Category Archives: Fantasy

Death of a Unicorn

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Death of a Unicorn          3 stars

Death of a Unicorn by first time director Alex Scharfman combines two genres of movies that I really like to see: the skewering of the rich and the comedy horror creature feature. So, if you think you might enjoy seeing some greedy ultra-rich bastards get what they deserve thanks to a murderous monster, this one could be for you. As is the case with most monster horror movies, there are some bad choices made by the characters that lead to unfortunate results for them. It features a few well-known stars and despite some unconvincing special effects, it is entertaining to watch. We meet lawyer Elliot (Paul Rudd of Ant-Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up) and his teenage daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega of Wednesday) who are on their way to meet with his client, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant of Salt Burn) at their isolated mansion in the mountains, so that he can get him to sign a new contract. (Remember one of my first rules from the movies: If a billionaire invites you to their isolated mansion/compound, DO NOT accept!) Leopold and his family are major players in the Pharma industry and even have a live in security force and access to some top pharmaceutical researchers. On the drive to the mansion Elliot collides with an animal on the road that looks like a young horse like creature with a long horn on its forehead, injuring the animal. Not wanting to get caught by local authorities, Elliott bashes its head with a tire iron, spraying the animal’s blood all over poor Ridley and loads the dead animal into the back of the car. Later, during the meeting with Leopold (who is dying of cancer), his privileged wife (Tea Leoni of Tower Heist and Fun with Dick and Jane) and screw up son (Will Poulter of Midsommar and The Revenant) the unicorn in the car is discovered since it’s not really dead, so it is killed again. The group is fascinated by the fact that Ridley’s acne has cleared up after coming in contact with the creature’s blood. Naturally, the thing to do is to have the creature’s blood analyzed by Leopold’s scientists. They soon discover that it has mysterious healing powers so Leopold volunteers to consume some of the samples (as you do) and of course, his cancer is instantly cured! So, the greedy family must find a way to capitalize on this amazing discovery and make a ton of money. Ridley does some online research of her own and discovers some dangerous aspects of the legend of unicorns dating from the Middle Ages and tries to warn Leopold and family, but they aren’t willing to listen, since that would interfere with their plans to make more money. Things go predictably bad when Mama and Papa, two very large unicorns come looking for junior and aren’t at all pleased that these humans have killed him. What follows is a prolonged killing spree as the creatures hunt down their prey in quite violent and bloody fashion. Of course, most of the characters make one bad decision after another resulting in their being skewered and ripped apart by the pair of hooved parents. The animals are even smart enough to cut communication and power to the mansion. The writing for these ultra-rich idiots wasn’t the most convincing and the special effects creating the unicorns had a cheesy look to it. Better movies attacking the ultra-rich would be The Glass Onion and The Triangle of Sadness. For more entertaining comedy monster movies look for Werewolves Within, Shadow in the Cloud, The Dead Don’t Die and of course, the ever-popular Cocaine Bear. The movie is far from perfect but does provide a fun time for comedy horror fans. We will have to wait for a later attempt at combining attacks on the ultra-rich with a killer monster for something even better.

Onward

Onward                                4 stars

Last year’s addition to the Pixar library of films, Onward, takes us to a new fantasy world, one where magic has given way to use of technology and comfort. The creatures that inhabit this world are less skillful and out of shape versions of their ancestors that lived long ago. Director Dan Scanlon who also co-wrote, gives us a story of two elf brothers who lost their father at a young age and still miss him. Through unusual circumstances Ian and Barley have the chance to bring him back for one day through the use of magic spells, but first must go on a quest for an enchanted stone. Barley, who is into role playing magic games sees it as a great adventure that he is prepared for, but Ian, who is only 16, is more nervous about the whole proposition. Together they face the challenges and comical situations as they solve riddles and flee from the cops on their great quest. (They are accompanied by the lower half of the reincarnated dad who can only be restored upon completion of the quest.) The movie has much in common with other Pixar productions like Toy Story including the messages of human relationships and how we rely on one another. It doesn’t quite measure up to the standards set by the best Pixar creations, but is worth seeing for the younger audiences. Scanlon (who also directed Monsters University) took the idea from his own life experiences as he and his older brother lost their father when they were very young. Onward is nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

Mickey 17

Mickey 17            4 stars

Six years ago, Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho brought us his award-winning movie, Parasite, a social satire about the haves vs. the have nots. Before that there was Snowpiercer, about a futuristic train traveling the world where the passengers were divided up based on social status. In Mickey 17, Ho’s brand of dark comedy and social commentary extends to outer space and alien worlds. Early on we meet Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson, an actor more known for his good looks than for comedic performances) who has just fallen down an icy crevice on an alien planet where he is sure to die. Mickey then proceeds to narrate his backstory to us in his whiney poor schlub of a voice. In this future reality, Mickey and his friend, Timo (Steven Yeun) owed money to some nasty mobsters who aren’t friendly with those who can’t pay their bills. Their best chance out was to sign up for an interstellar journey on a spaceship on a mission to colonize a distant ice planet called Niflheim. Only poor Mickey unwittingly also signed up to become an Expendable. It seems that in this time, human printing has been realized. It’s a way to reprint a person’s body after they have died and then restore their consciousness which has been stored in a bricklike hard drive. Thus, an expendable can be sent on dangerous lethal missions where they are certain to die and then be “reprinted” so the cycle can be repeated. So, Mickey is routinely exposed to radiation, deadly viruses and the like so that researchers can study the effects on humans, have his body disposed of, then reassembled from organic waste on the ship. Our Mickey is number 17, so he has already died 16 times, and is often asked “what’s it like to die?”. Now, this colonization mission isn’t being done by any government. It is headed by Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), a narcissistic politician who acts like the leader of a cult and demands total loyalty but has lost his last two elections. (Sound like anyone you know?) Marshall is not above killing someone to make a point. His wife is Yifa (Toni Collette) who is as self-absorbed as they come. The practice of human printing has been outlawed on Earth, but Marshall was only too glad to use it as part of his mad scheme in space. Returning to Mickey, his story takes a turn when after falling into the crevice he meets up with the local alien lifeform on the ice planet, a sort of giant bug species who may be intelligent. Upon returning to the ship, he is shocked to find there is another Mickey, this one is number 18, who has been reprinted based on the assumption that 17 has died. Only this version of Mickey is a sociopath, lacking in empathy, as opposed to 17’s quiet and pathetic demeanor. Thus, we get to see two roles played by Robert Pattinson, a challenge for any actor. Pattinson makes them both look believable. Tensions rise dramatically through the rest of the movie as a showdown occurs between the psychopathic cult leader and the aliens in a high stakes game risking total annihilation, with our two Mickey’s caught in the middle. Mickey 17 may or may not be a commentary on the current state of affairs, but it is something of a showcase for the two versions of Pattinson. Plus it presents some interesting ideas from Bong Joon Ho.

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker                     3 ½ stars

The long Star Wars saga that started back in 1977 finally comes to a conclusion in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. J. J. Abrams packs a lot into the 2 hour, 20 minute running time bringing many familiar characters together for the last go round. We have the usual gang, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, BB-8, Rey, Poe and Finn. There are also appearances by the dead including Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and a pieced together role for the late Carrie Fisher as Princess (now General) Leia. Naturally, there is one more cute droid in this one who goes by the name Coneface. There are all the usual elements in a Star Wars story such as X-Wing dogfights, light saber duels and a character (Rey here) seeking to find their true identity and purpose. This time the evil emperor Palpatine has mysteriously returned from the dead and seeks to control Darth Vader’s grandson, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver, excellent in the role) to bring Rey (Daisy Ridley) to the dark side and destroy the resistance to the Sith and the First Order for good. It’s a long story of how this comes to be, but suffice it to say, at least the final battle is not a repeated sequence like The Force Awakens was. There are a few too many minor characters that clutter up the story including Lando Calrissian (now 83 year-old Billy Dee Williams) that have little to do in advancing the story. While Skywalker doesn’t rise to the level of A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, it is certainly superior to the dreaded The Phantom Menace. Now that the Star Wars story has come to a definite conclusion will there be more sequels to come? Do not bet against it.

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon                              4 ½ stars

That most mischievous animal on the farm, Shaun the Sheep is back for another full length animated picture, but this time around he is battling wits with a new visitor, the kind that arrives from outer space. The production company Aardman Animation has made this new stop motion animation movie using the lengthy process of photographing the clay figures one frame at a time, with wonderfully entertaining results. Shaun is up to his usual fun playing all sorts of pranks on the Mossy Bottom farm to the chagrin of poor Bitzer, the dog who must keep order. Things change one day when the visitor from space arrives in the form of a cute little alien with special powers who seems to just want to have fun too. Thus, Shaun and the alien get along quite well whether they are sampling the candy at the local store or navigating the alien spacecraft. The farmer in the meantime gets the idea of constructing a theme park on the farm with the name “Farmageddon” to take advantage of the craze about aliens that has taken ahold of the locals, only his herd of sheep are the ones that have to build the park. As you might guess there are obvious flaws in this plan. At the same time there is a government agent who has been sent to the town to track down the sightings of a mysterious UFO. All of these events combine to form a very amusing movie that will appeal to all ages. Be sure to watch for all the references to past science fiction movies and TV shows.

The Boss Baby: Family Business

The Boss Baby: Family Business                 3 stars

The wild baby adventures continue in the sequel to the 2017 movie The Boss Baby. In The Boss Baby: Family Business, brothers Tim and Ted who are now full grown adults are recruited by Tim’s baby daughter, Tina and Baby Corp. to return to their child selves (with an advanced baby formula) and once again save the world from an evil corporate plot. The conspiracy and the motive for the crime aren’t particularly important, but serve as the background for a colorful, action packed story involving the two going undercover at Tim’s daughter, Tabitha’s school to investigate the plot and stop it from succeeding. The plot is certainly confusing, but it serves mainly as a way to bring the two estranged brothers together and to give Tim a way to boost the confidence of his second grade daughter who is attending the ultramodern school for gifted children. The movie does have some social commentary on parents’ expectations put on their children to perform academically and the modern addiction to technology. The movie is at least equal to its predecessor in entertainment value and is suitable for children who probably will miss some of what is going on. I didn’t detect any bathroom humor, though there are plenty of baby drool jokes to see.

Moana 2

Moana 2               3 ½ stars

It’s hard to believe that it has been eight years. That was when a young Polynesian woman, Moana went on an oceanic adventure across the Pacific with her demi-god friend, Maui on a mission to save her people in the hit animated Disney movie Moana. That was so long ago that Donald Trump was about to become President. Well, some things tend to repeat themselves. Now we find Moana (Hawaiian actress Auli’i Cravalho), having become a wayfinder is once more on a quest, this time to find signs of other island dwelling people and end her people’s isolation on the South Pacific Island of Matanui. Only, before leaving, Moana experiences a troubling vision telling her that long ago, a god like being called Nalo hid a secret island that had served to bring the island people together and that if things are not restored, it will mean the end of her people. For this journey she recruits a crew with her consisting of an elderly farmer, a sort of canoe design engineer, Loto and her large friend Moni who has a crush on Moana and likes to create images on canvases. After some preliminary adventures involving the coconut pirates, the Kakamora, the crew finds Maui (Dwayne Johnson) who is being held prisoner by a female god called Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). Once freed by Moana and the crew, they team up to accomplish the true mission, to find the lost island and set foot on it which will end the curse of Nalo. Before any of this can happen, we are treated to all sorts of action set to upbeat songs in the usual Disney fashion. Cravalho who plays Moana and is a Broadway actress really can belt out the songs, only the songs themselves are not quite so memorable. This movie does not use the song writing talents of Lin Manuel Miranda, like the original Moana did. While the characters are fun and amusing, the main villain seems to be the storm created by the evil god, who we don’t see much of. Much of the action centers on the characters saving one another from magic tornadoes and various creatures of the sea. Maui does his usual act of transforming into other creatures suited to each situation they encounter. The message here is that we benefit most by working together as a team. And naturally, the animation is top notch in the usual Disney fashion. I would not call it the best animated movie of the year, but you can’t miss by taking a young audience to see it. Judging by the box office, it is one of the major hits of the year.

Mulan

Mulan                4 stars

Disney gives its live treatment to another of their classic animated films in Mulan, with director Niko Caro of Whale Rider and The Zookeeper’s Wife, bringing us the story of Mulan, the young Chinese girl (played by Yifei Liu) who feels called to join the emperor’s army as a man to help fight off an invader determined to kill the emperor (a royal looking Jet Li). The story, based on a Chinese legend, is much the same as the 1998 animated movie but there are no musical numbers nor is there the small comical dragon, Mushu to provide comic relief. But we do get very colorful scenes showing Mulan’s village, the emperor’s palace and the natural expanse of China. There are plenty of action sequences featuring Mulan, the soldiers and the battles with the enemy and Bori Khan, the rebel leader (Jason Scott Lee). Khan is aided by a shape shifting sorceress (Gong Li) who can transform into an animal or impersonate another human with dire consequences. Since the movie is done with live actors it asks a lot of the viewer to believe that Mulan looks like a boy to the other characters, unlike the animated version. The strength of the movie is the story and the action sequences that are almost but not quite at the level of a Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Liu’s acting also aids the personal moments of her character, though that is not the main focus of the movie. The violent battle scenes may make it not so suitable for very young viewers, but it is mostly bloodless battles that do leave quite a few casualties. Some of the soldiers of Mulan’s unit provide the comedic moments of the movie. I definitely liked the movie better than most of the audience reviewers seemed to. Some people must have wanted the musical animated version again. Mulan earned Academy Award nominations in Visual Effects and Costume Design. It was released during the height of the pandemic so it never got a theatrical release and could only be seen on streaming services. I recommend it for action fans and for fans of artistic movies.

Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise      2 ½ stars

It’s back to the world of Disney once again, this time with Disney’s latest movie based on a Disney theme park ride. Jungle Cruise takes us on an adventure in the Brazilian jungle with Dwayne Johnson as a wisecracking scallywag named Frank who operates a river boat ride on the Amazon for rich tourists. Johnson is his usual charming self that we have grown so accustomed to in his roles. Like many Disney adventure movies there is a lot of background involving old legends and villains that this time brings a wealthy adventurous woman, Lily Houghton (a very self-assured Emily Blunt) and her brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) from 1916 England to the Amazon in search of the petals of a legendary Tree of Life that is reputed to have mysterious healing powers. She of course hires Frank to take the pair deep into the jungle in search of famed flowers, but they are pursued by a reanimated 400 year old Spanish Conquistador? as well as an evil German Saxon Prince (Jesse Plemons) and his U-boat who are all interested in the same tree for their own reasons. This is all we need for two hours plus of action and conflicts between the various factions interspersed with Frank’s corny one-liners that will have you begging him to stop! There is danger to be had from vicious animals and fish and a primitive jungle tribe just like in the Disney ride. Then there is the ongoing joke of Frank referring to Lily as “Pants” since she insists on wearing trousers, something unheard of in 1916. The movie is reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean with an equal amount of action and supernatural beings that are always returning for more. By the time the movie was over I thought I had seen multiple endings as the villains seemed to have been dispatched several times. I am sure that the kids will love this one, but at times it got a bit tiresome. Expect the ending to leave you feeling that a sequel is in the works just like the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance       2 stars

Twenty years after its appearance in theaters I had the chance to see Will Smith and Matt Damon in The Legend of Bagger Vance, the movie that brings the fantasy world to golf. The fantasy character appears as Bagger Vance (Smith), some sort of deity who has come to earth to save local golf legend Rannulph Junuh (Damon) from destroying his life. Following his traumatic experience in World War I, Junuh has the opportunity to play in a golf tournament against two legends of the game, but has to regain his swing and confidence in himself. Bagger Vance has all the right words to get Junuh to understand the game and himself. Most of the movie centers on the game itself, spanning a 72 hole match over the course of two days. Like most sports movies there is plenty of drama in the event with missed opportunities and miraculous comebacks. Since it is golf and not horseracing, auto racing or baseball, the dramatic moments focus on balls landing on fairways and bunkers and the occasional long putt into the cup. I like a good sports movie, but I prefer homeruns and galloping horses to flying golf balls. For a good sports fantasy movie you can’t beat The Natural starring Robert Redford. If you haven’t seen that, I recommend seeing it over Bagger Vance. On a movie trivia note, Jack Lemmon has an uncredited appearance in the movie.