Tag: 20th Century Fox

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE – Review

(L-R): Linda Belcher (voiced by John Roberts), Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), Tina Belcher (voiced by Dan Mintz), Louise Belcher (voiced by Kristen Schaal), and Gene Belcher (voiced by Eugene Mirman) in 20th Century Studios’ THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With Memorial Day looming, many moviegoers may not “feel the need, the need for speed” (though most will, I’d bet), Perhaps instead, they’ve got a “hunger, a hunger for…”well, I got nuthin”. Wait a minute, a nice grilled hamburger usually will stifle those cravings. Although, will they want to sink their teeth into an animated one? Much as the studios did with “The Simpsons”, “South Park”, and “Beavis and Butthead”, they’re raiding the tube for a brand new animated feature film. Now, this cartoon hasn’t been around nearly as long as the first one mentioned, but it’s been a staple of the Fox Network’s “Sunday Night Animation Domination” for the last eleven years. And now we’ll see if its many fans have a big box-office appetite for THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Order up…


Oddly, the story doesn’t really begin with the beloved Belcher family at the diner. Instead, we’re flashing back six years to a “dark and stormy” night at the scene of a crime, the boardwalk at the “Wonder Wharf” amusement park overlooking the ocean. Then we spring ahead to now (actually close to the upcoming three-day holiday). A lot is happening in and above the diner down the street from the big “WW” (you see there’s a family apartment space upstairs from the grill). The Bob behind Bob’s Burgers (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) is furiously whipping up a special breakfast burger to impress the loan officer at the nearby bank. He and his wife Linda (John Roberts) want to get an extension on the place’s business loan. Meanwhile, their three kids are hyped about their upcoming summer break from school. Tina (Dan Mintz) wants to start a summer romance with that special guy, Genne (Eugine Merman) wants to perform with his band on the Wharf’s outdoor stage, and Louise (Kristen Schaal) wants to impress the “mean girls’ with her maturity (“I’m no baby!”). The banker isn’t awed with Bob’s masterpiece meal, and tells him that the loan will “come due” within the next week. Bob is worried, but Linda reminds him of the big crowds streaming into Wonder Wharf over the weekend. Great, except…a water main breaks in front of their diner, leaving a huge sinkhole at its entrance. Oh, and the big hole reveals the result of that six-year-old crime. The kids decide to solve that crime, while the adults try to put their diner on wheels to get some of the Wharf’s crowds. Will their combined efforts somehow save the family business, or has Bob flipped his last meat patty?


And now dear reader, a confession (you can just the ‘size’ of it): I have never watched an episode of the “Bob’s Burgers” TV show. Zip. Nada. Not a one. Yes, I’ve watched “The Simpsons” since they were leading viewers out of and into commercial breaks on “The Tracy Ulman Show”. And I was a faithful fan of the much-missed “King of the Hill” and “Futurama”. But this Fox show just didn’t grab my interest. Perhaps it’s because of my problems with the character designs. I quickly got used to the “bug-eyed” (as Jennifer Tilly called them) creatures that populated Springfield, USA. The Belchers and their pals might be best described as “fish-eyed” with tiny orbs stuck on the sides of their cantaloupe-shaped heads. Although, I have great respect for many of the voice actors, H. Jon Benjamin mainly for the bungling lead of “Archer” on FX. And on a side note, I was puzzled as to the reason Kevin Kline lent his voice to the stuffy landlord of the Belchers. But I’ve digressed from a big point mentioned earlier. I don’t think a moviegoer should have to do “homework” prior to seeing a new film based on another “media source”. You shouldn’t need to read the novels or comics, see the stage play, or even see the previous film in a franchise to enjoy a new film. I adored the “South Park” feature without having seen a whole episode. And I was mildly entertained by the films based on “Downton Abbey” and “The X-Files”. I can’t say the same for this, as it is strictly for fans. I couldn’t get into the rapid-fire rhythm of the dialogue, plus the many female characters voiced by men were distracting. The animation “acting” was serviceable, as were the backgrounds’, but a CG-boosted last act chase seemed monotonous and a weak attempt to inject some movie-style action into a very ‘talky” tale. There are two or three musical numbers, but the tunes don’t resonate and the “in-unison” dance moves would’ve helped a stage version close quickly (I’m sure someone is planning a big splashy Broadway version). So, if you love the show, you’ll no doubt be floating above your seat, and I’m happy that your devotion is being rewarded. The rest of us will be tempted to check the time (don’t do it, ugh) as we wonder what the fuss is all about. So like most eateries, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is not for everyone’s tastes (my t-buds weren’t ready for it’s…seasonings). Check, please!


1.5 Out of 4

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is now playing in theatres everywhere

LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES – Review

And now the 93rd Annual Oscars are finished. Another one for the records books, it is now history. But how to quench your thirst for a bit more Hollywood history? Here’s the perfect refresher. It’s a warm, interview and clip-filled look back at one of the motion picture industry’s greatest producers. As a matter of fact (and it’s hammered home here) he was the head (or close to) of four of the major studio (really, you’d know the logos). Oh, and he’s still with us, offering his sage advice and counsel to filmmakers and stars. So we’re not talking about the cigar-chomping Golden Age studio moguls who are usually vilified in the non-fiction books and films (The biggest villain of MANK may be the ruthless and controlling Louis Mayer). No, this is about a man whose influence may have ushered in, maybe not a silver, but a bronze age, from the 1970s to just about a decade or so ago. And unlike Mayer and his contemporaries Zanuck, Zucker, Laemmie, and Cohn he truly has movies in his blood (real silver screen DNA). This documentary feature subject is Alan Ladd, Jr., often referred to as LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES.

Our genial guide through this remarkable man’s life and career truly knows her subject. It’s his daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who tells us that this film began as a birthday present, one that we now all get to share. Unfortunately, the subject has a legendary tendency to be … well tight-lipped. But luckily his former collaborators and friends (and so many are in both groups, surprisingly) are quick to sing his praises. But before those triumphs, there was a difficult childhood. That blood and DNA, well it comes from the 1940s through the 50s matinee idol Alan Ladd, who himself was tight-lipped in noir thrillers (THIS GUN FOR HIRE) and Westerns (the iconic SHANE). But being the son of a movie star is close to hitting the genetic lottery, right? You’d think so, but Laddie was the only son Senior had with his first wife Marjorie. Nearing his teens when papa remarried, Laddie was largely ignored as the star remarried and began a new family with Sue Carol. We hear heart-wrenching stories from stepbrother David (an actor who ended up marrying the fourth TV Charlie’s Angel). Perhaps this helped to motivate Laddie at the boarding and military schools and college. By the time he’s finished his education, his father passes at age of 50 from years of alcohol and prescription pill abuse. Now Laddie was free of his shadow and ready to make a name for himself behind the scenes in show “biz”. In the wild 1960’s he was an agent representing several actors, including Peter Sellars (“Completely mad.” Laddie quickly offers) which lead to film production, then soon taking the reins of Twentieth Century Fox’s European division. Around the time he began his own family with school sweetheart Patricia, the call came in for his return to the states and tasked with saving the flailing Fox (still reeling from the one-two bombs of DOCTOR DOOLITTLE and HELLO DOLLY). He quickly established himself as an exec who valued up-and-coming filmmakers, having an open mind and keen box office instincts. When Columbia balked at Mel Brooks’ insistence to shoot YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN in black and white, Laddie saw the method in his madness and said yes. When Richard Donner brought the script for the horror opus THE OMEN, Laddie defied the studio’s heads and insisted Donner (then known for TV work) direct. And when the hot young director of AMERICAN GRAFFITI needed a home for his weird Flash Gordon-homage, Laddie again irked the board of directors by giving a “green light” for STAR WARS. Soon after the megahit ALIEN (again helmed by a relatively unknown Ridley Scott). Alan left Fox to form his own division, The Ladd Company, which merged with Warner Brothers (studio two). From there it was a leap to United Artists in the late 1980s, before finishing up at Paramount in the 1990s and early 2000s (and grabbing an Oscar for BRAVEHEART in 1995).

Okay, so the director is a tad prejudiced, though Ms. Ladd-Jones hasn’t pieced together a fawning Father’s Day card of a flick about the family patriarch. Its opening (Laddie’s early years) is chocked-full of old school glitz and glamour (Alan Ladd pretty much carried Paramount through the 1940s), the staged studio publicity stills can’t erase the abandonment of Laddie’s teen years (David becomes quite emotional as he recalls the neglect of his poppa to his firstborn). And despite being saddled with that name (teachers couldn’t believe his actor lineage), the story really comes alive as Laddie spreads his creative wings and soars. Happily, most of the folks that aided that meteoric rise pay their respects. George Lucas sings his praises while Mel Brooks slays with some great stories (“Peru just got color” kills every time). One of the more pleasant revelations concerns Laddie’s desire to keep all of his major movie talents on the same floor of the Fox building, as a free-wheeling film school, leading to Brooks helping to tweak the late Paul Mazursky’s script (he’s sadly been gone for nearly seven years, so this footage reminds us of his endearing charm). The doc also benefits from Richard Donner’s laid-back sardonic wit (“Ladd, Jr.? He made that ‘Very Brady sequel’, right?”). As the decades (and great clips) zip by we get Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART tales and Ben Affleck (sporting an odd “boy band” hairstyle with a full beard) on Laddie’s help with his directorial debut GONE BABY GONE (“lose the ‘chamber of commerce’ shots”). But there seems to be one artist who continues to pop up in this saga, Ridley Scott. We see a few seconds from his debut THE DUELISTS before the big explosion (poor John Hurt’s chest) of AlIEN. When Laddie heads to the WB lot, Scott follows with BLADE RUNNER, thought of as a box office dud in 82, the film’s influence extends into the current slate of SF epics. Then in a complete turnabout, Scott is convinced to helm the dusty dirty box office smash THELMA & LOUIS (with Laddie influencing its off-beat ending). Aside from STAR WARS, Laddie also throws his support behind award-winning films that his former studios dumped (Fox stepped away, so Warners grabbed the Best Picture Oscar for CHARIOTS OF FIRE). But so that we don’t think of him as too “high brow” we’re reminded that he also started the POLICE ACADEMY franchise (also inspiring the end scene of the first one). Ms. Ladd-Jones also delves into the misfires, particularly THE RIGHT STUFF which rankles Laddie so much that he has never watched it (“lost control, too long and too over budget”). Hey Mr. L, I think it’s still pretty great. And we hear of his sadness at the ending of his first marriage, although his marriage to Cindra has given him great joy and another family (including a talented biographer). And though his office days are behind him, he’s still in great demand for his storytelling instincts and vast knowledge (though many in the film will admit that he can be a soft or “low talker” ala “Seinfeld”). If you’re in the mood for a terrific crash course in the big studio films of the past fifty or so years, then you’ll be informed and greatly entertained by spending a fast-paced 83 minutes with LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES.

3.5 Out of 4

LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES is available to rent and buy on digital download beginning on April 26, 2021

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, ALIEN Returns to U.S. theaters October 13th, 15th & 16th

¨It’s got a wonderful defense mechanism. You don’t dare kill it.¨

Forty years ago, Ridley Scott‘s science-fiction/horror masterpiece ALIEN revolutionized the genre and the industry. To celebrate its 40th anniversary and everlasting impact on filmmaking, I wanted to remind you that Fathom Events is bringing ALIEN back to the big screen at more than 600 nationwide theaters as part of its TCM Big Screen Classics series. A perfect pre-Halloween fright, ALIEN returns to theaters for three days only: this Sunday, October 13, Tuesday, October 15, and Wednesday, October 16.

Moviegoers can search for their local participating theaters and purchase tickets for ALIEN now at FathomEvents.com.

Working from a screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and a story by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, ALIEN is a film dripping in dread. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto are the crew members of the Nostromo, which investigates a mysterious signal coming from an unknown planet. When they unwittingly take an alien creature aboard the ship, they have no idea just how terrifying—and deadly—the ordeal will be.

·       WHAT: In the summer of 1979, moviegoers journeyed into deep space and met with unimaginable horror as they discovered director Ridley Scott’s science-fiction/horror masterpiece Alien. Working from a screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and a story by O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, Scott created a film dripping in dread, one that upended audience expectations for a science-fiction film by combining a futuristic setting with extreme terror. Forty years later, Alien returns to more than 600 cinemas nationwide for three days only, with special commentary before and after the film from TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz.

Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto are the crew members of the Nostromo, which veers off course to explore a mysterious signal emanating from an unknown planet. When they unwittingly take an alien creature aboard the ship, they have no idea just how terrifying – and deadly – the ordeal will be.

Combining a remarkable visual style, including designs by H.R. Giger and Oscar®-winning visual effects, along with a disquieting score by Jerry Goldsmith, Alien has become a modern classic.

·       WHO:        Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Twentieth Century Fox

·       WHEN:  Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (local time)

                 Tuesday, October 15, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. (local time)

  Wednesday, October 16, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. (local time)

·       WHERE: Tickets for Alien can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (participating theaters are subject to change).  

DARK PHOENIX – Review

Finally caught your breath from the epic superhero showdown from six weeks ago? Well, you’d better be since another big batch of Marvel characters is battling it out at the multiplex this weekend. So, what’s the big difference? For one thing, many of them are barely out of their teens. Oh, and their powers are due to genetic mutations. Yes, after a three-year hiatus the Marvel mutants return to the big screen, but they’re not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe…yet. Twentieth Century Fox snapped up the screen rights in the last century(!), so this is the seventh entry in a film franchise that began way back in 2000 (along the way there’s been two spin-off series, with Wolverine and Deadpool, five more flicks). Plus this is really a prequel with many younger actors taking over the roles from that 19-year-old initial adventure. Hopefully, any confusion will be cleared up as we dive deep into what may be the finale of the franchise, based on the acclaimed comic story arc that introduced DARK PHOENIX.

At the story’s start, we’re bopping through a couple of decades. First, a childhood trauma brings grade schooler Jean Grey to the attention of scientist/school founder Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). A quick cut and we’re in 1991 as the space shuttle Endeavor is launched into orbit. Charles is monitoring the flight with NASA back at his School for Gifted Youngsters. When the shuttle comes in contact with a swirling cosmic energy cloud that begins to tear it apart, Charles sends out a rescue team: Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and the now-grown Jean (Sophie Turner), all supervised by Raven AKA Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). Things turn deadly when the X-Jet (now really a rocket) arrives for the rescue of the crew. Jean is engulfed by the cloud, yet she somehow survives. Back at the school, she’s examined by Hank McCoy AKA Beast (Nicholas Hoult), who gives her a clean bill of health though he notices some odd energy pulses. But it’s Charles who is most alarmed as he detects that this force is revealing too many of Jean’s childhood memories and amplifying her rage. When she lashes out at a post-mission party and flees, the X-team are in pursuit. The encounter ends tragically and eventually brings Erik AKA Magneto (Michael Fassbender) out of hiding at his island commune/sanctuary he shares with other outcast mutants. Also tracking down Jean is the mysterious Vuk (Jessica Chastain), who may be part of another group wanting to possess the power now residing in the young woman (now dubbed Phoenix). The big question is: will she be the planet Earth’s defender or its destroyer?

Without the constraints of a time travel plot, nor a big baddie (Apocolypse), or even a role (lead or cameo) from fan-favorite Wolverine (this being the first completely Hugh J-free X flick), the young cast gets to explore the drama that springs from these complex relationships. Straight from the finale of that cable TV dragon show, Turner expertly portrays both sides of the conflicted Jean Grey, going from unpredictable unstoppable monster to a fragile teen trying to cope with a past filled with tragedy and deceit. Much of the latter comes from McAvoy as the controlling mentor who twists the truth for his ideas of justice. His foe (and brother who “takes the p*#s out of him”) is the always compelling Fassbender who brings a touch of nobility and passion to the comics supervillain. Lawrence conveys a sense of sad frustration as reformed baddie now pseudo-co-parent Raven. Sheridan is a stoic, devoted beau as Cyclops Scott. Although they’re under tons of makeup, Hoult and Smit-McPhee are excellent as the more outwardly odd mutants, Beast and Nightcrawler. Unfortunately, the guy who seems to be having the most fun with his abilities, Peters as Quicksilver (a scene stealer in the last two installments) is side-lined much too early (now he needs a spin-off). And the incredibly gifted Chastain is wasted as a one-note ethereal baddie who spends much of her limited screentime as the whispering demon to Turner, all while glaring under a white “fright wig”.

First-time director, though a long-time producer and writer on this series, Simon Kinberg captures much of the emotional power of the original comics saga by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and the sorely-missed Dave Cockrum (Simon wrote the adaptation), much more than in the previous screen treatment in the much-reviled X-MEN: THE LAST STAND. And though it’s one of the better flicks in the series (miles above the last dreary, dismal slog from 3 years ago), it still lacks a real coherent plot path, veering off for some alien menace, then stopping dead to denounce the bigoted, evil world at large just before the next big action set piece. Most of these are very involving, making great use of top of the line CGI, but edited with a “jerky’ pace, speeding up then slowing to a crawl, with the camera spinning around so fast we have a tough time figuring out who’s who, and who’s where. The biggest fault with the flick may be that of timing (something out of Kinsberg’s hands) because its original release date was last November. Since then we’ve seen a horrific 1970s car crash in the prologue of another superhero flick (SHAZAM), and just six weeks ago we were treated with a superhero battle finale capped with a noble hero making the ultimate sacrifice. Plus it was packed with charm and humor, elements sorely lacking in this X-adventure. But if this is indeed the end of the series (Disney’s purchase of Fox went through, so the folks at Marvel Studios could relaunch the “mutant movies” soon, which may have prompted a clever “inside joke” during a big battle), it’s going out on a fairly high note (though it lacks the giddy fun of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and the “grand opera” of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST), while even tossing in the first movie appearance of a truly obscure character who epitomizes the tacky 70s (hint, the initials are DD, but it’s not Daredevil nor Devil Dinosaur). So we wave goodbye to that “fancy-schmancy” elite school in the last frames of DARK PHOENIX with a strong feeling we may return once more.


3.5 out of 5

40th Anniversary! ALIEN – Original Theatrical Cut Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli

¨It’s got a wonderful defense mechanism. You don’t dare kill it.¨

ALIEN plays this weekend (May 3rd and 4th) at the Tivoli (6350 Delmar Boulevard)as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series. A Facebook invite for the screening can be found HERE

Ridley Scott has had a great career and has made many fantastic films, but ALIEN (1979), only his second, may arguably be his best.

It may be one of those films where everything fit perfectly. Direction, cast, visuals, score, atmosphere, editing, pacing. It’s hard to believe it was made 34 years ago it holds up so well. Made two years after Fox’s license to print money after STAR WARS, their next big sci-fi hit couldn’t have been more different. Much like STAR WARS, ALIEN drew on older movies for inspiration, such as IT THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, FORBIDDEN PLANET, THE THING, etc. And like STAR WARS, it presented B-movie thrills  with an A-picture budget, treating its material seriously. If you could liken STAR WARS to a cliffhanger serial for modern kids, ALIENis like the old B-movie space monster films for a modern adult audience.

Now you’ll have the chance to revisit ALIEN in all its big-screen glory when it plays midnights this weekend (May 3rd and 4th) as part of the Tivoli’s Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight Series! Even better, this will be the ALIEN Original Theatrical cut that we all enjoyed 40 years ago! Don’t miss ALIEN this weekend!  I’ll be there with ALIEN trivia and prizes!

The Tivoli’s website can be found HERE

Here’s the rest of this Spring’s ‘Reel Late at the Tivoli’ schedule:

May 10-11          PERFECT BLUE Subtitled  

May 17-18          THE CONJURING

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING – Review

This week the multiplex presents another retelling of a familiar, romantic legend. You may be wondering whether we’re going to endure another revival of ROBIN HOOD since the stench of that abomination from two months ago has finally cleared from theatres (last week it garnered several well-earned Razzie nominations). No we’re not going to that exact time frame, for this new film starts a bit before, then jumps (leaps and bounds really) to the present day. It’s somehow a reboot and retelling of the story of Arthur, complete with knights, wizards, dragons, and that magical sword Excalibur, of course. And this time it’s a lad of thirteen or fourteen years, Alex, who is THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING.

This adventure starts with some backstory, namely a spiffy animated prologue rendered in the style of old pen and ink illustrations which whittles down the Arthurian legend to the basics, ending with the banishment of sorcerous Morgan Le Fey AKA Morgana to the underworld (dragged down literally by slithering tree roots). Freeze frame of Arthur and his aides on (how about that) the cover of a children’s storybook. Speaking of kids, we then meet the hero Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) as his single Mum (Dad’s long gone) sends him off to a posh private school. But before class, he’s got to rescue his BFF Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) from two taller, older bullying students, Kaye (Rhianna Dorris) and Lance (Tom Taylor). No good deed goes unpunished, so that night, the devilish duo chase Alex through a park. Ducking into a housing construction site, he finds a sword sticking out of a concrete block. Alex easily plucks it out and heads home. He doesn’t see that this action has caused a stirring far beneath London. Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) is awake, and as she tries to free herself of the restraining tree roots, she commands her army of brimstone-infused undead warriors. At dawn, miles away, a naked young man emerges from the mist. It is Merlin (Angus Imrie) who casts a spell on a patrol car and hitches a ride into London. At the school, he finds Alex and tells him that during the days-away solar eclipse, Morgana and her army will rise from the Earth and enslave humanity. Can Alex train and prepare along with his “knights” (Bedders and their two enemies, now united) in time to destroy Morgana in her underworld lair before the sun is blotted out, maybe for good?

Alex, the title “kid”, is played with vigor, determination, and just the right touch of vulnerability by the talented Serkis (yes he’s “mo-cap master” Andy’s son). He deftly balances the leadership qualities for the “one and future” along with some apprehension and sadness, particularly when he learns the truth about his father during this “hero’s journey”. Serkis is the story’s sturdy foundation, while its manic zany energy comes from the comedic charms of Imrie who appears to have a blast as the immortal wizard (it’s explained that he’s got the Benjamin Button aging backward bug), It’s a testament to his acting chops that he’s just as entertaining as his aged “true self” played by Sir Patrick Stewart, who pops up a few times to add some gravitas and keeps the kiddos “on point”. Luckily his heroic character is as compelling as the tale’s villain (really villainess) played with silky, slithery bad girl glee by Ferguson, who’s just as menacing in her sultry human form as she is in her flying, fire-breathing “upgrade”. But there’s also terrific comedy relief from Chaumoo as the jittery beleaguered Bedders. He and Serkis are inspired counterparts to the story’s early antagonists portrayed with dead-eyed cruelty by Dorris and Taylor. While Alex and Bedders must find their inner courage, these two have the more complex arc as they must find their long-repressed empathy and humanity. There’s also great supporting work by Denise Gough as Alex’s confused, but still sympathetic and nurturing mother.

With his first feature film since 2011’s (!) ATTACK THE BLOCK, director/writer Joe Cornish ably upgrades the ancient fables and legends by injecting the rollicking energy of the classic movie “kid clubs” (going back to “Our Gang” and especially the 1980s cable TV movie staples like THE GOONIES, THE EXPLORERS, and even THE MONSTER SQUAD). This pays off well in the slapstick and special effects finale that unites a whole school against nearly unstoppable odds. Smartly Cornish hangs on to his PG rating by not making the forces of evil too horrific, though the charred demons on horseback bursting through the grass and Earth could elicit nightmares in the youngest viewers (the warriors seem to have lava flowing through their veins), while older film fans might recall the creations of effects genius Ray Harryhausen in his Sinbad series and especially in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (the children of the Hydra). But the scary stuff is offset with some great bits of humor and whimsy, usually from Imrie’s rubbery spell-casting hand movements (I expect kids will be imitating them in the lobby and during the ride home). And though this clocks in at two hours, Cornish keeps the pace brisk while also offering good lessons on duty, honor, and courage. Kids of all ages should engage and identify with THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING.

3.5 Out of 5

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Review

If the multiplex is a rockin’, then DO come a knockin…at the ticket counter and go grab a seat. Just a few weeks ago movie audiences tapped their feet to the big concert sequences in the new version of A STAR IS BORN. And continue to flock to the flick, keeping it at the top of the box office and music charts, downloading and buying CDs (some folks still do) of the movie soundtrack. Yes, Cooper and Gaga are electric as singer/songwriters who fill concert venues (she’s had lots of real-life experience). But what’s out there for film fans still in a musical mood? How about a nostalgic look back at the story of a rock act that sold out stadiums? Not a documentary, like this past Summer’s WHITNEY, but a musical biography. Now, this has usually been a staple of TV, with recent “biopics” of Ms. Huston, her hubby Bobby, and his old group New Edition. This has been going on for decades (you could maybe fill a cable or streaming channel with the just the flicks concerning Elvis). For feature films, rock and roll has been a backdrop for satires and parodies, from THIS IS SPINAL TAP to POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING. Well, now Fox has stepped up with the story of the “real deal”, true “rock and roll” glamor gods of the 70’s and 80’s, Queen. Of course, their name in the title may make some filmgoers think that Helen Mirren stars, so to bypass any confusion the film’s title is taken from one of their most popular and enduring melodies, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

Indeed, the story begins with a very packed arena, as the quartet make their way to the stage. Ah, not so fast, we’re quickly “flashed back” fifteen years to something of an “origin” story (rock stars are kinda’ real-life super-heroes). In 1970, twenty-something Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara (Rami Malek) slaves his days away as a baggage handler at London’s Heathrow Airport. Once he punches his time clock he rushes back to his conservative Parsi family (Mum, Dad, and sis) home, jots down some song lyric ideas, and heads out to a bar where one of his favorite local bands, Smile (could the name have been inspired by the fact that one of the members studied dentistry), is performing. While waiting in the line outside, Freddie shyly flirts with a gorgeous young woman named Mary Austin (Lucy Boyton). She admires his fashion sense and suggests that he visit her at the clothing store where she works as a sales clerk. After the concert, two of the members of Smile, Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), are stunned when their lead singer tells them that he’s out (“no future in it”). As he exits, Freddie enters, complimenting them, then belting out some songs, ending in perfect harmony with the duo. After a shaky start (darn mike stand), they become a hit on the pub circuit, while Freddie really “hits it off” with the lovely Mary. After leaving the luggage job, Freddie becomes a real creative force in the band, changing his name to Freddie Mercury, and eventually changing the band’s name to the more “out there”, subversive “Queen”. Soon they attract the attention of EMI record exec John Reid (Aidan Gillen) who signs them up for the label and sends them on a worldwide tour, coordinated by Reid’s aide, Paul Prenter (Allen Leech). In the next few years, Queen becomes an international sensation. But Freddie wants to take creative chances, telling EMI head Ray Foster (Mike Myers) that their next album, appropriately titled “A Night at the Opera”, will mix rock and classical music. Foster balks at the end result (“no radio station’s gonna’ play a six-minute single!”). As Queen changes labels, Freddie’s engagement to Mary becomes strained as he struggles with his sexuality. Through squabbles, band changes including the addition of bassist John Deacon (Joeseph Mazzello), and the lure of fame, fortune, and staggering amounts of booze and drugs, Queen continues into the 1980’s. But will Freddie jump ship to another label in pursuit of a solo career? And what about that nagging cough?

This may be the story of the band Queen, but its lead singer is the film’s true focus. That “frontman” who’s really front and center is brought to enigmatic life by the phenomenal Malek in a real “movie-star-making” performance (he’s conquered TV as the star of “Mr. Robot”). Though the dental prosthetics are a slight distraction in the early sequences, Malek captures every conflicting facet of Freddie. Prior to auditioning, he’s shy and awkward, barely connecting emotionally with anyone save for Mary. Oh, but when he takes the stage, Malek projects that flamboyant charisma, shutting down all the hateful heckles and taunts with his talents. Away from the studios and arenas, Malek gives Freddie a haunted, child-like quality, a lonely lad hoping to fill the quiet with parties and indulgences. His kindred spirit seems to be Mary, the one who truly understands him. The beautiful Boyton (so great in an underrated pop music flick, SING STREET) as Ms. Austin adores this quirky, crazy-gifted guy, but knows that she cannot truly be united with him. Boyton shows us Mary’s bravery as she sets him free, but remains as his emotional “rock”. As for the rest of the band, Lee makes May an easy-going peacemaker, trying to keep things running smoothly. We also see his unbridled joy of performing, using his considerable guitar virtuosity in service of Freddie’s vision. Hardy as Taylor is more of a “grumbler” with less patience for Mr. M’s eccentricities. Yet somehow, this hard-rocker can delight in the group’s “off the wall” career directions (as long as he can afford a great car). Mazzello as the more recent member shows us Deacon’s delight to be considered a peer, while barely containing his glee that his audience-including suggestions are used. Leech as Paul is almost the “villain'” of the tale, a two-faced “gatekeeper’ keeping any other influences away from Freddie while supplying him with fresh flesh and pharmaceuticals. And there’s great comic relief from Meyers as the studio “suit” that just doesn’t “get it” along with Tom Hollander as Jim “Miami” Beach, a company “bean counter” freed from his shackles by these rock and roll rescuers.

Director Brian Singer (reportedly assisted by Dexter Fletcher) expertly captures those years of excess and kitchy camp. For a montage of highlights from the worldwide tour, he has the city names in streaming graphics styled after the opening titles of 1978’s SUPERMAN. As many rock and roll historians have said, the script by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan plays fast and loose with the timeline, injecting songs out of chronological order and adding time to the band’s “estrangement”. Plus it does fall often into biopic cliches where success no bringing happiness, but addiction. As another artist said “Mo money, more problems”. But even with those faults, the film is an exhilerating, often moving entertainment “machine”. First and foremost is the music, the incredible Queen catalog. Those who mostly associate them with the title tune (guilty) will be stunned at their many familiar hits (wow, they did that one and that one, too). One thing the film conveys more than most music (really any of the arts) bios is the effort and dizzying joy of creation. The whole “let’s try it, what the Hell” spirit of collaboration, particularly when the fellows put together “BH” in the farm/studio. The sequence’s “topper” is another terrific montage of mediocre to negative reviews of that iconic song from music critics of the era. But the emotional heart of the story, nearly blotting out seedy scenes that might have been outtakes from CRUISING, is the phenominal recreation of the 1985 Live Aid “medley”. Just as fate has dealt them a fatal “hand”, the band rallys together to spit in the eye of the Grim Reaper. The camera whips about the stadium, then cuts to several TV viewers of the compelling performance. We see that Freddie has grabbed the heart of, not only the thousands at Wembley, but millions across the globe. He’s almost declaring that, though his body may fail him, his talent is immortal. In those final minutes, we see how the power of music can bring much-needed comfort to countless souls. With Malek in command, audiences will be happily “banging their heads” once more in time to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

4 Out of 5

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Review

So what’s the ideal setting for a story filled with lowlifes and immoral and often illegal activities? You know, where dangerous dames and dudes can just appear, almost at random? Maybe a haunted house or creepy mansion just doesn’t ring true. Well, Hitch knew just the locale nearly fifty years ago. By 1960 the glamorous days of lavish, lush vacation spots were long in the past. And who could really afford a night or two at the GRAND HOTEL or HOLIDAY INN? But a dusty motel just off the road, why Alfred Hitchcock made it the perfect place murder and mayhem in 1960’s iconic PSYCHO. That dangerous destination has carried on through the decades, from the Overlook Hotel in THE SHINING, to FOUR ROOMS, and most recently HOTEL ARTEMIS (a haven/hospital for the criminal class). This week an all-stars cast checks in, but might not check out. And who is their host/concierge? Handing out the keys is the multi-talented Drew Goddard. TV fans have been enthralled by his writing/producing work on acclaimed series ranging from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” to “Lost” and most recently “Daredevil” and “The Good Place”. As for the big screen, he was nominated for his screenplay adaptation of THE MARTIAN and co-wrote and directed the nifty, clever horror satire CABIN IN THE WOODS. Now, Mr. Goddard serves up deceit and dirty deeds, mixed in with the tiny soaps and fresh linens during some extremely BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.

In the story’s quiet, almost silent flashback sequence, one guest has a really bad time in a room at the El Royale, a hotel that is literally split down the middle by the border seperating California and Nevada. After the title, flash forward to the present day. Well, ten years later is actually the late 1960’s/early 70’s. . The once spectacular vacation mecca has seen much better days. Two guests enter the empty lobby. There’s singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), who wants to rest up in a cheaper place than those in Reno, the site of her next “gig”. The other person looking for lodging is Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who is, well, a priest looking for a place to crash. When he slaps a bell at the front desk, another man pops up from behind the bar. He’s not part of the staff, rather he’s vacum-cleaner sales rep Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm). He’s not been able to raise the clerk but warns the two that he’s got “dibs” on the honeymoon suite. Flynn spies a door marked “employees only” and pounds away, It opens to reveal a dazed, unnerved young man in his twenties, front desk clerk, and pretty much the staff, Miles (Lewis Pullman). As he divies up the keys, a car screeches to a halt near the entrance. It’s guest #4, the rough, coarse “hippy chick” Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson). As they gather their luggage, the black and white lobby TV flashes bits from President Nixon’s press conference interrupted by the latest on some bloody murders in the affluent hills of Malibu. Thus begins a long, long night filled with false identities, double crosses, and a raging thunderstorm that arrives moments before the enigmatic drifter Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) stides barefoot thorough the front door. No doubt the Royale’s AAA rating will never be the same.

The hotel staff and guests are played by some celebrated screen vets and a couple of relative (in one case) newcomers. As the story’s anchor, there’s the continually grizzled Bridges who tries to float above the sleaze as the calm and collected Father Flynn (perhaps a nod to his role in the cult TRON flicks). His friendly demeanor proves to be as phony as his paper collar, as we notice his eyes dart about the lobby, searching for…something. Now Bridges’s low-watt energy is a stark contrast to the motor-mouthed Hamm, who seems to be attired in own of Don Draper’s more garish West Coast casual sports jackets (hmm, Tron now “Mad Men”). His “go-go” hard-pitching salesman strains to be avuncular while cluelessly offending most everyone in his path. But Hamm’s at his best when he lifts the facade and shows us a man in conflict, torn between his mission and doing what’s right. More single-minded and direct, Johnson shows us that she can be much more interesting than her 50 SHADES damsel in distress (and duress) as the tough-as-nails, chain-smoking femme fatale Emily. She brings the sultry and sexy along with (literal) movie god Hemsworth whose blow-dried charisma, and silky smoothness obscure his true sinister nature. As for the new faces, Ervio is a compelling screen presence as the songbird (really, she’s got terrific “pipes”), who refuses to give in to despair, despite the “guidance” of showbiz gurus. Ms. Sweet has nearly soured, but she remains a smart survivor. Speaking of surviving, Pullman (yes, he’s Bill’s son) is the man in the back who appears to be barely hanging on. Sweaty, twitchy Miles seems to be a prisoner of the place, rather than the employee. Pullman plays the battle-scarred (in more ways than one) man barely past his teens, with lots of energy and grit. Oh, and there’s good supporting work from Cailee Spaeny as a young innocent (?) caught up in the chaos, and indie filmmaker Xavier Dolan as a maniacal music mentor.

Goddard’s dreamed up a terrific setting with that broad, dividing borderline, contrasting the rotting Vegas kitch of this former celeb “sin circus”. Kudos to his art directors, for that and the whole panorama of early 70’s cheese (especially the cars that have clocked many, many miles). And the mysterious quartet are most interesting, especially as they introduce themselves in that first act almost in a much harder, seedier version of CLUE. Then it all kind of “goes off the rails” into Tarantino-like homage (or is it just imitation or over-indulgence). We’re teased with a subplot right out of real-life LA legend, amid bursts of violence meant to shock, but with cartoon consequences (folks pop-up from injuries that should keep them in traction for weeks). And rather than using pop tunes from dusty 45’s, Goddard stops the action for long song medleys by Ervio (she bursts into song nearly as much as Lady Gaga in her current flick), perhaps to cut the tension with humor? In the tradition of Marion Crane one guest checks out far too early, packing up a lot of the story’s high-spirited fun. By the time of Billy Lee’s arrival, the influences shift from QT (the whole stranded in the lobby set-up of THE HATEFUL EIGHT) to the Coen Brothers, as one character lifts the whole “gambling for your life” casual sadism of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN’s Chigurh. And like the old Corman/Price/Poe flicks there’s the cleansing fire unfortunately followed by an epilogue that thumbs its nose at a major plot point (what diagnosis?). What could have been a naughty nostalgic lark degenerates into a goulash of gore and cruelty, a PULP FICTION romp that’s lost its flavor. What began as light-hearted lobby levity truly becomes mean-spirited making for some really BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.

2.5 Out of 5

 

THE DARKEST MINDS – Review

Well, we thought we were finally safe. “We” being movie audiences, in case you wondered. Just a few weeks into the new year saw the final installment of the film franchise culled from the MAZE RUNNER book series. With DIVERGENT and HUNGER concluded long ago, the scourge of movies based on young adult novels (or a series) set in a dystopian future seems to have run its course. Looks like we were wrong. With just over a month left in the Summer blockbuster season, the folks at Fox have scooped up the film rights to yet another set of YA novels (those things gobble up sections of chain bookstores like starving locusts). Here’s another group of plucky, photogenic teens (and pre-teens) ready to outsmart and fight the system run by the evil elders whose dark motives emanate from THE DARKEST MINDS.

The character voice-over narrator (if you recall ADAPTATION, you know we’re off to a shaky start) fills us in on the day that changed “everything” six years ago. Ten year-old Ruby sees a classmate convulse, crush a metal cup without touching it, and collapse, lifeless onto the school cafeteria floor. She was the first victim of the new disease known as “I.A.A.N.” (which stands for….eh, doesn’t matter), which proceeds to wipe out nearly all the children of the world. Ruby’s one of the lucky (or is she) survivors. But those who don’t perish develop “abilities’ and are rounded up by government thugs and sent to “rehabilitation” camps. This even happens to the son of President Gray (Bradley Whitford, perhaps hiding behind a big grey beard), Clancy (Patrick Gibson). When her parents suddenly don’t recognize her, Ruby is scooped up and taken to one of the camps. Six years later, Ruby (Amandla Stenberg) is taken to one of the camp’s doctors who tests her for abilities. The unusually helpful doc explains to her (and us) the different ways that I.A.A.N.affected kids via a big bright chart. The poster’s inverted pyramid (looking like the “love child” of the basic food group pyramid and Homeland Security’s threat level guide) shows four colors to code the danger levels. The bottom two, yellow and blue, can be controlled (involving telekinesis and electricity manipulation). The top two, orange and red, are most deadly. The doc is stunned to see that she’s an “orange” (who’d thunk it). Before he can give her a (literal) “killer” needle shot, she grabs his arm and unleashes her “power”, with her eyes emitting glowing orange circles (aha). Seems that Ruby’s “gift” is a combo of Obi-Wan’s old “Jedi mind trick (“These aren’t the droids…”) and Kal-El’s amnesia kiss from SUPERMAN II. Luckily Ruby is aided in her escape by a sympathetic doctor, Cate (Mandy Moore), who is is part of an underground order called “The Children’s League”. But after they leave the camp, Ruby learns of the league’s methods (she can also see somebody’s past via touch) and bolts. When she runs into a mute pre-teen electric charger named Zu (Miya Cech), Ruby follows her to a van occupied by two other teens on the run: snarky pessimistic “Chubs” (oops, I haven’t earned the right to call him that…an annoying ‘call-back” bit) Charles (Skylan Brooks) and hunky telekinetic Liam (Harris Dickinson). The foursome soon hit the road, evading “tracers”, bounty hunters including the “queen” Lady Jane (Gwendoline Christie), while trying to locate the hidden sanctuary/commune run by the famous “Slip Kid” (given that nickname after he escaped multiple captors). But is this paradise truly a safe shelter from those wishing to find and eliminate the survivors? Or perhaps, to quote Admiral Akbar (hey two Star Wars riffs), “It’s a trap!”

The cast of big screen newcomers and veterans struggle to overcome this meandering, cliche-ridden SF/ teen angst drek. Sternberg’s Ruby is a more pro-active character than her sheltered Maddy in last year’s turgid teen romance EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, and despite the confines of the YA genre (she was in the first HUNGER GAMES) the young actress has real star power. Here’s hoping the her next role in the highly anticipated THE HATE U GIVE will better showcase her blossoming talents. Unfortunately there’s little chemistry on screen with Dickinson as Liam, who seems as though he’s being groomed as the next “heart-throb du jour”, a mix of the non-threatening Ansel Elgort and Nick Robinson (former Sternberg co-star) and the lanky physicality of Liam Hemsworth. Plus he looks somewhat silly as he uses his powers, echoing the stern concentration of Andrew Stevens in THE FURY and the lead in a high school stage production of “Dracula” (with a smidge of young Magneto). He’s a hunk and a bit of a “lunk”. And he doesn’t connect well with his verbal sparring partner, Brooks as Chubs (is that supposed to be “ha ha” funny ironic because he’s slender). He doesn’t appear to have much of a gift, aside from a “green thumb” (“A green Bell pepper is a red Bell pepper, you dips*#t!”) and a sour disposition, distrustful of everything, especially Ruby. Gibson is snarky and sinister as he channels James Spader in PRETTY IN PINK when trying to be menacing, a “frat boy” super-villain. Cech quickly assumes the adoring kid sister role to Ruby, unless she’s doing her battery charger skill (after whipping off a pair of bright yellow rubber dish washing gloves). As for the screen vets, why would Whitford follow up his role in two of last year’s most acclaimed films, GET OUT and THE POST, with one of this year’s…well? He’s smart to be absent after the first act, at least. Christie, last seen as Captain Phasma in last year’s EPISODE EIGHT, is here to don a leather jacket, snarl, and drive as though she’s trying out for the next FAST AND THE FURIOUS as tracer Lady Jane (what’s with the royal moniker). And Ms. Moore, who has a big following from her hit TV show “This is Us” squanders her time away from that in a confusing, underwritten character with unclear intentions. And to her credit, like Whitford, she too disappears for a good chunk (maybe an hour) of this nonsense.

This is most disastrous live-action feature directing debut for Jennifer Yuh Nelson, best known for helming the second and third KUNG FU PANDA movies. This flick just lurches from one limp action set piece to the next, losing any momentum with its insipid romantic sub plot, even screeching to halt in order to have a “trying on silly clothes” montage at a shuttered mall (still lotsa’ stuff there somehow) just after a big “make-over” scene (Zu has a pretty red prom dress, that just happens to fit Ruby), while some forgettable pop tunes assault the soundtrack. I shouldn’t be too hard on Nelson, since she’s burdened with a wretched , unfocused script from Chad Hodge (his feature debut, too) adapting the novel from Alexandra Bracken (wonder how close it is to her work). It does borrow generously from other YA best sellers, including a love triangle ripped right from the TWILIGHT series along with the fast escapes of the MAZE RUNNER, along with liberal doses of CARRIE, FIRESTARTER, and the X-MEN dynasty. This is most evident in the ridiculous showdown near the finale that has the feds (all with gravelly voices), many with full black stocking masks, attacking with high tech copters, sound-blasting bazookas and the dreaded “red” survivors who are on chain leashes like rabid werewolves with hoods over their heads resembling massive game falcons. And what do they do? Why they shoot fire out of their mouths, of course. Yes, teenage human flame throwers. But it’s not over then. For the last minutes we get a montage that includes a visual of one of Ruby’s powers that meshes the “Thanos snap” with the black “inky” aliens of ARRIVAL, as the producers set up an EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-style cliffhanger, promising further tales of these tortured teens. But the real suffering is that of movie audiences unfortunate to sit through this. Only THE DARKEST MINDS would subject us to a follow-up to the rock bottom of the YA novel-based movies.

0 Out of 5

DEADPOOL 2 – Review

So despite their breaking all sorts of box office records, are you feeling the slightest twinge of Superhero fatigue? Well, what’s the perfect cure for that ailment? Why another superhero flick, of course. And a Marvel one at that. But there’s a big difference, a twist that sets this flick apart. You see, it’s not a Marvel Studios production, like BLACK PANTHER and his Avengers pals. This movie’s part of the licensing deal between Marvel and Fox that began with 2000’s X-MEN, which “spun-off” three solo Wolverine features, along with the 2016 surprise smash that showcased this hero (mmm, maybe anti-hero, or quasi-hero is more apt). That entry also broke new ground, by taking its comics-based subject out of “family friendly” PG-13 territory (sure the BLADE went there first, but they’re closer to the horror genre), and going full “R” for raunch and racy, which may have inspired last year’s reported final Wolverine flick, LOGAN, to do the same. With this character the “R” could stand for “rib-tickling”, raucous, and ribald since he mocks all in sight, deflating and denouncing all the overused clichés of big budget “super spectacles”. That “merc with a mouth” makes a most welcome return to the multiplexes in DEADPOOL 2.

 

Hmmm, when we revisit Deadpool AKA Wade Williams (Ryan Reynolds), he’s in anything but a jovial mood. Down right dour and depressed is more like it. The film then flashes back to happier times, just after we left him at the end of his first flick. Wade’s still a killer for hire, though he seems to be going after evil arms dealers and drug kingpins in the Far East. When his red and black suit is stitched and his wounds healed, he returns to the dingy but cozy flat in NYC he shares with his adored girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Actually they want to kick the relationship up a couple of notches, but God (and screenwriters) laugh at future plans, which are uttered just as Wade’s work follows him home. Flash forward as he’s rescued from his funk by old pal, the steel-covered X-Man Collossus (Stefan Kapicic). After Wade heals up at the Xavier School, he decides that this loner should join the group and thus he becomes an “X-Man in-training”. They’re called into action when a teenage mutant named Russell AKA Firefist (Julian Dennison) is threatening to destroy an orphanage for gifted kids called the Essex School. Of course, Wade makes a seriously “bad call” which prompts the feds to ship him and the kid off to an arctic detention center nicknamed “the Icebox” (think of that prison where the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY met, but on this planet). That place becomes more dangerous when a heavily armed soldier from the future named Cable (Josh Brolin) arrives, hellbent on killing the lad. When Wade comes to Russell’s aid, he and Cable make it out of the center just as the warden decides to transport Firefist and several other dangerous mutants to another locale via a truck convoy. To stop Cable, Wade enlists the help of other mutants, forming the “X-Force” team. But can they save the kid before the time traveling super soldier changes the future? And more importantly, what will become of Deadpool’s ceramic unicorn collection?

 

Once again Reynolds confirms that Deadpool was the role he was born to play. His leading man looks obscured by the full face mask and further hidden by the disease ravaged make-up, Mr. R bounces from the corners of the big screen, blasting the baddies with bullets and “burns”, wielding wisecracks as razor-sharp as his pair of swords. he not only breaks that fourth wall, he vaporizes it with riotous remarks on action thrillers, superheroes, and just general movie clichés and conventions. Reynolds is an expert in motor-mouthed joke delivery, but he also shows us that this mad maniac mix of Bugs Bunny, Groucho Marx, and the genie from Disney’s ALADDIN has a heart that can be broken, despite his mutant healing abilities. Silly slapstick, and whipsmart witticisms make this role the perfect showcase for Ryan’s considerable talents. His opposite may be Brolin as the humorless “man on a mission”, a terrific parody of the standard action hero straight from a toy developer (a holdover from that 20-year-old Joe Dante gem SMALL SOLDIERS). He’s a superb straight man who smoulders with agitation over Wade’s antics. Another sparring partner is the compelling Zazie Beetz as the “wild card ” member of X-Force, Domino. Brimming with confidence, she delights getting under Wade’s skin (or jumpsuit) with her belief that having good luck is indeed a super power. Kudos to Dennison, so wonderful in the recent HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, who brings out the nurturing almost parental side of Wade, as the (really) hotheaded Russell, full of swagger and snark. Once again Baccarin is a slinky, sultry muse for our hero. And great laughs are provided by returning cast mates T.J. Miller as the unreliable Weasel, Karan Soni as the eager, energetic “wheel man” Dopinder, Leslie Uggams as the no-nonsense Blind Al, and newcomer Rob Delaney (of Amazon’s “Catastrophe”) as Peter, a really schlubby  average Joe who thinks X-Force is a good career choice, despite having no enhanced skills.

 

Fresh from last year’s surprise hit ATOMIC BLONDE, director David Leitch effortlessly slips into the “driver’s seat’, for this frenetic follow-up (guess we can safely label this a “franchise”). He keeps the story barreling down the road, navigating the big action stunts with more gags than several recent comedies, and never slows down (I might have missed some of the jokes, since the audience laughter was longer than the film makers anticipated). Of course Leitch had a wonderful map to guide him in a script supplied by returning writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, now joined by a most promising newcomer…Ryan Reynolds. Once again, there’s a fantastic opening title sequence, this time zeroing in on the “sexy” Bond titles, along with inspired cameos, and some hysterical mid-end credits scenes (truly worth delaying the rest room run). I don’t want to spoil the many unexpected moments, so I’ll simply say that if you liked the first one, you’ll like this one, too. The laughs are truly “superhero-sized” in the enormously entertaining DEADPOOL 2. Way to go Wade, you ‘wascal!

 

4.5 Out of 5