Abominable review

ABOMINABLE:

BREATHTAKING ANIMATED YETI MOVIE IS AS BOLD AS IT IS HUGGABLE!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

Yi and her new friend Everest in Abominable

            A young girl befriends a magical yeti and helps him find his way home in Abominable, the latest animated film from DreamWorks and co-production with China’s Pearl Studio who had previously collaborated with DreamWorks on 2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3. People will be comparing this movie to last year’s Smallfoot which was another animated film revolving around a yeti befriending a human but much like The Book of Life and Coco they are two entirely different “beasts”, pun intended.

            Abominable takes an approach similar to DreamWorks’ own How to Train Your Dragon where a human befriends a mystical creature and focuses on the inseparable bond they have while embarking on a life-changing adventure. Smallfoot is a solid comedic yeti animated movie but if I had to choose which one has the better story and characters, I have to go with Abominable on this one. 

            I absolutely adored this movie almost as much as How to Train Your Dragon which might be an unpopular opinion on my end, but I don’t care. From the gorgeous animation, charming characters, one adorable, puppy-dog eyed yeti, and some legitimate drama and poignant themes of loss and family, this is an animation marvel for both kids and adults.

            The film follows a young girl named Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet-Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, Valley Girl) living in Shanghai with her mother (voiced by Michelle Wong) and Nai Nai (voiced by Tsai Chin-Live and Let Die/Casino Royale, The Joy Luck Club, The Dream of Red Mansions) who dreams of leaving the city and seeing the world after the passing of her father who she remembers through a violin he gave her. One night while playing her violin she discovers a yeti on the roof of her apartment building who escaped from a top-secret laboratory.

            Yi realizes that the yeti just wants to go back to his home on Mount Everest, which gives him the nickname of Everest and be reunited with his parents. So, Yi and Everest begin their journey to Mount Everest while also roping in her friends Jin (voiced by Tenzing Norgay Trainor-Liv and Maddie) and Peng (voiced by Albert Tsai-Trophy Wife, Fresh Off the Boat, Dr. Ken) along the way. However, they will need to stay one-step ahead of a wealthy man known as Burnish (voiced by Eddie Izzard-Mystery Men, Ocean’s Twelve/Thirteen, The Lego Batman Movie) intent on capturing a yeti and zoologist Dr. Zara (voiced by Sarah Paulson-Ocean’s 8, Bird Box, Glass) in order to get Everest home.

            Overall, Abominable is a beautifully animated adventure showcasing some of DreamWorks’ best animation (And that’s saying something) with a sweet story about friendship and family tucked inside that also embraces Chinese culture similar to what Kubo and the Two Strings did for Japanese culture and Coco for Mexican culture. It never feels forced and the animation really shows how lively China is and also depicting the colorful characters wandering its streets, this alongside The Farewell really make me want to visit China.

            I’ll admit the plot is pretty basic and cliché, you know the one about the yeti or sasquatch befriending a human to get back home while on the run from the “Big Bad Corporation” out to get them. However, Abominable doesn’t quite go the way you’d expect and it’s more like “The Big Corporation Has Lost Its Love of Nature And is Rediscovering It” which is a breath of fresh air in my opinion. 

            The characters are charming and the friendship between Yi and Everest is almost as powerful as Hiccup and Toothless from the How to Train Your Dragon movies. Everest is freaking adorable and is able to show a variety of emotions and expressions thanks to the top-notch animation and it’s all done without any dialogue, yeah, the human can’t understand the yeti in Smallfoot despite speaking English, but it’s done a lot better here.

            As lovely and sweet as the movie is, Abominable isn’t flawless, I found the humor to be a bit lackluster and clearly geared towards the kids. Giant blueberries inside your pants looking like a giant butt, Tee-Hee, Ha-Ha, also there’s a strange running joke with Peng being obsessed with basketball and at times interfere with the more dramatic moments, it doesn’t ruin the movie, but it is a little distracting. 

            Aside from that, Abominable is a magical adventure for the entire family and one of my new favorite DreamWorks animated films. Breathtaking animation, charming characters, incredible music composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams of Wonder Woman and Aquaman fame, and some surprisingly bold storytelling, this is a yeti I’ll gladly visit again. 

Downton Abbey review

DOWNTON ABBEY: 

BIG SCREEN VERSION IS WELL-MADE BUT MOSTLY JUST FOR FANS OF THE TV SERIES!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Allen Leech, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, and Phyllis Logan in Downton Abbey

            The beloved PBS television series comes to the big screen in Downton Abbey, a movie serving as a sequel to the original show which was first announced shortly after it ended. The show has a huge following that can almost be described as the period piece soap-opera equivalent of Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead with many other shows and movies referencing it and viewers everywhere growing attached to its ensemble cast of characters. 

            I unfortunately was not one of those people, while I’ve seen bits and pieces of Downton Abbey before I have never actually sat down and watched an episode, not that I think it’s a bad show it just didn’t appeal to me that much. However, when the movie was announced I was a little curious to see how it turns out and maybe it could stand on its own as a movie…not quite.

            The Downton Abbey movie is strictly for fans of the show and it isn’t likely to win over any newcomers, but the production design, strong ensemble cast, and at times witty dialogue are admirable enough for a casual moviegoer. The movie itself is good but it probably would have been better if I had seen the show. 

            Set after the events of the series, the Earl and Countess of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville-Iris, Paddington 1 and 2, Breathe) Cora (Elizabeth McGovern-Ragtime, Once Upon a Time in America, The Wings of the Dove) receive a letter from Buckingham Palace announcing that King George V (Simon Jones-The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Radio and TV series), Brazil, Miracle on 34^th Street (1994)) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James-The Jewel in the Crown, Gandhi, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)) will be coming to Downton Abbey along with their daughter Princess Mary (Kate Phillips-Wolf Hall, Peaky Blinders, The Crown). As the house prepares for their arrival Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery-Hanna, Anna Karenina (2012), Non-Stop) enlists the help of retired butler Charles Carson (Jim Carter-Shakespeare in Love, Cranford, My Week with Marilyn) to look over the preparations. 

            However, when the royal staff arrives led by Mr. Wilson (David Haig-Doctor Who, Florence Foster Jenkins, Killing Eve) and starts taking over duties at Downton, it causes resentment from the house’s staff and must take back control for Downton’s honor. Meanwhile, a bitter rivalry between Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith-Gosford Park, Harry Potter franchise, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1 and 2) and Robert’s first cousin once removed Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton-Vera Drake, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Pirates!: Band of Misfits) begins when Violet learns that Lady Maud is Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting after having a falling out with her family over who inherits Lady Maud’s estate. 

            

            The film also stars Laura Carmichael (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A United Kingdom, Marcella) as Edith Pelham, Brendan Coyle (The Weir, North & South, Mary Queen of Scots) as John Bates, Kevin Doyle (The Lakes, The Crimson Field, Happy Valley) as Joseph Moseley, Michael C. Fox (Good People, Dunkirk, Endeavour) as Andy Parker, Joanne Froggatt (Coronation Street, In Our Name, Dark Angel) as Anna Bates, Matthew Goode (Match Point, Watchmen, The Imitation Game) as Henry Talbot, Harry Hadden-Paton (The Deep Blue Sea, The Crown, The Little Stranger) as Bertie Pelham, Robert James-Collier (Coronation Street, Mercenaries, The Ritual) as Thomas Barrow, Allen Leech (Cowboys & Angels, Rome, Bohemian Rhapsody) as Tom Branson, Phyllis Logan (Another Time, Another Place, Lovejoy, Secrets & Lies) as Elsie Hughes, Sophie McShera (Waterloo Road, Cinderella (2015), The Personal History of David Copperfield) as Daisy Mason, Leslie Nicol (The Practice, Sarah & Duck, Supernatural) as Beryl Patmore, Penelope Wilton (Shaun of the Dead, Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Isobel, Mark Addy (The Thin Blue Line, The Full Monty, Game of Thrones) as Mr. Bakewell, Max Brown (Crossroads (TV series), Beauty & the Beast (2012 TV series), The Royals) as Richard Ellis, Stephen Campbell Moore (Amazing Grace, The History Boys, Goodbye Christopher Robin) as Major Chetwode, Richenda Carey (Jane Eyre (1997), Separate Lies, Criminal Justice) as Mrs. Webb, Andrew Havill (The King’s Speech, The Imitation Game, My Cousin Rachel) as Henry, Viscount Lascelles, Susan Lynch (Waking Ned, Nora, From Hell) as Miss Lawton, and Tuppence Middleton (Trance, The Imitation Game, Sense8) as Lucy Smith.

            Overall, Downton Abbey will give fans of the long-running TV series a welcoming reunion with all the characters they know and love but with an overabundance of characters wandering around the castle hallways and lack of context of who they are or events that occurred on the show, the movie will likely leave newcomers lost. It’s not impossible to watch the Downton Abbey movie without knowledge of the show but this film really banks on viewers who are already familiar with the show and throws you right in the middle of it which isn’t bad, but it makes it harder to watch as a standalone film.

            With that said, the movie is at least admirable for newcomers, even though I wasn’t really getting into the story that much and had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, I enjoyed the production design, sets, costumes, acting, and writing. Maggie Smith in particular made me laugh almost every time she was on-screen through her performance, line delivery, and dry sense of humor, I didn’t see a character I saw Maggie Smith playing Maggie Smith and I’m okay with that.

            Sadly, I can’t recommend the Downton Abbey movie to someone who has not seen the show (like me), there are things to appreciate on a production design level and with some of the performances by the cast but unless you know the characters and events from the series YOU WILL BE LOST! It’s best to come into the movie with at least some knowledge of the characters and premise of the show, but if you already are a fan of Downton Abbey then you will be greeted with a nostalgic and royal welcome. 

            

Rambo: Last Blood review

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD: 

SYLVESTER STALLONE’S FINAL OUTING AS THE ICONIC ACTION HERO DISAPPOINTS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: * out of 4

LIONSGATE

Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: Last Blood

            Sylvester Stallone (Rocky franchise, Demolition Man, The Expendables trilogy) returns as John Rambo in Rambo: Last Blood, the fifth and final installment of the long-running Rambo franchise dating back to First Blood in 1982. While I’ve been mostly indifferent to the Rambo franchise I cannot deny that First Blood is one of the best action movies of all time in the same vein as Die Hard, Aliens, The Road Warrior, and Mad Max: Fury Road, with its over-the-top action sequences, simple premise about one man with a shady past taking on an entire police force, and some legitimate drama completely sold by Stallone’s acclaimed performance. 

            After the critical and commercial success of First Blood, a franchise was inevitable with more focus on action rather than action and drama, kind of like what The Road Warrior is to the original Mad Max. However, the results of the Rambo sequels are polarizing and while each of them offers some unique and exciting action sequences, none of them could really live up to the surprisingly bold storytelling of the first movie which really shouldn’t have worked but it did. 

            I’m not saying all the Rambo sequels are bad, Rambo: First Blood: Part II I consider to be a classic guilty pleasure that’s undeniably flawed but also a lot of fun to watch and the 2008 fourth installment Rambo while my thoughts on the film as a whole are mixed it goes balls to the wall with its action and violence for better or worse it left an impression and felt like a good stopping point for the series.

            But then this comes around, Rambo: Last Blood with Stallone producing and Adrian Grunberg (Get the Gringo,Apocalypto, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) directing to supposedly conclude Rambo’s legacy. There’s been a lot of strange word of mouth regarding this movie, accusations that it’s Pro-Trump and has perceived racism and xenophobia so for the sake of readers I have no intentions of going into political details or opinions and will be judging it as a movie. 

            And as a movie and conclusion to the Rambo franchise especially after Stallone’s acclaimed portrayal of Rocky Balboa in the Creed franchise, Rambo: Last Blood is an unfortunate misfire that tries to bring shimmers of its once poignant and dramatic tone back but ultimately clashes with the over-the-top 80s throwback action sequences causing an inconsistent tone, a bland and predictable story more reminiscent of the Taken franchise than Rambo, lack of variety in action, and a climax so ridiculous that the movie turns into an R-rated version of Home Alone, I’m not kidding.

            Eleven years after the events of the last film, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (Stallone) has inherited his late father’s horse ranch in Arizona which he manages with his friend Maria (Adriana Barraza-Babel, Drag Me to Hell, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) and her granddaughter Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal-Matador, Faking It, Stargirl). Gabrielle informs Rambo that a friend of hers across the Mexican border has found her long lost biological father who Rambo warns was abusive to her and her mother. 

            Believing he may have changed, Gabrielle travels to Mexico against Rambo’s wishes to find him but is suddenly captured by enforcers of a drug cartel. Upon hearing the news of Gabrielle’s kidnapping, Rambo comes out of retirement and uses his ruthless combat skills once again to fight off the cartel and rescue her before it’s too late.

            The film also stars Paz Vega (Spanglish, 10 Items or Less, Cuna de lobos (2019)) as Carmen Delgado, Sergio Peris-Mencheta (Resident Evil: Afterlife, Love Ranch, Life Itself (2018)) as Hugo Martinez, Óscar Jaenada (The Losers, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Cantinflas) as Victor Martinez, Joaquín Cosío (Quantum of Solace, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Suicide Squad) as Don Manuel, and Marco de la O (El Chapo) as Miguel.

            Overall, Rambo: Last Blood is a bland, uninspired, and disappointing installment that doesn’t give the once legendary action hero the finale he deserves. The plot doesn’t feel like Rambo at all and more like an unused script for a Taken sequel that somehow ended up in Sylvester Stallone’s hands. 

            Does a young girl getting captured by a crime lord’s drug cartel really make you think of Rambo? No, it doesn’t! When I think of Rambo I think of a guy wearing a bandanna killing bad guys in a forest or a jungle, even with different stories, directors, and tones at least its predecessors still felt like they all exist in the same universe, this feels so far removed from Rambo that I was expecting a cameo from Benicio del Toro from the Sicario movies to show up.

            It’s a shame because the Rambo movies have gotten sillier and more over-the-top as they progressed, and this film tried to bring some drama from the first movie back into the series. If I can praise something about Last Blood is a particular heartbreaking twist in the middle of the movie that I didn’t see coming and was one of the only moments in the film that actually got a genuine reaction out of me, but it’s eventually ruined when the climax turns into an R-rated version of Home Alone with Rambo setting up booby-traps in his barn and tunnels he built underground to slaughter the cartel, which is where most of the action usually associated with Rambo is showcased, gore and all.  

            Throughout most of the movie with the exception of the final battle, the action and violence feel more like violence from a grittier Taken remake and it just isn’t as exciting compared to the other films. While my thoughts on the 2008 Rambo movie are very split, I can at least give it credit that it went balls to the wall crazy with its violence whether or not it worked I’m not sure, but I found it to be a lot more entertaining than this movie. 

            Even with the Rambo/Home Alone mash-up, the action is nothing we haven’t seen already, people getting shot, blown up, sliced, stabbed, etc. that may work as a throwback to the ultra-violent 80s movies from its era. But compared to other recent action movies like the John Wick trilogy, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mission: Impossible: Fallout, and the later Fast & Furious movies breaking new grounds in action movie filmmaking and giving the audience something new and exciting, Last Blood just doesn’t have that creative spark and prefers to waste your time by showcasing the same action sequences you’ve already seen in the other films with little to no variety. 

            If you’re a fan of the series and just want to see how the Rambo franchise ends, you’ll probably get your fill with Last Blood. But for everyone else, it’s just a dated, uninspired, and grisly reminder that it’s time for John Rambo to retire. 

Ad Astra review

AD ASTRA:

BRAD PITT SPACE ADVENTURE IS A VISUALLY STRIKING AND EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL ROLLER-COASTER! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

20^TH CENTURY FOX

Brad Pitt in Ad Astra

            An astronaut journeys through the far reaches of space in search of his missing father after a mission goes horribly wrong in Ad Astra, the new sci-fi adventure directed by James Gray (The Yards, The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z) and produced by and starring Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Inglourious Basterds, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). It was only a matter of time before Brad Pitt would be sent into space and follow in the footsteps of George Clooney from Gravity, Matthew McConaughey from Interstellar, and Matt Damon from The Martian and much like those movies Ad Astra is both a visual and emotional powerhouse. 

            I was hyped the moment I saw the trailer and the movie did not disappoint. From the special effects and pulse-pounding sound design made even better if watching on IMAX, RPX, or Dolby at AMC to the story about the important bond between father and son and Brad Pitt’s stellar performance, this is an experience that must be seen on the big-screen to be believed. 

            The film follows astronaut Roy McBride (Pitt) whose father Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones-Men in Black trilogy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Lincoln) left him 30 years ago for a mission into space in search for intelligent life and has gone missing ever since. When the solar system is suddenly struck by mysterious power surges of unknown origins threatening human life, Roy is informed that the surges have something to do with the Lima Project which his father had been working on reported to be orbiting around Neptune.

            With the fate of our planet at stake, Roy travels to the outer edges of the solar system to uncover the mystery behind the surges, destroy the Lima Project, and hopefully find his father in the process.

            The film also stars Ruth Negga (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Preacher, Loving) as Helen Lantos, Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Strangers, The Incredible Hulk) as Eve McBride, Donald Sutherland (M*A*S*H, Cold Mountain, The Hunger Games franchise) as Colonel Pruitt, Jamie Kennedy (Romeo + Juliet, Scream franchise, Malibu’s Most Wanted) as Peter Bello, John Finn (Glory, The X-Files, Catch Me If You Can) as General Stroud, LisaGay Hamilton (True Crime, The Sum of All Fears, Vice) as Adjutant General Amelia Vogel, and John Ortiz (Carlito’s Way, Fast & Furious franchise, Kong: Skull Island) as General Rivas. 

            Overall, Ad Astra is a visually impressive and emotionally captivating adventure through space that balances between a special-effects driven spectacle and a character study on Roy that while a slow-burn is never boring more along the lines of Interstellar than Gravity, capped off by an engaging performance by Brad Pitt who keeps you invested all the way through.

            Despite having very little dialogue and most of his lines consisting of monologue Pitt sells just about every moment from his facial expressions, line delivery, and narration, you see and hear his determination in finding his father and uncovering the mystery of why he was missing and the origins of the surges which makes you want to get behind him on his journey.

            I was concerned the monologue would be distracting after a while but given all the exposition dropped in this movie and slow pace, it’s kind of necessary and without it I’d probably be lost in the first ten minutes. This really is a movie that requires your full attention, don’t turn your brain off or expect Ad Astra to be a visual extravaganza all throughout the film, it’s an impressive but also character focused slow-burn, plain and simple that may also require multiple viewings to understand everything unfolding in the story.

            When the special effects are on-screen, they are absolutely stunning and feel larger than life on the big screen, at times paying homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, red-lit hallways anyone? From its gripping opening with Brad Pitt being struck by a surge and falling off a space antenna to the Earth to shots of shuttles taking off and orbiting around planets, you really need to watch it on the largest screen possible to get the full effect.

            Luckily the effects don’t get in the way of the story, characters, and message about the important bond between parent and child which is where the film’s heart is. With all the space exploration and saving the planet from destruction when you get down to it, the movie is a basic son searching for his missing father plot and it’s done very well.

             If you’re a fan of space exploration movies like 2001, Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, and First Man then you won’t want to miss Ad Astra. It’s a sci-fi adventure mixed with a poignant drama about family capped off by one of Brad Pitt’s best performances in recent years, what more do you need? Definitely watch it on an IMAX or large-format theater, you’ll thank me later. 

            

Rose City Comic Con 2019 Recap