Tag: Catherine Keener

THE ADAM PROJECT – Review

What if you could make your peace with your own history? What if you could, as an adult, go back and make peace with your younger self, and make your peace with the parents we failed to understand when we were growing up? What if you could go back and reconnect with your parents with the benefit of a lifetime of wisdom and perspective? These are the questions director Shawn Levy asks in his latest film THE ADAM PROJECT. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña and Catherine Keener, the film is the story of a time-traveling pilot Adam Reed (Reynolds) who teams up with his younger self, (Scobell), and his late father, Louis Reed (Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past, and losses, while saving the future.

In this throwback to the sci-films from the 80’s, the filmmaker proves with THE ADAM PROJECT the power of nostalgia. It’s filled with themes movie going audiences witnessed and embraced with the likes of  E.T., THE LAST STARFIGHTER, EXPLORERS and BACK TO THE FUTURE, with a hint of RETURN OF THE JEDI, as well as exciting battles with time soldiers, evil villains, de-cloaking spaceships and disintegration effects.

At the heart of the story is how these characters come to terms with loss and the past. While Adam’s journey in saving the world involves reconnecting with his younger self and teaming up with his dead father, the driving force is what sent him on this path to begin with – his search for his wife Laura (Saldaña), who is sent into the past by time-traveling supervillain Sorian (Keener) who stole and profited from the invention created by the “Godfather of Time Travel” Louis (Ruffalo).

The chemistry between the young newcomer Scobell and Reynolds is spot on and their adventure adds a beautiful mix of adventure-fantasy with real character emotions.

The Adam Project – (L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam and Walker Scobell as Young Adam. Cr. Netflix © 2022

However the best scene and one driven by the quiet soulful acting of Reynolds is where a grown-up Adam offers his mother (Garner) the encouragement and acknowledgment of how she and her young son are both still grieving with the loss of husband and father. It’s something she never expects, but at the moment she needs it most. The father-son storyline may take center stage in The Adam Project, but it’s this one scene in particular that gave the film one of its most touching moments. “Boys always come back for their mamas.”

The Adam Project (L to R) Walker Scobell as Young Adam and Jennifer Garner as Ellie. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix © 2022

Huge thanks to Levy for casting Ruffalo and Garner, who previously starred in another fantasy film from 2004, as the couple Louis and Ellie Reed. Haven’t we all been waiting for a 13 GOING ON 30 reunion?

The Adam Project (L to R) Jennifer Garner as Ellie and Mark Ruffalo as Louis Reed. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix © 2022

Written by Jonathan Tropper and T.S. Nowlin & Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin, THE ADAM PROJECT is filled with comedic banter and terrific action-packed sequences.

The Adam Project is the second creative collaboration between Levy and Reynolds off the heels of Free Guy and it was just announced the two will go for a third helping with DEADPOOL 3 as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter

Even Reynolds got in on the announcement over on Twitter.

Of note are the artists also bring the audience an emotional character story first and foremost and the time travel device to facilitate the story. Their work on THE ADAM PROJECT make the audience really care about the the characters’ journey in the end.

Visual Effects Supervisor Alessandro Ongaro (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) delivers a certain wow-factor without tipping too far into sci-fi. The time soldiers’ decloaking and decimation effects (think cool digital poprocks candy) were created by VFX studio Scanline to give them a more tactile feel than what would traditionally be seen in sci-fi movies without it being too violent, Editor Dean Zimmerman (Free Guy, Stranger Things), who has worked with Shawn Levy for 20 years, beautifully cuts together a film that keeps the pacing of the story moving and provides some cool battle scenes, and Director of Photography Tobias Schliessler uses classic framing and uncomplicated lighting in order to draw the audience’s attention to the characters at all times.

What gives the film its emotional cohesiveness is composer Rob Simonsen’s simple score, while also making it sci-fi epic. He creates a futuristic feel with his use of orchestra and piano but keeps the human drama very human. Simonsen truly sets the tone for the entire film with the sound “The Adam Suite Theme.”

In the end THE ADAM PROJECT is a wonderful movie and a contemporary version of a movie really not being made anymore — the Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis-type action-adventure movie like The Last Starfighter, E.T. , The Goonies or Back to the Future – and one to watch with the family.

THE ADAM PROJECT is streaming now on Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/81309354

4 out of 4 stars.

THE ADAM PROJECT – (L to R) BTS of Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam and director Shawn Levy. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix © 2022

THE CROODS: A NEW AGE – Review

In a time when many families are opting to forgo the big, big get-together and reunion, perhaps they may want to try instead a big cinematic reunion. It’s one that’s seven years in the making, though this particular family goes back several thousands of years. One of 2013’s surprise box office hits was THE CROODS from the hard-working folks at Dreamworks Animation which was indeed a worthy addition to their SHREK, DRAGON, and KUNG FU PANDA franchises. So is this adventure worth a return to the caves, let alone the theatres (no streaming-on-demand for this one…yet) ? Well, let’s dust off the old “loin-cloth” and visit that “family down the street” (oops, wrong animated ancestors) for THE CROODS: A NEW AGE.

It all starts with a fairly somber flashback as we witness young Guy’s last moments with his parents. Not to worry kids, we’re soon right in the thick of the action as the Croods, along with now teenage Guy (voice of Ryan Reynolds), cling tightly to the fur of their charging faithful “macawnivore” Chunky as they evade all manner of predators (those “kangadillos” are really pesky) as they seek out the new homeland they call “Tomorrow”. The main concern of papa Grug (Nicolas Cage) is finding food, but he’s distracted and extremely annoyed by the blossoming romance between Guy and his eldest daughter Eep (Emma Stone). Suddenly he’s stopped in his tracks by something Grug has never encountered: a wall, made of tied-together trees. Using his noggin (literally) he plows through to a wild, multi-colored utopia, a land-of-plenty with all manner of over-sized fruit and veggies. As they recover from their glutinous stupor, two odd shapes slowly come into focus as they get nearer. People! Humans! The duo is husband Phil (Peter Dinklage) and wife Hope (Leslie Mann) Betterman, who wear clothing that’s not fur (a softer thing called cloth), sandals, and tie their hair in buns and ponytails. Plus they know Guy, as they were friends of his folks. When the Croods are brought back to their tree-house domicile (!), they meet the third Betterman, teenage daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran). While Phil and Hope seem welcoming, they’re secretly devising a plot to hook-up Guy with Dawn. But will Eep thwart their plans? And what is the dark secret that makes Phil forbid Grug and his clan from feasting on those luscious bananas that pile up everywhere? Can this really be “Tomorrow”?

The returning voice cast slips back into their roles like easing into a well-worn tiger-skin “one-piece”. Cage is affectionately dim-witted and surprisingly warm as the patriarch Grug, a great counterpoint to Catherine Keener as his calmer, understanding, and nurturing spouse Ugga. Reynolds eases up on his motor-mouth wiseacre screen persona as the energetic, often frustrated Guy, who is a delightful romantic comedy partner to Stone as the spunky, tough, and tender Eep. Cloris Leachman is a feisty force-of-nature as the gravelly-voiced Gran, while Clark Duke gives pre-teen Thunk an endearing distracted vibe. All of them contrast superbly with the talented trio introduced here. Tran makes Dawn a beacon of joyous delight as she encounters the delights of having an adventurous BFF in Eep (she’s okay with Guy, though). Mann is a devilish passive-aggressive diva as Hope, perhaps a prehistoric take on today’s social media “Karens”. But the biggest laughs are generated by the hysterical Dinklage who imbues Phil was so much smarmy snark making him a devious “hipster” prototype oozing with condescension. If he weren’t such a hoot, we’d be impatient for Grug to throttle him (although there is a nice comeuppance).

First-time feature director Joel Crawford brings a wonderful visual style to the story (credited to six writers…uh uh) filling every backdrop with dazzling eye-popping colors (you almost need shades at times) and imaginative animal-creature hybrids (I’d fancy a “wolfspider” stuffed toy, thank you). Its main strength may be in the characters, both familiar and new. Even when some scenes become “dialogue-heavy” we’re engaged due to the superior physical acting with each family member engaging in their specific “body language’ (essential with the feral, sound-effects spewing baby sister Sandy). The lil’ ones will be entranced by the “eye candy” and slapstick even as the plot enters the one-hour mark “lull” (a problem with live-action comedies too). A five or ten minute “trim” might have helped the now 95-minute flick. A few of the more “heavy-handed” gags come to mine. TV addiction is hammered home with Thunk’s obsession with the Betterman’s tree-house widow. He just wants to sit and stare (“Not now, Mom! The birds are on!”). Then there are the big female-empowerment sequences (the whole Eep/Dawn bonding is fun at first) leading to the huge battle/rescue finale as Gran gives her “sistas” tough code names (“You are ‘Bog-Water’!”) before leading the charge, complete with lots of MATRIX-inspired “bullet-time” bits). The score by Mark Mothersbaugh is quite rousing without being too bombastic. But, as with most Dreamworks films, the classic pop tunes are over-utilized, especially one nearing 50 made popular by a singing TV sitcom family. Despite its fumbles and flubs, the great vocal crew and them “purdy pitchers” make THE CROODS: A NEW AGE a worthy sequel sure to be a tasty cinematic dessert after you finish the big (well, not as usual) “boid”.

3 Out of 4

THE CROODS: A NEW AGE opens in selected theatres on November 25

The Croods Meet The Bettermans In THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE Poster And Trailer

In 2013, audiences met The Croods – a loveable pre-historic family in search of a new home. From the directing team of Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, you can catch it on Netflix now – https://www.netflix.com/title/70143241?source=35

Read our review here: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2013/03/the-croods-the-review/

Now comes THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE, , heading into theaters this Thanksgiving.

The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family.

The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans.

The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family.

Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together.

Guy (Ryan Reynolds) and his pet sloth Belt in DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age, directed by Joel Crawford.

THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE features the voice talent of returning stars Nicolas Cage as Grug Crood, Catherine Keener as Ugga Crood, Emma Stone as their daughter, Eep; Ryan Reynolds as Eep’s boyfriend, Guy; Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Thunk and Cloris Leachman as Gran. They’re joined by new stars Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones) as Phil Betterman, Leslie Mann (Blockers) as Hope Betterman, and Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi) as their daughter, Dawn.

The film is directed by Joel Crawford, who has worked on multiple DreamWorks Animation films, including Trolls and the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and is produced by Mark Swift (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted).

THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE, WILL BE RELEASED IN CINEMAS IN THE UK AND IRELAND ON FEBRUARY 5TH, 2021

(clockwise, from top left) Sandy Crood (Kailey Crawford), Grug Crood (Nicolas Cage), Thunk Crood (Clark Duke), Gran (Cloris Leachman), Eep Crood (Emma Stone) and Ugga Crood (Catherine Keener) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age, directed by Joel Crawford.

INCREDIBLES 2 – Review

 

Finally!! Hallelujah!! It’s about time!! And some other assorted exclamations, etcetera. You animation/comic book fans know what I’m saying. The year was 2004, nine years after Pixar had turned the world of feature animation on its ear with the ground-breaking (first) TOY STORY. After breathing life into the toys, along with bugs, fish, and “bump-in-the-night” monsters, they were tackling a story that mainly consisted of human beings, No, better than “puny” humans, superheroes (to avoid copyrights on that phrase they were “supers”). THE INCREDIBLES was a box office smash, but the sequel “go ahead” was never given, it seemed. Pixar continued to bring out the hits and collect lots of Oscar gold. And several of those flicks got their follow-ups. There was a third TOY STORY (a fourth’s in the works), which may be the best of those “returns”. But fans wanted to get another romp with the Parr family. They didn’t care how Nike meet Sully in college, or how Dory got lost. Plus there were three, the original and two entries, in the CARS franchise (and it’s ‘sorta’ spin-off PLANES). There was a lot happening with the non-animated “supers”, too. Fourteen years ago, the X-Men had arrived and Tobey Maguire had webbed up the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus as Spider-Man. Soon we’d go through the Nolan/Bale Batman trilogy, get two more Spideys, and see the rise of the Marvel Movie Universe (and a stumbling one with the DC characters, Wonder Woman excepted). The subject matter has gotten much deeper, so Pixar has gone back to that “first family of justice” with the long-awaited INCREDIBLES 2. Was it worth the wait? Well…

It begins with a quiet scene between two of the supporting characters from the original. Fade out and we’re in the thick of it, right when the first flick ended, so many years ago. Time hasn’t passed for the Incredibles as they face off against the mole-like Underminer (John Ratzenberger) right as the big school track meet has ended. Bob Parr AKA Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and his wife Helen AKA Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) instruct their kids, teenager Violet ( Sarah Vowell) and pre-teen Dash (Huck Milner) to watch their infant sibling Jack-Jack while they stop the villain’s massive drilling tank from destroying the bank district of Municiburg. Luckily Bob’s best pal Lucius AKA Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) lends an icy hand. Though the Underminer’s plan is thwarted, the battle has caused lots of damage. As the Parrs are arrested (“supers” are still outlawed), Frozone escapes, but is given a card by a friendly limo driver (who can the passenger be). Government “supers” liason Rick Dicker springs the Parrs and takes them to temporary digs at a local motel. But this is the last time he can help them. His division’s been cut and early retirement’s looming. .The Parr family’s spirits are lifted by a surprise visit from Lucius. Seems that the guy on that mysterious business card has a possible job for the adult trio. Donning their original uniforms, they travel to a massive estate. There they meet “super-fan of the supers”, Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), who has a plan to make the public love them once more, and repeal those laws that ban the heroes. They’re joined by his tech-savy sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), who provides a “tricked-out” motorcycle to…Helen. Winston thinks that Elastigirl is the best person to lay the groundwork for his plan. While she goes to the crime-ridden city of New Urbem, Bob will hold down the new household (a mansion courtesy of Deavor). But Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge as he assists Dash with his math homework, deals with Violet’s budding romance with Tony Rydinger, and discovers that baby Jack-Jack has powers. Lots of them. Meanwhile their mom has her hands full when a new super-villain, the Screenslaver, begins a campaign of crime and destruction that may lead to the end of the “supers” for all time.

The original actors slip into their roles as easily as the supers slip into their masks (those tights on the other hand….). Hunter’s Helen has most of the action/detective beats this time out, but she’s still the nurturing force that holds the family together, even as she’s tracking down Screenslaver miles away. In the original we got a taste of her hero skills, but this time she’s really propelling the story with her “flexibility”. Nelson’s Bob may be the more emotional of the two this time as he struggles to keep the kids on track, a task his tremendous strength proves of little use. At one point he comes close to a breakdown as fatigue and worry become his personal “kryptonite”. Vowell still expertly voices Violet’s conflicting emotions and desire to become her own person while “crushing hard’ on schoolmate Tony.  Jackson’s still the king of cool as Lucius expands on his role as Bob’s BFF to become a surrogate uncle to the Parr brood. Though Frozone not officially an Incredible, he’s an invaluable asset to the franchise. As for the “newbies”, Milner practically pops with energy as he takes over as the impulsive, eager, and a bit bratty Dash. And then there’s the Deavors voiced by two terrific actors (kudos again to Pixar for not going for high profile pop culture “flavors” as other studios might do). Odenkirk’s a delight as the ultimate ultra-rich “fanboy” who just might be the Incredibles’ twist on the ole’ “fairy godfather” (the look of joy as he sings the heroes’ theme songs is priceless). Equally superb is the fabulous Keener who brings exactly the right touch of snark and smirk as the Deavor who quickly bonds with Helen. Oh, and where would the Incredibles be, and what would they wear, without the design diva Edna Mode, whose sneers and “dahlinks” are provided once again by the film’s multi-talented writer/director Brad Bird.

So is talented an adequate term for the impressive triple threat that is Mr. Bird? After a foray into the world of live action ( MISSION IMPOSSIBLE-GHOST PROTOCOL was one of the best entries in that series. TOMORROWLAND was…a misfire), he’s returned to deliver another exciting romp, both a satire and a satisfying ode to the “long-underwear” genre. His script is not merely a retread of the first flick, but a further exploration of family and the pros and cons of having enhanced abilities. Bird even gets in a few digs at the newer “subset” of pitting heroes against each other (as in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR). He’s also given us a villain, who despite his terrible actions and method, has a valid critique of society. First and foremost, Bird is an expert animation craftsman and gives us some of the best acting in a film this year. I’m not talking about the vocal work, but the expressions on the characters’ faces, and how they gesture and move. In a most memorable scene, Bob goes through the gamut of emotions as he explains his sleep-deprived near-collapse and remorse over his parenting skills. Though it was computer created, it is an honest, riveting performance. Needless to say, Bird has an army of talented artists executing his vision. The design work on the new characters is dazzling, especially with a new group of international supers. There’s even a senior citizen hero whose names and powers are one of the film’s best gags (literally). Once more, the settings, cars, fashions, and props have a “retro-futuristic’ feel, much like the first Tim Burton BATMAN flicks. Yes, there are cell phones and computers, but the furniture and autos are cool 50’s and 60’s streamlined. And is anything cooler than Michael Giacchino’s big brassy score? As with the original it’s love letter to the 60’s work of the great John Barry, particularly in the thrilling finale’ that echos THUNDERBALL. The music never overwhelms, rather it enhances the film by amping up the tension and sweetening the gags. Yes, it’s very funny, especially as Jack-Jack faces his first adversary. Unlike Pixar’s last triumph COCO this flick doesn’t pummel the heartstrings, but there are scenes of great tenderness (even with Edna) between the battles and bomb blasts.

So, to answer that earlier question: Yes it’s well worth the wait! Certainly, but I hope it’s not another 14 years before we catch up with the Parr family. Here’s to another super (and superb) entertainment to follow INCREDIBLES 2 (maybe Dash could intern at Pixar)!

5 Out of 5

 

LITTLE PINK HOUSE – Review

Catherine Keener stars as Susette Kelo, in the true-story drama about her battle against eminent domain to keep her home, in LITTLE PINK HOUSE. Photo courtesy of Korchula Productions

A pink house is not for everyone but it was just right for Susette Kelo, especially with a lovely river view. When a local economic redevelopment organization tries to seize the Connecticut cottage she so lovingly rehabbed for a project to lure a Big Pharma company to the financially-strapped town, she fights – all the way to the Supreme Court.

There is a bit of Frank Capra mixed with “Erin Brockovich” in the true story-inspired LITTLE PINK HOUSE. Oscar-nominee Catherine Keener plays Kelo in a moving performance as an ordinary woman pushed too far in this film from Courtney Balaker, making her directorial debut.

After her marriage failed, paramedic Kelo was looking for a place to start over. When she finds the little cottage in a working-class community near New London,n Connecticut, it looked like the perfect fixer-upper. The neighbors are mostly elderly but they are friendly and the modest house are well-kept. Kelo paints the little house pink and starts fixing it up.

Kelo’s little pink house is a stepping off point for this true story about a fight to save a neighborhood from redevelopment. Susette Kelo’s name may not sound familiar but many viewers will realize quickly they know this story.

Keener is the center of this film, and gives a moving performance of this determined woman who simply wants to live in the little house she has lovingly rehabbed and in the quiet little neighborhood where she has started to make friends. Keener’s work is supported by a strong cast, including excellent turns by Callum Keith Rennie and Colin Cunningham as some of her neighbors in this fight, but the focus is very much on her character. Jeanne Tripplehorn gives a compelling, complex performance as the woman who heads up the redevelopment project.

When someone knocks on her door with an offer to buy her house, Kelo tells them she has no interest in selling. But the offer is part of a larger scheme launched by the governor and others. By declaring the modest-income area “blighted,: they plan to use eminent domain to redevelopment the area, a project aimed at attracting the drug company Pfizer, which was looking to expand following the spectacular debut of its new drug Viagra. The filmmakers can’t resist a few Viagra jokes but overall, this film focuses on these ordinary people and their struggle just to stay in their homes.

A band of neighbors come together, including the mayor, and try to fight back, a classic tale of ordinary people standing up the powerful. Not everything in the film works but what keeps it grounded and real is Keener’s affecting performance, one that lifts it enough to win us over.

Kelo and her neighbors are engaged in a brave struggle in a brave new world of growing economic power that leaves people of modest means in the dust in the name of an amorphous claim of common good – mostly to boost the tax base. There are a lot of issues simmering under the surface but director. Balaker keeps the focus on the people, and particularly Keener, who keeps up her winning streak by offering another excellent performance. The story is good, and well-told enough that even if you know the ending, it still keeps you involved. LITTLE PINK HOUSE is a worthwhile true story film about an issue, eminent domain, still with us.

RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Sophia Bush, Isabella Rossellini Join The Voice Cast Of INCREDIBLES 2

©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Check out the “Incredibles 2” voice cast side-by-side with images of their characters—https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/posts/10156110003656055—and see just-released character descriptions below

HELEN PARR (voice of Holly Hunter), known in the Superworld as Elastigirl, hung up her Supersuit to raise the family with husband Bob, leaving their crime-fighting days behind them. But when she’s tapped to lead a campaign to bring the Supers back into the spotlight, she finds she can still bend, stretch and twist herself into any shape needed to solve the trickiest of mysteries. In short, she’s still got it. That’s good news, too, because a new villain is emerging—unlike any they’ve ever seen before.

BOB PARR (voice of Craig T. Nelson) cherishes his days as Mr. Incredible—a popular Super with mega-strength and the power to singlehandedly take out the bad guys. Ever since Supers were outlawed, Bob’s been mostly lying low, raising the family alongside his wife Helen. But when she’s called on to stretch her Super skills and hopefully change the public perception of Supers for the better, Bob must manage the household on his own, which calls for a completely different set of super powers.

VIOLET PARR (voice of Sarah Vowell), the firstborn of the Parr clan, is an introverted and intelligent 14-year-old teen that doesn’t quite fit in with the normal crowd. Socially awkward, outspoken and sarcastic, Violet plays her teenager role to perfection—all while secretly mastering her superpowers of invisibility and creating force fields. A Super at heart, Violet can’t help her urge to fight crime alongside her family.

DASHIELL PARR (voice of Huckleberry “Huck” Milner) is a 10-year-old boy—restless, relentless, curious—though his remarkable power of Super speed certainly sets him apart. Dash sports a hearty sense of adventure and a boundless supply of energy. He’d love nothing more than to show off his special skills and fight a few bad guys along the way—and doesn’t understand why he has to keep his powers a secret.

JACK-JACK PARR, the baby of the family, likes to sit back with a bottle and a good story. Well-versed in gibberish with a penchant for throwing food, Jack-Jack may seem like a typical toddler, but he just might turn out to be the most powerful Parr in the household—if only his family had a clue of what this kid can really do.  

LUCIUS BEST (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) is not only Bob’s best friend, he’s a fellow-former Super who’s so chill, he can make ice with the point of a finger. But even when he’s not fighting crime as Frozone, Lucius is all about style. He has a quick wit and a cool, can-do attitude—and he wouldn’t think twice about breaking out his Supersuit if it could help bring Supers out of hiding.

EDNA “E” MODE (voice of Brad Bird) possesses impeccable design sense, a keen understanding of cutting-edge technology and an unmatched skillset. A creative visionary, she longs for the return of Supers so she can once again create functional yet edgy Supersuits. The petite and powerful fashionista treats her clients like family, dahling, but sticks firmly to her long-held assertion: No capes!

WINSTON DEAVOR (voice of Bob Odenkirk) leads a world-class telecommunications company alongside his genius sister, Evelyn. Ultra-wealthy, savvy and suave, Winston goes big in everything he does—including his infatuation with Supers. He has been a supporter of Supers returning—all he needs is a hero (or three) to help him change public perception and bring them back into the sunlight.

EVELYN DEAVOR (voice of Catherine Keener), the brilliant brainchild behind her brother Winston’s telecommunications company, knows her way around tech. She loves tinkering with tech, and has never met a problem she can’t solve.

RICK DICKER (voice of Jonathan Banks) heads up the official Super Relocation Program, helping the Parr family keep their Super identities secret—that’s no easy feat with this family. But Rick takes his job very seriously—at least until his division is shuttered, leaving the Parrs all on their own.

VOYD (voice of Sophia Bush) is a young, overeager “wannabe” Super and a mega-fan of Elastigirl. Her superpower is the ability to divert and manipulate objects around her by creating voids that allow the objects to appear and disappear, and shift in space.

The Supers find an advocate in a dignified foreign AMBASSADOR (voice of Isabella Rossellini) who is committed to the support and legalization of Superheroes.

Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2” – but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.

Directed by Brad Bird (“Iron Giant,” “The Incredibles”) and produced by John Walker (“The Incredibles”) and Nicole Grindle (“Sanjay’s Super Team” short, “Toy Story 3” associate producer), “Incredibles 2” busts into theaters on June 15, 2018.

Website:  http://disney.com/incredibles2

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DisneyPixar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneypixar

Instagram: https://instagram.com/pixar

©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

GET OUT – Review

getout

The first few months of the year seem to be prime territory for the studios to unleash new horror flicks. Perhaps the thinking is to get out of the way of most of the action blockbusters of the Spring/Summer and steer clear of those serious “message” prestige films near the end of the year. Well, maybe this “chiller” could be close to the later category. It’s got lotsa’ scares and some not-so-subtle bits of social commentary, a message horror flick. But it’s really not something new to ‘sinister cinema”. Many interpret the vampire legend as a commentary on female sexuality while others see zombie stories as metaphors for the struggle in the class system (the walking dead as the lower classes rising up to consume…). Perhaps the most famous example of this “mixing” is 1956’s iconic INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (and its three remakes), which some interpret as an attack (or is it an endorsement?) of that era’s anti-communist paranoia. Other recent genre films like IT FOLLOWS and THE WITCH have these extra layers. But this new release blends the frights with a “take” on race relations. maybe more so than those 1990’s gems CANDYMAN and TALES FROM THE HOOD. And it’s the feature film directing debut of Jordan Peele, yes one half of that celebrated comedy duo. I’m sure he hopes you’ll go out and see GET OUT.

After a truly spooky abduction scene opens the film, we’re introduced to the story’s main focus: professional gallery photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya). He’s got a pretty great life in the city sharing a place with his gorgeous girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). But on this day he’s a bit nervous since he’ll soon be meeting her folks for the first time. It’s a tense time for any couple, but the “race thing” worries him. Has she told her folks that he’s black? Rose insists that they’ll be fine (“My dad will tell you he would’ve voted for Obama a third time”). After leaving their pooch with his pal, TSA agent Rod (LilRel Howery) they hit the road. Then the road “hits back” when a charging deer streaks past them (causing some damage, but they proceed). When they arrive at the lush Armitage home, tucked away far from civilization, the first person they spot is the beefy, reserved groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson). The front door flings upon as Chris and Rose park the dinged-up car. It’s Papa Dean (Bradley Whitford), a renown surgeon, and Mamma Missy (Catherine Keener), a successful psychiatrist. Dean grabs Chris in a warm embrace (“We’re huggers!”) and takes them into the house.

That night they’re joined by Rose’s vaguely confrontational kid brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones). Over dinner, she’s reminded that a big family gathering will take place over the weekend. Chris is rattled by this and by the odd, passive (almost from another earlier era) behavior of the black housekeeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel). More strange sh…er..stuff.. occurs overnight when Chris is almost run down by the charging Walter (doing his exercises), then has a weird encounter with Missy in the dining room (did she put him in a hypnotic trance?). More bizarre awkward encounters happen the next day at the big Armitage family get-together. Chris meets a blind gallery owner, Jim (Stephen Root), who’s a fan of his work. Then he meets another “brother”, a man around his age married to an Armitage matron nearly 30 years older. But he acts and dresses like a man in his sixties. Then when Chris snaps a cell phone pic of him (with a flash bulb), the man (Lakeith Stanfield) lurches toward him and yells, “Get Out!!”. Chris agrees, but is it too late for the couple to escape?

Kayuuya delivers a great nuanced, subtle performance as the “stranger in a strange land”, a terrific take on the horror hero determined not to be a victim. Chris rises to the occasion, becoming pro-active when he’s plunging into this “bizzarro-land”. But we also see his vulnerable side when forced to confront the horrors of the past by the horrors of the now. We’re on his side every step of the way. Williams is quite the dream girl, the stabilizing force during this strange trip. But she’s conflicted, trying to support Chris while staying loyal to the family. We’re curious about her real allegiance. Bradford has a gregarious clumsy charm as the patriarch, seeming too eager to become Chris’s buddy, a surrogate daddy even as he awkwardly calls him “my man”. As the matriarch, Keener goes in nearly an opposite direction, her Missy is an intellectual, a tad reserved and frosty as she coolly observes every interaction. We get that this “iron lady” really runs the “show”, especially when she must deal with Jones as her “loose cannon” son. Jeremy appears to really enjoy shaking up this “picture perfect” home, coming off as a passive aggressive variation of Christopher Walken as Annie Hall’s twisted brother. As creepy as he is, ole Jere’ is nothing compared to “the help”. Henderson is all slow quiet menace as the lumbering Walter, while Gabriel, as the nearly always smiling Georgina, makes her the stuff of nightmares. Her scenes with Chris as she unravels are riveting and unnerving. We’re on the edge of our seats as we wonder when she’ll eventually snap. She makes us relish the story’s energetic comedy relief, the scene-stealing Howery as Chris’s best pal and confidant. The phone calls that convince him that things are “hinky” provide huge laughs as his Rod becomes an “audience surrogate”. He has no filter and says the things we feel we’d say (a TSA agent hero, not a bumbling doofus!). The only problem is that the audience laughter nearly drowns out his great line delivery.

The very talented Mr. Peele makes a spectacular debut as feature director and writer, with no platoon of story and screenplay aides. Many have tried to describe this work via other films, calling it a modern mix of MEET THE PARENTS, GUESS WHO”S COMING TO DINNER, and THE STEPFORD WIVES, but that can’t really capture its unique vision and originality. We’re expecting a comedy from this vet of TV and improv, and, as I mentioned, the Howery character is hysterical, but the strong dramatic tone and striking visuals are a wonder. Peele’s restrained use of special effects make the sequences inside Chris’s head very powerful. He’s endlessly, slowly plunging into an overwhelming pitch black chasm while the window through his eyes slowly blurs and darkens (great use of his point of view), showing his helplessness. He’s fighting back to little effect. Plus there’s the overall atmosphere orchestrated by Peele. Chris and Rose aren’t just out of the city, they’ve left sanity behind. From the deer encounter, through the welcoming, and particularly the family “gathering”, a sense of uneasy dread oozes from every frame. Then Peele throws us a curve by delivering a nail-biting action-packed finale that will have audiences cheering, despite the underlying bits of parody and satire (unlike the recent CURE FOR WELLNESS, Peele knows when to end the story). On so many levels, Jordan Peele’s “message monster movie”, GET OUT, is outstanding.

4 Out of 5

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Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of GET OUT In St. Louis

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In Universal Pictures’ GET OUT, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, GET OUT is written and directed by Peele (Key and Peele) and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, Bad Words), Edward H. Hamm Jr. (Bad Words) and Peele. The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Stephen Root (No Country for Old Men), Milton “Lil Rel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Lakeith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).

GET OUT opens in theaters February 24, 2017.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of GET OUT on FEBRUARY 21 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

Which POPULAR TV show was Peele a cast member for five seasons?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.

Visit the official site: www.getoutfilm.com

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Watch The First Trailer For GET OUT

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The first trailer for GET OUT has debuted online. The latest collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures hits theaters in February.

In Universal Pictures’ GET OUT, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, GET OUT is written and directed by Peele (Key and Peele) and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, The Box), Peele and Edward H. Hamm Jr. (The Box, Bad Words). The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Milton “Lil Rel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Keith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).

GET OUT opens in theaters February 24, 2017.

Catherine Keener Enters A War Zone In Trailer For WAR STORY

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Opening in theaters and VOD July 30th, watch the trailer for WAR STORY.

A battle-scarred photojournalist (Catherine Keener) risks her life to rescue a young refugee in this gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller. Sir Ben Kingsley also stars.

The film screened earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter‘s Todd McCarthy wrote the second feature from director Mark Jackson was, ” A compelling, beautifully filmed character study of a war zone photographer in personal turmoil..”

In her Sundance review, Kim Voynar (Movie City News) said, “War Story is cinematic storytelling at its finest.”