Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Harry Potter: The Cursed Child, Xerxes

Xerxes 5

Sigh.  I keep hoping and hoping with Frank Miller, and he’s provided nothing but one disappointment after another.  What was his last really enjoyable series? Sin City?  Xerxes started out promisingly enough, but it been on a steady downward trajectory ever since.  By this final issue, Miller’s drawing images seemingly selected at random from the rudimentary plot he’s laid out in his head.  Future me really needs to remember to stop buying his stuff on sight.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

At some point in the future, readers will wonder what I’m talking about when refer to Moviepass.  In any case, this was the first movie in the last 8 months that I’ve had to pay money for; My Moviepass plan had covered everything in the interim.  But the last two weeks was when the unsustainably wonderful deal – $90 for a year’s worth of free movies in the theaters – collapsed under the actually-too-good-to-be-true weight of its own financial insanity.  The biggest releases of each week will no longer be available. Instead of one movie per day, customers are limited to three per month. And this movie was the first casualty.

No matter.  This was not one of those “eh, I’ll watch it because it’s free” films.  I was watching this regardless. This entire franchise is ridiculously entertaining, even more than, I daresay, the Fast and Furious movies.  (And I love me some family.)

The sixth installment was quite fun, but it didn’t match Rogue Nation, which is my favorite one.  (Though I hadn’t realized how difficult it was to rank them until I went through the exercise.  They’re all so rewatchable, even the much-maligned second John Woo piece.)

Rankings sidebar:

1) 5 - Rogue Nation

2) 3 – Ghost Protocol

3) 1

4) 6 - Fallout

5) 3

6) 2

Fourth place is perfectly respectable for Fallout.  It’s got amazing set pieces – The HALO sequence, the bathroom fight scene, and yet another breathtaking motorcycle chase (Which matches the exhilaration of Rogue Nation’s, which I didn’t think was possible).  Rebecca Ferguson, the best part of the previous film, returns as Ilsa.  I like the resolution of Michelle Monaghan’s arc. Tom Cruise runs!

On the other side of the ledger, the movie felt long on this first viewing, which is a first in the series.  The helicopter duel was amusing from a Top Gun flashback standpoint, but otherwise left me cold. There was far too little of Ilsa kicking ass, and I could have done without her burgeoning romance with Ethan Hunt.  Henry Cavill was fine but uninspired as a character. Alec Baldwin leaves the show just as he was getting into the fun of it all.

I’m still going to buy it.  I’m still going to watch it over and over a ton.

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD? Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Harry Potter: The Cursed Child

Shout out to my friend for getting me house seats for a Sunday showing.  And an even bigger shout out to her work on the lighting team of this Best Light Design Tony award-winning production.  As far as I’m concerned, my dear friend also won the Tony.

I had a lot of doubts about the story for this show.  I read the synopsis when it first came out. I was disappointed by the stupidity of Harry Potter and his son, Albus Severus.    

That part of it was completely borne out – Harry makes some very questionable decisions, and there’s no question about the idiocy of the things Albus does.  But everything else about the production more than balances it out. What can I say without giving things away?

• All-around great performances by the majority of the cast.  Particular kudos to [Draco actor], [Scorpius Actor], and [Harry actor] for nailing some of the most heartachingly monologues.  The Malfoys were also surprisingly hilarious. Honorable mentions to [Myrtle actor] and [Ron actor] for their comedic talents.
• The magic effects were great.  Can’t say more.
• The music by Imogen Heap and the accompanying choreographed movement.
• The gasps and applause of recognition from the audience whenever a beloved (or reviled) character from the books was referenced.
• The staircases.
• The masterful lighting.  So much of the mood, tricks, and scenes could not have been accomplished without it.
• The efficient scene changes and the wooshes that went along with them.

To quote Ferris Bueller, “if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD?  N/A, but now waiting for the inevitable movie version once Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson hit their forties.

Rating: Pure Joy