Summer movies

F1

A super fun movie.  The racing scenes are phenomenally filmed.  (This is a worthy followup for Joe Kosinski after Top Gun: Maverick.)  I have quite a few nitpicks (No way Brad Pitt can deal w/ the physical stresses of the sport at that age.  But he still looks amazing, and he almost made me believe it.  Also, he would never have gotten away w/ all his race shenanigans), but they can all be handwaved off.  

I was completely distracted whenever Kerry Condon was on screen because she looks like a cross between Rebecca Ferguson and Christina Applegate.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No, but it’s close

Rating: Pretty good

KPop Demon Hunters

OMGOMGOMG.  As good as all the hype around it.  This really feels like Sony Pictures Animation’s spiritual successor to their Spider-verse films.  

I don’t have much to say aside from “This film rules” and “The soundtrack slays.”  (“Soda Pop” is the clear best, followed by “How It’s Done” and “Takedown.” There’s something about the melodies of “Golden” and “What It Sounds Like” that should be awesome, but rub me the wrong way the more I hear them.  Which makes me sad.)

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: Yes

Rating: Really good

Superman

I went into this with an open mind; I’m not the biggest fan of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but I don’t hate them, either.  I was just hoping for a good time, which I got.

1. David Corenswet is a wonderful Superman.  (Honestly, casting directors have done a top-notch job of Superman casting over the last few decades: Corenswet, Henry Cavill, Tyler Hoechlin, Brandon Routh, Tom Welling.  All doing great credit to the Man of Steel.)

2. Rachel Brosnahan.  I was always a fan of this casting.  She’s a great Lois.  Her chemistry w/ Clark, some beautifully filmed floating kisses (I love those scenes in the comics, too) - all good.

3. Nicholas Hoult - His Lex is absolute fire.  A+, no notes.

4. Krypto.  Not the most well-behaved of dogs, but still a good boy.

5. Nathan Fillion - Perfect casting, perfect haircut.

6. The execution of Mr Terrific’s abilities did most of the heavy lifting, but Edi Gathegi was fine as well.

7. Heh, Jimmy Olsen’s a stud.

8. I seriously questioned Milly Alcock’s casting as Supergirl, but her cameo sold me on it.  I hope her movie’s even as remotely good as Tom King’s comic.

On the other hand:

1. Not enough of Lois or Clark.  I loved them so much, would have liked to see more of them as people.

2. The Engineer - Totally superfluous to the story.  A nothing role.

3. Another CGI-fest for the climactic fight.  Not bad as they go, but meh.

4. Not sure about playing the Kents as yokels.

5. I liked what I saw of Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, but they didn’t do much w/ her.

A lot more positive and fun than Snyder’s interpretation, but not the home run it could have been.  

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Pretty good

Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning

Man.  This could have been called Mission Impossible: Endgame.  It tried to do so many of the same things as the Marvel Phase 3 capper, like bringing back old faces, trying to retcon things to make it all fit together (the Rabbit’s Foot?  Seriously?), give it a sense of satisfying finality.  But it lacked the effortlessness of the MCU film, and it felt like it was just trying way too hard.

It also mirrors the Fast and Furious franchise, in that it finally blasted past the leeway granted by the magic that is suspension of disbelief.  While the Mission action set pieces are always insane and over the top, this is really the first one where I kept calling “bullshit” and facepalming in disbelief.  

This movie forgot to bring the fun.  The action scenes were impressive in their technical achievement, and I was very often on the figurative edge of my seat.  But while I was impressed by how tense I felt, I rarely enjoyed myself.  There were no “that was awesome!” moments, and that’s what I come to these movies to see.

It’s the first Mission Impossible movie that I have zero interest in owning, which really says a lot about how little I thought of this film.  It’s been three months since it came out, and it’s only gotten worse in my mind.  Such a disappointment.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Stupid

Movies

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1

Very, very well done.  Let’s get to it.

What I liked:

• Hayley Atwell.  I will love her in anything she’s in.

• Rebecca Ferguson continues to be the best part of these movies.  I love her even more than Hayley Atwell.  Ilsa Faust as a sniper continues to bowl me over.  That little look she gives before the sword fight on the bridge.  The moment she decides to drop her shields and be completely content and happy with Ethan Hunt on the balcony in Venice.

• The Rome chase scene.  The doughnuts by the Spanish Steps were hilarious.  

• Pom Klementieff.  Only the second role I’ve seen her in, and this is completely different from her ditziness as Mantis.  She’s basically Asian Harley Quinn here, and I love it.  The babyface turn feels cliche and unearned, but I’m not going to complain if it means we see more of her in Part 2.

• Nice to see Henry Czerny back as Kittridge, Cary Elwes as Denlinger, and Charles Parnell as random guy in the room.

• Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are always welcome.

• The whole Abu Dhabi sequence.  Masterful cutting and use of soundtrack.  Same with the faceoff at the club.

• The Venice chase scene was good until the ending.

• The bike skydive.  The whole train-falling-off-the-tracks sequence.

What I didn’t like:

• They killed Ilsa.  Worst decision ever.  Can’t express how much I hate this.

• Killer AI.  They’re going with Skynet for the big bad?  I get that AI’s becoming more and more of an actual thing, but I still have a problem taking this seriously.

• Gabriel doesn’t work as a flunky in any way.  A generic monologuing villain who fails to intimidate, regardless of the results.

• Shea Whigham is completely useless as Special Agent Fultiley Chases Tom Cruise.

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD? Yes

Rating: Really good

How have my ranking changed?

1. 5 (Same) (Opera, Hanging plane, Underwater, Motorcycle chase)

2. 1 (Up 1)

3. 7 (New)

4. 4 (Down 2) (Prison break, Building climb)

5. 3 (Up 1) (Vatican)

6. 6 (Down 1) (I’m probably the only person in the world who ranks Fallout this low)

7. 2

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

I’ve heard so much about this movie, finally got to check it out.  

It’s beautifully made.  Noemie Merlant, in particular, blew me away with her subtle performance.  Her eyes are absolutely arresting, and I spent the whole movie trying to recall who she reminds me of.

It didn’t blow me away as much as I would have hoped, but the love story is touching, and there’s no doubt that the last couple of scenes will linger in my mind for a long time.  (I’m curious to see if they rank up there with Roman Holiday’s ending after there’s been some time to percolate.)

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD? No

Rating: Good

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