that was falling around her. The flashes of future scenes were annoying because there were times I did not know if I was watching the present or future. I think if I had looked at the comments and reviews for this picture, I would have walked into the theater dreading spending my time watching such a poorly done film.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Creator
IF THE PERSON I WAS INTERACTING with on the telephone was an artificially enhanced intelligent receptionist, then I was not impressed or worried. When the phone call connected and she greeted me, listing the medical group’s name, I thought she was a live person. After asking for my name and date of birth, she asked how she could help me. I told her I wanted to make an appointment to see a particular doctor. She said she was putting me on hold to check on availability. After a couple of minutes, she came back on the line and said there were several patients in queue ahead of me making appointments; as soon as they were done, she could then offer me open dates. Before I could say anything, she was replaced with an automatic message that said if I remain on hold for ten minutes, I will be asked to leave a message and someone from the doctor’s office would call me back. I thought how strange this was since I had just talked to the receptionist. After a few minutes, the same scenario occurred. I tried to break in but there was no hesitation on the receptionist’s part. All she offered was an apology but went right back into her message. I wound up staying online for ten minutes and then a recorded message came on and told me to leave my information for someone to return my call. I cannot tell you how annoyed I was by this experience. NOW IF I THOUGHT THIS WAS going to become the standard procedure for all of us, I would say why bother with AI. However, ever since I saw the film The Matrix, I have wondered at times if we could ever get to a point where machines would be making all the decisions for mankind. If I am not mistaken, one of the more contentious disagreements in the talks with the actors’ union is the use of artificial intelligence to capture samples of an actor’s voice or face to generate content without paying the actors. I had to wonder if there would be a time where I might be watching a movie and none of the cast really had acted in it; everyone was computer generated. It is a scary thought for me. Wasn’t It last week when the news reported there would be a new Beatles’ song because AI pulled out the voice of John Lennon from an old recording and cleaned it up to the point it sounded as if he had just recorded the song with the other Beatles? So musical artists can be replaced just like actors?!?! Is it possible if AI goes unchecked, we could one day find ourselves in a world like the one depicted in this action, adventure drama? SET IN A TIME WHERE HUMANS found themselves at war with the forces of artificial intelligence, a former soldier is chosen to hunt down a new weapon that could end mankind, allowing machines to rule the planet. With John David Washington (Tenet, Malcolm & Marie) as Joshua, newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, Emma Chan (Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians) as Maya, Allison Janney (Lou, The Hours) as Colonel Howell and Ken Watanabe (Godzilla franchise, Inception) as Harun; this story had a thought-provoking message wrapped in a visually, fascinating landscape that was filled with sensitive acting. I felt John David stood out while Madeleine Yuna Voyles was the show stealer; she was that good. However, my issue with this production was the script. It seemed as if the writers used several ideas from different films and tried to put a story together. Especially, the last third of the movie was a mishmash of lost opportunities. As I said earlier, the idea behind the story was both frightening and curious. One must wonder if human beings were even involved with the writing of this story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Shazam: Fury of the Gods
HAVING RECENTLY RETURNED FROM MY FIRST cruise in decades, I was impressed with the diversity and camaraderie I saw on the ship. For two weeks, I observed families and chosen families support and help each other, in a display of genuine kindness. There was a group consisting of about a dozen or so people who were the best of friends. They had bonded and became a chosen family amongst themselves; I enjoyed listening to the travel adventures they had taken previously, along with their choice of excursions on this trip. I could see a real connection between many of them; it reminded me of my own gatherings where there was joking and laughing sprinkled among more serious discussions about various topics. One of the things that impressed me was how easygoing most of them were, considering there were so many options of things to do and eat while onboard; I would have assumed there would have been some disagreements, but I was never a witness to such things. Honestly, they were like a big happy family. One night was designated as a formal dinner event and each of them chose instead of wearing dinner jackets or evening attire, to dress up in clothing that was more aligned to a runway during fashion week in Paris; it was a sight to see. THERE WAS ANOTHER SMALL GROUP OF people I saw who might have been related, but I never had the chance to speak with them. One of the members of the group was in a wheelchair, which I must tell you was going to be hard to maneuver if they were taking similar onshore tours to the ones I was signed up to experience. As it turned out, they were on an excursion I was taking that involved walking up ancient stairs to a historical landmark. It was so touching to see members of the group take turns lifting the gentleman in his wheelchair up the steps. They would stop at each landing to swap out those individuals who got tired from the exertion of keeping the wheelchair in the air, while they themselves had to watch where they were stepping. It was a beautiful sight to see and when everyone in their group finally reached the summit, I saw the look on the wheel bound individual and it was priceless. These two examples reaffirmed my feelings that chosen family connections are just if not stronger than blood related families; however, one experiences love and support is all that matters, at least to me. This point stood out for me in this action, adventure comedy. WHEN AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT IS STOLEN from a museum, it becomes the focal point and the test to see how strong the family ties are for two opposite families. With Zachary Levi (Thor: Dark World, Chuck-TV) as Shazam, Asher Angel (Darby and the Dead, Andi Mack-TV) as Billy Batson, Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Elementary-TV) as Kalypso, Helen Mirren (The Duke, Hitchcock) as Hespera and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Anthea; this sequel continued with the same type of humor found in the first installment. There was very little difference with this film compared to the previous and that was the issue I had with it. The characters did not display any growth in their lives, so the fun connection I had with them previously was strained in this one. Helen and Lucy stood out for me; they truly gave it their all despite the poorly conceived and written script. Even the special effects, I found, were underwhelming. If the film studio is planning to continue with this franchise, which is apparent with the two extra scenes during the ending credits, they will need to kick up the intensity, drama, comedy and special effects to better compete with the other superhero films that have been released.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
AT A JOB, I HAD TO find a way to work with someone I did not trust. It is harder than you think. This person had an ego, which was not a reason to distrust them. One of the things that I had a hard time with was the fact they would never admit to being wrong. In my position at the company, I would get copied on emails with them because it involved one of my companies I covered. Reading the emails they would send in reply to questions from the company was an amazing experience. I could not make out what they were trying to say because they were mentioning things that had nothing to do with the questions. At times, I was embarrassed thinking the customer must wonder how our company can conduct business based on this one person’s remarks. Feeling protective of my company’s reputation, I had to jump in and try to deflect the comments being made and give the customer the answer they were seeking. You would think the employee on the emails would have thanked me privately or send some positive feedback, but no. That was who they were and there was nothing I could do about it. But, when an answer or solution is needed one needs to find a way to work with someone, no matter how you feel about them. MY PHILOSOPHY IS “WHATEVER IT TAKES.” At that company where I worked with that egotistical individual, it at least taught me the importance of looking at the end results. While visiting with a friend, their two children decided they wanted to play in the same room where we were seated. I normally would not have an issue, but these two kids were notorious for fighting. And soon enough they started up while we were trying to have an adult conversation. My friend’s scolding to stop bickering lasted only for a short time before the two siblings were at it again. I was not in the mood to hear the squabbling. Seeing some toys in a container in the corner of the room, I asked the two if they could build a bridge that was strong enough to hold the weight of one of their toy cars. They took the bait and proceeded to pull items out of that container and sat down to figure out which items went where in the construction of the bridge. My friend and I continued our conversation in peace. I hoped the two siblings would learn and understand the importance of working together in life. It is a great message and one I appreciated in this science fiction, action adventure. DESPERATE TO GET MONEY FOR HOSPITAL bills, an older brother agrees to steal a car, not knowing this car had a mind of its own. With Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born, Honest Thief) as Noah Diaz, Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah, Project Power) as Elena Wallace, Luna Lauren Valez (The First Purge, Dexter-TV) as Breanna Diaz, Dean Scott Vazquez (In the Heights, 9 Bullets) as Kris Diaz and Sarah Stiles (Unsane, Get Shorty-TV) as Jillian; this latest in the movie franchise was better than some of the previous installments. However, it was not the best either. The action was plentiful and fast paced with decent special effects. I liked the chemistry between Anthony and Dominique. My issue was with the story and script. It did not provide me with much to latch onto and feel connected. There were different angles the writers were writing from that never really gelled for me. Plus, the excitement and thrill levels needed to go closer towards the extremes. It just never felt like there was enough time devoted to the scenes to let them develop into a more meaningful state. Maybe it was a struggle between film studio departments with budgets and such, but this could have been a better movie if everyone had worked better together.
2 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
moviejoltz 