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.

Richard Jewell

Richard Jewell                   4 stars

The based on a true story film, Richard Jewell is a very professional telling of the wrongful treatment of the security guard that discovered the bomb that exploded in Centennial Park at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Jewell, played by Paul Walter Hauser was hailed as a hero for saving many lives for a few days, but then was identified as a suspect by the FBI and was vilified by the news media, all with no real evidence linking him to the crime. Hauser, very convincing as the slowwitted wanna be cop, previously played the bodyguard of Tanya Harding in I, Tanya, a similar role. Excellent performances are also given by Sam Rockwell as the private attorney representing Jewell who never gives up on his client, Kathy Bates as Jewell’s suffering mother (for which she received an Academy Award nomination) and Jon Hamm, the sleazy lead FBI investigator who would never admit he was wrong. The story is a well told cautionary tale about how a rush to judgment can ruin a person’s life and reputation all in the quest of scoring big headlines. Even now many people remember the sensational nature of the story instead of the final result that Jewell really was the hero at Centennial Park. The events happened well before the arrival of social media, but the warnings of misleading stories are even more relevant today with Twitter and Facebook. Even with all that, it’s impossible not to notice the political nature of a story that attacks the reputation of the FBI and the news media. The movie arrives 23 years after the event and 12 years after Richard Jewell’s death. So, why release it now when the current administration constantly tries to discredit the FBI and the news media? The agenda is unmistakable. Even so, the movie is well done and serves to clear the reputation of a good man.

Underwater

Underwater                       2 stars

While watching Underwater, the movie about a deep sea research facility that is suddenly attacked by strange sea creatures, I had the distinct impression that I had seen it before. Much of the elements of it are taken from The Abyss and Alien, both about mysterious creatures attacking a small group of survivors. This does not bode well. In Underwater we have a group of six survivors that must crawl their way through the wreckage of the laboratory that happens to be seven miles below the surface. As you would expect the suspense comes in as you wonder which one will be the next to die. The sets and effects look very authentic so this was an expensive movie to make. We know little about the characters as they try to stay together to protect each other and maintain sanity. The movie was derivative and you might say boring.

Alien Covenant

Alien: Covenant                 4 stars

Alien: Covenant I believe is the fifth movie in the franchise and sees the return of Ridley Scott as the director. You may recall the original trilogy of the seventies and eighties in which Sigourney Weaver battles killer aliens found on a distant planet. This installment set two decades before the original Alien is just as horrifying and is aided by the modern CGI effects common to science fiction movies today. The movie is set on a colony spaceship with over 2,000 people on a multi years journey to a planet that is to be a new settlement for humans and occurs ten years after the events of Prometheus, another doomed space mission. A constant in the Alien movies is the presence of a synthetic, an artificially created humanoid who serves his human creators. The role of the emotionless but curious synthetic Walter is filled again by the amazing Michael Fassbender. As a result of a mishap on the Covenant in which the captain is killed, the crew learns of a previously unknown nearby planet that can support human life, so the new captain (Billy Crudup) decides to alter the plan and investigate and possible avoid years of hypersleep. Of course, this is the first mistake of many. The planet happens to be the same one of the events of the ill-fated Prometheus! When the landing party including the captain and Walter arrives, other than and intense storm, things seem normal enough. That is, until the pathogen born creatures start to show up and kill off the crew! The synthetic, David (also Michael Fassbender) who was the only survivor of Prometheus finds the crew and explains to them what happened here. Unfortunately, he leaves out a few key details that would explain what happened here. The movie is perhaps less original than Prometheus, and more like the original movies thanks to Scott. It is heavy on the interactions of the characters and an action driven plot. The scenes involving two Michael Fassbender’s are especially intriguing. Also, as expected the movie is heavy on blood and gore, so be forewarned! (This one is far better than last week’s Underwater.)

The Batman

The Batman        4 stars

In 2022 we got yet another incarnation of the most depicted, depressed superhero in movies, TV or comic books. This time it is Matt Reeves (two iterations of The Planet of the Apes movies) giving us his version of the caped crusader, otherwise known as Batman. What can he do that Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan or Joel Schumacher haven’t already done? Apparently, it is creating the darkest and moodiest Batman yet to hit the big screen. This Batman (Robert Pattinson) has seemingly been suffering from PTSD ever since his parents were murdered some twenty years before. He regularly goes skulking around Gotham City looking for criminal gangs to beat up on and shows them no mercy. Bruce Wayne, the millionaire, does appear in a few scenes, as well as his butler, Alfred (Andy Serkis), but he is not the playboy type that has been seen in other Batman movies. He typically shares in Batman’s moodiness. The entire movie takes place at night, with much of it in the rain to add to the gloomy feel of it. There isn’t even a hint of comedy throughout the movie. In Reeves’ movie Batman isn’t just a crime fighter. He must also take on the role of detective when a series of high-profile murders are taking the lives of the most prominent men in the city including the mayor and the DA. At each crime scene a letter is left addressed to Batman with a puzzling riddle that he, together with Commissioner Gordon (Jeffrey Wright (probably the finest actor in the movie)) must find the answer to. Slowly it is revealed that a web of corruption has infected every level of the local government, and this hidden psychopath has made it his mission to clean things up while also believing he can get Batman to help in the endeavor. Each victim seems to have ties to a crime boss named Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), a real slimeball who operates an exclusive club and hangout for criminals in Gotham City. One other character figures prominently in the story. Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz in her most athletic role yet) is a showgirl at Falcone’s club and wants answers as to what happened to her missing friend there. She can help Batman in finding the truth but tends to go off on her own with a vengeance. (She also provides a home for several cats.) There are hints of a love interest as well. When the murdering psychopath (Paul Dano) is finally unmasked, it seems that he and Batman are like two sides of the same coin, each having a deep need to root out the corruption in the city, only the murderer doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. The Batman combines elements of what we’ve seen in the comics and the more recent movies as well as traditional detective noir stories. It has plenty of action and story packed into its almost three-hour running time. And there is word of another The Batman movie in the works!

Superman

Superman                           4 ½ stars

I finally joined the rest of the world by viewing the new James Gunn take on America’s oldest superhero Superman. This movie takes the very familiar story of the man from planet Krypton who came to Earth and fights criminals and super beings using his super abilities while wearing his familiar red cape and S sign on his chest while updating it for the twenty-first century. The first indication of differences comes at the very start with text on the screen revealing that “metahumans” first appeared on Earth three centuries ago. Then we learn that Superman (David Corenswet of Twisters) has just been defeated by an armored being called the Hammer of Boravia. The broken Superman is left badly beaten in the Antarctic where fortunately he is rescued by his cute companion Krypto, a misbehaving dog with superpowers who also wears a red cape. He is quite an amusing addition and undoubtedly a favorite with the audience. Superman is quickly rejuvenated thanks to his robots and facilities at the Fortress of Solitude. We soon learn that Superman’s troubles are due to his arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Current War), the CEO of a mega corporation that has been selling billions of dollars in arms to the country of Boravia (clearly a stand in for Russia). We can see clearly that this is a case of the good guy, Superman against the bad guy, though that is not apparent to the public yet. Earlier, Superman became embroiled in world politics when he prevented Boravia from invading their next-door neighbor, Jarhanpur, an act which seems to have set public opinion against him. Luthor adds to Supermen’s distress when he is able to portray Superman as a power-hungry alien with strategically placed propaganda. We get to meet many familiar characters in Metropolis including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), the Daily Planet reporter who already knows Superman’s alias identity as Clark Kent and is romantically involved with him. She even interviews Superman in a lengthy scene that reveals just how complex the political situation has become and that Supermen may not have considered all the implications of his actions. Also present are reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and Perry White (Wendell Pierce), the newspaper editor. Unlike earlier Superman movies, this version goes much more into the sci-fi aspects of the story, resembling the old comic books of the fifties and sixties. Luthor has a whole team of tech geniuses working for him and advanced weapons including a female “engineer” (Maria Gabriela de Faria) who has buzzsaws for hands and can act as a human computer server. And he has constructed access to a pocket universe where he can hide from the world’s governments and maintain his own prison where he holds anyone that he thinks has wronged him (even old girlfriends). All is not gloomy for Superman though as he has some allies on his side. There is a comical team of superheroes called “The Justice Gang” as that is the best name they have come up with so far. This unruly crew includes the Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion having a blast), alias Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi of The Harder They Fall) who has an assortment of high-tech gadgets, and Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced). Another superhero, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) who can transform into any element, later comes to Superman’s aid and he needs it when the threats become too much for Superman to handle alone. Gunn, the creator of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, has given us a complex and entertaining take on a very familiar subject. The cast especially is first rate making some interesting characters, most notably Corenswet as an emotional Superman dedicated to doing the right thing, Brosnahan as a smart Lois Lane and Hoult who makes an especially menacing villain with his bald head. While most movie fans have been enjoying the film, there is a set of those on the far-right that are criticizing the film for emphasizing Superman’s status as an alien refugee who is in America illegally. For them, the commonly known elements of the story are too woke to be included. Fortunately, this view is limited to a small group of the anti-immigrant set. The rest of us can enjoy a traditional story of the good guys triumphing over the bad guys.

A Hidden Life

A Hidden Life     4 stars

We set aside the deadly other worldly creatures this time for a feature about the human kind of deadly creature. Last year’s A Hidden Life is based on the true story of Franz Jagerstatter, a poor Austrian farmer in the 1940’s who faced the threat of death and destruction brought on by a totalitarian ruler, Adolf Hitler. I didn’t know anything beyond that when I started the movie, but soon noticed that this looked a lot like a Terrence Malick movie, which of course it is. Among the Malick directed movies I have seen are To the Wonder, The Tree of Life, The New World and The Thin Red Line. Malick has a style all his own that includes hand held cameras following characters, wide angle lenses and quick editing cuts. The dialogue is kept short and there is plenty of narration from characters showing what they are feeling. His movies are usually long and convey a spiritual message you don’t often see in this business. In this movie there is also historical footage present to show the rise of Hitler. Franz refuses to serve in the Nazi German army as it goes against his religious beliefs. Why can’t he just serve as a medic like we saw in the movie Hacksaw Ridge about an American GI in the Pacific? That would require Franz to sign an oath of loyalty to the Fuhrer, something that his faith will not allow him to do. And it is something I pray never becomes a reality in the United States. His decision comes at great cost as he is placed in prison facing the threat of execution, leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves operating their farm in the Alps of Austria. His fellow villagers shun them for his “traitorous” acts. I, for one am amazed that considering all the horrible things that happened during World War II, this story has not been forgotten. The dialogue alternates between English and German without any subtitles, but there is enough there for the viewer to get the idea of what is going on. The movie moves rather slowly with about half of it taking place in prisons with Franz suffering the abuse of guards and isolation from his family and at nearly three hours running length it may be a bit much for many moviegoers. For the story and fans of Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life should be seen.

Frozen II

Frozen II               4 stars

Six years after we met Elsa and Anna, the sister princesses of Arendelle, comes Frozen II, the sequel that finds the kingdom in danger from some unleashed magical spirits from the enchanted forest (if I understand this correctly). We again see the Disney magic with many colorful scenes and musical numbers that made the first movie such a hit. This time around the characters are dealing with some darker forces that have to do with magical spirits that threaten this land and it all has to do with a conflict in the past between the kingdom and another civilization that is now hidden in the enchanted forest. There is plenty of comedy provided by Olaf, the snowman and the lovable oaf Kristoff who is trying to figure out how to propose to his love, Anna. The story is definitely more complicated than the original Frozen and would be hard for young minds to follow, but that may not be all that important. There is a long hidden secret concerning Elsa and Anna’s dead parents that helps to explain the old conflict and why it is that Elsa has magic powers. It was all a little too confusing for me to follow, even. The outstanding cast of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff is expanded with Sterling K. Brown and Evan Rachel Wood. The movie has a positive message for the kids about sticking together through challenges. Overall, it’s a good Disney movie suitable for young minds despite some of the darker moments.

Generation Wealth

Generation Wealth         2 ½ stars

Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield has made a series of documentaries dealing with obsession. A few years ago she made The Queen of Versailles, a film about billionaires David and Jackie Siegel who tried to build the largest house in the country. It’s all part of a career of examining the excesses and materialism of our modern society. Now she brings us Generation Wealth which examines obsession with wealth and the appearance of wealth. She examines the lives of several Americans and some foreign cultures as well as they strive to achieve vast sums of wealth or spend money like they are wealthy. She has been examining this subject as a photographer for her whole career going back to the nineties when she was looking at spending habits of teenagers and has amassed a collection of hundreds of thousands of photos. She looks at so many aspects of the phenomena that I though the film tended to lose focus. Not only does she talk about billionaires, she also looks at American’s obsession with beauty, plastic surgery, child beauty pageants, work and even pornography. Ultimately, she examines her own life and her indulgence in her own career as a photographer. Her subjects are some of the people she has been following in her work for years and ultimately they come to realize that their pursuit of wealth and material possessions does not bring them fulfillment. It’s a depressing movie that was not quite what I was expecting. It could have been more interesting with more limited subjects and without all of the late regrets. I do recommend her earlier work though, The Queen of Versailles.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World      4 ½ stars

Last year brought the third chapter of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy and it is a fitting ending to the story of the young Viking leader, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his close dragon friend, Toothless, who is always by Hiccup’s side. This time the Vikings of Berk are living peacefully with their dragon friends, but things have gotten very overcrowded. You could also call the movie, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Love Chapter”, as there is a new character in Toothless’ life, a female all white Light Fury, who has captured the attention of Toothless. There is a new villain also in the person of Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), a master dragon trapper who together with the Trappers are seeking to put an end to the peaceful cooperation between the Vikings and their dragon friends. As the leader of the Vikings, Hiccup can see they cannot safely remain in their village and leads humans and dragons with the support of his girlfriend, Astrid (America Ferrera), in a search for the mysterious hidden world, the legendary land from which the dragons originated. The movie excels once again with the Disney animation we have seen in the previous chapters, (which go way back to 2010 believe it or not). Besides giving us the thrills of its action sequences, the movie is best when focusing on the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless, which resembles traditional movies dealing with a boy and his dog (or horse). But this time Hiccup faces the new challenge of facing what is best for Toothless and everyone in his world. This third chapter in the How to Train Your Dragon series, I think measures up to the quality of the original, something we rarely see in this age of multiple movie sequels.

Mississippi Masala

Mississippi Masala           4 stars

Mississippi Masala from 1991 is an early work of director Mira Nair who is best known for her movie Monsoon Wedding about a large family wedding in India. It is also an early starring role for actor Denzel Washington who is obviously very well known. Nair starts the story in 1972 Uganda where the Indian family of Jay, Kinnu and young daughter Mina are forced to leave their home by dictator Idi Amin. Amin has declared that all Asians must leave the country after the government took possession of their property. The family lands in the American Deep South, in Jackson, Mississippi where the story picks up in 1990 where Mina (Sarita Choudhury) is now an adult with ideas of her own. Mina works at a local Indian owned motel, a situation that director Nair discovered to be quite common in the South at the time the movie was made. There she happens to meet Demetrius (Washington), a young black man who operates his own carpet cleaning business and stays in the area to care for his father. It doesn’t take long for a connection to be made between the two and the romantic sparks take off with the romantic scenes being quite intense for the time period of the making of the movie. It is when the families find out what is going on that the racial aspects of the movie really become the story. Despite the racism that exists against both Indians and Blacks from whites, the movie exposes the prejudice feelings that members of people of color have toward one another. Thus, despite the friendliness the families may show toward the other race, when it comes to matters of the heart and family, people are not so openminded. The movie is about two hours long and perhaps tries to cover too much ground in that time with more characters than is necessary. It is a worthwhile early effort of Mira Nair and I was glad to run across it. It is also interesting to see a movie from nearly thirty years ago and notice how movies have changed.