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 Northman

The Northman                  5 stars

When I heard that the new movie, The Northman was made by Robert Eggers I knew it was on my must list. This is the third feature by Eggers who previously made The Witch, set in 1630s New England and The Lighthouse, set in the 1880s. Both were highly stylized tragic stories done with painstakingly realistic sets. Both included haunting representations of mysticism. The Northman is his most ambitious and expensive movie yet. It is set in the tenth century at the time that Vikings ruled northern Europe. It follows the life of Amleth, the son of a Viking king (Ethan Hawke) who as a boy witnesses the king’s murder at the hands of his brother (Claes Bang). The boy escapes and vows to avenge his father and rescue his mother who has been taken captive by the brother. We flash forward a couple of decades and find that Amleth is full grown and is still bent on revenge. Before we get to the heart of the film we get to witness one of the most realistic battle scenes I have seen when a band of Viking berserkers attack and ransack a village, and perform all sorts of bloody atrocities. The extended scene with a camera moving slowly throughout the battle is just astounding. Eventually, of course Amleth finds his way to Iceland (as a slave) where the murderous Brother has settled and where of course the score must be settled. But not before Amleth meets and falls for Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a fellow slave who turns out to be especially clever. There is plenty of mysticism having to do with prophesies, and communing with the dogs and ravens, something Eggers has captured very well in his films. The story may not be especially original, but I daresay the imagery and use of the Iceland green landscapes are stunning. The Northman has easily set the bar for one of the best movies of the year so far. I can’t wait to see what Eggers will come up with next.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness      4 stars

The world’s most powerful sorcerer, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch returning to the role after an outing as a cowboy in The Power of the Dog) makes another entry in the Marvel universe in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This second installment about the man who can control portals to other realities and can battle demons is directed by Sam Raimi, the man who brought us the Spiderman movies of the early 2000’s and a host of horror movies including the popular Evil Dead movies. This time out Doctor Strange crosses paths with a young girl named America (Xochitl Gomez) who is being pursued by demons and is forced to become involved and protect her. It seems that America has the power to travel to other universes that make up the multiverse, a reality that exists in the MCU. This power and a book that figures in the story is what some entity is seeking to obtain for itself, and it is Strange’s mission to prevent this union that could result in the destruction of the universe. (What else?) For help Strange goes to an associate, Wong (Benedict Wong) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olson). I can’t go into the story much more than that except to say that the viewer is in for a real roller coaster of an experience as the characters travel to other universes, battle demons and meet alternate versions of themselves and other people in their lives including some very different Avengers. The movie is very action packed as one would expect in a Marvel movie and has a story that can be followed by most viewers. Fortunately, it does keep the number of characters limited, which can’t be said for two recent Avengers movies. The concept of a multiverse was used recently in Everything Everywhere All At Once, but with much greater comic effect than Doctor Strange, something I greatly enjoyed. Strange gives it a more serious tone which I also approve of. It has been nine years since Raimi’s last directorial effort, Oz the Great and Powerful. Let’s hope that he finds another suitable project without waiting that long. Be sure to watch for some interesting cameos, including one of a street vendor by Bruce Campbell!

Over the Moon

Over the Moon                 3 ½ stars

Over the Moon is a sweet animated movie from Netflix created by a former Disney animator concerning the grief a young Chinese girl suffers over the loss of her mother and her subsequent journey to the moon on her home built rocket ship. That may sound incredible but it all fits together in a children’s tale about loss and accepting what life throws at you. The young girl, Fei Fei, has a fascination with an ancient Chinese legend about a goddess named Chung’e, who lives on the moon and has lost her lover. Thus, the connection that Fei Fei feels for her and her scheme to build a rocket that takes her, her pet rabbit and her annoying brother to be on the unexpected journey to the moon. There we find all sorts of odd creatures, some that help Fei Fei and others that aren’t so nice. All are done in very colorful animation in a style that reminds us of the old Disney films. The story has many familiar themes, but may be a little thin. The film is supported by some expressive songs by the main character and the goddess, Chung’e who turns out not to be what was expected. The movie should be very engaging for children.

Suspiria

Suspiria                 3 stars

To say that the horror movie Suspiria is not for everyone is putting it mildly. The 2018 “remake” of the seventies Italian horror movie by the same name is greatly expanded at two and a half hours from the original. Set in 1977 Berlin, a young American dancing student, Susie (Dakota Johnson) auditions for a world renowned dance academy and is soon accepted by one of the instructors, Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) to be a lead dancer. While this is going on an elderly male psychoanalyst, Dr. Klemperer is taking in a story from one of the young women (Chloe Grace-Moretz) of the dance troupe about strange goings on in the company, but he initially writes them off as hysteria. The movie credits didn’t acknowledge it, but Dr. Klemperer was apparently also played by Tilda Swinton in heavy makeup. (I thought the voice sounded off.) The viewer soon becomes aware that the academy is actually run by a coven of witches who are looking for certain special female dancers that they hope to feed off of in some horrific fashion. The movie is set against the backdrop of the terrorist actions of the anti-Nazi Baader-Meinhof Gang, that was plaguing Germany in the seventies. There are references to the past horrors of the war and the Berlin wall that divided the city at the time. The film goes into full blown supernatural horror scenes mainly while the dancers are rehearsing. One of the dancers is brutally beaten and her body bruised and disfigured beyond recognition as a result of a supernatural connection to the lead dancer. At this point you must be advised that this movie is not for the squeamish and you should probably avoid it if such a description bothers you. It is one of those movies you either love or hate. Internally in the coven there is a struggle for control between the witches that will end badly for some when the witches all gather for a ritual of feasting on the new blood. I like a good supernatural horror movie, but this one got a little too intense too long for me. For a good movie of this genre you should check out Hereditary or even Mother!. I was very curious about Suspiria so now I know what it is about.

The Lost City

The Lost City                       2 ½ stars

Anyone who pays any attention to the media has seen the promotions for The Lost City a hundred times by now. This is the newest lost treasure adventure rom-com that stars Sandra Bullock as an adventure/romance novelist and Tatum Channing, her book cover model. The movie follows a tried and true formula for these types of movies that goes back to Romancing the Stone. In this one Bullock’s character, Loretta Sage, is kidnapped by the billionaire adventurer Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe, against type, cast as the villain) because he believes Sage can translate an ancient fragment from a lost civilization that can reveal the location of an ancient treasure. Thus, most of the action takes place on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. The dimwitted Alan, Channing’s character believes that he can rescue her pretty much on his own, setting up a variety of comic scenes between the two leads. Bullock does her best with her comic sense in this very predictable relationship. There is a decent set of comedic supporting cast that includes Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez of The Office, Patty Harrison and SNL’s Bowen Yang. Credit must also be given to Bullock’s wardrobe of the magenta sequined jumpsuit that she wears through most of the movie. It appears so often that it deserves its own credit, figuring into the plot of the movie. Anyone who has seen the promotions will recognize it. There is little that could be called original in this comic caper, but it can easily be watched on an afternoon when you don’t have to be completely absorbed with what is happening on the screen. And you certainly should not be thinking about what is credible in the story line.

The Duke

The Duke                             4 stars

If the bloody fighting of The Northman or the zany comedy of Everything Everywhere All at Once isn’t for you, perhaps you should try the British comedy, The Duke. Jim Broadbent, the character actor of so many fine films gets his chance at a starring role as Kempton Bunton, a friendly out spoken man who resents the fact that the government expects people to pay for their over the air TV shows and tells the TV police his views when they track him down in his rundown apartment. (I know that they do this in England as I heard about it from a British fellow once.) Kempton and his wife (Helen Mirren) are still aching from the death of their daughter many years earlier. We find out early in the light-hearted comedy that Bunton went on trial for theft. Eventually he concocts a bizarre plan to steal a famous painting of The Duke of Wellington from The British Art Gallery and hold it for ransom, demanding that the government make television free to the elderly. As if this isn’t bad enough, he involves his son in the half baked plot as well. This low key type of comedy with likeable characters should appeal to a wide range of audiences. Sadly, the director, Roger Michell, won’t be making anymore like this as he passed away last year. The movie was actually based on a true story that happened in 1961. It was the only successful robbery of the Art Gallery in history. If you enjoy British comedy you can’t go wrong with The Duke.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1                  3 ½ stars

If you go to see Kevin Costner’s sweeping epic of the Old West, Horizon: An American Saga, you had better make sure you are in for the long haul. The movie clocks in at more than three hours and has a multitude of characters for you to keep track of. As the title implies, this is chapter 1 of what will eventually be a four-part series of movies, all of which lead to and center on a growing community in the American Southwest called Horizon. Early in the movie there is a scene of a celebration at a barn dance one night in the new town. Some nearby Apache Indians are not so enthralled with their new neighbors, so a group of them launches an attack on the new settlers in one of the most brutal scenes I can remember in the movies. (It’s on a scale of what I remember in The Revenant.) The town ends up destroyed with most of the residents dead, including many of one family, the Kittredges who put up a tremendous fight. The matriarch, Francis (Sienna Miller) and her daughter alone survive. There is a nearby US Army outpost with a contingent of soldiers that comes to the rescue, though they are too late to be of help. One soldier in particular, Lt. Gephardt (Sam Worthington) delivers a message to the survivors that they should reconsider their decision to come to this land inhabited by hostile Indians, but the settlers are unwilling to take this advise and there lies the drama and the message of the film. The lure of this land to be settled by the white travelers (and other races) leaving their former homes cannot be quenched. They must stay and others like them will continue to come, drawn by the promise of a better life. Repeatedly we see a poster about Horizon, promising unlimited land to those brave enough to make the journey. Other story lines also find characters finding their way here, one of them involving a horse trader who has found various ways of making a living named Hayes Ellison (Kevin Costner). Ellison, who is very accomplished at handling a gun, finds his life entwined with a young woman, Marigold (Abbey Lee) who is on the run from men who would like to see her dead. This mysterious man will be drawn to Horizon as well. An additional story line focuses on the Apache Indian tribe and the internal divisions that occur as a result of the incursions of the white folk. One of them, Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe) is the leader of the war party, but he cannot defend his people from the inevitable retaliation from the armed settlers who practice scalping the dead for bounty. Finally, we follow a wagon train coming from Kansas on the Santa Fe trail, also seeking the new land, led by Matthew (Luke Wilson) who must deal with all the internal problems of the pioneers and be concerned about Indian attacks as well. It is a challenge for the viewer to keep up with the various stories and so many characters as the story seems so expansive. It is likely this is what Costner intended as this series has long been a dream of his that is now becoming reality. There is plenty more promised as we see at the end of the movie from a long montage of scenes involving our characters and some new ones that preview what is to come. Horizon should be considered to be more of a mini-series than a movie. Chapter 2 is expected sometime this fall, with additional chapters next year. Chapter 3 is about to begin production. Chapter 1 felt like a marathon. I am hoping that the next ones will be less than three hours!

Wolfwalkers

Wolfwalkers                       4 ½ stars

From the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon who brought us The Secret of Kells in 2009 comes their latest creation, Wolfwalkers, an animated tale set in Ireland about two girls from vastly different backgrounds who form a fast bond against troubling circumstances. Robyn is an English girl who has been brought to Ireland by her father who has the task of ridding the woods of its inhabitants of wolves. The wolves are very troubling to the local farmers as they attack their livestock. Robyn, being English is not at all accepted by the Irish children of the village, so she finds her own adventures. One day, disobeying her father’s instruction, she wanders into the woods where the wolves live and meets a strange redheaded girl, Mebh, who is very wild and outspoken and who happens to be one of the last of the Wolfwalkers, a mythical creature who is human by day, but transforms into a wolf at night when their human body falls asleep. Though very different, the two becomes fast friends and Robyn is convinced she must do whatever it takes to help Mebh and the wolves survive, even if it involves disobeying the orders and warnings of her father and the villagers. There is a villain involved in the form of the English Lord Protector, who believes he can only stay in power by gaining favor with the locals by having all the wolves killed or run out of the woods. It is an intense story about young people having to face the challenges of an adult world, but also about adults who have something to learn about the magic of childhood. I also enjoy the animation style of the movie as it is very colorful and full of movement and done is an imprecise manner. It is one that adults and children can both appreciate.

Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick          4 ½ stars

By now everyone has heard about Top Gun: Maverick, probably the most highly anticipated movie of the year. The sequel to the 1986 movie, Top Gun has been in the making for years and was delayed until it was finally released last month. Most have heard of the premise of the film, how Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is brought back to the military’s top flight school to instruct a group of the Navy’s best flyers, for a top secret mission against an enemy that goes largely unnamed, but is critical to US and NATO security. Maverick (Tom Cruise in his most famous role) is still a test pilot for the Navy having passed on promotions repeatedly and is still much the fearless risktaker he was in the original film. But certain events and relationships have had their impact on him, especially those related to Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of “Goose”, Maverick’s deceased wingman from over thirty years previous. One actor that doesn’t really have much to do is Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly who plays the woman that owns the bar where the Navy flyboys tend to hang out. I’m not really sure why she is in the movie. This is all background for the story, but the main impact of the movie are the thrills and performances of the navy jet flyers in the training exercises and the ultimate mission that involves the highest level of danger for our flying heroes. This is a movie that must be seen on the big screen to get the full experience of the speed and sounds of flying a jet at high speeds with the dangers of combat. Whatever you may think of Tom Cruise, you should not miss this movie while it is still playing in the theaters.

Swallow

Swallow                               4 stars

Swallow is a difficult movie to describe. It may be a thriller turned horror movie about female empowerment in an environment controlled by men. It does concern a little known psychological disorder called pica. Hunter Conrad (Haley Bennett) is a newly married housewife whose husband is a rising star in the corporate world. Hunter is put on display in 1950’s wardrobe in a lavish, isolated house where she is expected to be the perfect wife and home decorator. The husband, Richie, is very controlling and her in-laws are judgmental toward her. The pressure only grows when it is learned that she is pregnant. It is then that the mental illness surfaces as Hunter finds satisfaction from swallowing inanimate, inedible objects and then “recovering” them. She does all this in secret trying to get greater satisfaction with more and more dangerous objects. I felt the movie gave a realistic feel for why someone would seek to cause harm to themselves when there was little they could do to control the world around them. I heard about the film when the pandemic was just starting and finally picked it as one to watch. I feel it fits in well with what we were facing in 2020 when events were controlling what we could and could not do. Haley Bennett gives an excellent performance as the housewife who is dominated by the men around her. Eventually, some additional context is offered to help explain this mental condition. There are some scenes that the squeamish may have a little trouble with, but there is no violence in the film. The film received well deserved favorable attention at film festivals before getting its brief theatrical run when Covid struck.