Fantasy – We Are Movie Geeks

TRON: ARES – Review

Did you think there’s no room at the multiplex for SF/fantasy tent poles during the “ultra-serious” end of the year awards season? Well, the “mouse house” thinks moviegoers still have a taste for at least a couple of big franchise flicks. We’re only two months away from a third trek to Pandora in AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, but they’re releasing another follow-up, which now cements another trilogy, though this series started long before James Cameron’s blockbusters. Can it possibly be 43 years since that initial entry (which was a modest hit during that great “geek” movie Summer of 1982)? And it’s now been fifteen years since the middle flick (or the first “sequel”). Disney thinks it’s time to boot up the ole’ “mainframe” and take another plunge into the digital dimension with TRON: ARES.

The opening moments transport us into the original with an “archival” video interview with Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the founder of the tech “dominator” ENCOM. From there, we plunge through “cyber-history” as various TV news people get us “up to speed”. Sam took over from his pop, Kevin, and the company changed hands again as the Kim sisters took ENCOM into the modern age. But the upstart Dillinger Systems is “nipping at their heels” as Ed Dillinger’s grandson Julian (Evan Peters) ruthlessly “steers the ship”. The “talking heads” then segue to a glowing data-filled metropolis where a digital knight in black and red armor named Ares (Jared Leto) destroys all the warriors that challenge him. Soon, he’s joined by his “second-in-command” Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) as they gather their squad. Cut to the “real world” as Julian makes a big presentation to a group of potential “buyers” at his company’s HQ. Two massive mobile cannons become large-scale digital printers as they build a solid living Ares and his “battle vehicles”. After a demonstration of Ares’ abilities, Julian touts him as the perfect soldier. As the ‘clients” leave, his mother Elisabeth (Gillian Anderson) reminds him that these “products” will only function outside the mainframe for 29 minutes before they disintegrate into dust. Julian insists he’ll find a way to fix that. Meanwhile, Eve Kim (Greta Lee) has already found it. In a remote “off the grid” mountain in Alaska, she has located her late sister Tess’ “tent/research lab”. After countless hours combing through the outdated software and notebooks, Eve retrieves Kevin Flynn’s “Permanence Code,” which will give all digital creations stability indefinitely. But through Ares and his troops, Julian hacks into the ENCOM database and learns of Eve’s discovery. When she returns to the West Coast, he sends Ares and Athena after her. But as the duo dissolves, Eve is zapped into their cyber-home world. Can Eve, with the aid of a more enlightened Ares, keep the code away from Julian? And can she somehow return to this dimension?

Leto commands the often hyperbolic storyline as a modern cyber-punk Pinocchio with a dash of the friendlier Terminator and a splash of Star Trek’s Data. Yes, he’s a fearsome fighter, but a “glitch” in his system causes him to question his creator. So, is he sentient or has he acquired a touch of humanity, even empathy? In our world, Leto’s Ares is a wide-eyed newcomer who relishes every rush of discovery, while in the mainframe, he’s the ultimate digital bodyguard. And who wouldn’t want to protect the ethereal Lee as Eve? She radiates an intelligence muted with a consuming grief as she still misses her “lil’ sis” while fiercely clinging to Flynn’s legacy. And yes, we get to see Bridges as the “master” of his cyber-kingdom. Bridges plays him as an ultra-cool guru exuding gravitas just like classic movie “wizard” like Gandalf and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He brings some much needed warmth to the often cold tech. And bringing the villainy is Peters as the snarling tech bro Julian (if he had a ‘stash he’d be twirling it). Sure, he’s over the top, but the sense of fun Peters is having is most infectious. Ditto for the ferocious and very intimidating (and somewhat sultry) Turner-Smith, whose Athena is almost a spurned lover to Ares as he embraces that outer world. She defies you to look away during her intense pursuit. It’s always a pleasure to see Anderson in a SF project, though she’s relegated to wringing her hands over Julian’s antics as she tries to be the “good angel” on his shoulder (which he ignores). And there’s some sporadic comic relief by Hasan Minhaj as head of ENCOM PR (and cheerleader) and Arturo Castro as Eve’s over-excited and needy aide, Seth.

Well, there’s no questioning the beauty and dazzling visuals that bring this update to neon-soaked life. Director Joachim Ronning keeps the camera moving in a million or so different directions to immerse us in this fantasy light show (that makes great use of the music from Nine Inch Nails). It’s a shame that a bit more time couldn’t have been used to bring greater depth to the plot and the principals. It’s a given that Ares will turn on his creator (it’s hammered home by home video footage of teenage Eve holding Shelly’s Frankenstein novel). And Ronning makes excellent use of the IMAX format (the ads tout it as being shot in it), but the big finale showdown on the city streets feels like a rehash of giant monster/robot battles (though seeing a police car sheared in two by the “light cycles” and their “razor trail” is pretty cool). Lots of creativity went into all the nifty gadgets, but the human element and connection feel like an afterthought. Ah, but those fans of the 1982 and 2010 flicks will get their arcade-style thrills, but casual viewers may wonder why another dive into the concept after seeing TRON: ARES.

2 Out of 4

TRON: ARES is now playing in theaters everywhere

BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY – Review

BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY, from AFTER YANG director Kogonada, has two beautiful people, played by Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, who meet at a wedding and then find themselves on an inexplicable, fantasy journey that leads through childhood memories and might lead to love. Big certainly describes the budget and high-quality production values for this romantic fantasy, and beautiful certainly describes the lush photography, scenery and colorful costumes but bold is another matter when it comes to the story itself. While there will be audiences who fall for this romance, for this reviewer, and many others, the title should have been more like “Big Boring Beautiful Hallmark Movie.” This contrived, leaden romance is one of those cases where the film feels longer, much longer, than it’s actual about two-hour running time.

It certainly is a beautiful film to look at, and it is stylishly and artistically shot. One cannot fault the cast, which includes Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge along with Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in this fantasy tale. But the tale is very tall, and not entertaining or profound as it hopes to be, and admiring its beauty fades as the couple roll down the seemingly endless road.

The main characters are drawn to each other at the wedding but both have rocky romantic histories that make they hesitate. However, the film begins a bit earlier, when Colin Farrell’s character leaves his house in the big city to drive hundreds of miles to attend this wedding. Getting a late start, Colin Farrell’s character rushes down the street to his car, planning to drive there, only to find himself staring a “boot” attached to his tire. Luckily, he turns around to see a poster on a brick wall advertising a car rental, and decides to call. The car rental tucked away is in nondescript warehouse, which he has to be buzzed into. Inside, he sees two people at a table and exactly two cars at the far end of the space. The two people, played by Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, ask him a series of questions as if he is auditioning for an acting part instead of renting a car, and then offer him only one car, a 1984 Saturn, take it or leave it. With little choice, he takes it.

If you find that intro enchanting, and have a particularly romantic bent, you may like this movie but my reaction was that it all felt very contrived and a bit stage-y, rather than magical. After this strange start, things are a big more rational of a bit but it eventually returns to this fantasy world with one foot in the realm of stage, as the two strangers embark on a journey conducted by the car’s GPS voice. Writing this now, it seems that all this could have easily been played for Monty Python-style laughs had the director chosen that, but instead, everything has a ponderous seriousness to it, with many more sentimental tears than laughs.

The car’s magical GPS directs them to stop at various points along the road, where they go through a series of doorways that lead to youthful memories. At each stop, they encounter a door, sometimes just a door in a frame, in the middle of nowhere. But when they go through it, both are transported back to one or the other’s childhood, with lessons to be learned and insights to be gathered.

However, the film does have a few rare moments of fun, such as Colin Farrell, transported back to high school in his adult form, singing and dancing in the school production of the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He’s surprisingly good, and enough so, that one might wish the movie would linger there a bit longer, instead of returning to its deadening slog. Alas, it doesn’t happen.

Yet despite the premise of a fantasy journey through memory to explore the chance of romance, there is a surprising lack of any believable romantic chemistry between these two leads. The film focuses more on hesitancy and fear, based on past experiences, than a longing for love. One gets the sense the characters are only trying to convince themselves that they can put up with the other. Hardly a “bold” romantic story of two people falling in love.

A big ambitious romance needs at least give audiences the feeling of passionate attraction between the two leads but that never develops here, for whatever reason. In fact, in the end, the film philosophizes that just being content with a partner is good enough. Not much big or bold in that, not matter how beautiful the film or the leads look.

BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY opens Friday, Sept. 19, in theaters.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

GHOST KILLER – Review

The Japanese action dramedy GHOST KILLER blends an element of the supernatural with its underworld (the criminal kind, not the realm of the damned) format. Kudo (Masanori Mimoto) is an assassin who is betrayed and killed as the movie opens. Fumika (Akari Takaishi) is a timid college girl who happens to pick up the shell casing from the bullet what offed him when she trips on the street where he involuntarily shuffled off his mortal coil. That magically connects the two (don’t ask how), allowing Kudo to take over her body whenever she touches his hand to trigger the switcheroo in moments when his skills are needed for mutual survival. She is understandably freaked out, but reluctantly agrees on the belief that the only way for his ghost to move on and leave her alone is to avenge his death via her body.

This is somewhat reminiscent of the Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin comedy of yore, ALL OF ME, in which the odd couple of comic legends clash over control of one body. Fumika is the wimpiest of women, containing no instincts, skills or predilection for the violence that must ensue. The comedic side comes mostly from her resistance to the necessary actions, yielding to dependence on Kudo in various crises. Neither of them were at all prepared for this linkage or understand quite how it works.

The tone is mostly silliness with spurts of fighting and shooting until reaching a rousing climactic battle. Takaishi’s looks and timidity are adorable. This is particularly interesting for those who’ve seen her in the series of BABY ASSASSIN flicks, in which she paired with Saori Izawa as teenage non-mutant ninja hit persons for variably amusing rounds of comic mayhem, easily flaunting the essential skills and dedication to their jobs.

There’s nothing special or memorable about most of this, though the climactic battle is worth whatever impatience one may feel during the run-up. Akari’s charm can probably carry just about any load she chooses, and the fight choreography is well above average. Mimoto comes through as a fine co-protagonist, and Mario Kuroba’s Kagehara plays off them well in a key supporting role.

GHOST KILLER, in Japanese with English subtitles, is available on digital formats from Well Go USA starting on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH – Review

Hard to believe that the big Summer holiday, the Fourth of July, is almost here (and it’s on a weekend, too). Well, if you can’t hit the road or hop on a plane, the local multiplex is your best option for a tropical getaway on a secluded island. Now there’s a slight problem with this dot in the ocean. While flies and mosquitoes can dampen the fun, the pests here are much, much bigger. And very aggressive. And hungry (perhaps even “hangry”). Yes, we’re back in the movie franchise established way back in 1993’s JURASSIC PARK. After two “trilogies”, Universal’s ready for a bright, shiny “reboot” with an all-new cast trying to survive in this familiar foliage. Films are always a bit of a gamble, so is “seven” the “lucky number” for JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH?

This entry starts with a flashback from 17 years ago, as a research team in big, clunky haz-mat-like suits is scurrying about their lab. Looks like they’re tinkering with the dinos (always a big “no-no”), and as is usually the case in these stories, things go terribly wrong. After a few title cards explaining that the dinos we saw out in the world (Europe, the States, etc.) are succombing to unfamiliar climate and viruses, and that the general public has grown weary with the beasts (how fickle), we’re in the “present day” (really five years after the last JW flick). An exec for the pharmaceutical giant ParkerGenix, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), is stuck in NYC traffic as a dying Brontosaurus is lost near the Hudson. Ah, but he’s soon joined by the woman he was rushing to meet, “covert operative” Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson). Kreb makes his pitch: he wants to enlist her “team” to make a secret trek to the “forbidden” island home (travel is banned there) of the last thriving dinosaurs and collect blood and tissue samples (the dying nearby creatures are not “workable”). The “extracts” will be the basis of a heart disease “wonder drug”. He does insist on an addition to her team (aside from himself). They swing by the soon-to-be-shuttered dinosaur museum to collect expert paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey). Soon the trio zip down to a port in Ecuador to meet Zora’s team leader, Duncan Kinkaid (Mahershala Ali), who will take them in his high-tech boat to the home of “big lizards”, Ile Saint-Hubert. Along the way, they rescue a family whose sailboat was capsized by a school of aquatic dinosaurs. After a harrowing encounter just off the island’s coast, the family is separated from the “covert” team. As Krebs tries to grab a set of three samples (beasts based on the land, sea, and “air”), the family tries to make their way to a long-deserted village. But, when the mutated (circle back to the pre-title scene) dinosaurs go on the attack, the quest for science (and big “pharma-bucks”) becomes a desperate struggle to survive until a possible rescue. This is no relaxing “va-cay”…

After four years away from the MCU (the home of “never say never”) and a brief detour into the “Wes Anderson-verse”, Ms. Johansson is back in full action heroine “mode” as the “gun for hire” who secretly has a “heart of gold” (no surprise). She’s quick with a snarky quip, but can leap right into the chaos, kicking lots of scaly tail. Somewhat regulated to the “in distress” role is Bailey, a grizzled glass-wearing geek (a fantasy breathtaking “brainiac”), who tries to keep out of the “line of fire” while taking the time to gaze lovingly at the gentler behemouths (he did study under Dr. Alan Grant, y’know). And there’s an Oscar-winner (twice) getting in on the monster mash-ups. Ali is given a bit of a tragic backstory (broken family), but mainly he’s a modern update on the rascally sea captain who loves his boat nearly as much as a hefty cash commission. He makes a fine comic partner with Bailey. Since every party needs a “p##per”, this trip has the wonderfully “weasely” Kreb played with an unseen “twirling mustache” by the glowering Friend. Oh, let’s not leave out the “rescued” (not really “stowaways,” I suppose). Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is the concerned, though confused patriarch Rueben, who just wants some quality time with his daughters, college-aged Teresa (Luna Blaise) and adorable pre-teen “snacker” (loves that licorice) Isabella (Audrina Miranda), who is adorable even as she’s in constant peril. The dinos are enough of a handful, but Rueben has to also contend with Teresa’s slacker, goofball “bae” Xavier (David Iacono), who does wonders with the abrasive role.

They’re all told where to run (and what the “green tennis ball” represents, “monster-wise”) by a director who is no stranger to big studio “IP”, Gareth Edwards. After all, he made GODZILLA work for mainstream US moviegoers, and was behind the brightest light in the post-George Lucas space flicks, the superb prequel ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY. He does bring some fresh energy to the scenes of the beasties in full-attack mode, while still taking a moment to give a “shout-out” to earlier entries (mainly the 1993 OG). Unfortunately, he’s somehow hampered by the disjointed screenplay by (speaking of OG), the adapter of the first two films in the series, David Koepp (he worked on the first Spidey, too). The time in between attack never really holds our interest, despite giving a sad backstory to both Zora (she just lost her partner during a “gig”) and Duncan (who takes a moment to gaze sadly at a faded photo of his son), while Henry tries to convince them to do the “right thing” with the samples (who doubts them). The biggest problem with the story’s structure may be the inclusion of the shipwrecked family. They never really “mesh” with the “mission crew”, which may account for why they’re quickly separated from them after they crash land on the island. Perhaps it was thought that these “average” Joes and Josephines, without firepower, would be easier to put in jeopardy and appeal to moviegoers. The cutting back and forth gets somewhat irritating, much as a TV show would flip from the “A story” to the “B story”. Now it does lead to the big nighttime finale that brings everyone together for another explosive showdown with a new dino “big bad”, the mutant “Distortus rex”, whose look owes a lot to another franchise, mainly the Xenomorphs from ALIEN. Certainly the effects on the critters continue to impress, it’s great to listen to strains of the classic John Williams score, and the carnage hasn’t been toned down to be more “kid friendly”, though I found the relentless “product placement” extremely distracting (make sure the logo is readable on that dangerous floating wrapper). Fans of these flicks will enjoy the usual mayhem and “narrow escapes”, but many may wish for something less formulaic (though this is a big improvement over JWD) than the jungle “jump-scares” of JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH. Now keep your hands inside the boat…

2.5 Out of 4

JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH is now playing in theatres everywhere

WE WERE DANGEROUS – Review

*Manaia Hall as Daisy, Erana James as Nellie and Nathalie Morris as Lou, in WE WERE DANGEROUS. Courtesy of The Forg*e

The dangerous in WE WERE DANGEROUS are three rebellious teen girls at a New Zealand reform school in 1954. New Zealand director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s satiric WE WERE DANGEROUS is surprising – entertaining, funny yet terrifying – as these three independent girls resist the institution’s efforts to break their spirits and break their deep bonds of friendships. At the same time, the film goes from comedy to thriller, and delves into the abuses, not just of reform schools, but other institutions of that era and earlier ones, like orphanages, mental hospitals and boarding schools for indigenous children. At the same time, this is also a coming-of-age tale of friendship with moments of searing heart-breaking and touching ones of the bonds of teen friendship.

The film opens with shot of a old painting and a voice intoning “When the British first colonized our land, we were offered a great new hope from the motherland: Christianity.” The voice continues with satiric, overblown grandeur, as the girls of the school, decked out in their black and white uniforms stream by under the framed painting, which as well zoom out, we see is much smaller than it appeared at first. The camera pans over, and we catch a glimpse of the leader of these rebellious girls, Nellie (Erana James), plotting her next escape with the help of her younger constant companion Daisy (Manaia Hall). In the next shot, we see the girls preparing for bed, as Nellie parodies the stern Matron (Rima Te Wiata), a rigid, strict, religious woman with white hair who dresses all in white. The sardonic, satiric sequence set things up perfectly for the delicious dark humor of this well-crafted film.

Sometimes you can say things more pointedly with humor than strait drama, and that is director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s aim here. WE WERE DANGEROUS is part coming-of-age adventure tale, with the rebellious unlikely “heroes” being three “bad” girls at this grim institution. They are more interested in having fun than the school’s mission to “Christianize, civilize and assimilate” their mostly Maori charges. The school claims to want to return their girls to society, but that seems largely to mean turning them into obedient domesitic servants for white families, where their highest ambition is to marry, preferably someone white.

Most of the girls at this institution are Maori or part-Maori, many street urchins and orphans picked up by the cops and delivered to this “school for delinquent girls.” That includes Nellie and her inseparable buddy, Daisy (Manaia Hall). Daisy is a younger girl who has had a hard life on the street from a very early age, never learned to read, and doesn’t know much about her Maori culture either. Nellie retains some of her Maori knowledge, and has taken in Daisy as her adopted sister/right-hand girl and partner in adventures.

The girls aren’t really bad, just more interested in having fun than being quiet and hard-working. Irrepressible, smart and smart-mouthed Nellie is also an escape artist, who we first meet plotting her next escape. Nellie’s good at escaping, always with Daisy and anyone else, but not so good at staying quiet and unnoticed so she wouldn’t be caught.

The third girl joins them after the institution’s board decides it has had enough escapes, and plans are made to relocate to a location where escape isn’t possible: a remote, uninhabited island that is a former army base with a few scattered, rundown buildings.

The Matron and her assistants gather their charges and add one more before they board the boat that will take them to their new location. The new girl, Lou (Nathalie Morris) is very different, a blonde-haired white girl from a prosperous, religious family, who sent her there after they caught her kissing her teacher, a woman. They hope she will be cured of such things.

And the boat that takes them to this new, escape-proof island home? It’s named Snark. They are traveling on the good ship Snark.

On the island, the new girl, pretty blonde Lou, does get some special treatment at first from the Matron and the staff. But that change when she moves into the tiny hut Nellie and Daisy was assigned, and she soon becomes the third member of the trio of friends. Together, the three friends defy the rules as they form strong ties of friendship.

On the island, without outsiders to looking, discipline becomes harsher and more arbitrary. More than that, there are new experimental treatments, horrifying things, that even give Matron pause. Nellie and Daisy hatch a plan to rebel but Lou is torn between fear of punishment if caught and the risks to survival if they don’t resist.

When the film reaches this chilling point, the girls’ bonds of friendship and their own resourcefulness and spirit come to the fore, threatening to break our hearts and putting us on the edge of our seats.

Of course, we can not escape being aware of the danger this girls face. The director keeps the story moving and a firm grip on the audience’s attention. Audience nerves frayed as we are whipped between horror and the indomitable, wisecracking girl at the center of this trio. The bonds of friendship between the girls come into play, a three Musketeers of boarding school, but whose bonds of friendships are tested as the abuse gets worse.

The cast is excellent, starting with … as the defiant, clever … The young people playing this girls are marvelous, and the strong script gives them plenty to work with. The characters are complexly human, even the main villain, the headmistress who, we learn in a flashback, is her self a product of an abusive orphanage

The young cast are excellent, both in the early more comic portion and the more frightening drama later part. Erana James is charmingly wild and inventive as daring Nellie, whose bonds of friendship are unshakable, and fiercely protective of Daisy. Manaia Hall is charming as little Daisy, funny and game, but prone to moment of anger when bullied by Matron. Rim Te Wiata is fascinating as brittle Matron, who we learn in a flashback is a product of one of these repressive institutions, an orphanage. In her corseted, white attitude, she projects a mindless will to crush, driven by her own buried anger and fears.

The story is set in 1954 but the time period is a bit fluid, which allows the director to explore abusive practices and “treatments” in other times and types of institutions, including a bit of eugenics.

The tension is gripping as the film moves towards its conclusion but director shows a masterful hand with the material, delivering a powerhouse ending, keeping us guessing until the last moment.

WE WERE DANGEROUS is a hard-to-categorize film but it is a heart-stopping film you won’t want to miss.

WE WERE DANGEROUS opens at the Hi Pointe Theater on Friday, May 9, 2025.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

THE LEGEND OF OCHI – Review

*(L-R) Willem Dafoe and Finn Wolfhard, in THE LEGEND OF OCHI. Credit: Courtesy of A24*

Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson join Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) and Helena Zengel (NEWS OF THE WORLD) in a fantasy tale that has one foot in myth and fairy tale and the other in the real world of the breathtaking, remote Carpathian Mountains and a human story of longing, loneliness and family, in director Isaiah Saxon’s THE LEGEND OF OCHI. The when and where of this fantasy tale is murky but the human feelings and the beauty of the natural world they move through is crystal clear.

In the rugged Carpathian Mountains, a teen girl named Yuri (German actress Helena Zengel from NEWS OF THE WORLD) lives in a remote, rural cabin with her father Maxim (Willem Dafoe), who has raised her alone since an early age. We first meet both father and daughter as Maxim, dressed in military gear that suggests WWI yet is vaguely medieval and armed with guns and knives, prepares to lead a group of men and boys into the dark forest to hunt dangerous, elusive creatures called Ochi. But the creatures they hunt do not look like the wolves and bears of the forest nor scary monsters, but more like a type of tree-dwelling snub-nosed monkey. The monkey-like little creatures are not what one expects to find in a central-eastern Europe forest, and what danger they pose is unclear although there is a touch of the GREMLINS (in the harmless version) to their appearance. But the girl’s father insists they are deadly and must be eliminated.

Yuri’s father is obsessed with the Ochi and his life revolves around hunting them. He spends his days in military-style training of a group of teen boys, including his adopted son Petro (Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things”), whom he leads on these hunts. Maxim is a loving father but exerts tight control on his daughter, smothering her with excessive protection. Yuri is starting to rebel, talking back to her father and slamming the door to her room, which is filled with heavy metal band posters. Out into the woods to escape her overbearing father, she comes across a wounded baby Ochi. Touched by the helpless, frightened creature, she helps it, and the discovery leads her to a quest to return the baby creature to it’s family.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI takes the form of a classic quest, as Yuri journeys to return the baby Ochi to its family, with her father Maxim, now donning armor that suggests a knight on his own quest, in pursuit, aided by Petro and the band of boys. That quest takes them through a Carpathian Mountain landscape that looks like something out of myth but is very real, as well as majestic, wild and beautiful.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI is an oddball film, with one foot in the real and one in myth, and packed with symbolism but grounded in human feelings and relationships. It is visually stunning, due to location shooting in Romania, and it is impressively inventive with its use of puppetry and practical effects rather than heavy reliance on CGI. It also features an outstanding cast led by Willem Dafoe, with the young German star of NEWS OF THE WORLD, Helena Zengel, as his and daughter, Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things” and the always excellent Emily Watson, as a mysterious figure in an isolated cabin, in supporting roles. At the same time, they drive old cars that suggest the Soviet Union era through that wild, natural landscape, and Maxim’s armor has the look of a mix of costume shop and hand-made, so it is not all fairy tale, but rather fairy tale played out in a real world.

The visual aspect is stunning. Shooting on location in Romania and using puppetry and practical effects instead of relying mostly on CGI gives THE LEGEND OF OCHI much of its appealing beauty and magic, aided by its strong cast. The story itself mixes fantasy and human realities, just as director Isaiah Saxon, in his first feature film, blends location shooting in Romania, puppetry and practical effects with some CGI in the latter part of the film. The light touch of CGI and more reliance on real objects and locations gives the film much of its appeal and strength. The first two-thirds of the film is shot this gorgeous natural world, before moving to a more CGI-created world of the Ochi.

Music plays a role too. The stunning mountain location photography is aided by a strange yet sometimes haunting score and the singing language that little creatures speak.

This is all catnip for children of a certain age and imagination. The tale of a quest, leaving home, of discovery and cross-species friendship, is perfect for ages 8-11 but some adult language and some weird dark humor might cause some parents to pause. On the other hand, this is no action film nor is it horror aimed at adults or older children. The story is framed in myth and symbolism but it is also something thoughtful about human connections, friendship, and longing, with a message about trying to understand what seems strange and “other” to us, whether it is another species or other people.

THE LEGEND OCHI is a film that is hard to categorize, and audiences will react to it’s unconventional nature in differing ways. It certainly deserves credit for being something different, not a sequel, a remake or simple formulaic entertainment. However, it does follow the path of the classic hero’s quest, so familiar to adult audiences but still magical for the young.

Whether you find this fantasy enchanting or disappointing might depend on what you expect. Action and adventure are in shorter supply than the sweep of nature and towering mountains, and a daughter trying to make her own discoveries as the father who has protected her struggles with his new role, but all that wrapped in a weird fantasy that is part grim reality. Late in the film, the father has followed his daughter and the baby Ochi to a river and a cave, still clad in his strange armor, but her defiance and willingness to go into the unknown where he can’t protect her leaves him in a quandary. At the water’s edge, he sheds his armor – literally. Yes, that kind of film.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI opens Friday, Apr. 25, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

TUESDAY – Review

Maybe it’s a bit of unintended “synergy”, or just a result of a scrambled post-strike release schedule, but 2024 is proving to be quite a busy year for the current “indie-studio darling” A24. Could they repeat their Oscar dominance from two years ago with their recent ‘slate”? Who knows, but this new film flying (wink to the themes of the story) into theatres this weekend could snag a few nominations. A big factor for that is the lead actress, who is really bursting out of her “comfort zone”. That’s because she is the most nominated actress for TV comedy (in three different shows) in Emmy history (and she has taken home lotsa’ gold). And though there are a few laughs, she showcases her dramatic “chops’ in TUESDAY.

This story starts as the “grim reaper” makes its “rounds”, crisscrossing planet Earth and encountering some folks pleading for its embrace, others greeting it with a spit at its beak. Yes, beak. This isn’t the familiar bony-cloaked ghoul, but a rather a brightly colored (now dimmed by dirt) maccaw. Plus it can change its size, from tiny (close to a pea) to scary big (towering over his “chosen”). Oh, and he can speak (voice of Arinze Kene), not merely repeating like a parrot but engaging in conversation, even mimicking voices ( a feathered Rich Little). The next “stop” is the bedroom of a terminally ill fifteen-year-old named Tuesday (Lola Petticrew). While Nurse Billie (Leah Harvey) putters in the next room, Tuesday disarms Death, first with a joke, then with a bit of kindness by helping it bathe in the sink. But where are her folks? There’s only a mom, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who spends her days selling off family heirlooms and eating cheese in the park, returning home to keep up the lie of a busy career. And she stumbles upon quite a scene after dismissing Billie. After sharing a CBD vape, Death got very “small” and is resting inside Tuesday’s ear. When it awakens and flies out, Zora goes to extreme lengths to protect her only child. The ensuing battle not only changes the mother/daughter dynamic, but its consequences could throw the world into complete chaos.

So yes, the big draw is seeing our favorite ex-girlfriend from a classic sitcom go for the tears rather than the guffaws. And as I mentioned earlier, there are brief bits of levity but Louis-Dreyfus really dives into Zora’s almost-constant agony. Though it’s not apparent to many, as she wears several kinds of masks to obscure the impending loss. In public, she’s donning the disguise of a busy exec, shouting into a powered-off cell phone while doodling in a tiny notepad. With antique dealers, she’s an aloof though a tad zany socialite looking to “clear away the clutter’ as she haggles over silly “knick-knacks”. Returning home she slips on the face of happy optimist, first with Nurse Billie then with the somber resigned Tuesday. And then Louis-Dreyfus shows us Zora as fierce “Mama Grizzly”, out to destroy the monster that wants he beloved child. There’s even a touch of acceptance, as the “tables are turned” somewhat, making her finally connect intellectually with her daughter. It’s an often conflicted, even infuriating character, but Louis-Dreyfus imbues her with noble humanity and gifts us with another piece of her formidable talents.

Happily, screen newcomer Petticrew proves to be a deft, compelling scene partner for her. As Tuesday she balances a tough, world-weary pessimism with a snarky sense of her mortality, truly a dark, nearly pitch-black, sense of humor. But when she’s staring down death, mesmerized by that feathered beady eye, Petticrew conveys her sense of panic, scrambling to think of anything that will delay the “endgame”.And by the big finale, she becomes a maternal-like comforter to her miserable mum. This could be the start of a truly interesting acting resume. Harvey is an endearing comic “straight woman’ as the health care worker connected to this fantastical “madhouse”, not “getting” the gallows humor of the family and later overwhelmed by the insanity flooding the nearby streets and homes. Kudos must also go out to the vocal performance of Kene who strikes the right balance of gravelly menace and pathetic yearning as he seems to desire a friendship but cannot turn his “tail’ on his dreary duties.

This film is the feature debut of writer/director Daina Oniunas-Pusic, who has somehow mixed a heavy family tragedy with a bit of magical realism that often feels like a modern fairy tale, especially as it harkens back to the ninety-year-old romantic fable DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, This underlines the wisdom that without “endings” humanity would fall into ruin, And not to fear that inevitable finale. And the locations, always-overcast Britain, drive that point home, especially when Zora “camps out” on a park bench to avoid her “house of doom”. The visual effects are nearly seamless, from the motions (and emotions) of the “big bird” to the quiet power of the mother/daughter duo joining on a journey as they begin a new “purpose” with more reliance on practical makeup “tricks” than flashy CGI. Many audiences will be confused and perhaps annoyed by the disorienting first moments as we follow death, and even later as it battles Zora. But if you can get into the flow of the pacing and the overall “oddness” the powerful performances are a bountiful reward for adventurous filmgoers. It’s the “big ideas” and talented cast that create a whimsical and often tearful TUESDAY.

2.5 Out of 4

TUESDAY is now playing in select theatres

DUNE: PART 2 – Review

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

If you were perhaps underwhelmed by the first DUNE movie, DUNE: PART 2 brings the real pay-off for the hype of the first. DUNE: PART 2 is a true movie epic, with big name cast led by Timothée Chalamet, great special effects battles and a fight for freedom with a tense, stirring tale with competing ambitions more in the vein of “Game of Thrones” than Marvel’s straightforward good versus evil battles, with a religious prophecy mixed with space-spanning political ambitions in a fight for independence and over valuable resources. The first movie was needed to set the stage for this epic struggle but it was mere prologue compared to this massive, immersive tale that is part coming of age, part fight for freedom by an oppressed indigenous people, the power of belief, a master plan for power, and a struggle for control of an empire, all brilliantly pulled off in grand entertainment. A struggle for self-determination on a resource-rich land, a struggle for control in a grand chess game of power, along with personal dreams and the power of belief, has the ring of the contemporary world and human history, as well as enduring themes of literature.

Oscar-winning French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, whose past successes include BLADERUNNER 2049, again directs, and truly makes this one a thrilling epic. In addition to stunning visual effects, masterful direction, great storytelling, DUNE 2 has an impressive cast of international stars, including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, and Josh Brolin.

Nearly all good science fiction tales are commentary on human society, despite being set of distant planets and battles in outer space. Not everyone is a fan of science fiction, and no matter how good the story, and the novel “Dune” also added the challenge of blending in medieval-like aspect of fantasy tales, with nobles, wizards and court-intrigue. But for those of us who enjoy science fiction’s ‘what-if” speculations, like this writer, or the space-set fantasy novels that followed Frank Herbert’s genre-bending novel, DUNE 2 is that rare movie that truly captures the imagination and message of a classic science fiction world, and experience that is magical and thrilling both.

DUNE 2 picks up where the first film left off, although it opens with a little recap to refresh the memory, on the desert planet of Arrakis, called Dune by the native population, the Fremen. Young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) are all that remain of their family after the invading brutal House of Harkonnen, led by bloated, floating, evil Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his nephew Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista), wiped out both the fighting forces and other members of the House of Atreides, including Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atreides.

Although it was the House of Harkonnen that attacked, it was the Emperor (Christopher Walken) who was behind it, advised by his Bene Gesserit priestess-advisor Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). The Emperor removed control of the valuable planet Arrakis, the lucrative source of the “spice” essential for interstellar travel, from the House of Harkonnen with hopes it would spark a war that would wipe out the House of Atreides, a secret plot revealed in the first film. With the Atreides seemingly eliminated, the Harkonnen, led on planet by Dave Bautista’s hot-tempered Beast Rabban, set out to subdue the troublesome Freemen and re-start the lucrative “spice” mining industry.

Escaping from their Harkonnen captors, with the help of the special psychic skills of Paul’s mother, a member of the powerful, witch-like order of the Bene Gesserit, Paul and Jessica flee into the desert. Two connect with the indigenous Fremen people, meeting Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and beautiful rebel warrior Chani (Zendaya). Aided in part by a prophesy about a messiah that Paul seems to fit, young aristocrat Paul and his mother Jessica join the Fremen in their fight for freedom, setting the epic on its way.

But that prophesy is also part of a chess game set in motion by the shadowy Bene Gesserit. They have blended in with the Fremen, whispering about a savior from off-planet among the Freemen until a religious belief takes hold. When Paul appears, he shows all the foretold signs and, despite his denial of being the Mahdi, the belief grows among the Fremen along with a powerful following.

Previous attempts to bring Frank Herbert’s bestselling science fiction novel “Dune” to the big screen have not met with success, despite the novel being an enormous, genre-changing hit when it was first published in the mid-1960s and into the 1970s. But that has changed with this film, partly because of advances in F/X but also due to this director and fine cast, and the decision to treat the story as the human epic tale it really is. Although set in a future time and place far, far away, the story is grounded in human struggle, greed and ambitions, against a backdrop of the power of religious belief and filled with battles over precious resources and for freedom.

DUNE 2 works on every level, with fabulous special effects, a twisty tense story grounded both in human history and the present, and an epic hero tale on a grand scale, with excellent action performances and pulse pounding action. Director Denis Villeneuve brings to bear the same skill he showed in his previous science fiction tale BLADERUNNER 2049, and his skill with difficult human storytelling he showed in films like Incendies

Art direction helps craft the worlds along with world-class F/X. The Harkonnen world is often in black-and-white, suggesting increasingly the films of Nazi power and even the military parades of the Soviet Union. At other times, it is the coliseum-packing gladiator battles, with Austin Butler, shedding his Elvis charm (and most of his hair) as a crazed, violent young member of the famously-vicious Harkonnen. Location shooting in Jordan helped create the desert planet of Arrakis, called Dune by the native Fremen, and the sandworms are huge, impressive and plentiful.

Even if you didn’t care for the first one, DUNE: PART 2 is an epic delight well worth a trip to the theater, hopefully to see in on the biggest screen possible.

DUNE opens Friday, Mar. 1, in theaters.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

DR CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN – Review

The subtitled Korean export, DR. CHEON AND LOST TALLISMAN, is an action fantasy that’s long on special effects and short on character development. Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-Won) is descended from a line of shamans, but uses his roots and secular education (hence the doctor, though not the medical kind) to provide fake exorcisms. For a fee, of course. His sidekick in the grift, Beom-choen (Huh Joon-ho), handles the tech simulations of supernatural activity to convince the suckers they’re actually getting the benefits of an occult remedy. Things change radically when a young woman, Yoo-gyeong, (Esom), hires them for their first real demonic possession – her kid sister. Some things happen that aren’t part of their act, opening new possibilities for their vocation.

Gradually we learn bits and pieces of their backstories, while the staged ritual they expected turns out to be a movie-long death struggle against the demon what kilt Cheon’s grandfather and brother, and his almost endless supply of minions. The huckster is suddenly forced to live up to his heritage. It’s mostly played for drama, with occasional bits of comic relief – mostly from the sidekick, who was pretty clueless about their rituals during the scamming phase, and truly out to sea when things get real.

The cast competently plays the standard roles assigned to them. The story plays out predictably, with more suspense in how they get to the finish line than whether they will. As is often the case with mystical fantasies, it’s never quite consistent or clear as to the extent of anyone’s powers. Even so, the action sequences are greatly enhanced with F/X lights shapes and sounds. Kudos to the CGI crew for jazzing it up for our visual and audio senses. If you don’t try too hard to understand what occurs, you can just enjoy the spectacle of it and the attractiveness of the two leads.

DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN, in Korean with English subtitles, debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

SHE IS CONANN – Review

*A scene from SHE IS CONANN. Courtesy of Altered Innocence*

Let’s begin with the title, SHE IS CONANN. One might expect a distaff approximation of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1982 CONAN THE BARBARIAN, its sequel CONAN THE DESTROYER two years later, and the zillion, or so, incarnations those spawned in live action or anime over the following 41 years. Or a reboot of 1985’s RED SONJA, in which statuesque Brigitte Nielsen matched Ahnuld’s Kalidor (think Conan Lite) blow-for-blow. But, as the Pythons would say, “And now for something completely different…”

This version comes from France, Belgium and Luxembourg. It’s sort of a post-apocalyptic or alternate universe piece of mysticism, with time travel in the mix. The tale is narrated in a wraparound with an elderly Conann telling her story to a possible successor to her throne, guided by dog-faced vassal, Rainer (Elina Lowensohn). I didn’t mention who plays Conann because every 10 years she meets her future self and morphs into the elder with a new actress. One time her change is from Caucasian to a shorter Black woman’s body; a decade later, she becomes a tall, skinny Tilda Swinton look-alike. Ebeneezer Scrooge’s ghosts were much easier on the old curmudgeon than the Conanns were on their younger selves. I don’t know why this Conann is spelled with two n’s. Perhaps in their universe, that’s what they made from Adam’s rib.

The sets are inexplicably surreal, with wardrobe to match. The opening temporal setting for them (God only knows when it is compared to our past or future) has them all dressed in pelts, living in caverns and using spears and swords. But several denizens frequently snap pictures with flash cameras! Conann starts as girl abducted and tortured by the prior queen until she’s toughened up enough to start taking over. There’s considerable gore, including some tasty (for those so inclined) bits of cannibalism, along the way. Since the film is mainly in B&W, including almost all the nastiest segments, their visceral impact is somewhat muted. Even so, those tending to lose their lunch during eviscerations and other yucky activities should look elsewhere for their escapist entertainment.

The cast is almost all female, with lesbian relationships among several. There’s kissing and foreplay periodically but virtually no nudity or protracted sex scenes. Writer/director Bertrand Mandico invested more resources in elaborate, largely creepy sets and the wide array of unlikely costumes than in plot coherence. There’s a lot of ambiguity, creating a combination of the 1970s’ French New Wave and American psychedelia, backed by a score that’s all over the place. The switches among color, B&W, and the latter with highlighted parts of scenes in color seem fairly random. Or maybe they’re drenched with purpose and message that went over my head. This film might be better appreciated with the aid of appropriate substances.

There is quite a bit of dialog about empowering women – especially during the second half – but it rings rather hollow in the context of who are delivering the lines and what they’re actually doing. Lowensohn, perhaps the best-known cast member on this side of the Atlantic, may have pissed off Mandico in one of their several previous collaborations, since her lovely, expressive face is almost completely covered throughout, while our view of all the other major players’ visages is largely unimpeded. I’d call that a loss for her and her fans.

SHE IS CONANN, in English, French and German, with English subtitles, opens Friday, Feb. 9, in theaters.

RATING: 1 out of 4 stars

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