Tom & Jerry review

TOM & JERRY: 

TOM AND JERRY SCENES ARE GREAT, EVERYTHING ELSE IS PRETTY STANDARD! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

The beloved classic cartoon cat and mouse duo is back on the big screen in Tom & Jerry

 

            Good news, they don’t talk, become friends, or sing throughout the entire film… now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on with the review! The beloved classic cartoon cat and mouse duo who have been the bitterest of enemies and graced the silver screen and televisions for decades with their mastery of the art of cartoon violence is back on the big screen in Tom & Jerry, the latest film adaptation of a Hanna-Barbera cartoon and Tom and Jerry’s second theatrical feature film after the disastrous, Tom and Jerry: The Movie in 1992. 

            While I never owned much Tom and Jerry merchandise as a kid, I loved the original cartoons whenever I caught them in syndication on Cartoon Network. I still remember when I first watched a Tom and Jerry cartoon one night at age 6 or 7 and I was laughing my tail off (Pun intended) all the way through the short and quickly became just as essential to watch as something like Ed, Edd n Eddy whether I’ve already seen the short they’re showing that night or not. 

             A lot of people seem to agree that Tom and Jerry’s antics and comedic timing are absolute perfection. With their appealing animation, flawlessly timed slapstick, and hilarious sound effects, it’s no wonder why these cat and mouse frenemies have stood the test of time for so many years…but then Hollywood realized “We’ve got to have money!” so they decided to give them their own movie in 1992…it didn’t go over well. 

            Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) completely missed the mark of what made the original cartoons so great and committed the heinous crime of having Tom and Jerry speak, sing, and work together as friends to save an orphan girl from an evil aunt. It was a huge disservice to such a wonderful cartoon that was unanimously hated by critics, audiences, and fans, but at the same time it is also an incredibly fascinating train-wreck to watch that I can recommend it as a so bad it’s good movie, plus it leads to one of the craziest chase sequences ever in an animated film since The Thief and the Cobbler. 

            Now we have this new live-action/animated hybrid film directed by Tim Story (Barbershop, Taxi, Fantastic 4/Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer) because it’s now required by law that every Hanna-Barbera cartoon must be adapted to live-action cinema at some point, just like The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and Yogi Bear. However, unlike those movies, this film makes the interesting choice of having it be a mix of live-action and animation that’s closer in spirit to films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, or The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and the original characters retain their cartoony natures, but they just happen to co-exist with real-life humans. 

            The trailer looked like a generic kids’ movie, but I was at least interested in seeing how the world of this film works. Is it like Toontown from Roger Rabbit where the cartoon characters live in a different part of the city, is it the recycled plot of the animated characters finding a magic portal that sends them to the real world (*cough* Smurfs!), or is everyone in this movie just tripping on LSD? After seeing the movie for myself, I think it might be the latter if I’m being serious. 

            I was also a bit scared that they would play it too safe because ever since that 1992 movie a lot of recent Tom and Jerry media often lacked the kinetic energy, cartoon violence, and comedic timing of its source material and would go the Scooby-Doo route and just throw them into random situations or movies like The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Would this movie be a faithful interpretation of its source material that remembers Tom and Jerry’s roots, or would this once genius comedic duo become “Friends to the End” again? Thankfully, this film understands Tom and Jerry a lot better than the 1992 movie but the plot surrounding them is very standard and tiring. 

            The film follows Tom the Cat and Jerry Mouse (Both voiced by William Hanna and Mel Blanc via archive footage) who wind up in New York City’s finest hotel on the evening of the wedding of the century. When news that the hotel has a mouse problem, the new employee and desperate event manager Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass 1 and 2, Let Me In, Hugo) recruits Tom to get rid of Jerry before the wedding. 

            However, as their chaotic mayhem ensues, the escalating cat-and-mouse chase soon threatens Kayla’s job, the wedding, and possibly the hotel itself. 

            The film also stars Michael Peña (End of Watch, Ant-Man 1 and 2, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Terrence Mendoza, Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live, Staten Island Summer, How to Be Single) as Ben, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as Henry DuBois, Ken Jeong (Community, The Hangover trilogy, Scoob!) as Jackie, Pallavi Sharda (My Name is Khan, Lion, Retrograde) as Preeta, Patsy Ferran (Jamestown, Tulip Fever, God’s Own Country) as Joy, Christina Chong (W.E., Johnny English Reborn, Monroe) as Lola, Ajay Chhabra (Bend it Like Beckham, Anita and Me) as Mr. Mehta, and Camilla Arfwedson (Holby City, The Duchess, The Little Stranger) as Linda Perrybottom, and features the voices of Nicky Jam as Butch, Bobby Cannavale (Mr. Robot, Ant-Man 1 and 2, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) as Spike, and Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah) as Tom’s shoulder devil and shoulder angel. 

            Overall, Tom & Jerry is…fine, and a lot closer in spirit to the original cartoons than the 1992 film. The film is very well animated and it’s fun to see the cartoon characters interact with live-action environments and objects, the slapstick is well timed and often quite funny, and using archive footage of William Hanna and Mel Blanc’s voices for Tom and Jerry is a huge plus, but why don’t I love this movie? It’s infinitely better than Tom and Jerry: The Movie but what is keeping it from being great? The recycled and predictable plot!

            The plot is literally the same as Dunston Checks In except replace Jason Alexander and the ape with Hit-Girl and a cartoon cat and mouse, and it’s just not interesting. Plot is literally the last thing I care about when I’m watching Tom and Jerry, I just want to see some hilarious slapstick and over-the-top situations and we get that for a good half of this movie, but it feels like it grinds to a halt whenever it tries to be a real movie with the wedding and hotel plot. 

            Had the film taken the Mad Max: Fury Road approach and focused mostly on a cinematic Tom and Jerry chase with the human characters, hotel, and wedding being subplots I think we would have gotten a great Tom and Jerrymovie, but as is it feels like 2 completely different films stitched together. Tom & Jerry is a perfectly serviceable adaptation that kids may enjoy, and longtime fans will appreciate the efforts of staying true to the source material, you just have to get through some filler to get to those moments. 

Nomadland review

NOMADLAND:

FRANCES MCDORMAND HITS THE ROAD IN THIS BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO THE LESS FORTUNATE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Frances McDormand in Nomadland

 

            Frances McDormand (Fargo, Burn After Reading, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and director Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brother Taught Me, The Rider, Eternals) take a remarkable journey through the world of the forgotten and downtrodden in Nomadland, based on the book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. This film has been hyped up like mad since it was screened at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival with many people declaring it as one of the best films of 2020 and a strong Best Picture Oscar contender…yeah, they’re kind of right but keep in mind that this is coming from someone who hasn’t read the book it’s based on. 

            As a film, Nomadland is marvelous albeit a slow burn that probably won’t appeal to everyone. It’s a very performance-focused movie without much of a conflict or plot which to many might sound boring (I found it a bit amusing that there were trailers for Black Widow and Godzilla VS Kong before this movie, trailers for two overblown blockbusters being shown before this slow-paced drama). However, McDormand’s performance as well as her chemistry with real-life nomads that appear in the film as characters that use their real names, keep this movie interesting and engaging all the way through.  

            The film follows Fern (McDormand), a woman who had lost her job after the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada shuts down, and her husband recently died. Shortly after losing her job and husband, Fern decides to sell all of her belongings to buy a van to live in and travel across the country. 

Most of the film revolves around her, what she does for work, and the people she interacts with on her journey. She has a seasonal job at Amazon, works in restaurants for a while, and she also works at an RV park where she interacts with several other nomads (Many of which are real people, not actors!) and never looking back at her old life. 

The film also stars David Strathairn (L.A. Confidential, The Bourne Ultimatum/The Bourne Legacy, Lincoln) as David. 

Overall, Nomadland is an affectionate and gorgeously filmed tribute to nomads everywhere that beautifully captures the anxiety left in the wake of the Great Recession with an excellent Frances McDormand performance on top of it. I would go in with some caution that it isn’t a very plot heavy movie, the pacing can be quite slow at times, and you could make the argument that it’s a film where nothing happens, it’s along the lines of films like Boyhood or Romawhere you’re basically watching a person (or people) live their life and in Nomadland’s case, it’s Frances McDormand as someone living in a van, what she does for work, and the people she comes across on her trip. 

            It’s a film that doesn’t rely on a Three-Act Structure and the best way I can describe it is imagine the TV show Louie if it wasn’t a comedy. Sounds boring, doesn’t it? But replace Louis C.K. with an Oscar-worthy Frances McDormand performance and you got yourself a movie that works, though it may take more than one viewing for some to fully appreciate it, just be warned about that. 

            Much like what I said about News of the World, the scenery in this movie is absolutely beautiful and if you’re watching it on a big screen, it feels like you’re right there in the Badlands with McDormand. It isn’t required to be watched on the big screen, but if you got a theater nearby that’s playing it then go ahead. 

            The acting is the main attraction of Nomadland, specifically from Frances McDormand and surprisingly the non-actors featured in the film as well. As always, McDormand gives 100% whenever she’s onscreen, but there’s also a sense of humanity to her performance this time around that I haven’t seen that often in her other films, I can’t explain it, all I can say is she’s excellent. 

            The real-life nomads featured in this movie feel extremely authentic and almost documentary-esque whenever McDormand interacts with them. Their dialogue feels very unscripted and sound more like they’re speaking from the heart rather than text on a script, it’s as if you, yourself is meeting these nomads whenever they’re introduced and it’s a much better way to portray real people in a movie than what The 15:17 to Paris did. 

            Nomadland was a very pleasant surprise and it well deserves its placement among the best films of 2020. It’s a somber, down-to-earth road trip with nomads with another phenomenal Frances McDormand performance behind the wheel and a relative newcomer director who shows a lot of potential, looking forward to seeing what Chloé Zhao does for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Eternals. 

            The film is definitely an acquired taste but it’s the right kind of acquired taste that’s worth discussing among others. This is one road trip you don’t want to miss. 

Judas and the Black Messiah review

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH: 

FRED HAMPTON BIOPIC IS AN ABSOLUTE POWERHOUSE!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah

 

            I AM A REVOLUTIONARY! Daniel Kaluuya (Skins, Get Out, Black Panther), Lakeith Stanfield (Dope, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You), and director Shaka King (Newlyweeds) join forces to tell one of the most fascinating betrayals in American history and a timely condemnation of racial injustice in Judas and the Black Messiah. A depiction of the real-life betrayal of Illinois Black Panther Party leader, Fred Hampton by FBI informant, William O’Neal and Hampton’s assassination. 

            The film had been in development since 2014 and was originally to be directed by Friday and Straight Outta Compton’s F. Gary Gray and starring Jaden Smith and O’Shea Jackson Jr. but it never fell through until Shaka King and ironically the Black Panther movie director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther) as a producer were brought onboard to helm the movie. Did King successfully bring this emotional powerhouse of a story to the screen? The short answer is YES! 

            Judas and the Black Messiah is absolutely fantastic, from the acting to the production design and a well-written script that manages to balance hard-hitting drama, a little bit of comedy, and heart-pounding intensity all at the same time without ever feeling out of place. It’s the kind of film that’s honest with its subject matter and has a lot of topical themes that everyone no matter what race you are should see. 

            Set in the late 1960s, the film follows FBI informant William O’Neal (Stanfield) being tasked to infiltrate the Black Panther Party and keep tabs on their leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Kaluuya). O’Neal basks in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons-The Master, Black Mass, The Irishman), Hampton’s political skills grow just as he’s falling in love with revolutionary Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback-The Deuce, The Hate U Give, Project Power), and a battle soon wages on O’Neal’s soul as he makes the difficult decision of aligning with Hampton and the Black Panther Party or subdue them by any means as demanded by FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen-Apocalypse Now, The West Wing, The Amazing Spider-Man). 

            The film also stars Ashton Sanders (Moonlight, The Equalizer 2, All Day and a Night) as Jimmy Palmer, Darrell Britt-Gibson (The Wire, 20^th Century Women, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Bobby Rush, Lil Rey Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out, Free Guy) as Wayne, Algee Smith (Detroit, The Hate U Give, Euphoria) as Jake Winters, Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts, Sorry to Bother You, Coming 2 America) as Mark Clark, Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk) as Judy Harmon, and Amari Cheatom (Django Unchained, Crown Heights, Roman J. Israel, Esq.) as Collins. 

            Overall, Judas the Black Messiah is a powerful dramatization of the betrayal of Fred Hampton by William O’Neal and Hampton’s eventual assassination and an honest condemnation of racial injustice that is sure to be a strong contender during awards season. The script is very poignant and thought-provoking, the acting from the cast is superb, and the cinematography and production design really makes 1969 Chicago come alive, even during a couple of slow moments I was completely invested and entertained all the way through. 

            Much like Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, it is eerie how relevant this film is today and how it mirrors various current events despite it being set all the way back in the ‘60s. Like the Black Panther Party being labelled as a terrorist group similar to some people’s views on the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, racism, manipulation by government and law-enforcement figures, and too many more to count, it’s sickening to see all these violent and hate-filled acts onscreen and there’s a large saturation of movies based on civil rights and/or race-related stories, but films like this are important in our culture so we can compare it to current events and do something those despicable, racist pigs don’t…Think, look at the conflict from the perspectives of those involved, and be a part of the big change! 

            Topical subject matter aside, this is a very enlightening and well-made movie with a lot of kinetic energy in the directing and acting. This is Shaka King’s first mainstream movie and after watching it, I’m convinced he is fully capable of following in the footsteps of Steve McQueen, Spike Lee, F. Gary Gray, Lee Daniels, Ava DuVernay, Jordan Peele, and even Ryan Coogler to become one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. 

            King seems very well-educated in the story and themes and gives the blunt, honest truth and tells it in a very entertaining and informative way. It’s very well-paced and edited and it has a very stylish tone with a lot of neon-lit streets at night and a grit to everything, it really feels like you’ve traveled back in time to 1969, thankfully the visuals never upstage the actors. 

            The acting is incredible, most notably from Lakeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya, and Jesse Plemons, all 3 of them pretty much transform into their characters especially Kaluuya as Fred Hampton from the way he looked, dressed, and spoke, he brought him back to life for this movie…that’s all I can say. Stanfield continues to impress moviegoers with his acting skills and his performance as William O’Neal is no exception, he captures the crazy, cowardly, and traitorous side of the real person and really conveys the feelings of guilt around the time of Hampton’s assassination, and Jesse Plemons is also great as Roy Mitchell, a seemingly respectable FBI Special Agent at first who appears to be on Hampton and O’Neal’s sides, but is actually hiding something from them as the film progresses, it somewhat reminds me of a reverse version of his Game Night character, all excellent performances. 

            Judas and the Black Messiah is as engaging as it is relevant and honest with electrifying performances by its cast, a well-written script, impressive production design, and affectionate directing by Shaka King. Whether in theaters or streaming on HBO Max, this is one trip to gritty 1969 Chicago not to be missed. 

News of the World review

NEWS OF THE WORLD: 

TOM HANKS AND DIRECTOR PAUL GREENGRASS MAKE THE OLD WEST COME ALIVE IN THIS POWERFUL AND COMPELLING DRAMA! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel in News of the World

 

            Tom Hanks (Apollo 13, Cast Away, The Post) reunites with director Paul Greengrass (Bourne franchise, Green Zone, Captain Phillips) who had previously worked together on the 2013 film, Captain Phillips to bring Paulette Jiles’ beloved Western novel to the screen in News of the World. I have not read the book, but I brought a couple of people who have with me and filled me in about what was changed after the film, because I haven’t read it myself, I will be judging it on its own. 

            How does News of the World hold up as a movie? It’s good, really damn good! A bit of a slow burn, but it tells a very powerful story with strong characters, incredible cinematography and costume design, excellent performances by Hanks and German actress, Helena Zengel in her first international production, and a fantastic musical score by composer, James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, Batman Begins/The Dark Knight, King Kong (2005)). It’s easily one of Paul Greengrass’ best films and has another potential Oscar-nominated performance from Hanks as well as one for Zengel who is phenomenal, by the way. 

            The film follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a Civil War veteran tasked to return a young girl named Johanna (Zengel) who was taken in by Native Americans as an infant to her last remaining family. The two of them venture into the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas to bring Johanna home, but their adventure turns into a fight for survival as they encounter danger around every corner, both human and natural. 

            The film also stars Fred Hechinger (Human Capital, Fear Street, The Woman in the Window) as John Calley, Neil Sandilands (The 100, The Flash, Coyote Lake) as Wilhelm Leonberger, Thomas Francis Murphy (Leatherheads, True Detective, The Walking Dead) as Merritt Farley, Mare Winningham (St. Elmo’s Fire, Georgia, Dark Waters) as Jane, Elizabeth Marvel (Burn After Reading, Lincoln, House of Cards) as Ella Gannett, Chukwudi Iwuji (Doctor Who, John Wick: Chapter 2, Peacemaker) as Charles Edgefield, Ray McKinnon (Apollo 13, The Net, Ford v. Ferrari) as Christopher John “C.J.” Kidd, and Bill Camp (Molly’s Game, Joker, The Queen’s Gambit) as Willie Branholme. 

            Overall, News of the World is a powerful and compelling film that goes down a somewhat familiar Western trail, but the performances by Hanks and Zengel as well as the production design and cinematography are more than enough to keep it an engaging and captivating ride throughout. It’s also an unexpected but very welcome departure from Paul Greengrass’ usual fare because whenever I think of that director I think of a lot of shaky-cam, intense car chases and/or fight scenes, and an action-thriller tone, you know, the tricks he uses in the Bourne movies and here comes a film from him that has none of that, it felt more like something Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard would have directed, I had forgotten Greengrass directed this movie until the end credits. 

            The film is a love letter to classic Western stories in the same vein as the Coen Brothers’ remake of True Grit to the point where the plot is quite similar to the one from True Grit. A man and a young girl embark on a quest to bring said girl to a specific location, in True Grit’s case it’s to find the man who killed Mattie Ross’ father, whereas here it’s to bring Johanna to her last remaining family members, it’s a classic and timeless Western story retold but it never feels rehashed.

            The production and costume designs and cinematography are amazing and makes the Old West come alive with every frame. From the sweeping shots of the landscapes to the architecture of the buildings, and subtle details like the dirty clothing, you are watching the Old West but it just happens to have Tom Hanks in it, if this movie doesn’t at least get nominated for Oscars in those categories I’m going to be very mad. 

            As always, Tom Hanks is excellent and giving a million percent whenever he’s onscreen, I wouldn’t call it one of my favorite performances of his, but he’s extremely compelling and you believe the relationship he has with the young girl, who in my opinion steals the show. This marks Helena Zengel’s first film outside of Germany and she knocks it out of the park…and with very little dialogue, most of her lines consist of noises and small German phrases as well as a few English ones on top of some very expressive faces, but you can tell just by her face alone how she feels and what’s on her mind even without the speaking lines, both actors work wonderfully with one another and I look forward to seeing them collaborate again on another film in the future. 

            If you’re a fan of Westerns, Tom Hanks, Paul Greengrass, and/or potential award contenders, then News of the World is one not to be missed. It’s a rare Western film that’s more of an emotional journey rather than a gun-slinging, horse-riding adventure that I will gladly go on again. 

Top 10 Worst Films of 2020

 Top 10 Worst Films of 2020

1.     Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (GOLDEN TURD AWARD WINNER!)

2.     The Grudge

3.     Artemis Fowl

4.     Dolittle

5.     The Rhythm Section

6.    The New Mutants

7.     Bloodshot

8.     Magic Camp

9.     Monster Hunter

10.  Black Beauty 

Top 10 2020 Movies I Like But Don't Love

 Top 10 2020 Movies I Like But Don’t Love

1.     The Hunt

2.     Freaky

3.    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

4.     Love and Monsters

5.     Bill & Ted Face the Music

6.    Onward

7.    Sonic the Hedgehog

8.     Tenet

9.    Elephant

10.  Wonder Woman 1984

 

Honorable Mentions: Phineas and Ferb: The Movie: Candace Against the Universe, Bad Boys for Life, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Birds of Prey, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, Safety, Mulan, The Old Guard, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, The King of Staten Island, The One and Only Ivan, Trolls World Tour, Emma, We Bare Bears: The Movie, Clouds, Godmothered, Stargirl, Scoob!, The Call of the Wild, The Lovebirds, The Croods: A New Age

Top 20 Best Films of 2020

Top 20 Best Films of 2020

1.        The Father

2.        Soul

3.        Promising Young Woman

4.        Sound of Metal

5.        Nomadland

6.        The Trial of the Chicago 7

7.        Da 5 Bloods

8.        Minari

9.        The Invisible Man

10.     Justice League Dark: Apokolips War

11.     News of the World

12.     Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

13.     The Gentlemen

14.     Judas and the Black Messiah

15.     Mank

16.     Hamilton

17.     The Personal History of David Copperfield

18.     Dolphin Reef

19.     Emma

20.     The Vast of Night

 

Honorable Mentions: Bad Education, Enola Holmes, First Cow, On the Rocks, One Night in Miami…, The Way Back