Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA: 

MUCH LIKE THE TITULAR CHARACTERS THEMSELVES, THESE FILMS WORK BETTER WHEN THEY’RE SMALL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

MARVEL STUDIOS

Paul Rudd is back in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 

            Paul Rudd (Anchorman 1 and 2, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Evangeline Lilly (Lost, The Hurt Locker, The Hobbit 2 and 3) shrink down into the Quantum Realm for a new adventure in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follow-up to 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. I’ve enjoyed the previous Ant-Man movies and think they’re very fun superhero films with a lot of imagination and heart that don’t try to be a grand spectacle like other MCU entries, but rather these small-scale (No pun intended), light-hearted adventures with a perfectly cast Paul Rudd as ex-convict turned superhero Scott Lang/Ant-Man. 

            Not only does Rudd do a great job selling the comedic side of a superhero with shrinking and growing powers, but he’s also very genuine during the softer and more heartfelt moments. I consider Ant-Man to be the most human and relatable of the Avengers as he’s no billionaire with a flying suit of armor or a god wielding a magic hammer and not even a laboratory experiment, instead he’s just a good-natured but misunderstood man stuck in a bad place who is given a second chance at redemption and to provide for his daughter. 

            Add in some creative uses of ants and inanimate objects during action sequences, equally memorable side characters like Michael Peña’s Luis and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym, likable chemistry between Rudd and Lilly as Scott and Hope, and strong family dilemmas and you got yourself two solid superhero films that are as engaging as they are fun. Which finally brings us to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with Rudd and Lilly reprising their roles as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne/Wasp and Peyton Reed (Bring It On, The Break-Up, Yes Man) back in the director’s chair. 

            Given that I enjoyed the earlier Ant-Man films a lot, clearly I’m going to love this one just as much, right? Eh, not exactly! I’m not calling it terrible or anything as it has a lot of moments I found entertaining and some interesting ideas being explored, but I felt this one lacked much of the fun and charm of the previous films. 

            Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Scott Lang has become somewhat of a celebrity in San Francisco and a little full of himself. But when his now 18-year-old daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton-Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu replacing Abby Ryder Fortson and Emma Fuhrmann) introduces Scott, his partner and love interest Hope, and her scientist parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas-Romancing the Stone, Wall Street 1 and 2, Falling Down) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer-The Witches of Eastwick, Batman Returns, Stardust) to a device that can make contact with the Quantum Realm, they are immediately sucked into the microscopic realm that has been taken over by a new threat in the form of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors-Da 5 Bloods, Devotion, Creed III). 

            The family ventures through the vast and limitless Quantum Realm while interacting with strange new creatures they meet along the way as they race against time to put an end to Kang’s dynasty before it’s too late. 

            The film also stars Bill Murray (Ghostbusters franchise, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation) as Lord Krylar, Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Black Mass, First Man) reprising his role from the first film as Darren Cross/M.O.D.O.K., and Katy O’Brian (Z Nation, Black Lightning, The Mandalorian) as Jentorra. 

            Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania promises an exciting future for the MCU with a stellar Jonathan Majors performance leading the way, but sadly it’s not that great an Ant-Man movie and lacks much of what made Lang and van Dyne’s earlier adventures enjoyable romps. Honestly, I was onboard for an Ant-Man movie set in the Quantum Realm as I felt there’s so much you could do with that like a superhero version of Fantastic Voyage and the film definitely delivers on that notion, if only the plot and writing were better. 

            The plot is somewhat reminiscent to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where the whole point of its existence is to set up future films, but it gets too focused on that to the point where it forgets to tell a compelling Ant-Man story. But unlike that movie, at least I know they’re going to deliver what they promise at some point, still it’s a shame this film will probably get fans more excited about later MCU titles rather than the one they’re currently watching. 

            One of the most glaring problems I have with this movie, this Ant-Man movie is…the script just isn’t that funny. It’s not Thor: Love and Thunder where the comedy overrides the story and characters, but aside from a few chuckles and a cute comparison between the body structures of Ant-Man and Thor most of the jokes didn’t quite land for me which is disappointing because the previous Ant-Man films were incredibly funny. 

            With that said, there is a lot in this movie worth praising particularly Jonathan Majors as Kang. This is his debut film and he’s already becoming a great MCU villain with a threatening presence that promises all the horrible things he has planned, can put up a serious fight, and the MCU comedy is significantly toned down whenever he’ onscreen to maintain his menacing fatigue, I’m looking forward to seeing what the franchise does with him. 

            The acting in general is solid, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly still have charm as Scott and Hope, Kathryn Newton gives Cassie a lot of energy and depth, and even Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer have moments to shine. 

            The Quantum Realm itself is visually appealing and filled with unique creatures and environments. While it often bears striking resemblances to other sci-fi worlds like Star Wars, Strange World, and especially other MCUproperties such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, there is enough in here to give the Quantum Realm its own visual identity. 

            The action sequences are a lot of fun from a Godzilla-style scene where Ant-Man turns giant and starts destroying Kang’s empire, Cassie getting the chance to kick some ass with her own Ant suit, insane sh*t like cyborg ants with laser cannons attached to them, and a pretty damn brutal brawl between Scott and Kang. A lot of it is reminiscent of other large-scale Marvel action scenes, but when the film starts thinking outside the box that’s when it’s the most entertaining. 

            Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a perfect example of a mixed bag with various elements that work and some that could have been improved on. I’m sure it’ll perform financially well, and the fans will go and support it, but it’s a rather underwhelming start to the MCU’s fifth phase that leaves a lot to be desired. 

Magic Mike's Last Dance review

MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE: 

CHANNING TATUM’S STILL GOT THE MOVES, BUT THE FILM ITSELF STRUGGLES TO TAKE CENTER STAGE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek in Magic Mike’s Last Dance

 

            Channing Tatum (Jump Street, White House Down, The Lost City) returns as the titular retired male stripper in Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the third and final installment of the Magic Mike trilogy dating back to 2012 and the second to be directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Side Effects, Logan Lucky). I was pleasantly surprised by the first Magic Mike when I saw it back in 2012 as it wasn’t really a movie I was seeking out to go see, but people kept telling me how good it actually is and yeah, they weren’t wrong. 

            The dance sequences are a lot of fun and full of energy, the cast has a lot of charisma, Tatum and Alex Pettyfer have very likable chemistry together, and I found myself being invested in the characters and their dilemmas. Apparently, a lot of people agreed as it was a critical and commercial hit and spawned a sequel in 2015 known as Magic Mike XXL. 

The sequel wasn’t quite on par with its predecessor, but it still has plenty of entertainment value and is a little more character-based than the first film with Mike’s backup dancers getting some time to shine. Again, a movie I wasn’t expecting much out of, and I ended up having a good time with it. 

Now, we come to the third and final chapter of the Magic Mike story released over ten years since the first film and eight years since XXL. Like its predecessors, I didn’t have any expectations going into it, but I was more optimistic this time around because Magic Mike XXL turned out to be a pretty solid sequel so maybe Tatum and Soderbergh can still work their “Magic” on the third film…not exactly! 

Magic Mike’s Last Dance isn’t terrible, and it does have some enjoyable moments, but it really pales in comparison with the first two installments. It’s an example where the cast/dancers’ efforts are commendable, but the novelty of the films has worn thin. 

The film follows Mike Lane (Tatum) who has left the stripper life behind and is now working as a bartender in Florida. But when he meets a wealthy socialite named Maxandra (Salma Hayek-Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Puss in Boots 1 and 2), the two of them travel to London to put on a spectacle of a show. 

With everything on the line and a new roster of hot dancers he’ll need to whip into shame, Mike makes the unusual transition from former stripper to live theater director as he puts together the greatest (and spiciest) show on Earth. 

The film also stars Ayub Khan Din (East Is East, Coronation Street, Ackley Bridge) as Victor, Vicki Pepperdine (My Cousin Rachel, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Johnny English Strikes Again) as Edna Eaglebauer, Alan Cox (Young Sherlock Holmes, August, The Dictator) as Roger, and Caitlin Gerard (The Social Network, Insidious: The Last Key) reprising her role from the first film as Kim. 

Overall, Magic Mike’s Last Dance has its moments and Channing Tatum is once again at the top of his game, but it’s a rather underwhelming “Last Dance” that lacks a lot of the “Magic” and fun of its predecessors. First I’ll address some positives, the acting is great especially from Tatum and Hayek who have very strong chemistry together and work off each other quite well, they pretty much carried the whole movie for me. 

There are a handful of side characters like Maxandra’s daughter who aspires to be a novelist, her disapproving and practically antagonistic ex-husband, and her butler who doesn’t take much of a liking to Mike and while they aren’t nearly as memorable as Mike’s posse from the earlier films, they’re enjoyable enough and serve their own purposes. No one is really bad in this movie; everyone is putting their all into it even if the screenplay doesn’t do them many favors.  

Like its predecessors, the dance sequences are very well-choreographed and bursting with energy and passion. They aren’t quite as sizzling compared to the first two as the ones here take more of a live theater performance approach instead of the grungy strip club atmosphere of the previous films, but they do a great job showcasing the talents in front of the camera with sprinkles of Magic Mike’s umm…magic in there for good measure. 

Sadly, while the film offers plenty of masculine eye-candy and a stellar cast clearly giving their all, it doesn’t have a very interesting or compelling narrative in-between. I’m not saying the plots for the first two movies are masterpieces, but they were at least paced well, you got to know the characters, and understood the agenda or goal which made their resolutions a lot more satisfying. 

This one relies heavily on tons of tired “Putting on a big show” movie clichés that we’ve seen a hundred times before even right down to the snooty bad guy trying to shut the production down and it’s just not that interesting or exciting. Ironically, for a movie called Magic Mike there is a lot of business talk regarding politics of the theater industry and discussions about divorce from Salma Hayek’s character and the ex-husband in here and while I must reiterate that the dance choreography and sequences are the best parts of the movie, they’re either too short, in the background, or not focused on as much…isn’t that one of the reasons people go to these movies? 

I wouldn’t have minded this idea of Magic Mike being tasked to direct a theater production if the show was a lot crazier and reminiscent of the other movies. Like if he was directing a male version of Showgirls or something along the lines of Satan’s Alley from Staying Alive, this could have been just as fun as the first two, but this show is surprisingly pretty tame compared to the overblown spectacles from the earlier films. 

If you’re a fan of the Magic Mike franchise and want to see how it ends then you might find something to enjoy in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. But for something that started off with so much potential and kinetic energy, Mike deserves better. 

Knock at the Cabin review

KNOCK AT THE CABIN: 

SHYAMALAN CHAOS AT ITS FINEST! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

A family will make the ultimate choice in Knock at the Cabin

 

            M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable trilogy, Signs) brings his madness and twists to a cabin…in the…woods in Knock at the Cabin, his latest thriller film and the second movie in his filmography to receive an R rating after 2008’s The Happening. The film is based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay and marks the very first film adaptation of one of his works. 

            I have not read the book, so I don’t know how faithful it is to the source material, I just came into it as a Shyamalan enthusiast eagerly anticipating the type of insanity he had in store for me whether it turned out good or bad. With the only exceptions being The Last Airbender and After Earth, all his films had serious entertainment values to me either as a great movie (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, Split), so bad it’s good (Lady in the Water, The Happening, Devil (Though he only wrote and produced the latter)), somewhere in the middle (The Village, Glass, Old), or whatever the hell The Visit was. 

            Given that criteria, I didn’t know what to expect with Knock at the Cabin because of the mystery surrounding the director himself and the constant ups and downs of his films’ quality. Well, I am happy to report that this is a very well-crafted and exhilarating Shyamalan film that stands among some of the director’s best work.

            The film follows a family of three consisting of Eric (Jonathan Groff-Taking Woodstock, Frozen 1 and 2, The Matrix Resurrections), Andrew (Ben Aldridge-The Railway Man, Pennyworth, Spoiler Alert), and their daughter Wen (Newcomer, Kristen Cui) vacationing at a remote cabin. But when a mysterious group of strangers led by a man named Leonard (Dave Bautista-Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dune (2021), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) arrive at the cabin and hold the family hostage, they’re forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to prevent the apocalypse. 

            The film also stars Nikki Amuka-Bird (The Personal History of David Copperfield, Old, The Outfit) as Sabrina, Abby Quinn (The Sisterhood of Night, Little Women (2019), Mad About You (2019)) as Adriane, and Rupert Grint (Harry Potter franchise, Wild Target, Into the White) as Redmond. 

            Overall, Knock at the Cabin continues Shyamalan’s unexpected renaissance in recent years and once again proves that the man is more than capable of crafting a thoroughly engaging and bone-chilling experience. Throughout the majority of this movie, I was invested in the story and characters and on the edge of my seat wondering where it was going. 

            The film does a great job at building up the mystery and maintaining the illusion of whether an apocalypse actually is coming or if these random intruders are just out of their minds. But then it becomes perfectly clear that something is indeed happening and that the strangers and the family have to act quick in order to stop it. 

            Surprisingly, it doesn’t have as many of Shyamalan’s signature directing tropes compared to his other projects. There’s hardly any stilted acting or exposition dumps delivered via whispers, and it doesn’t really have a twist which I was very caught off-guard by as if Shyamalan was actively trolling his audience and if that’s the case then bravo.

            The acting is excellent especially from Dave Bautista who gives this very genuine performance that’s both unsettling and surprisingly tragic, it’s honestly some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from him. Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as the two husbands raising Wen play their roles quite well and make for good straight-men (As in the straight-men reacting to the current circumstances), Kristen Cui as Wen is the most innocent of the performances and her reactions add more to the terror of the situation, and even the actors with little screen-time take full advantage of the time given to them and churn out some of the most memorable scenes of the entire film. 

            However, the last third of the movie does start to creep into traditional Shyamalan territory for me. That doesn’t mean it suddenly becomes bad, but Shyamalan’s directing did feel very noticeable during the climax as some of the line deliveries felt very off and I guess it does get somewhat pretentious with its themes. 

            Even with that slightly inferior final act, I was intrigued and on the edge of my seat with Knock at the Cabin. It has just about everything I look for in a good Shyamalan film and I eagerly await what he does next whether it turns out good, bad, or somewhere in-between. 

Missing review

MISSING: 

TECH-THEMED THRILLER DELIVERS THE CHILLS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

SCREEN GEMS AND STAGE 6 FILMS

Storm Reid in Missing

 

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SEARCHING SPOILERS!

A teenage girl scours the web in search of her missing mother in…Missing, the new thriller written and produced by Aneesh Chaganty and a standalone sequel to his 2018 film Searching. I enjoyed Searching a lot when I saw it and thought it was an interesting take on the mystery/Gone Girl-esque genre as the entire film takes place on a computer screen which had been done before in films like Unfriended, but it didn’t feel as gimmicky, and this style of filmmaking benefited the story it was telling, not to mention an electrifying John Cho performance I mean, damn! 

            Now, we have the sequel with newcomers Nick Johnson and Will Merrick in the directors’ chairs and Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave, A Wrinkle in Time, The Invisible Man (2020)) in the lead role. The big difference between this and Searching is where Searching was about a father looking for his missing daughter, Missing revolves around the daughter looking for her parent. 

            I was a little skeptical when I first heard about it, while I thought it looked fine judging by the trailer I felt I didn’t need Searching to become a franchise and was like “Were people asking for this?”. This sounds like one of those lazy “Here We Go Again” sequels where they copy and paste the plot of the first movie and change a few details around, but the filmmakers managed to deliver an equally fascinating thriller that has a few references to its predecessor in there but stands on its own quite nicely. 

            The film follows June (Reid), a rebellious teenage girl who parties hard the night her mother Grace (Nia Long-The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friday, Soul Food) leaves on a vacation in Colombia. But when her mother mysteriously goes disappears, June searches the web for answers behind her disappearance and to hopefully find her before it’s too late. 

            However, as she digs deeper and deeper she discovers that her search begins to raise more questions than answers. 

            The film also stars Ken Leung (Rush Hour, Lost, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Kevin, Joaquim de Almeida (Clear and Present Danger, Desperado, Fast Five) as Javier, Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Last Stand, Big Hero 6) as Elijah Park, Amy Landecker (Dan in Real Life, A Serious Man, Transparent) as Heather, Tim Griffin (American Sniper, The Gift, Central Intelligence) as James, Megan Suri (Valentine’s Day, The MisEducation of Bindu, Never Have I Ever) as Veena, and Rainn Wilson (The Office, Super, Cooties) as Spencer. 

            Overall, Missing is a worthy follow-up to Searching that also works as a gripping thriller on its own merits. It could have easily been just a paint-by-numbers semi-remake of Searching so I’m grateful this film was able to hit familiar beats as its predecessor and do something vastly different with the story and mystery. 

            What makes this film different from Searching is that the daughter is stuck thousands of miles away from her missing parents so she can’t really get into a car and drive over to where clues might be found unlike John Cho in the first film and has to rely solely on her technology and the aid of a Colombian errand man she hires to help crack the case. 

            Even when it does start hitting the same bullet points as the first film (Character discovers details about missing person that don’t make sense, unusual financial transactions, strange locations they went to, etc.), it doesn’t hit them exactly and will often throw your for a loop. There was a moment when a supporting character was shown to be a possible suspect and for a moment I thought “Oh, this is like what they did with the detective character from Searching”, but it turned out to be a complete fake-out and once the true mastermind was revealed, I was genuinely surprised. 

            It also helps that the acting is superb especially from Storm Reid who is excellent in this movie and does a great job giving a very heartfelt performance as well as having strong chemistry with the supporting characters, some of which are standouts themselves. Joaquim de Almeida in particular is the biggest standout as this errand man in Colombia whom Reid’s character hires to help find her mom, he steals many of the scenes he’s in as this very relatable, everyday guy who is extremely flawed himself and even goes through his own arc throughout the film.

            I don’t remember if I brought this up in my Searching review, but the editing in both films is absolutely flawless which is hard to believe since both films take place almost entirely on computer and smartphone screens. Every little detail on the main characters’ computer screens is well thought out whether it’s brief pauses during text messages or chats, jumping in-between different apps and websites, and even something as mundane as recovering a password has all this attention to detail put into it and I commend the editors and filmmakers for their work. 

            While Searching may be a little stronger in terms of its plot, Missing is a surprisingly well-crafted mystery that sprinkles a few references to the first film, but does a great job being a standalone film. I guess, you could say this is technically an example of a “Here We Go Again” sequel done right and succeeds where others like Taken 2 and The Hangover: Part II have failed. 

Plane review

PLANE: 

LATEST GERARD BUTLER ACTION FILM IS A BUMPY BUT VERY ENTERTAINING FLIGHT THAT FULLY EMBRACES ITS STUPIDITY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

LIONSGATE

Gerard Butler and Mike Colter in Plane

 

            Gerard Butler (300, Has Fallen trilogy, Greenland) stars as a pilot who teams up with a prisoner to save his passengers from a hostile territory they landed in for an emergency landing after an intense plane crash in the new action movie, Plane. The film is directed by Jean-François-Richet (Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Blood Father, The Emperor of Paris) and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who is no stranger to action films as he had produced the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies, Salt, and both RED films. 

            These kinds of movies are usually hit-or-miss to me especially during an era that brought some of the most game-changing action films of all times like the John Wick franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, Top Gun: Maverick, and the recent installments of the Mission: Impossible series. But there’s been plenty of mindless action movies in recent years that I had a good time with like XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Moonfall, and Michael Bay’s Ambulance, so I have my fair share of action movies that are incredibly stupid that I enjoyed. 

            That’s where Plane comes in which I knew what I was getting into when I first saw the trailer, but whether it was going to be stupid fun or just stupid was hard to tell. Gerard Butler as an action star is an interesting one because for every 300, Olympus Has Fallen, and Greenland, there’s also a Geostorm, Gods of Egypt, or London/Angel Has Fallen. 

            It seems the secret to having Butler in an action film is knowing how to utilize him correctly, otherwise you’d get sh*t like Lockout, but I digress. I was curious to see if Plane was going to end up being one of his hits or misfires that went down faster than the titular plane itself, it’s a hit! 

            Plane is the kind of film that knows it’s silly and stupid and just has fun with it, the plot is very standard, and the film itself doesn’t even try to take this type of formula to new heights (No pun intended). Instead, it’s a dumb, fun throwback to macho action movies from the 1980s like Rambo, Predator, and Commando where the big guy with the gun makes an unlikely partnership with another character (a criminal in this film’s case) to rescue hostages from bad guys. 

            If you’re going into this expecting high art or something that will challenge you (I have no idea why you would in the first place!), you’re not going to get that. But if you’re looking for a fun action movie to watch with your friends, have a few drinks, and turn your brain off for then you will have a great time on this flight. 

            The film follows Brodie Torrance (Butler), a commercial pilot tasked of transporting a man accused of murder known as Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter-The Good Wife, Halo franchise, Luke Cage) by the FBI. But when the plane sustains critical damage during a storm and Torrance makes an emergency landing on a war-torn island, the passengers are suddenly captured and held hostage by a group of anti-government militias. 

            This results in Torrance doing the unthinkable, teaming up with the accused murderer to rescue his passengers and escape from the island. 

            The film also stars Yoson An (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, Mortal Engines, Mulan (2020)) as Samuel Dele, Tony Goldwyn (Nixon, Tarzan, Oppenheimer) as Scarsdale, Daniella Pineda (The Originals, Cowboy Bebop (2021), Jurassic World 2 and 3) as Bonnie, Lilly Krug (Every Breath You Take, Heart of Champions, Zero Contact) as Brie, Joey Slotnick (Twister, Family Guy, Hollow Man) as Sinclair, and Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire, Entourage, The Irishman) as Hampton. 

            Overall, Plane is a perfect example of a dumb popcorn movie done right with plenty of intense action sequences, corny dialogue, and charismatic performances from Butler and Colter. One of the greatest action movies of all time? Absolutely not, but I don’t think even the movie would call itself that. 

            It’s essentially a silly action movie that’s very reminiscent of films of the genre from the 80s and 90s and it does the job. This could easily fit as a late-80s or early-90s action movie and just swap Gerard Butler and Mike Coulter out with Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone as the pilot and Wesley Snipes as the accused murderer and have the VHS release advertised like crazy at a Blockbuster Video store. 

            You know how audiences called the first Venom movie and Morbius throwbacks to movies released in the 90s and 2000s? Well, here’s one that fully embraces the nostalgia of an 80s or 90s movie and is actually good at what it does. 

            This film does not take a beloved IP or character and turn them into a complete joke, instead it’s like the director watched a lot of action movies on VHS growing up and thought “I want to make one of those someday!” so he obtained this 30-year-old script, got Gerard Butler and Mike Colter onboard, and made something fun and entertaining that people who grew up with films released in that time period will have a blast from the past while watching it. 

            Gerard Butler and Mike Colter are excellent leads for a film like this, Butler in a more reserved performance than usual as this pilot who just wants to ensure the safety of his passengers and visit his daughter while Colter is the covert-ops guy who handles most of the firepower and on a quest for redemption. Both do a great job working off each other and you enjoy seeing them interact with one another or simply blowing down the villains. 

            I don’t know what more I can say, Plane gave me what I was expecting, and it went all out in delivering exactly that. If you’re looking for a fun stupid movie to turn your brain off for and enjoy Gerard Butler and Mike Colter kicking ass, then you’ve got a flight to catch. 

A Man Called Otto review

A MAN CALLED OTTO: 

TOM HANKS SHINES IN THIS UNEVEN BUT EFFECTIVE COMEDY-DRAMA! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto

 

            Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Post) goes from awkward Geppetto to grouchy old man in A Man Called Otto, the new film from director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Quantum of Solace) and based on the 2012 novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. The film is an American retelling of A Man Called Ove, which had previously been adapted into a 2015 Swedish film of the same name. 

            I’m not familiar with the 2015 film nor the original book, so I’m going to this as a standalone movie and judge it on its own merits. So, if you’re looking for a review that describes how faithful it is to the source material, go somewhere else. 

            This movie kind of flew under my radar as I remembered it coming out, but either the release date was constantly pushed back, or I was too distracted by other films out at the time that I forgot about it until seeing a trailer for it on another movie recently. I love Tom Hanks as an actor, he’s given so many iconic performances throughout his career and is one of those actors where even when he’s in a movie that’s sh*t he’ll be one of the major highlights of it (His performances in Elvis and Pinocchio not withstanding!). 

            Which brings us to this movie that’s riding on the success of Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino and other dramas about cranky old men bonding with their new neighbors. I don’t know if the book or 2015 film are like that, but you can see how this version was influenced by those kinds of films. 

            So, how does A Man Called Otto stand out from the rest? It doesn’t, but it’s alright. 

            It doesn’t do much new with this kind of formula and feels like a by-the-numbers PG-13 Gran Torino remake, but the acting is solid (especially from Hanks) and there is enough in here to keep you emotionally invested. 

            The film follows Otto Anderson (Hanks), a grumpy widower whose only form of joy comes from criticizing and judging his neighbors for disobeying the rules. But when a young family moves in next door, Otto’s world is turned upside down as he starts forming an unexpected friendship with his new neighbors, most notably with the quick-witted pregnant wife and mother of two Marisol (Marina Treviño-Perfect Strangers, The House of Flowers, Narcos Mexico). 

            The film also stars Truman Hanks as Young Otto, Rachel Keller (Legion, Fargo (TV series), In the Shadow of the Moon) as Sonya, Manual-Garcia Rulfo (Cake, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, The Magnificent Seven (2016)) as Tommy, Cameron Britton (Mindhunter, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, The Umbrella Academy) as Jimmy, Peter Lawson Jones (Alex Cross) as Reuben, and Juanita Jennings (Runaway Jury, Vacancy 2: First Cut, Side Effects) as Anita. 

            Overall, A Man Called Otto is a familiar but decent comedy-drama with standout performances from Hanks and Treviño and plenty of moments that will tug at your heartstrings. What sort of brings the film down for me is the tonal inconsistency of the script because while the funny moments are genuinely hilarious and the drama is very poignant, when they’re put together they contradict each other during several scenes and the film as a whole feels a little disjointed because of that. 

            Despite its flaws, there is a lot to admire about this film starting with a very against-type performance from Tom Hanks. Hanks is usually known for playing incredibly kind and likable characters (As well as being an incredibly friendly man in person) so it’s refreshing to see him portray a bitter elderly man who’s sick of everyone’s sh*t and while some may draw comparisons to Clint Eastwood’s Walt Kowalski from Gran Torino, Eastwood’s character had elements of bigotry and racism whereas with Hanks in this movie, he hates just about everyone in his neighborhood but learns to be less grumpy over the course of the film. 

            Marina Treviño also shines in this movie despite not being familiar with her other work as Marisol. She is an excellent contradiction to Otto’s cold personality and is able to put up with it while also showing him a better world out there, I love the scenes whenever they’re interacting with one another whether it’s Otto teaching Marisol how to drive or him bonding with her and her family. 

            The film also has a lot of flashback sequences involving Young Otto and his deceased wife Sonya which will be very hit-or-miss depending on the viewer. I didn’t mind most of them personally, but there were some that felt unnecessary and broke the pace of the story at times.

            I wouldn’t call A Man Called Otto one of Marc Forster’s best directing efforts, but if you saw the trailer and thought it looked interesting or you’re just a fan of Tom Hanks then go ahead and check it out. I can’t promise a masterpiece, but I can guarantee a flawed but fascinating emotional journey on par with the titular character himself. 

M3GAN review

M3GAN: 

FUN, CAMPY HORROR-COMEDY THAT’S SURPRISINGLY CLEVER AND RELEVANT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

The titular doll of terror gives Chucky a run for his money in M3GAN

 

            A doll with artificial intelligence goes horribly wrong in M3GAN, the new horror-comedy film produced by Jason Blum (Get Out, Happy Death Day 1 and 2, The Invisible Man (2020)) and James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring 1 and 2, Malignant) with Gerald Johnstone in his directorial debut. The film is based on an idea from Wan and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Hell Fest, Malignant, The Nun 2) that differs quite a bit from Wan’s previous films about killer dolls, most notably the Conjuring and Annabelle movies. 

            This one serves as a commentary on embracing technology too much and what happens when technology runs amok. A lot more relevant and thought-provoking than something like Chucky for example. 

            I was intrigued when I first heard about the film, it sounded like Steven Spielberg’s A.I. if it was (intentionally) terrifying or an unofficial prequel to Ex-Machina. Granted, I was slightly turned-off by the PG-13 rating because I find horror and PG-13 don’t usually go together with some exceptions…this is one of those exceptions! 

            This is a very fun movie that blends campy horror with tongue-in-cheek humor as well as a timely message about the over-reliance on technology that fits perfectly with today’s society. I knew I was in for a good time once the movie started with a Tropic Thunder-style fake toy commercial for a product called PurrPetual Petz that had me laughing hard and thinking back to seeing commercials like that on TV all the time as a child. 

            The film follows Gemma (Allison Williams-Girls, Get Out, The Perfection), a roboticist at a technologically advanced toy company in Seattle known as Funki who takes in her niece Cady (Violet McGraw-Love, Ready Player One, The Haunting of Hill House) after her parents were tragically killed in a car accident. Gemma introduces Cady to her most game-changing project, a life-size doll with artificial intelligence known as M3GAN who is designed to be the perfect companion for the child that is synced-up with her, Cady in this case. 

            At first everything seems fine, but then M3GAN begins to develop self-awareness and becomes hostile to anyone who comes between her and Cady. A series of horrific events start occurring with Gemma and Cady being the only ones who can stop M3GAN’s reign of terror before she goes public. 

            The film also stars Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will and Grace, Jane the Virgin, Get Shorty (TV series)) as Cole, Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as David Lin, and Lori Dungey (Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) as Celia. 

            Overall, M3GAN is a thoroughly entertaining film that seamlessly blends horror and comedy without shying away from engaging characters and clever storytelling. Honestly, I think I had more fun with this than most of the big blockbusters I saw last year. 

            I feel like this is what the 2019 Child’s Play was trying to do (Which I thought was fun, but pretty disposable when I saw it) as that was basically an updated and more high-tech version of Chucky but lacked the character’s personality. That is not the case with M3GAN because despite essentially being a robot, she does develop a personality and clear character over the course of the film while interacting with Gemma and Cady, and by the end she becomes a straight-up intimidating horror villain that puts Chucky and Annabelle to shame. 

            The film also explores the psychological effects of having a toy like this and becoming overly attached to it which I found incredibly fascinating. Where M3GAN becomes more possessive and violent as the film progresses, Cady starts off as a genuinely sympathetic kid just trying to adapt to this new living situation after the death of her parents, but when this new tech comes into her life, she becomes overly dependent on and addicted to it, her social skills start diminishing, and gets aggressive and downright crazy, all of this feels very natural and makes you wonder “What would you do in Caty’s situation?”. 

            I also found myself growing attached to Allison Williams’ Gemma which can be best described as a complete reversal of her Get Out performance. We’ve seen this trope in films before where an estranged family member has to take care of a child and feels unfit or unprepared for the responsibility, but she plays it quite well and has plenty of standout moments. 

            The film also did a great job at throwing me for a curveball when Caty’s therapist was introduced because once she showed up I kept thinking “Oh great, there’s going to be a situation where she forces Gemma to give Caty up to go live with family on her father’s side, but Caty doesn’t want to leave!” which does not happen, and I commend M3GANfor not going that route. 

            The effects on the M3GAN character are incredible and almost Ex-Machina level, she was created with a mixture of animatronics, puppetry, an actress in a costume, and CGI when necessary, and she looks very convincing. To the point where I was constantly guessing if I was looking at an animatronic robot doll or CG which rarely happens to me nowadays in film (Just look at Marvel CGI and you’ll know what I mean) so it’s refreshing to see a major Hollywood production utilizing CGI mixed with practical effects again just like in the days of Jurassic Park. 

            With that said, I felt the climax was pretty generic (Aside from a sequence involving another robot) where now M3GAN is saying stock horror movie villain dialogue and it hits a lot of similar beats as other climaxes involving killer robots/toys, but I was having such a great time with the rest of the movie that it didn’t really matter to me. I also wasn’t a big fan of the way it ended and just felt like a last-minute sequel bait slapped on if it becomes a big hit (Which it apparently is), 

            M3GAN was a very pleasant surprise that exceeded my expectations in just about every way. It’s an effective mix of campy horror, tongue-in-cheek humor, timely social commentary, and strong characters, it’ll terrify you, make you laugh, and you’ll be invested all the way through.