Tag: paramount pictures

INSTANT FAMILY – Review

So the family’s all together for the big holiday, well why not head over to the multiplex to enjoy a family film? And hey, “family” is even in the title. That’s what the studios are counting on, hoping audiences will go for a breezy all-ages comedy in between those somber awards contenders. Most of the time, the studios will go a couple of different ways with a “family” comedy/drama. Either it’s a multi-generational gathering of uncles and cousins like PARENTHOOD and more recently, the reviled LOVE THE COOPERS, or it’s about a family with lots and lots of kids like CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (original and remake) along with blended families like YOURS, MINE, AND OURS (ditto), which begat that iconic TV show and its feature film THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE. But this new flick has fewer kids and a message. The filmmakers want to give us a look at the foster parenting system (which often leads to adoption), and perhaps inspire viewers to get involved. The movies have tackled the subject, usually in “tearjerkers”, notably in 1941’s PENNY SERENADE. The kids here aren’t the typical movie kids looking for parents. They’re not plucky orphans like ANNIE, because, well, they’re not technically orphans. Lots of heart-tugging and comic complications occur when they join a couple and become an INSTANT FAMILY.

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) are a fun-loving married couple in their thirties (can we still call them “yuppies”) who work together as “house flippers” (buying run-down homes, fixing them up, and selling them for profit). As they’re showing off their newest property to Ellie’s pregnant sister and her hubby, a causal comment gets them pondering. Ellie and Pete think that maybe they should start a family. Or maybe not, as Pete wonders if he could keep up with a newborn. This prompts Ellie to consider fostering a child. After scanning and viewing countless adorable tykes online, they call the local fostering center. There the duo meets another duo, social workers Karen (Octavia Spenser) and Sharon (Tig Notaro), who welcome them into a class for prospective foster parents. After several sessions with the other couples, it’s time to meet the kids at a big foster parenting picnic, sort of a mix and match. Pete notices that the tots and pre-teens are getting all the attention while the teenagers are left to mingle amongst themselves (as Pete crudely comments, “People are avoiding them like they’re dipped in s#*t!”). One of the teens, Lizzy (Isabela Moner) overhears this and fires back with a snarky retort. That seals it for Ellie and Pete, they want to foster her. Ah, but there’s a hitch! Lizzy doesn’t want to be separated from her two younger siblings. A “package deal”. No problem as the couple takes in Lizzy, her twelve-year-old shy, insecure brother Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and high-spirited six-year-old sister Lita (Julianna Gamiz). This “instant family” endures many highs and lows as Ellie and Pete hone their parenting skills. The main challenge is Lizzy who pushes back against the duo. Then things get really complicated when the kids’ birth mother is released from a court-ordered drug rehab program. Will the kids go back to live with her? And will Pete and Ellie be able to let go and do what’s best for the trio?

Wahlberg and Byrne have an effortless chemistry, making you wonder why these two talented actors haven’t been paired up before. As the energetic, firmly focused Pete, Wahlberg has smoothed out some of the rougher edges of his usual screen comedy persona, as in the often coarse TED and DADDY’S HOME, film to give us an affable everyman, a “good Joe” eager to accommodate though his enthusiasm often gets the better of him. The same can frequently be said for Byrne’s Ellie who’s just as smitten with these new additions to her life. And she can “go off the deep end” at times adding a little bit of zany spice to the couple’s partnership (they each know just when the other is losing focus). The duo has a formidable sparring partner in Moner as the strong-willed teen Lizzy. She’s not as easily won over as her siblings and rankles when the “pretend parents” doubt her method of dealing with the wee ones (Lizzy’s been their protector for seemingly quite a while). But Moner also shows us the vulnerable side of Lizzy, as she starts to let her guard down and embrace this home before “catching herself’ and “shutting that door”. It’s a complex role that this impressive young actress handles with great skill. There’s another great duo in addition to Pete and Ellie, and that’s Spenser and Notaro as the Oscar and Felix of social workers, Karen and Sharon. Spenser “shoots from the hip” with a boisterous “no B.S.” attitude while Notaro is the quieter, “by the books” guide to fostering challenges. Though their methods differ, both are committed to the same goal and provide some of the film’s best laughs. Speaking of inspired match-ups, kudos for casting the stars of the two biggest comedy hits of 1980 as Ellie’s parents, Julie (AIRPLANE!) Hagerty and Michael (CADDYSHACK) O’Keefe. Hagerty has an ethereal child-like, loopy air as Jan in stark contrast to Margo Martindale as Pete’s “steamroller” mother, Sandy. This “force of nature” provides another source of comic conflict as she tries to get everything and everyone back on track. Quiroz is endearing as the jittery Juan who over-apologizes as he frets over any misstep, while Gamiz is adorable and often exasperating as “I only eat chips” Lita. Aside from Notaro, several other stand-up comedy stars pop up in supporting roles, such as Tom Segura as trouble-maker Russ and particularly Iliza Shlesinger as the single parent foster candidate October, who has a very specific list of requirements for his desired child.

Comedy film veteran Sean Anders (HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and the DADDY’S HOME flicks) gets the most of the slapstick situations and keeps the pacing fast and frantic for funny “throw-downs” and verbal fights. But he handles most of the dramatic scenes with equal ease. making a simple scene of Ellie gently brushing Lizzy’s hair very moving and warm. The film’s main flaws seem to come from the script he co-wrote with John Morris. As we many comedies, especially domestic life sagas, the story feels like several episodes of a TV situation comedy crammed together, though with the fostering classes and at home adjustments and problems, it could be two separate sitcoms thrown in a mixer. There are the wacky potential parents butting up against Ellie and Peters’ challenges and triumphs. Big conflicts are brought in (Lizzy is “sexting”), then quickly dismissed with a gag and forgotten. The birth mother is introduced for the climactic final act, but she has little to do other than acting uncomfortable and staring listlessly. The biggest misfire is the film’s big emotional finale. As the principals are pleading and pouring their hearts out, the wacky down-the-street neighbor wanders in, almost as if from another movie, to sabotage the pathos with some awkward (I really enjoy this comic actress, but her annoying role baffled me) asides. This scene is immediately followed by an uplifting epilogue that brings in almost the entire cast for a feel-good finale that would’ve seen cloying and contrived in a 60’s sitcom. I will give them points for discussing the “white savior” aspect of this and even name-checking THE BLIND SIDE, but this doesn’t excuse the many loopy bits of whimsy (who tries to douse a fire with ketchup when several glasses of water are within reach). This movie is full of good intentions as it encourages childless couples to consider the foster system, but it doesn’t make for a consistent comedy or drama. INSTANT FAMILY isn’t instantly forgettable, but it’s not the movie that the noble subject deserves.

2.5 Out of 5

WAMG Interview: Sean Anders – Director of INSTANT FAMILY

Sean Anders made a name for himself in Hollywood as a writer of rowdy raunchy comedies for the last dozen or so years. For the past decade, he’s become a double threat by directing several of his screenplays, such as THAT’S MY BOY, the two DADDY’S HOME flicks, and the second HORRIBLE BOSSES movie. With this Friday’s new release INSTANT FAMILY, Anders goes for the hat trick as co-writer, director, and producer. Plus he’s gotten a PG-13 rating rather than his usual R. As you’ll read here, this is in service of a story that’s close to his heart. Recently Mr. Anders visited St. Louis to promote the film. I was able to ask him a few questions, along with 590 the Fan and KSDK.com’s Dan Buffa, on October 30.

Jim Batts: This is one of the few comedies that could also be called a “message” movie. I believe Sam Goldwyn is credited as saying, “If you want to send a message, use Western Union” (if anyone remembers telegrams). But this film works. Was your original idea to do a comedy promoting foster parenting, or did this occur to you as you made your own “instant family”, thinking “Hey, this is funny. It should be in a movie.”?

Sean Anders: A little bit of both, really. After hearing several of the hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking stories, my writing partner John Morris pushed the idea of turning this into a film. I jumped at the chance to put the word out about the experience of taking these kids in, and how that can change your life because most people just don’t know about this. Fortunately, I’ve kept in contact with my old social worker who in turn put me in contact with several other families who shared their stories and situations, many of these found their way into the film.

JB: Much of the film cuts back and forth between Pete and Ellie’s (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) homelife and the parenting classes they attend with several hopeful parents. Was there ever a thought of doing an initial film just about the classes and saving the introduction of the kids for a sequel?

SA: Not really, because we wanted to show the entire scope of the fostering experience. Bringing the kids in was important because a lot of folks that might be thinking about getting involved were sometimes afraid of the kids who have sent so much time in the system. We want to show that many of these fears are unfounded. That’s why we cast several foster families in the big crowd sequences.

JB: The film has autobiographical elements, though Pete and Ellie are not in the entertainment business, but rather are “house flippers”. Did you go through several possible occupations, or was the thought that the couple was “flipping” their lives?

SA: The house flipping has been a hobby for my wife and I. Just like the movie couple, we like to relax at night and watch the cable “house renovation” shows that we’ve DVR’d. But yes, that part of the story lends itself to that metaphor! They’re having a great life together, but something seems to be missing.

JB: Wahlberg and Byrne have such terrific chemistry, you’d think they had played a couple onscreen before. Was the process of pairing them a long one, or was she in mind when you and John wrote the screenplay?

SA: Well, John and I had a long list of ideas for possible Ellies for Pete (Mark was on board from the onset). We needed someone who could handle the comedy and drama, plus an actress who would ask all the right questions about the story and the character. Rose fit the bill, and then some. I recall the first scene she shot with Mark was the one in which they look at the foster child website. After we cut, a couple of crew members remarked about their chemistry. They seemed like a couple who’ve been married several years.

JB: Isabela Moner (as the elder of the trio, Lizzy) delivers a powerful performance. Were you thinking of making the oldest child a male before meeting her, or was the dynamic always older girl, middle boy, and youngest girl?

SA: No, we always wanted that dynamic as it was very close to our own reality. Lizzy is a powerful force, trying to keep the kids together for the birth mother. She reflects many of the conflicts, showing that everything doesn’t “fall into place”. We were turned down by the teen foster child in own first attempt at adoption.

JB: Pete and Ellie aren’t the only terrific comedy team in the film. Karen (Octavia Spencer) and Sharon (Tig Notaro) are an inspired Oscar/ Felix pairing. And then there’s the casting of Ellie’s parents. Were you intending to reunite two of the stars of two comedy classics from 1980 as a gift to film fans of that era?

SA: That’s one of the great happy coincidences in movie making. Growing up, I was a big fan of both AIRPLANE! and CADDYSHACK, so I, and the rest of the cast and crew, were delighted to pair Julie Hagerty and Michael O’Keefe for the first time in a film. It’s not just nostalgia, as they are great together.

JB: Hagerty’s Jan is flighty and soft-spoken. Did you cast her to specifically as the opposite of Margo Martindale’s “steamroller”, Grandma’ Sandy?

SA: No, Jan and Sandy were always written that way. Julie saw and played Jan with almost a child-like quality, while we and Margo saw Pete’s mother as this bombastic “force of nature”.

JB: The Christmas “box” sequence is somehow both funny and tragic, something you’d usually associate with toddlers. Was this culled from a holiday at home, or did it come from interviews and research?

the interviewee earns a prize from the interviewer!

SA: This happened with my own son, Not only at the holidays but as we began to order more and more items from Amazon. He had to go grab those grinning boxes. And this came up in several stories from the families we talked to.

JB: Another remarkable scene that is unexpectantly moving is when Ellie brushes Lizzy’s tangled hair. The teen feels as though she’s about to bond with her foster parent, then fights the feelings, that she must remain loyal to her birth parent.

SA: Yes, this was a real human moment, where we wanted to go for the emotion rather than the “gag”. I was lucky to have a friendship with the late, much missed, filmmaker John Hughes. He gave me some great advice about screenwriting, “It’s not the size of the laugh, it’s how it feels”. Does it ring true? That’s more important. That’s one reason the message in the movie means more than getting laughs. I want people to come away from this movie with a better understanding of foster families and to erase the stigma around these kids. They aren’t weird misfits or monsters, they’re just good kids that deserve a chance. My hope is that more people will do the research and get involved. It’ll not only change their lives, but it’ll also bring joy to yours.

JB: Thank you for your time, Mr. Anders. And best of luck.

INSTANT FAMILY opens everywhere on November 16

 

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT – Review

Oh no, those dreaded “back to school” commercials and sales flyers are suddenly popping up everywhere. Action film fans must realize that the Summer movie season will be over in a few short weeks. Serious cinema will be on its way post Labor Day. SKYSCRAPER was weeks away, while the return of Denzel as THE EQUALIZER may be too brutal for the pre-teen date crowds (it”s rated “R” for “really rough”). The superheroes have packed away their tights and capes for a few months. How about some spies, instead? Well, we won’t be seeing the “JB” duo, Bond and Bourne, anytime soon. So, blockbuster thriller fans will have to rely on another franchise, now in its 22nd year and its sixth installment. And all from a broadcast network TV show, which had a pretty good run of seven seasons, along with one of the greatest opening title music tracks ever (as instantly recognizable as Monty Norman’s 007 intro riff). Of course having one of the biggest movie stars of the last four decades helps. Multiplexes may need to install safety belts to their theatre seats as Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt to lead his IMF (Impossible Missions Force) in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-FALLOUT.

This mission begins with Hunt (Cruise) getting his latest assignment via the signature device (a compact reel to reel tape deck) from the TV show (the second best holdover from the series other than Lalo Schifrin’s iconic theme). If course it’s “tricked-out” with a video projector and a pop-up needle to grab a blood sample ID (ouch). Hunt learns of the underground terror organization known as “the Apostles” and its mysterious leader “John Lark” (a phony name for an individual whose face is unknown). They plan to change civilazation through chaos (“the bigger the war, the bigger the peace”) and are targeting three cities with great religious significance (naturally). Seems that three globes of plutonium have been smuggled out of the former Soviet Union, and Lark has plans for them as part of three portable explosive devices. Ethan accepts the mission (was there any doubt) and soon his team, Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg), are posing as buyers for the globes. Unfortunately an unknown third party disrupts the dark alley deal, and the globes are “in the wind”. After a nifty bit of deception pulled on a radical scientist, the IMF learns that the globes are in Paris, the property of a lauded philanthropist/secret arms provider known as the “White Widow” (Vanessa Kirby). But just as Ethan’s boss, former CIA head Hunley (Alec Baldwin), is about to send Hunt to a meeting with the Widow, the current CIA director Sloan (Angela Bassett) arrives on the tarmac with her number one operative August Walker (Henry Cavill). Sloan informs Hunley that the president is tired of the IMF’s “Halloween” games, and since they lost the globes, the CIA will now take over. After some fast negotiations, the operation becomes a joint mission between the two agencies with Hunt and Walker now a team (the two are most reluctant ). The men continue to butt heads during the Paris meet, even as they are suddenly joined by a former acquaintance of Hunt’s, MI-6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who we saw in the last film MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION. The quest for the deadly globes soon involves a former IMF foe, master terrorist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) from MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, and even Hunt’s former wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan). Perhaps the film’s subtitle should’ve been “Homecoming”.

The “golden boy”, who’s now 56, bounces back from his last two action flick disasters (AMERICAN MADE was a character “dramedy”, while THE MUMMY and the second Jack Reacher debacles stopped two franchises dead in their tracks), much as Ethan seems to bounces off any surface with the slightest of injuries (a limp that lasts seconds till he’s back to full flexibility). His ability to “sell” a stunt or “action gag” is still a marvel, but Cruise is no mere “mint” action figure toy. We get to see a bit more of what makes Hunt “tick”. Yes, he’s a confident, always charging (primo Cruise running meme material here) dynamo, but there’s an inner conflict. He doesn’t want to harm an innocent, or “civilian”, no matter the stakes . He’s paying a big price here for his humanity. His “missions” have cost him a new romance (with Ilsa or even the sultry Widow) and his former wife. Plus there’s the continued frustration of having his loyalties doubted via a really elaborate “frame”. Cruise shows us Hunt’s physicality and conflicted soul, which gives all the shooting, jumping, dangling, and punching an extra “oomph”. As for his teammates, Rhames also shows his warmer side, being more than just “the man in the van”. Unfortunately the gifted Pegg has less opportunity to showcase his comedic gifts in this outing, but he gets in on the stunts a bit more. Ferguson still generates some sparks with Cruise, as his female counterpart whose motives always seem questionable. She’s out for herself, despite the helping hand she offers. Baldwin’s an endearing “hard case”, who goes from strict taskmaster to supportive father-like mentor. Harris is pure dead-eyed evil, his words spitting from his beard like a snake’s venom-tipped tongue. Bassett is “cold as ice’ as the smooth, demanding rival. The great surprise here is Cavill, the man from Krypton who’s truly  playing against type as the arrogant, back-stabbing (literally) ruthless Walker, almost the “anti-Ethan”. With his glaring eyes and thick mustache (no CGI there), he’s the bullying jock as ultimate blunt force weapon. Even though he’s on “our side”, he’s just as dangerous as any of the thugs and assassins.

Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is another returning IMF vet having helmed the last installment (he’s the first director of two MI flicks). He keeps things moving at a brisk pace, improving on his work in ROGUE NATION (though the series best remains MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL from INCREDIBLES 2’s Brad Bird), making sure the time between action set pieces is brief. This is one film that requires you to get your snacks (and do your bathroom business) before it begins, so as to not take a chance on missing some incredible stunt work. As for the script, it doesn’t feel as though the plot was shoe-horned into said stunt scenes, rather it has a more natural flow. But, as with many entries in this franchise, there are a few too many double, triple and quadruple crosses, stretching plausibility for the team to predict and prepare for any outcome (one character actually says something close to “Why must it always be so difficult?”). And as said earlier, we just have to believe that Cruise and company have endless stamina and Wolverine-like healing abilities (if the FAST AND THE FURIOUS series can ignore the laws of gravity, then…). After all, audiences return again and again to see what crazy bits of derring-do will try and top previous installments. McQuarrie and crew promise thrills and they certainly deliver, along with gorgeous exotic locations and impeccably tailored heroes and villains. Right now, the biggest “bang for your buck”, action-wise is the sixth, but far from final dangerous assignment, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT. Somewhere the spirits of those first film action stars, Fairbanks, Keaton, and Lloyd must be pleased to see that the “thrill’ spectacles live on.

4 Out of 5 Stars

SHERLOCK GNOMES – Review

 

So Easter’s just around the corner, and most kids are already enjoying that great Spring-time break from school. So where are the “all ages” movies at the multiplex? Those fightin’ giant robots may be a bit too violent for the wee ones (the same could be said of a trip to Wakanda). And that “Time Wrinkle” is a quite a “snoozefest”(if it’s still playing “first run”). Peter Rabbit and Paddington may have hopped and scampered away, on the road to VOD and DVD. Before the Incredibles return, how about a sequel to a modest kid flick from seven years ago? Wish granted as the lovebirds from 2011’s GNOMEO AND JULIET are back, and they’re not alone. Another famous literary property (in the public domain, too) joins the talking ceramics fun. As he states several times in the film, he’s the world’s greatest detective AND the protector of gnomes everywhere. He’s non other than super-sleuth SHERLOCK GNOMES. Oh, his side-kick Dr. Watson’s lends a hand, along with a grappling hook cane.

 

As the film starts, a trio of tiny gnomes (called goons) are debating what new story to tell. As they rest on a big volume of A.C. Doyle’s’ masterworks, it’s decided that they’ll tell a tale of Sherlock Gnomes (voice of Johnny Depp). Actually they begin near the end of an adventure as Gnomes and Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) rescue of group of gnomes about to be smashed by a criminal mastermind, that tasty pie marketing mascot, Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou). The heroes triumph and the villain is smashed by his own trap. All’s well…for now. Meanwhile Gnomeo (James McAvoy), Juliet (Emily Blunt) and all their ceramic pals are getting a new home. Their human owners have moved from the country into a cozy London house complete with a much smaller garden. With the new surroundings, the groups leaders, Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith) and Lord Redbrick), decide to retire and hand over their duties to Gnomeo and Juliet. Unfortunately the new job keeps the lovers apart. To rekindle the romance Gnomeo decides to procure a special flower from a nearby shop. Just before he’s caught, Juliet arrives in the nick of time to rescue him. When they return home, all their friends are gone…as Sherlock and Watson arrive. They’re investigating a string of gnome disappearances from London gardens (the locales form a massive “M” on the city map). Could Moriarty still be on the loose? The two duos team up to find clues that will hopefully lead them to their missing friends. But can they locate them before the criminal kingpin smashes them to bits?

 

 

As far as animated flicks for the kiddies go, this trifle lands just about in the middle, nowhere near the glorious heights of COCO or PADDINGTON 2 but more bearable than the migraine inducing ANGRY BIRDS or HOODWINKED! The voice cast does their best to give the story an energetic boost, though the countless supporting gnomes began to sound a bit alike. Depp does a serviceable take on the master sleuth, only dropping into a touch of Jack Sparrow sporadically while Ejiofor is almost unrecognizable as his put-upon aide. Full disclosure: I’ve never seen the former film in this series, but I recall that one of its big selling points was the use of Elton John’s song catalog (he’s also one of the producers). The same is true this time around, with one song becoming a sexy show-stopper from a sultry Mary J. Blige as a doll (literally) from Sherlock’s’ past (I was reminded of Rihanna’s big number from last Summer’s sci-fi flop VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS). Unfortunately the background score is annoyingly intrusive in the film’s first act, trying way too hard to establish a “whimsical” vibe (really, it’s okay to just listen to the dialogue and sound effects). Fortunately the movie calms  as the mystery unfolds and the manic gnome slapstick is toned down. Their character design is good, but I was impressed with the looks of Moriarty (a distant cousin of THE SHAPE OF WATER’s diner mascot crossed with an unhinged menace from John K’s “Ren and Stimpy” TV cast) and his two creepy, dimwitted gargoyle henchmen. The CGI rendered London backdrops are well done as are two detours, one to an oriental emporium (ninja cats) and a toy shop with a hulking teddy bear bouncer. One very pleasant surprise was the use of “old school” 2D drawn animation to show the inner workings inside Sherlock’s head (the end credits call it his “mind palace”). In one sequence his Baker Street digs become an M.C. Escher maze of curling staircases, all rendered in a “pen and ink” style that recalls master animator Richard Williams (happy belated 85th to the genius behind WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and the Pink Panther feature titles). At least the flick’s 90 minute running time doesn’t give it a chance to drag (with previews, well…). It may amuse the youngest of viewers , but if you want to introduce them to Doyle’s detective, THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE is a summit that’s well beyond the grasp of SHERLOCK GNOMES. That comparison is  truly elementary.

 

3 Out of 5

 

DADDY’S HOME 2 – Review

 

The holiday movie season is in full swing this weekend with a yuletime-set sequel to a recent raucous comedy…again. Yes, it was barely ten days ago when a really early cinema gift arrived at the multiplex, BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS. Well there are a couple of differences, this new flick is a follow-up to a 2015 release rather than the more recent, just over a year old BAD MOMS. Plus the matriarchs’ antics are a tad more adult-themed, since both films garnered much-deserved “R” ratings for raunch. The new arrival is the more “family friendly” PG-13 (it might be even more wholesome than the first one, since there’s less talk of fertility). However both recent installment deal with the chaos and conflict initiated by the visit of the grandparents (Moms had one grandpop’ while this one doesn’t have a granny’ till the last moments). So, put those shopping lists away and take a break with DADDY’S HOME 2.

 

Just as with the last scenes of the first flick, things are going well with biological papa Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and stepdad Brad (Will Ferrell). Brad’s still raising Dusty’s kids, Megan (Scarlett Estevez) and Dylan (Owen Vacero), plus he and Sara (Linda Cardellini) have their own toddler son, Griff. Down the street from them Dusty shares his mini-castle with new wife Karen (Alessandra Ambrosio) and her daughter from a previous marriage Adrianna (Didi Costine). With Christmas just days away, he’s stressed by the visit from his estranged father. It just so happens that Brad’s pop is flying in on the same day, so they both head to the airport. Dusty spots his father, macho, womanizing ex-astronaut Kurt (Mel Gibson) first coming down the escalator from the gate. After a strained reunion , the two are both uncomfortable by the PDA-filled greetings between Brad and his dad, Don (John Lithgow). As the big day approaches, Kurt suggests they rent a huge place where both families can bond (Dusty questions his pop’s true motives). Soon everyone is settling in at a rustic estate nestled in a snowy, picture-perfect forest. Of course the harmony doesn’t last. Parenting styles are questioned, while Dusty and Sara don’t understand why Brad hasn’t noticed that is father is …off (mom stayed behind to nurse her sick brother…okay). Eventually an all-out family war breaks out with Brad calling in the big guns, namely Karen’s ex the hulking Roger (John Cena). Will all these squabbles make this the worst Christmas ever?

 

 

Once again, Ferrell and Wahlberg are a pretty terrific team. Ferrell’s Brad is still an over-emotional mess (his attempts to stifle a sob are a thing of beauty), whenever he’s not a joyous wide-eyed “man-child”. Wahlberg’s toned down the intimidating glares, but is still an expert straight-man to Ferrell. These two apples don’t fall far from the trees. Lithgow is a bouncing sprite, his Don’s an over-sharing ray of sunshine until his secret is finally revealed during an awkward “improv” game. It’s been a while since Gibson has done a flat-out comedy, and he attacks this role with gusto. With his charcoal-gray pompadour and blazing eyes, Kurt is a human wrecking ball disguised as a unrepentent “tom cat”. Cardellini gets to show off her comedy chops more this time out, especially as she deals with the impossibly perfect Karen (just what is she jotting down in that lil’ note book). Plus the kids generate a good deal of laughs. Vaccaro is still an endearing sweet nerd. New addition Costine is a dead-eyed preteen nightmare as she walks all over Dusty. The wild card is Estevez as a pint-sized hellion in the great tradition of Margaret O’Brien in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. This little spitfire steals scenes effortlessly. Though he doesn’t show up till late in the action, Cena is all hard muscled charm with a heart always melting at the sight of his little girl.

 

Director Sean Anders returns along with his writing partners to see that this follow-up adheres closely to the comic beats of the original. Though Thomas Haden Church as Brad’s crude boss and Hannibal Buress don’t return, the great pairing of Gibson and Lithgow more than makes up for their absence. There are a couple of clever “call-backs” to slapstick bits as Brad “dies” once more and a defective snow-blower rather than a cycle wreak havoc (I can’t imagine their auto insurance premiums). Anders can’t avoid the dreaded third act lull (the flick could use a good 6 or 7 minute trim), and the final sequence set at a multiplex feels a bit too much like “product placement” (reminding me of the big musical number in MAC AND ME set at a certain fast food burger place). Happily there’s nice wink at unorthodox holiday-set action flicks (like the first DIE HARD and..ahem..LETHAL WEAPON), as they sit down to watch a bullet-ridden blockbuster. There are yuletide film staple situations (decorating, snow slides, shopping and a live nativity) as everyone lumbers toward an inevitable happy ending of reconciliation and mutual understanding (along with a fun cameo for a final gag). But when the jokes really connect, they hit hard (the running thermostat stuff’s pretty funny). That along with the gorgeous East Coast winter locales makes DADDY’S HOME 2 a pretty good stocking stuffer, and not a lump of coal.

3.5 Out of 5

 

 

 

SUBURBICON – Review

 

Strap yourself in for another trek in the cinema “way-back” machine at your local multiplex. And for once it’s not a “biopic” or a story “inspired by true events” like MARSHALL or BREATHE. Yes, it’s pure fiction but it is set firmly in the real world. The movies have often viewed the 1950’s through the “rose-tinted” lens of nostalgia, as if yearning for that simpler, more innocent time. TVeven joined in with its long running hit “Happy Days” (that 70’s show now has its own nostalgic glow, as seen in the recent KINGSMEN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE). Sure, they were indeed happy days…if you were part of the right social class, religion or race. . That’s the view of this new film, no surprise since it sprang from the minds of Joel and Ethan, the Coen brothers. But they’re not behind the camera on this project (supposedly this is an unproduced script of theirs from 1986), instead one of their frequent collaborators is finally filming it. It’s beloved actor George Clooney sliding into the director’s chair for his sixth feature film. In his last film, THE MONUMENTS MEN he guided us through WW II ravaged Europe. Well he’s back in the ole’ US of A in a place full of its own dangers. What’s that sign on the road say? Welcome to SUBURBICON.

 

The film opens up with a sales pamphlet/brochure that itself opens up to taut the joys of living in the postwar utopia known as Suburbicon. The brightly colored illustrations spring to life, full of happy smiling residents from all around the country (“We’re from New York!” “And we’re from Mississippi!”), as the ad copy extolls the conveniences of this newly designed haven (“Our own police force…and fire department!”). As the booklet closes we’re following the mailman on his rounds there, going from one immaculately groomed front lawn to the next. Oh look, a new family is moving in. But the postman’s frozen grin curls down as he discovers that the newcomers are black (“colored” for those pre-PC times). They become the main topic at a very emotional town meeting that night (“…driving down our property values!” Get em’ out!”). Cut to the backyard of the Lodge house, directly across from the backyard of the despised new neighbors, the Mayers. Wheelchair-bound Rose Lodge (Julianne Moore) demands that her eight year-old son Nicky (Noah Jupe) go play ball with the same-aged Mayers boy. Rose’s twin sister Margaret agrees. Later that night an angry mob gathers outside the Mayers home to taunt and harass, while more sinister things or happening at the Lodge house. Nicky’s dad Gardner (Matt Damon) enters his bedroom (“Men are in the house”). Downstairs two thugs, Sloan (Glenn Fleshler) and Louis (Alex Hassell), demand money as they hover over the twins. After tying everyone to chairs, Sloan drenches a handkerchief with chloroform (or ether) and covers their mouths. As Ricky drifts off, he sees Sloan give his mother a second dose. Waking up in the hospital, he sees his mother in a coma. She doesn’t survive. At Rose’s funeral, her and Margaret’s brother, the crude but kind Mitch (Gary Basaraba), tells Ricky to count on him for anything. In the following week, Margaret slides a little easily into the mother role as Gardner tries to return to work. Ricky soon learns that his mother wasn’t the victim of a botched home invasion. And as the crowds outside the Mayers house increase in numbers and volume, a slick insurance investigator, Bud Cooper (Oscar Isaac) pays a business visit to the Lodges. Will he shed a light on the dark secret at the heart of this “perfect” neighborhood?

 

 

Though he’s not the film’s main focus, Damon gives his timid role from THE INFORMANT! a sinister twist. His vintage specs do much of the comedic work, while Daddy Lodge sweats and squints as though he’s a walking “pinched nerve” encased in a sweat-drenched white short-sleeve shirt. He’s Hank from TV’s “King of the Hill”, though always on the verge of blowing his top. Moore as Margaret (we hardly get to know Rose) is better able to contain her emotions, using her cheery “happy homemaker’ smile as a mask to hide her inner demons. She’s a slightly less-homicidal cousin to her recent KINGSMEN villain role. Big kudos to Isaac for injecting a burst of energy when the story begins to sag. His “get right to the point” insurance PI is a frothy mix of Fred McMurray in DOUBLE INDEMNITY and MUSIC MAN Harold Hill and worthy of his own solo flick. Actually the film doesn’t really belong to that trio of screen vets, since we view the story through the eyes of young Jupe. He delivers just the right note of sweetness and terrified paranoia. We feel his confusion over the odd behaviors of the “grown ups” and we root for him to escape his perfect home turned shrinking trap. Barsaraba is quite enjoyable as the lovable bear of an uncle. And as the thugs, Fleshler is pure sweaty menace and Hassell is the perfect “bug-eyed weasel” accomplice.

 

The look of early “baby boomer” America is faithfully recreated by the art directors from the fashions to the bulky cars, and the early remote-controlled TVs (a beam of light…hmm). It feels right, but why doesn’t the film gel? The talented Clooney has had a difficult time finding the right comic tone since his great debut, CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (LEATHERHEADS felt really forced, as was MONUMENTS MEN). The delightful satire of the opening titles is quickly jettisoned in favor of pitch black, often gruesome crime calamity (it figures that this script was the Coen’s follow-up to BLOOD SIMPLE). Perhaps Clooney with frequent collaborator Grant Heslov should have made another run at that shelved script to smooth out the bumps. The flow of the film is thrown off by cutting from the main story (the murder/robbery) to the raging hatred directed at the Mayers. Plus there’s nothing amusing in the mob menacing this proud family (perhaps this was the plot’s reason why the bumbling police force wasn’t paying much mind to the mayhem at the Lodge home). Alexandre Desplat contributes another assured score that goes from whimsical to foreboding. Ricky’s a compelling kid hero whose plight harkens back to classics like THE WINDOW and INVADERS FROM MARS, but he can’t shoulder this wildly uneven failed farce. Now there’s the sign I was yearning to see after an hour on this village road: “Now leaving SUBURBICON”.

 

2 Out of 5

 

ONLY THE BRAVE (2017) – Review

Here’s yet another “inspired by true events” film , just in time for the somber Fall season. Somber, the right word for this one. Unlike this weekend’s other non-fiction flicks, it’s set in the not too distant past, not decades ago, but in this decade, the 2010’s. It concerns a group of men who regularly risk their lives, and often make the ultimate sacrifice, in order to protect their fellow men. And it shines a light on the families that must stay behind and hope that all goes well. You may be thinking that’s it’s another those on the front line, our soldiers overseas sagas as in the films THE HURT LOCKER and AMERICAN SNIPER. Well, these heroes aren’t on foreign soil, though they are on the front line, one made of flame. And with their special clothing and gear ,they could be mistaken for soldiers. Rather they are firefighters, but they aren’t roaring down the street on a fire truck, dalmatian in tow, ready to climb the ladder to a “towering inferno”. These guys fight the fires that consume forests, hoping to stop their journey before the flames reach the towns and cities. Such is the mission of the Granite Mountain Hotshots from the Prescott Arizona Fire Department. ONLY THE BRAVE fill their ranks.

 

Nearly ten years ago, Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) bolts upright in bed after a nightmare. It’s the usual scenario that involves a charging bear on fire, an “ursine torch”. For his wife, horse trainer Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), this is fairly common. He then leaves for work as the captain to a squad of firefighters, a hand crew that goes into to stop wildfires, who report to the Fire Chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges). They do the “grunt ” work and the prep for nearby towns. But Marsh wants his crew to become officially accredited by the state of Arizona, to become “hotshots”. But he needs to beef up their ranks, so he begins interviews and try outs. One hopeful is Brendan McDononugh (Miles Teller), a directionless twenty-something who retreated to the bottle and the bong after flunking out of some training courses. He’s just found out that a former fling is pregnant with his child, which spurs him to get his “act” together. After surviving an arduous hike, Marsh decides to take a chance on Brendan. As the months past, he rises to the challenge and even bonds with a former tormentor, Christopher (Taylor Kitsch). Eventually the team earns their accreditation, and Eric dubs them the Granite Mountain Hotshots. They become a proficient, well-oiled machine, starting controlled fires to stop the approaching flames while digging trenches to contain the spread. This leads up to a fateful day in June of 2013 when the Hotshots are called in to stop a lightning fire at Yarnell Hill. This routine assignment soon becomes a desperate fight for survival.

 

 

With his squinty gaze and stern growl, Brolin is a leader of men in the Clint Eastwood/ Kurt Russell mold (almost a brother to Kurt’s DEEPWATER HORIZON role). He’s tough, but he’s got a soft spot for lost causes, which would aptly describe Teller’s Brendan when we first meet him. Much like his roles in WHIPLASH and BLEED FOR THIS, Teller’s Brendan is another fella’ full of determination, though here we see a bit of his tender side as he tries to be a good father to his unexpected arrival. And there’s quite a father/son bond between his character and Marsh (we never see Brendan’s pop, only his ma’). The mother to all the crew may be Connelly’s Amanda who goes toe-to-toe with Eric while fighting despair as he trudges off in his gear, perhaps never to return. I suppose this would make Bridges the grandfather-figure, full of support and encouragement, trying to calm Eric’s frustrations. And Bridges gets to indulge in the drawling, “chaw-filled”, jaw-jutting delivery that we’ve seen many, many times ( TRUE GRIT, HELL OR HIGH WATER, R.I.P.D). His anchor at home is the criminally underused Andie MacDowell, so fiesty and funny (and sexy) in MAGIC MIKE XXL, but here regulated to comforting Connelly and being a sounding board for Bridges. Among the assorted fire house “beefcake”, James Badge Dale is a most able second-in command, while Kitsch as plenty a good ole’ boy charisma as the “heart of gold” Christopher.

 

The fire fighting profession hasn’t been exploited often by the movies, despite the compelling cinematic nature of the raging flames, here a destructive charging beast. Of course, film buffs will harken back to Ron Howard’s BACKDRAFT (though there’s no arson mystery here) or that all-star disaster epic that was producer Irwin Allen’s THE TOWERING INFERNO. But the whole Eric/Brendan theme reminded me of the near 50 year-old HELLFIGHTERS with John Wayne (yeah, the Duke) working with the cocky Jim Hutton. So why isn’t this flick as exciting as those earlier entries? Perhaps it’s because director Joseph Kosinski (OBLIVION) keeps hammering in the symbolism of that burning bear (three times). Or maybe it’s because the script by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer (based on the GQ magazine article by Sean Flynn) spends far too much time on domestic drama and not enough on the fiery fields. They even resort to some clunky “two men and a baby” hijinks at one point. Plus the big verbal throw-down between Eric and Amanda doesn’t ring true (angry because he’s not starting a family with her) and feels more than a tad sexist. This leaves only about 20 minutes of the 133 minute running time for actually fighting fires. The story of the “screw-up” who redeems himself to the guys has been a cliché in war flicks for years (I almost expected one of the crew to be nicknamed “Brooklyn”). The men portrayed are real heroes, true lifesavers who deserved a better celebration and tribute than this lackluster and tedious tale. ONLY THE BRAVE just has little spark.

 

2 Out of 5

 

THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK- Review

This weekend presents us with another film set in Manhattan, but the locale is the only thing it has in common with MENASHE. Well, it does deal with a father-son conflict, though the duo here is worlds apart from the shop clerk and his pre-teen progeny. For this release we’re taken from the orthodox Jewish community of Brooklyn to the posh, intellectual upper west side, and the son is a good ten years older, a twenty-something. The conflict here concerns something, really someone, the two men have in common,  unknown to the patriarch. Though the son shares the frustrations about gentrification (“The city’s losing its soul”) with his parents’ friends, in many ways he may really still be on the cusp of adulthood, hence his status as THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK. And no, it’s not another post-apocalyptic, dystopian teens fighting for humanity opus, thank heavens.

It is set in the modern-day, as the opening title line-drawn animation informs us of the current state of the city, with the fleeing suburbanites returning to make NYC less dangerous…and interesting. We then meet the “title boy”, 23 year-old Thomas Webb (Callum Turner), a college graduate paying his bills as a Spanish tutor and living in a walk-up apartment on the lower east side. This is seen as an act of defiance by his father Ethan (Pierce Brosnan), owner of a small book publishing company. Perhaps he’s right, since Dad squelched his son’s own early literary aspirations by dismissing his work has “serviceable”. But Thomas still has much affection and concern for his mother Judith (Cynthia Nixon), a former artist who now channels her creativity by planning lavish dinner parties featuring a who’s who’s of NYC’s best and brightest. Judith’s also emotionally fragile, so Thomas tries to spend lots of time with her. He also spends time with a beautiful bookseller named Mimi (Kiersey Clemons). Thomas is smitten, but after a drug and booze-fueled one night stand, Mimi has firmly put him back in the “friend zone”. It was a mistake, a “one time thing”, since she’s got a boyfriend in a band who always seems to be on the road. But she still enjoys hanging out with him, which proves to be torture for Thomas. One evening, the frustrated young man meets his new neighbor, a much older man, sixty-something W.F. Gerald (Jeff Bridges), who inquires about his dour attitude. Soon Thomas opens up to the man who becomes a fatherly mentor, dispensing sage wisdom about life and love as they enjoy cigars and scotch. Then Thomas’s world cracks up when he and Mimi go to a high-class burlesque nightclub. He spies his father in the company of an alluring dark-haired younger woman. What if Judith finds out? He tracks her down and begins to “tail” the lady, first joined by Mimi, then solo. Eventually Thomas confronts the mystery woman, a free-lance editor named Johanna (Kate Beckinsale). He warns her to stay away from Ethan, while she believes he has other motives. A flirtation begins which sparks a wild romance, a very hush-hush affair. Has Thomas given up on Mimi? Can they keep this family destroying secret between them? Could things get even messier? Yeah, probably.

An impressive cast has been assembled for this very weird love triangle, but they’re tripped up by a script with an abrasive character at its center. Turner does his best to bring some humanity and depth to the mawkish self-absorbed Thomas, to no avail. He seems at times like a petulant adolescent just moments before throwing a tantrum when a shiny new toy is denied. Of course, the object of his main desire is the too flighty Mimi, Clemons projects smart sensuality, but it’s never clear why she continues to “lead on” then push away Thomas (perhaps she’s keeping him for a “back up” if the bad boy musician goes off with some groupies. Still, her character is more thought out than the siren cipher Johanna. Beckinsale is very believable as the high society knockout, but her dialogue is mainly riddles and admonitions. It’s never clear why she decides to juggle father and son, especially since there’s so little chemistry with Turner. Nixon, on the other hand, is the ethereal nurturer. Her Judith seems the fragile flower, but Nixon shows that there’s a lot more going on behind those clouded eyes. Bridges appears to be concocting a stew of some familiar recent roles for the oddball writer. He’s a bit of THE GIVER, a dollop of “The Dude”, with a layer of David Lynch (in his hair style and fashion sense). And yet again, his growling gritted jaw-line delivery becomes distracting. Oddly the actor who does some of his best work here may be Brosnan as a character we think is a heart-less, gold-grabbing philandering villain. However, Ethan has the most compelling “arc”, especially in the film’s last act when the triangle finally meets (connects, I suppose).

Amazingly this is the second feature this year from the prolific director Marc Webb, but with last April’s GIFTED he had a much more compelling story for that talented cast to explore. The New York locations are stunning (especially the wedding reception at a museum), but many of themes come of as “riffs” on much better Woody Allen flicks (a bit of HANNAH here, some MANHATTAN there). Plus many of the sophisticated dialogue comes off as coy and precious (like the opening scene cartoon). And the big emotional reveal in the final moments would be more at home in a daytime TV drama. The iconic city streets and Ms. Beckinsale are lovely, but THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK has little life or originality.

2.5 Out of 5

SILENCE – Review

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2017 is a milestone year for a true master of modern cinema. He harkens back to a time when the most celebrated directors were as big a star as the actors in their films. And, like many of those revered film makers, he’s recognized primarily by his last name. He’s part of a roll call along with Hitchcock, DeMille, Lean. Oh, but he made his name well past the era of the big studio system, one of those hungry “young rebels” that bent all the rules. These products of the college film departments, who “cut their teeth” in TV and drive-in quickies: Coppola, Spielberg, and Scorsese. Martin Scorsese has now been directing feature films for fifty years (his first was 1967’s WHO’S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?). While his film making contemporary, Frances Coppola, has largely stepped away from the cameras, Scorsese continues to craft highly personal films attracting big talents eager to work with a “master”. He’s tried to make this new film for half of his directing career, not surprising since it contains themes from several of his earlier pieces. And it’s based on a book just over 50 years old, named SILENCE.

The story begins with a letter written by a priest from Portugal, Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) in 1633. He was leading  a missionary mission in feudal Japan when the country’s rulers banned Christianity, believing the West was exerting too much influence, and destroying the culture. Ferreira writes of how he was forced to watch the torture of his Jesuit brothers. The letter is smuggled out and finally makes its way to father Alessandro Valignano (Ciaran Hinds) in 1640. He reads it to two of Ferreira’s pupils, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe (Adam Driver), and tells them that, if Ferreira is still alive, he has renounced his faith, committing apostasy. The young men don’t believe this and insist on making the dangerous trek to Japan and find their mentor. Valignano finally consents to their plan, but flatly states that they will be the last priests sent their on a mission. The priests hear of a Japanese Christian guide in Macau that will smuggle them into his native land. After much pleading, the drunken Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka) takes them to a hidden coastal village where several natives still practice the forbidden religion. While hiding in a tiny cabin in the mountains, the priests conduct mass, while waiting for nightfall to venture outdoors (there is a high bounty on the padres). Eventually the Grand Inquisitor and his men arrive at the village and dispatch three of the worshipers. Thinking that their presence together endangers all of their flock, Garupe and Rodrigues separate. While Garupe leaves for Hirado, Rodrigues continues his quest for Ferriera with Kichijiro, hoping he can find out the truth about his teacher while evading the cruel, determined shoguns and samurai.

In the past year, with this role and his stirring performance in the recent HACKSAW RIDGE, Garfield establishes himself as one of the screen’s most compelling actors. He could have coasted with his two blockbuster Spider-Man flicks, following up with simple “fluffy” projects, but he tackles a most complex character here as young priest trying to keep his beliefs while being dragged down in a sea of sorrow. Garfield shows us the conflict brewing inside the mind of Rodrigues, whose body and soul are battered almost into submission. He’s an interesting counterpart to Driver, whose Garupe is equally idealistic, but more adamant and forceful in his approach to the mission. He believes his will can withstand any test. After his excellent motion capture work in A MONSTER CALLS, it’s great to see Neeson stepping away from his TAKEN sequels and variations, as the object of the great quest. His eyes convey the enormity of the tragedy as he’s forced to witness the sacrifices of those who followed him. The actors playing the locals bring a sense of gritty realism to this tale, especially Kubozuke as the energetic and unpredictable Kichijiro who seems to be walking a tightrope between the combatants. Also making a strong impression is Tadanobu Asano as the wily, bitter interpreter assigned to Rodrigues.

 

Scorsese has explored devotion and faith in many of his previous works, so much of this film plays as a mix of KUNDUN (Buddhism) and THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (though this film won’t elicit any of that firestorm of controversy). The subject matter is treated with much dignity and reverence, almost becoming a tad, well for lack of a better term, “preachy”. The result is a film that’s too long, with four or five scenes of brutality (although another director of recent religious epics might have wallowed in gore and guts) bookended by long stretches of theological debates which really derail any real momentum. Plus the performance styles often clash, with some interpretations feeling almost comic, with menacing rulers right out of “The Mikado”. The cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto paired with the music score by Kathryn and Kim Allen Kluge give the exotic locations a mesmerizing beauty. But by the end of the film we’re left with too many questions about the decisions made by the principals. SILENCE is not quite up to his greatest works, but Scorsese continues to remain a major force in film. Here’s to his next fifty years of cinema.

3.5 Out of 5

 

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MONSTER TRUCKS – Review

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Even though its several months till the temps rise to signal the start of blockbuster kid-friendly entertainment time, the multiplex chefs are ready to whip up something that will satisfy the appetites of the pre-teen crowds. Here’s a tasty mash-up, much in the vein of other blended concoctions. Several years ago some far-sighted studio marketing exec thought, “Hey, kids love their doggies and they love sports, so how about a pooch that plays basketball?”. AIR BUD proved to be quite the franchise, so this new flick should be another “slam dunk”. The tots love their weird creatures (as long as they’re not too scary) and they adore those big-wheeled behemoths that flattened everything in their path. Have some animation veterans sprinkle a bit of magic and slapstick, and you’ve got a candy coated respite from those somber award season contenders. Clear the way for the MONSTER TRUCKS.

This turbocharged tale begins on a quiet late evening as scientist Jim Dowd (Thomas Lennon) drives onto a South Dakota oil drilling site. He darts from his pickup and enters the operation’s command center where he reports to his boss, oil company head honcho Reece Tenneson (Rob Lowe). Seems a huge underground lake exists just above a massive deposit of crude. Now they can’t drill through if there’s any wildlife in that lake. Dowd looks at the video footage, and ,being a good company man, states that nothing’s down there (the glowering light in the water are just reflections of the drill). And so, the work commences until an eruption occurs. It’s water and something else, namely some bizarre creatures. Two of them are captured as Dowd’s truck is nearly crushed in the chaos. It’s towed to the local junk yard owned by Mr. Weathers (Danny Glover) and watched over by his “night man”, high-schooler Tripp Coley (Lucas Till). He’s having a tough time at home. His divorced mom (Amy Ryan) works long shifts at the diner, and Tripp can’t stand her boyfriend Sheriff Rick (Barry Pepper), who dotes on his police vehicle. Tripp dreams of his own big truck as the local rich boys taunt him with their flashy wheels. And he’s having a tough time in school, though he tries to ignore the brainy classmate Meredith (Jane Levy), who is his science tutor. After they drop off the truck, Tripp hears some strange noises. It turns out a third creature, a shiny tentacled, amphibious “beastie” he names “Creech”, was hiding in the truck. Seems that it loves to drink oil and rest inside Tripp’s truck that’s awaiting a motor. With some modifications, Tripp makes the truck into a home for Creech, and finds a way to get it to propel the truck via levers and pulleys. Unfortunately Tenneson looks at the accident  video footage and sees that a third monster escaped. He sends his hired “muscle” Burke (Holt McCallany) out to retrieve the beast at any cost. Soon Tripp and Meredith are on the run with Creech from Burke’s crew as they rush back to the drill site to reunite the creatures and stop Tenneson from poisoning their underground home.

 

 

Luckily this “off the wall” plot is made surprisingly palatable by this energetic cast. Tripp, who we’ve seen on the big screen as Havoc in the last couple of X-Men flicks and very recently on the small screen as the new “MacGyver”, is very charming as the good-natured gear head, an auto-obsessed toddler in a teen’s body (there’s a long scene of him behind the wheel making motor-noises with his mouth like a youngster playing with his toy race cars. Levy takes a break from her terrific work in the horror genre (the EVIL DEAD reboot and last Summer’s nail-biter DON’T BREATHE) to test her comedic skills (honed during her stint on TV’s “Suburgatory”) as the smitten Meredith, the “geek girl” reduced to swooning puppy (we just want him to notice her, dude!). Well into her 20’s, Levy is more than ready for some grown-up roles. Lennon is endearing as the “brainiac” who finally decides to do the right thing (his repressed panic has echoes of the master, Don Knotts). Lowe effortlessly return to the slimy villain roles that were his 80’s and 90’s staple prior to his recent TV eccentrics (“The Grinder”). McCallany is quite menacing as the single-minded, heartless thug. Glover and Ryan are given little to do (she’s gone after the ten-minute mark, unlike her similar role in GOOSEBUMPS), but Pepper does a nice job as the uptight hot head who sees the error of his ways. And Frank Whaley has a nice seen as Tripp’s pop, a guy who’s not as great as his son remembers.

Animation wizard Chris Wedge (ICE AGE) slips easily into (mostly) live action, making a fairly watchable film out of something that could’ve been just another merchandising “cash grab”. He gets some nice subtle work from the cast while delivering the kind of action that will have the tots bouncing in their seats (guess I’m showing my age, but I cringed at the countless property damage as I mentally calculated the losses to those who just happened to be in the way). The script (credited to four writers) at times, leans too heavily on the “bestest pals” themes of E.T., FREE WILLY, and (“gasp”) MAC AND ME, while its ecology subplot often make little sense (lots of oil and gas-guzzlin’ in order to save the endangered creatures). Speaking of the living truck motors, Creech only shows his teeth once or twice (might make the lil’ ones jumps a bit), but for the most part, he and his kin are cuddly cousins to HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’s Toothless ( with his shiny-smooth head, spaced-apart eyes, and writhing tentacles I was thinking “Flipper-Cthulhu”). As far “kiddie flicks” go, this is quite bearable. The youngsters will been enthralled by the title creations, while the older folks can enjoy the comic talents of Lennon and the charms of Till and Levy. They provide the sparks that help those MONSTER TRUCKS go the distance (your mileage may vary).

3 Out of 5

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