Tag: chiwetel ejiofor

ELEANOR THE GREAT – Review

This weekend, moviegoers will get to savor another wonderful performance from a veteran actor who has been enjoying a remarkable “second act”. That curtain rose almost a dozen years ago when director Alexander Payne realized, to the delight of her new fans, that she was his “secret weapon” in the character “dramedy” NEBRASKA. In it, she earned raves and was frequently referred to as a “scene-stealer”. If that’s a crime, well, she was so “guilty” that she was “sentenced” to. her first Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress (note that I said “first”). Last year, she garnered more accolades in her first lead performance in the “sleeper hit” THELMA (and she even did some stunt work). Pretty nice for somebody who’s been in small TV and movie roles for the last 40 years (while still working on the stage, going all the way back to the original touring company of “Gypsy” with Ethel Merman). Now, she returns as another title character. And this time she’s guided by a current screen star who makes her feature directing debut with ELEANOR THE GREAT.

The royal “moniker” is given to the story’s main focus, the irascible 94-year-old widow Eleanor Morganstern (June Squibb), who is living a quiet life in a retirement apartment complex, sharing a unit with another widow, her BFF Bessie (Rita Zohar). Aside from her recurring nightmares about her time in a WWII concentration camp (Eleanor has always lived in the States), the two enjoy a quiet life in Florida. But the clouds form over the Sunshine State when Bessie unexpectedly passes. Rathing than wallowing in her grief, Eleanor decides to make a bold move. She’s relocating to NYC, and spending her last years with her divorced daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and her college-aged son Max (Will Price). It’s a significant change for Eleanor, as she occupies a spare bedroom in Lisa’s place while contemplating another move, possibly to a retirement community. Lisa nudges her to go out and meet folks her own age. Initially resistant, Eleanor finally heads down to the nearby Jewish adult education facility to look into their “senior singing” classes. After a quick peek, she decides this isn’t for her and is headed back home until a friendly lady leads her into another room where her “group” is about to begin. After it starts, Eleanor realizes that this is a “support” meeting for Holocaust survivors. Though embarrassed at first, she decides to stay, perhaps getting some comfort after the loss of her old friend. But things soon take an “odd” turn when Eleanor is asked to “share”, and haltingly repeats a memory from the late Bessie. The heartbreaking tale captures the attention of a young journalism student who is “sitting in”, Nina (Erin Kellyman). She and Eleanor strike up a friendship as the “little white lie” grows and grows, with Nina sharing her story with her newscaster father, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who wants to do a feature piece on Eleanor’s desire to finally have her own bat mitzvah. Can Eleanor keep this all from her family before her “fib” is broadcast and she is “found out”?

At the “forefront” of this engaging character study is that “force of nature”, Ms. Squibb. As with her other recent work, she captures our hearts with her incredible “can-do” spirit and deft comic timing (not since the much-missed Betty White has a nonagenarian launched scalding insults with such precise accuracy). But her Eleanor is more than a sharp-tongued white-haired sprite. She’s had to put up a tough-as-nails exterior to cope with the loss of loved ones, especially Bessie, along with her own impending mortality. Plus, there’s also her panic as she scrambles to try and charm her way out of her own web of well-intentioned deceit. Happily, though, this isn’t a one-woman “showcase” (which would still be very entertaining), as Squibb proves to be an excellent screen “partner” to the talented Ms. Kellyman (I recall her interesting villainess in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) as the much-younger woman also dealing with a major loss. Nina, despite her own tough outer “shell”, still mourns her own deceased mom, so her connection to Eleanor seems to fulfill her yearning for a matronly connection (though Eleanor may be more of a surrogate grandmother). Kellyman shows how she beams under the elder lady’s lifeforce, while her homelife is far less nurturing due to her now-strained interaction with her father. Ejiofor as Roger, also seems to be wearing a mask of strength, as he seems to be denying and “pushing down” his own grief while trying to find a way to reach out and connect to his drifting child. Hecht balances the delicate balance of an adult daughter who must also act as parent to her “prodigal” mama as she strains to retain her own freedom. In the pivotal role of beloved Bessie, Zohar is a most resilient survivor, a woman who has lost so much but pushes on, despite those demons of a distant past.

Oh, the big screen star that’s now behind the camera for this? None other than Scarlett Johansson, fresh off helming a couple of short films. And it appears she’s got another talent in her considerable “arsenal” (she’s been acting for over thirty years now). Ms. J brings a quiet sensitivity to this modern morality tale, gently pacing the plot points and set pieces, eschewing any flashy narrative tricks, though she smartly dissolves to Bessie telling her past horrors during Eleanor’s support group sequences. Johansson also shows us how the new friendship between E and Nina really helps them move forward while attempting to manage their shared grief. Much of the film’s power derives from the script by another feature film newcomer, Tory Kamen. She has a keen ear for family conversation, while still squeezing in humor to balance the pathos. And it all looks and sounds great courtesy of cinematographer Helene Louvart (the NYC neighborhoods look most inviting) and the score by Dustin O’ Halloran. as the summer of loud action blockbusters begins to recede, it’s great to have a sweet, funny, and compassionate visit from Ms. Squibb who has us worried and rooting, and a bit smitten, as ELEANOR THE GREAT.

3.5 Out of 4

ELEANOR THE GREAT opens in select theatres on Friday, September 26, 2025

Paramount Pictures Announces Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejiofor And Regina King Joining The Cast For Gina Prince-Bythewood’S CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE

Viola Davis and director Gina Prince-Bythewood on the set of THE WOMAN KING. Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Paramount Pictures today announced the principal cast of the feature film, Children of Blood and Bone. Leading the action fantasy film are Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) as Zelie; Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) as Amari; Damson Idris (“Snowfall”) as Inan; and Tosin Cole (“Supacell”) as Tzain.

The movie, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood (THE WOMAN KING, THE OLD GUARD), is based on the #1 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi.

The movie releases January 15th, 2027 in IMAX.

Also confirmed are Academy Award® winner Viola Davis (The Woman King, G20) as Mama Agba; Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) as Admiral Kaea; Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as Lekan; Lashana Lynch (Bob Marley: One Love) as Jumoke; and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as King Saran.

In negotiations are Academy Award® winner Regina King (Shirley) as Queen Nehanda; Diaana Babnicova (Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot) as Folake; and Bukky Bakray (Rocks) as Binta.

Forthcoming will be additional castings from an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria.

Production is set to begin filming in South Africa in the coming weeks.

Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill Entertainment, together with Karen Rosenfelt of Sunswept Entertainment – the filmmaking team behind the Twilight series – will produce, alongside Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures. Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood will executive produce. Adeyemi and Prince-Bythewood co-wrote the script.

Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins, along with Motion Picture Group Presidents Daria Cercek and Mike Ireland, acquired the rights to the trilogy in a highly competitive bidding war.

Tomi Adeyemi – Credit Caroline Fiss

Said Prince-Bythewood, “I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life. Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”

In Children of Blood and Bone, in an African fantasy kingdom, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.

The book series has become an instant classic, with the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy spending a combined 175 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, including four weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Blood and Bone; five weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Virtue and Vengeance; and one week at #1 on the Children’s & Young Adult Series list for Children of Anguish and Anarchy. In total, the series has sold almost three million copies worldwide and garnered critical acclaim, with Children of Blood and Bone being featured as a Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time; a New York Times Notable Children’s Book; and a Kirkus Prize Finalist, among other distinctions.

Photo Credits: Chwietel Ejiofor – Credit Sarah Dunn, Cynthia Erivo – Credit Mark Seliger, Idris Elba – Credit Alex Piper, Lashana Lynch – Credit Richard Phibbs, Regina King – Credit Tym Shutchai Buacharern for Criterion

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE – Review

Okay “Marvel maniacs”, are you ready for a deep deep dive into another franchise? After all, it’s been nearly three months since the blockbuster “mash-up” DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE. Of course you are, but hold up, true believer. This isn’t the beloved MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Rather, we’re back in the “Sony Spider-verse”. So Tom Holland is off polishing his web-shooters (not a metaphor), as we get another “spin-off” from Spidey’s long-running comics series. And, unfortunately, this isn’t another romp in the surprisingly fun animated epics. No, this is the second live-action flick this year, after the “so bad it may be good” MADAME WEB, and while Kraven sharpens his claws for his December attack. And, sorry that vapid vamp MORBIUS is not returning, although this film’s focus has had better luck with two previous outings in 2018 and 2021. Now, with this third entry, Sony promises that this is the “finale of the trilogy”. Hence the full title VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. But that all depends on those all-mighty box office returns, so…

This time the story begins on the symbiote home world (or universe, perhaps) as its ruler/king Knull sends out several reptile/spider-like “hunters” to locate the “codex”, an energy portal that grants him access to all worlds, which Knull will conquer. So, who has the codex? None other than Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his own BFF symbiote entity. When we last saw him (them) during the end credits of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, he was getting blotto in a bar on our Earth (#616). Brock and V then pop back to his homebase, where his black-ooze buddy dispatches some baddies. Ah, but it turns out that morphing into Venom sends out a homing beacon to Knull’s hunters. Also, an elite group of special ops soldiers led by Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is also trying to capture Eddie. He and his “inner voice” escape and set their sights on the “Big Apple”. We soon learn that Strickland is working with a team of scientists headed by Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple) who operate out of a secret symbiote research lab deep below the soon-to-be demolished Area 51. In order to evade their “radar”, Eddie hitches a ride with the groovy Moon family in a van driven by daddy Martin (Rhys Ifans) and mom Nova (Alanna Ubach), who want their kids (Hala Finley and Dash McCloud) to take in 51 before it’s gone. They drop Eddie off in Vegas where a reunion with an old friend leads to a battle atop the casino canyons which spills into the desert and that iconic military locale, as Venom must make its “last stand”…with some unexpected support.

As with the previous two flicks, everything’s resting on Eddie B, the “host with the most” who is given a world-weary gravitas by Hardy. Again, he’s a bit baffled by his fate, and has a “push/pull” relationship with the toothy ebony puddle. He’s convincingly hungover in the opening sequence, but his hangdog grousing becomes a tad tiresome, even as he’s a “symbiote straight-man”. It’s odd that Brock is so often “one-note” since Hardy worked on the script (as he did with the last one), and too often sounds like his “cycle-poppa” from BIKERIDERS. Most of the supporting cast get little to do, perhaps to leave more time for the CGI chaos. The very talented Ms. Temple (so good in the streaming shows “Ted Lasso” and “The Offer”) does her best to bring nuance to the standard “don’t destroy my discovery” scientist from countless 50’s sci-fi flicks, but too often she’s shouting while doing a “deer in headlights” expression. Much of the same can be said for the equally gifted Ejiofor, who’s another “late show” cliched “kill this thing!” soldier, who is there to bark orders while spouting exposition. The biggest misuse of talent may be Ifans as the “Earth papa” who offers support to Eddie while having to deal with a corny “moonbeam” stereotype (ditto for Ubach). There is a nice “Lasso” reunion with Cristo Fernandez as a really patient “booze-slinger”.

This film marks the feature directing debut of actress/writer Kelly Marcel, who wrote the last two Venom flicks and teamed up with Hardy on the script for this one. She is adept at keeping the plot moving at a brisk pace for the first act or so, but the requirements of an action/effects “tentpole”, sends any character development and humor far into the background. There’s also some irritating “fan service” as a supporting character from the first films is clumsily “shoe-horned” into the big finale in Nevada. This one’s an improvement over CARNAGE as they make great use of the dusty locales. And we’re not stuck in those near-pitch black alleyways as the tenements crumble. Plus there’s a few nifty visual tricks as the symbiote bonds with various wildlife (be warned, his equine form is fleeting). But, by the time we get back to 51, the script desperation kicks in as we get an “Avengers-team” of “Venom-lites” to dash up and fill the screen with fire and pixels. As the smoke clears, we’re feeling as tired as Eddie Brock appears. This is one alien that should “phone home” since it has truly worn out its welcome (along with the moviegoers patience). But since the Spidey series is so strong. it’s a given that he’ll be back to bare his teeth and wiggle that serpent-like tongue despite the promise in the title of VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. I can almost hear that growling gravelly voice (I could only “get” two thirds of its quips) chuckling…

1.5 Out of 4

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE is now playing in theatres everywhere

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of VENOM: THE LAST DANCE

In VENOM: THE LAST DANCE, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu and Alanna Ubach. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

See the film in theaters only on October 25, 2024.

https://venom.movie

The St. Louis screening is at 7pm on Tuesday, October 22nd at Marcus Ronnies IMAX .

LINK: https://events.sonypictures.com/screenings/unsecured/main/screeningInfo.jsf?code=WJ179TI4H2

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

This film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for the following reasons: intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language.

MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2024 MARVEL

Venom in Columbia Pictures VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. Photo Courtesy: Sony Pictures

Happy Birthday To Tom Hardy And Check Out The New Trailer For VENOM: THE LAST DANCE

Venom in Columbia Pictures VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. Photo Courtesy: Sony Pictures

WAMG wishes actor Tom Hardy Happy Birthday on this Sunday and to celebrate we have the brand new trailer for VENOM: THE LAST DANCE.

Halloween 2024 is filled with movies featuring ghosts, ghouls, monsters and one particular antihero. On October 25, VENOM is back on the big screen. Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu and Alanna Ubach. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

2018’s VENOM brought in a worldwide gross of $856 million while the successful follow-up, 2021’s VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE, saw global ticket sales at $507 million, solidifying Venom as a popular character in the Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man Universe. (SSU)

Sony’s other Marvel film, KRAVEN THE HUNTER, from director J. C. Chandor, hits theaters on December 13 and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven the Hunter, Ariana DeBose as Calypso, Russell Crowe as Sergei Kravinoff (Kraven’s father), and Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov (Chameleon).

Tom Hardy Stars In First Trailer For VENOM: THE LAST DANCE – In Theaters October 25

In VENOM: THE LAST DANCE, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks, Fifty Shades of Grey, Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage) from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel.

The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

The film opens in theaters on October 25, 2024.

https://venom.movie

MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2024 MARVEL

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS – Review

(L-R): Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

“Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May!” sings Guenevere in Lerner and Lowe’s classic musical “CAMELOT”. Well, if that “lust’ is for big Summer blockbusters, then the song holds true for film fans. Ah, but for the last fourteen years, May also means Marvel, as the cinema season officially begins with another trip into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). But it was in a later month, October, that Marvel’s master magician made his first big-screen appearance in a splashy solo outing/origin story. And can you believe that it was waaay back in 2016? Pretty long for a follow-up, though the good doc has been kept quite busy in the MCU, conferring with the Norse God in THOR: RAGNAROK, battling Thanos in the last two Avengers epics, and nearly six months ago he attempted to help Peter Parker in SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME with pretty calamitous consequences. Oh, but this one’s his “baby’ as he touches up the goatee (we saw that “coloring kit” in the basement), and irons his devoted cloak of levitation for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Nuthin’ up his sleeves…

A pin-up by “Sturdy” Steve Ditko!


As that familiar logo fades out, the good doctor, Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is right in the midst of a harrowing rescue mission, protecting a terrified young woman from a looming, vicious “beastie”. And things aren’t going well…until he awakens. What kind of late-night snack could’ve spawned that nightmare? Before we can find out, he’s on his way to a wedding involving his former hospital colleague Christine (Rachel McAdams). Of course, the reception is disrupted, as the sounds of mayhem alert Strange to an unknown and unseen destructive force (hurling cars, buses, the standard Kaiju stuff). With the wave of his hand his spiffy tux morphs into his familiar “work uniform”, and Strange leaps into the fray as his spells make the beast visible, a nasty one-eyed massive “land-octopus”. Oh, and that single orb is focused on a teenage woman, the same one from Strange’s dream. Luckily the current Sorceror Supreme, Wong (Benedict Wong) joins the battle royale and the young lady is rescued. The duo founds out her story at a nearby diner. She’s America Chavez ( Xochitl Gomez), who’s a visitor to the city. And this universe. It seems she has a “gift”: the ability to “cross over”, opening portals into different dimensions, a concept Strange dealt with in his team-up with Spidey. He believes that a powerful being used witchcraft to send the monster after her in order to exploit and perhaps steal her power. As Wong whisks her away to the mountain top magic fortress/training camp Kamar-Taj, Strange pays a visit to someone familiar with those dark arts. He finds Wanda Maximoff AKA the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), still in mourning at her secluded rural home. When the menace is revealed, a huge battle at the Taj sends Strange and Chavez on a wild multiverse trek, from “616” to “838” (not area codes), as they try to thwart a crazed masterplan that could destroy theirs and all the worlds.

Once again Cumberbatch reminds us of his “action hero” skills, though if he can be a self-loathing “cow-puncher, then the man can tackle any role. After his last three MCU exploits, he’s balancing the conjuring with an often dry, even brittle sense of humor, which offsets the deadly danger and often incredulous concepts. But here Cumberbatch shows us the good doctor’s somber side as he’s reminded of his life choices and ponders the “path not taken” (he’s caught off guard several times when asked, “Are you happy?”). Of course, he also conveys the doctor’s razor-sharp intelligence, even as he forgoes the “spells’ for some hand-to-hand battles. Matching his mystical methods is Olsen, fresh off her justly lauded work in the streaming series “Wandavision”, who delves further into the emotional depths to make Ms. Maximoff perhaps the MCU’s most conflicted character. She’s literally the “walking wounded”, haunted by the memories of the love she shared with her fantasy siblings (and Viz). But those sad eyes can turn icy cold when those “visions” are threatened, flipping the switch into “danger mode”. Olsen firmly establishes herself as one of the movies’ most talented and interesting talents. We also get another superb actress returning after the first DS epic, namely McAdams, who is given much more to do this time around as Strange’s “lost past love”, Christine. She projects that intense, still simmering passion for him, though it’s tempered by the heartbreaks of the past that remind her that they’re just “not in the cards”. Oh, and the film showcases a terrific new screen star in Gomez as Chavez, a teenager who’s much more than a “damsel in distress” or the prize in an epic “tig-of-war”. She’s dealing with intense guilt over her own past while forcing herself to move forward and find the solution within herself while being careful about the new version of familiar faces and not trusting too quickly. Wong as “Wong” is an excellent verbal sparring partner for the doctor, fighting to protect, but fast to deflate any bit of ego. And also returning from the 2016 flick is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Strange’s “frenemy” then, but now perhaps a pillar of support in a multiverse variant that may be an aid in the fight, though Strange keeps his defenses “up”.

Here’s a rare bit of merchandising from the 1960s: A T-shirt put out by Marvel themselves. Can you imagine the comments at school when you wore this? “Dude, izzat’ Vincent Price? Cool”

Earlier I provided a look into what’s really just the first act, or perhaps a prologue, of the film, to keep from spoiling any of the twists and surprises. Yes, it’s really action-packed, unlike many stories set in the “nether-realms”. And it charges right “out of the gate” at audiences, as though “shot out of a cannon” perhaps due to the new force at the “director’s chair’. But we could also call him a “seasoned” one as he’s new to the MCU, but a veteran of Marvel movies. I’m speaking of the masterful Sam Raimi who first brought Spidey to the cinemas twenty years ago (wow), along with two sequels for Sony (before Marvel started their own studio). Now he’s back, working directly for Marvel Studios on the other major “silver age of comics” creation from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (and with his jet-black goatee and hair, with a side silver streak, Cumberbatch really looks like Ditko’s rendition in the flesh). Hard to believe that Raimi has been making movies for 40 years as he brings the energy and inventive spark of a recent film school grad to this superhero/ horror hybrid. Yes, there’s some truly scary stuff, so parents may want to check it out before deciding if their lil’ MCU fans can handle it. Oh, and Raimi brings much the same ferocity (as Stephen King said on the movie poster and ads) he used in the EVIL DEAD trilogy, the Spidey trilogy, and his pseudo-superhero DARKMAN with a pinch of the “gallows humor” of DRAG ME TO HELL. Plus he uses the new film tech as though he’s a kid in a candy store with swooping drone shots, twisty spiraling dreamscapes, and BEMs (bug-eyed monsters) who seem to have sprung from those Ditko-drawn Atlas comics of the late 50s. I’m most happy to report that he’s not merely “punching a time clock” doing “work for hire”. The wise execs in charge are letting Raimi be Raimi, complete with the signature camera shots and inside jokes and “running gags” that will warm his fans’ hearts. And it’s a blissful reunion with the music maestro behind many of his films, the great Danny Elfman who’s a big aid in a scene that’s a “music throw-down” mixing nods to FANTASIA and THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T (really). The screenplay from Michael Waldron provides a great “springboard’ for the fun, though the story’s highlight occurs prior to its third act with a “set piece’ that will make Marvel fans vibrate with glee (giddy doesn’t quite describe it). The MCU knows how to “reward” their fans (listen up, “Distinguished Competition”). But since that sequence is early, the film tends to drag a bit as it could use a bit of a trim (maybe five or six minutes to keep up the pace). And yes, the mid and post-credits bits are great, as this proves to be a most worthy successor to the recent Spidey spectacle. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is more movie magic from the “house (and studio) of ideas”! Somewhere Stan is flashing that sweet smile…

3.5 Out of 4

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is now playing in theatres everywhere

New TV Spot For Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS – Tickets On Sale April 6

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

“The fate of the Multiverse depends on us.”

Marvel Studios has released a new TV spot for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. The film takes place following the events of Marvel Studios’ WandaVision and SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME.

 Tickets for the Sam Raimi film go onsale this Wednesday, April 6.

In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo by Jay Maidment. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Scott Derrickson and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers.

The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” releases in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022.

https://www.marvel.com/movies/doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

MARVEL STUDIOS’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS FAN ART CONTEST

Prepare to enter the Multiverse — however you see it! In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. The Fan Art Contest gives participants the opportunity to showcase their own mysterious and mystical artwork for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a trip for 2 to the world premiere of the movie. Entries will be judged by a panel from inside Marvel Studios with an emphasis on style, originality/creativity and technical ability.
Find official contest rules HERE, and prepare to enter a new dimension of Strange, only in theaters on May 6!

Dates:

  • April 4th – April 15th

How To Enter:

  • Post your original artwork on Twitter and/or Instagram with #DoctorStrangeContest for a chance to win.
  • 1 entry per platform.
  • Contest will be judged under the criteria of style, originality/creativity and technical ability.
  • Must Be Following Marvel Studios and Doctor Strange Twitter and Instagram Accounts

Prizing:

  • Grand Prize Winner receives a trip for 2 to the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness World Premiere!
  • First Prize Winner receives Signed Doctor Strange Art from Ian Joyner (Marvel Studios’ Visual Development & Sr. Illustrator) and a signed Scarlet Witch piece of art from Andy Park (Marvel Studios’ Visual Development & Production Illustrator)
  • 2nd Place Prize Winner receives a gift card and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Swag
Benedict Wong as Wong in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Watch The DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS Superbowl LVI TV Spot

Today, during the Big Game coverage, Marvel Studios debuted a brand-new trailer for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” that took viewers on a mind-blowing whirlwind through the Multiverse. In addition, Marvel Studios also released a new poster for the supernatural adventure.

In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. 

The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron. 

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” releases in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022.

For more information visit: https://www.marvel.com/movies/doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness 

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL – Review

So, whatcha’ gonna’ be for Halloween? You can bet that the Hollywood Studios and the multiplex know that big holiday is charging at us like that headless horseman. The answer to that question, for many young women (and lots of older adults…of both sexes), is “Princess”. Or more specifically “Disney princess”. And what’s essential to that character? Well, other than a prince. A villain, be it a wicked stepmom or sister, evil queen, or witch. About five years ago the “mouse house” had the bright idea (maybe inspired by the big, still-running and touring, Broadway stage smash “Wicked”) to re-imagine, and maybe reform, the villainess from one of their beloved animated classics, but this time with live actors (with a few make-up and CG tweaks). This may have inspired a recent trend in the superhero genre in which the “bad guys” of Spider-Man and Batman were turned into the heroes of their own self-titled features (VENOM definitely, but JOKER is more of an “anti-hero”). Anyway, Disney has finally made a sequel to that unorthodox (then) box office hit, giving it a subtitle that’s closer to her previous “rep”. Lookout, it’s MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL.

The beginning of this follow-up more resembles a story by that comic strip icon Snoopy as it’s “a dark and stormy night”. A trio of men is creeping about the enchanted moors. As two are quickly dispatched by shadowy forces, the third scoops up a mushroom-topped imp along with a glowing flower. Both are paid for by a mysterious figure peering out of an opening near the bottom level of a looming nearby castle. The next bright, sunny morning Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) cavorts with the magical denizens of the Moors including some towering talking trees, a mumbling porcupine lad, assorted plant-like pixies, and a trio of talkative fairies (more like “aunties”), Thistlewit (Juno Temple), Flittle (Lesley Manville), and Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton). Their playful banter is interrupted by Aurora’s suitor, the smitten Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson). He promptly proposes to her moments before the arrival of his love’s guardian, the supreme sorceress Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). Much to her chagrin, she agrees to meet with Phillip’s parents. After some prepping on human manners and decorum from her crow/pal/familiar Diaval (Sam Riley), Mal and the two kids travel to the kingdom of Ulster for a meet and greet meal with King John (Robert Lindsay) and his Queen, Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer). Things don’t go “well”, and Mal takes wing and crashes through a window. As she glides back to the Moors, one of the royals’ (seems they were “prepared”) aides wounds her with an iron-tipped arrow. This sends the injured witch on a journey to find her roots prior to an all-out war on the Moors’ denizens by dark forces within the Ulster castle. But will Aurora side with her fellow human or will she come to the aide of her adopted forest family?

Jolie slips on the horns as though they were a comfy old pair of jeans (or…slippers). She still gives the witch a sexy diva quality, rolling her eyes and caressing every bit of dialogue for comic effect. that’s not to say she exudes no real menace. With the new look via makeup and costuming I wondered which was sharper, those horns, her molars, her collarbones (impressive), or her acid-tinged line delivery. Luckily she’s got a formidable adversary in Pfeiffer, all dead-eyed stares and raised brows as the plotting queen (insert mother-in-law from “you know where” jokes here). She bounces between passive-aggressive matriarch to campy screeching royal harpy, all while looking stunning in a series of jeweled gowns. The inspired match-up harkens back to Shirley MacLaine versus Anne Bancroft in THE TURNING POINT or maybe further back to Joan vs. Bette in WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE. Fanning rarely gets to join in on the farce fun this time out as she carries much of the emotional drama as the conflicted princess, though she throws herself into the final act’s big battle sequences. Dickinson’s Phillip spends most of his time longingly gazing at her until he gets “woke’ to the “sitch”, while Lindsay as his papa, the King is an ineffectual pawn. Riley provides just a bit of comic relief as the man-crow, as does Temple, Manville, and Staunton as the flitting fairies whose oversized human heads on tiny bodies have an oft-putting quality like Funco Pop hummingbird girls. As for the actors playing new (to the series) roles, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall makes soulful eye contact with Mal as he mainly provides her with ancestry info in a missed opportunity for an engaging romantic subplot. This as Ed Skrein bares his fangs and six-pack abs as the “ready to rumble” Borra.

Despite the opportunity for a frenetic funny “throw down” between the two screen glamour goddesses, director Joachim Ronning struggles to keep the pace consistent and make the action sequences coherent. It doesn’t help that the three writer credited script changes tone from sprightly sparkly fairy tale to origin story (an island with denizens resembling the children of the Na’vi from Pandora in AVATAR and the Hawk People of FLASH GORDON minus the great Queen score), and a seemingly never-ending war between then modern weapons and magic. There are noble sacrifices aplenty (with actors perhaps happy to sit out a third outing), but most viewers will spot a trite character resurrection long before the glowing spell begins. By this time even the most devoted Disney kids and their folks will be worn down. Visually the costumes are eye-popping, but the opening Moors in the morning backgrounds are a candy-coated CGI overload, packed with lots of future toy “merch” (some critters seem to pop up only to justify a new “product”). Though she’s still one of the greatest Disney villains, her second live-action (mainly) flick, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, fizzles and fumbles rather than flies. Hang them horns up already.

2 Out of 4