Author Archives: Ron

About Ron

I like to watch movies and share my thoughts on them. I have been writing reviews and distributing them since 2013.

The Creator

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The Creator        1 star

There has been a lot of talk in the news about AI lately including that it may be a threat to the very existence of humanity. So, it is appropriate that I saw the 2023 movie The Creator by director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One). I don’t recall there being much promotion of it before it came out. The movie stars John David Washington (BlacKKKlansman) as Joshua, a retired soldier of the war against AI. In the opening sequence we learn that AI served people well as robot servants, then as police and soldiers, until a war started against humans. The US then banned AI, but the country of New Asia embraced it, developing it further. The US has a super weapon called NOMAD, a sort of space station armed with missiles that can be easily seen in the sky but cannot be attacked and can destroy any target. US intelligence discovered that the New Asian AI creator, Nirmata has created a new AI weapon called Alpha One that will be able to destroy NOMAD and thus win the war against humans. Joshua is called back into service as he is the only one familiar with the New Asia base where Nirmata is believed to be located. Now, the AI robots or “simulants” look and behave exactly like humans except for the hardware around their necks and head. (That is except for the police who are just human shaped hardware.) The Creator follows a cinematic tradition of AI beings that threaten mankind from films like Terminator and 2001: A Space Odyssey. What makes this movie different, and problematic is that the AI robots think and act just like humans to the point that many humans see them as people. This point is exemplified by the robot that Joshua finds that turns out to be the weapon, Alpha One. The robot looks like a small female child, to the point that it seems adorable and has no idea that it is a super weapon. Instead of destroying the child, Joshua abandons his mission and protects the child, who he calls Alphie, hoping it can lead him to his wife, who was believed to have been killed in the war but now is reported to be alive. All this is the setup for the action that ensues, consisting of the many violent combat scenes of the war between the Army and the New Asian military and their AI robots, all in Asian settings giving the movie a Vietnam War feel. The portrayal of robots as so humanlike went too far in my opinion, with them being thought of as alive. Whatever they may look like, they are still machines designed by people. The depiction of the weapon, NOMAD, was another problem. If a nation had the technology to create such a destructive device, why wouldn’t they make more of them? The movie seems to have borrowed elements from other science fiction movies like the Death Star in Star Wars, the dark sets of Blade Runner and the tentacled robot in The Matrix. Finally, it makes the US the bad guys who are trying to kill off the AI beings who just want to live. (This is illustrated in a scene when Alphie is asked what she wants and she simply says, “to be free”.) One would think that a war with AI would involve hacking through the internet, but no. There is no mention of the internet or computer servers. AI seems to exist only in the form of robots. The Creator does not help in our dilemma of what to do about the ever-expanding AI in today’s world.

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom     5 stars

With the release of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, from the very British Aardman Animations, directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, we can officially say that it is not too early for Halloween themed movies. Believe it or not, this is only the third in the series of full-length animated movies that stars the mischievous sheep, Shaun and the flock of adventurous sheep who cause no end of havoc on the Soggy Bottom farm and surroundings. The previous outing was way back in 2019 with A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. These movies are done using puppets and elaborate sets that are photographed in a painstaking process of stop motion animation that takes years to produce. This time around it is harvest season and the sheep are preparing for Halloween having planted their own patch of pumpkins. (Yes, Sheep like Halloween too.) Unfortunately, through a series of pratfalls by Farmer John and interference by a clothesline eating goat, the pumpkins are destroyed, thus denying the sheep their chance to create jack-o-lanterns. (Notice that the Halloween tradition has crossed the Atlantic and entered British culture.) But there is an answer to their misfortune. Creative genius Shaun has a book titled Home-Made Science and endeavors to use the formulas there to create a growing chemical in a very elaborate lab in the farm’s windmill that will allow new pumpkins to grow overnight! The problem is that farmer John has found the chemical and applies it to his balding head, thinking it will give him renewed vitality and allow him to attract the attention of a female veterinarian who lives in town. Only, Shaun’s chemical works too well causing the pumpkins to grow to immense size and the farmer’s hair to quickly grow and completely cover his head and body with orange hair! Thus, the Beast of Mossy Bottom terrorizes the town while Farmer John appears to go missing. So, all sorts of troubles befall the inhabitants leading to hilarious stunts with the sheep and Bitzer, the farm dog, as they attempt to deal with the new threat. It’s all fun that almost any audience will love. And at only one hour and twenty minutes in length it should not wear out on the youngest viewers. There are a few references that only adults will get, including similarities to the Frankenstein movies and Psycho. Shaun’s mad scientist costume, the elaborate Rube-Goldberg style lab that Shaun creates and the vengeful townsfolk are especially amusing. In the film genre of purely visual sight gags, nothing tops what Aardman Animations can dish out. I hope that Shaun the Sheep will brighten more of our days with slap-stick antics.

Bad Times at the El Royale

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Bad Times at the El Royale           4 ½ stars

From the man who wrote The Martian and World War Z comes one of the most fun movies I have seen in a while.  Bad Times at the El Royale brings seven strangers together at a rundown hotel on the border of California and Nevada for a fateful night when someone is bound to die.  This movie is full of surprises with several turns that makes you wonder what is coming next.  Plus it has one amazing cast bringing together the talents of Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson and a relative newcomer Cynthia Erivo.  It starts with the near simultaneous arrival of four guests at the previously mentioned El Royale hotel, a place that was once a great attraction for celebrities and stars but is now rundown and has lost its appeal.  But there is something very sinister about the place, something that our guests will discover very soon.  The story is told in a nonlinear fashion as it slowly reveals secrets of each of our unfortunate characters until the shocking scene that will determine everyone’s fate.  The best scenes have to be those shared by Bridges and Erivo as they go from acquaintances to enemies to trusted allies.  This is one movie lovers need to see and I am surprised to see it hasn’t gotten more attention.  I hope we will hear more from writer director Drew Goddard in the future.

The Old Man & the Gun

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The Old Man & the Gun                 4 ½ stars

There is yet another fine movie showing in the theaters now. That is The Old Man & the Gun featuring two long time legends of Hollywood, Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek.  It is a movie driven by the two main characters that really doesn’t have a lot going on.  It is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, a convict who in the early eighties escaped from prison and carried out a string of bank robberies at age seventy that confounded the police.  What really drives the movie is Redford’s charm and his smile.  The most enjoyable parts are when he is talking with or charming Jewel (Spacek) while she thoroughly enjoys his company while believing little of what he tells her about himself.  Casey Affleck contributes to rounding out the film as he portrays the Texas lawman trying to track down Tucker and his Over the Hill gang as the crime spree spreads from one state after another.  Redford has said that this is his last picture as an actor.  I don’t know if that is true, but The Old Man & the Gun is a brilliant send off in any case.

Buddy

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Buddy   4 stars

Do you have fond memories of those children’s TV shows from the eighties and nineties of adult size colorful characters and children singing happy tunes about learning, getting along with others and doing chores? Or maybe your memories are not so pleasant? Such shows are the basis of Casper Kelly’s Buddy, a horror movie that features a children’s TV show from the nineties that stars a full-size bright orange unicorn set in a colorful house and yard together with several children and a few other adult characters. This movie was featured at The Sundance Film Festival this year, but I had not seen it until it opened in theaters. As the film opens the kids and Buddy (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key of Wonka and Only Murders in the Building) are having a good time singing “You Love Buddy, yes you do.” But later when one of the kids refuses to obey Buddy’s orders, a violent encounter occurs off camera and the child is mysteriously absent later. (The other kids are told that he was called to go to Diamond City.) Things escalate with each new episode as Buddy violently kills off another character or child in stark fashion when things don’t go his way, until the remaining children run away into the woods toward Diamond City in scenes reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. I cannot express how impressed I was with the acting of the children as they displayed artificial happiness switching to suspicion and fear. Later, the setting changes to a family at home in the present. The parents are Grace (Cristin Milioti of How I Met Your Mother) and Ben (Topher Grace of That 70’s Show and Spider-Man 3) who have two boys in a seemingly normal home life. Only Grace has a very uneasy feeling about the situation, expressing to Ben that she believes that they had a third child that they had forgotten. Later, the strange Buddy TV show appears on their TV screen, and Grace is pulled into the TV and added to the cast of the show. Thus, we become aware that Buddy is snatching kids from their homes to be on the show with their memories and those of their families of their past lives being erased. Without giving too much away, the confrontation between humans and orange, plushy control freak escalates to an all-out bloody battle where only one side will survive. Other voice actors include Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water), Patton Oswalt (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Eric Bauza (Coyote vs. Acme) and Devon Hawkes Ludlow, noted puppeteer. I knew this was going to be a weird one when I went in. Despite the dark premise, I was impressed by the well-constructed story it told and its lesson about trusting your instincts. Although it has bloody scenes, the violence is obviously fake and meant to amuse. It would be appropriate for tweens and older kids and silly horror loving adults to see the movie, but I advise against taking smaller children. While watching it I couldn’t help but think of how fun it must have been for the child actors to be in such an odd horror movie. Other comedy horror movies I have seen of this genre are Krazy House where a sitcom about a suburban family is invaded by violent Russian gangsters and Little Monsters where a young man and a kindergarten teacher must defend a kindergarten class on a field trip from marauding zombies. All of these were available at Sundance.

Mid90s

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Mid90s                 3 ½ stars

Mid90s is the first writing and directing effort by actor Jonah Hill who is known for early comic roles like Superbad, and then later more serious movies like Moneyball.  Mid90s is about a young 13 year old boy, Stevie (played by Sunny Suljik) who lives with his single mother and older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges).  Stevie is often abused by brother Ian and doesn’t have any friends so he is naturally drawn to a group of older boys who hang out at a local sporting goods store and spend their time skate boarding at a popular skate board park.  These older boys (Ray, Rueben, Fuckshit and Fourth Grade) give little Stevie the attention he wants and introduce him to cigarettes, booze and girls.  Though they are not really great model influences, Stevie gets a real connection with them.  There is nothing particularly ground breaking or especially original about Hill’s film and it is very short at less than one and a half hours; however, most of it seems real as the characters appear like real people.  The ending felt a little predictable, but if this movie is any indication we can expect some interesting projects coming from Jonah Hill in the future.

RBG

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RBG       5 stars

It has been an unusual summer for the movie box office as documentaries about people like Fred Rogers and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have received a lot of attention.  RBG is a biopic about the 84 year old Ginsburg, one of the most influential Supreme Court justices in recent years.  Some of the movie is about how she has become a symbol of resistance for many of the Millennial generation.  But mostly it is about how she went from a young married law student to an advocate for women’s rights under the law.  It shows how as a young law school graduate she was denied any job for the large law firms in New York simply because she is a woman.  We see how she made effective arguments in front of the Supreme Court that led to a remarkable record.  Many scenes are prefaced by her Senate confirmation hearings as a Clinton nominee to the Supreme Court then shifts to cases that made her a stalwart of the liberal dissent on a variety of decisions.  But it doesn’t focus just on her career as it gives us insights into her intellect and the ways she likes to spend her time.  The film stays interesting throughout as the filmmakers find interesting ways to show us her fame, but still focus on her quiet demeanor.  It even finds time to feature clips of Kate McKinnon’s uproarious impressions of her on Saturday Night Live.  I look for this film along with that of Fred Rogers to receive nominations as Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.  You should definitely take the opportunity to see RBG as soon as you can.

Killers of the Flower Moon

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Killers of the Flower Moon           5 stars

In the year when the movie Oppenheimer was making headlines as an epic masterpiece telling an important piece of American history, there was another equally epic movie that told of a long forgotten, shameful part of our history. Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon tackles the subject of Davd Grann’s true crime book of the same name, bringing this tale of greed and genocide and the ensuing federal investigation to the big screen. The subject of the film is the mysterious deaths that plagued the Osage Indians in 1920’s Oklahoma after the tribe became wealthy following the discovery of oil on their land. Their good fortune attracted the attention of whites moving to the area and what followed can be described as a systematic murder of these beautiful people. Only, Scorsese tells this story on a personal level. Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio in what may be his best performance) returns from World War I and needs to find work. Ernest is none too bright and loves money and whiskey. He is prone to being manipulated, which is an attractive trait to Ernest’s uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro). Hale sees himself as a friend to the Osage people, calling himself King. He sees an opportunity and encourages Ernest to become acquainted with a young Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone). If they get married, then Ernest will become heir to Molly’s oil money should something happen to her. The two do get married and have children. Similar schemes are carried out throughout the region that include many mysterious deaths of the Osage people. Some of the deaths involve Hale and Ernest revealing the strange thing about Ernest’s character. Simultaneously, he loves his wife but also helps to carry out the murders of her family. Somehow, he is able to justify this in his mind or maybe it is just the control that his uncle holds over him. Whatever it is DiCaprio portrays the character’s confusion brilliantly. But the film really belongs to Gladstone as she makes the audience feel the pain she is going through with each death in her family and her growing mistrust of her husband. Her subtle expressions convey her feelings with a simple look or glance at Ernest. She certainly deserved the Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The latter part of the movie covers the investigation of the murders, also a subject of the book. After seeing the film, one wonders how this scheme could have gone on for so long. It is a real American tragedy that should not be forgotten. I should note that in Scorsese fashion this movie is nearly three and a half hours long, but I felt that I never lost interest in it.

Mudbound

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Mudbound                         4 ½ stars

One of the most culturally relevant films of last year was Mudbound, written and directed by Dee Rees, takes of back to 1940’s Mississippi, where the Jim Crow laws are strictly enforced.  This story brings two families together, one white and one black as they each struggle against the odds to make a living farming in the Mississippi Delta, while dealing with the social norms of the time.  The McAllans (Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan) just moved here after buying a farm they hope will fulfil their dreams.  The Jacksons are poor black tenants who work under them and are led by the father, strong and quiet Hap (Rob Morgan) and the mother, Florence (May J. Blige).  These families are of course very different, but must depend on each other to survive the realities of farm life.  At the same time the strong undercurrent of racism is always present and threatens to upend their world at any time.  Some of the most interesting moments are the scenes with younger brother Jamie McAllan and Hap’s son, Ronsel, both returned from World War II as war heroes as they share their stories of the war.  The title of the movie perfectly describes the conditions the families face as most of the farm scenes depict the dirty conditions these people face daily, there being no electricity or running water for these poor farmers.  Hollywood has seen plenty of movies portraying the deep roots of racism in the deep South, but Mudbound presents it in a dramatic fashion that keeps us interested throughout.  The movie is long at 2 hours and 15 minutes.  It was nominated for Academy Awards in Supporting Actress (Mary J. Blige), Cinematography and Adapted Screenplay.

First Reformed

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First Reformed                  4 stars

First Reformed has been described as a comeback for writer director Paul Schrader, who is known for writing Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ.  He has not produced any real notable films of late until First Reformed showed up earlier this year.  The film tells a dark story of Rev. Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), an ill, alcoholic pastor of a small declining, but historic church who is facing a crisis of faith.  Toller is asked to counsel a troubled young man by the man’s wife (Amanda Seyfried) who happens to be pregnant with their first child.  The husband is an active environmentalist and is very troubled by the amount of pollution that the planet is seeing.  He may even be teetering on the edge of self destruction. Things take a dramatic turn for the worse and Toller sinks ever deeper into depression and his drinking.  This is all going on at the same time that a 250th anniversary of the church is being planned for the church which is subsidized by a nearby megachurch led by Rev. Jeffers (the comedian Cedric Kyles, aka Cedric the Entertainer).  These events serve as devices that drive the film to a very startling and intense conclusion.  The film has a very stark and slow moving style that is unlike most films from Hollywood.  One can see that the director’s religious background has a lot to do with the message being told.  Be forewarned.  Some parts of the film are disturbing, but it is certainly worth seeing if only as a means of discussing one’s own faith.  First Reformed is also greatly aided by the strong performances of all of its main stars, especially Ethan Hawke.  This is likely one of his best performances to date.