Tag: ww II

PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS – Review

It’s always great as a reviewer when you can alert folks to a film that’s truly worth their time, a real engaging story full of twists, turns, and often very pleasant surprises. An even greater “stunner” is the fact that it’s the sixth (though some may argue it’s the eighth) installment of a nearly forty-year-old film franchise. Normally, I’d suggest that you would be wise to order tickets early to see it at your favorite multiplex, but I can’t really do that. So, here’s the perplexing and frustrating part: it premieres on a streaming app. However, it’s more than worthy of an IMAX-sized screen. The last time I felt like this was three years ago, with the action/SF/thriller PREY. And, wouldn’t you know it, this is from the very same “shared universe”. By the way, did I mention that it’s an animated anthology? Just another element in the countless delights of PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS. Let the “hunt” begin!

Yes, I did say “anthology”. At least for most of the movie. Each section has its own time period and title. First is “The Shield”, set in the early ninth century. This is a Viking revenge fable focusing on the angry warrior queen Ursa (voice of Lindsay LaVanchy), who is leading a crew of killers, including her own teenage son Anders (Damian C. Haas), on a quest to take King Zoran out, the man who murdered her father. But when they breach his sanctuary, Ursa and her compatriots are not alone. It turns out that the hunters are being hunted by an otherworldly demon, a Predator. We zip ahead about 800 years for “The Sword”, set in feudal Japan. This one’s a tale of family rivalry as a grim shogun pits his two pre-teen sons against each other over the ownership of his estate. One brother triumphs as the other is banished. The years go by, and the father passes on. Before son Kiyoshi claims his inheritance, his prodigal brother Kenji (Louis Ozawa) returns. Ah, but a different Predator silently observes, waiting for his time to strike. Finally, we’re in the 20th century, though at the start of WWII. In “The Bullet”, we meet newly drafted Latino-American (I’m guessing Cuban) John Torres (Rick Gonzales) is a gifted mechanic stationed on an aircraft carrier near Vichy France. He yearns to fly, but his supervisor, Captain Vandy (Michael Biehn), just wants him to make sure the planes are ready for combat, including John’s rickety fighter he’s dubbed “the Bullet”. Several pilots land in damaged planes, telling of a weird, almost invisible “enemy”. Vandy takes his squad into the “danger zone” as John finds something odd embedded in one of the engines. It’s a metal spearhead, unlike anything on this Earth. He then disobeys Vandy’s orders and takes Bullet into the battle. He arrives in time to see several squad members get taken down by a “bogey,” which becomes visible when struck. It’s an attack spaceship piloted by another Predator. When the fight ends, John’s saga is far from over as he finds himself in a locked cell on a vessel along with Ursa and Kenji. The trio, who are unable to communicate, have odd metal collars snapped around their necks and are eventually led off the ship and into an arena filled with the Predator beings. The warlord/MC informs them that they must fight to the death or their collars will explode. But John tries to inspire them to work together. But can this mismatched team survive a giant, savage alien beast and attempt to somehow find a way home?

Speaking of PREY, the same talented director is behind this. Dan Trachtenberg works with co-director Joshau Wassung to create this compelling, original exploration into the mythos of these iconic movie alien a*#kickers. They’ve even taken animation feature storytelling to a new level, expanding on the dramatic possibilities opened up by the “Spider-Verse” films. Yes, there have been many dramatic/ action animated features before (BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM immediately springs to mind), but this tackles the brutal intensity of any live “R-rated” horror/action epic. While most of the straight-to-home-video films feel close to the “four-color” comic books, this is more akin to the darker balck and white “graphic” magazines from the Warren company (“Creepy”, “Eerie” and “Vampirella”, the “unholy trinity”), though Marvel would “dip their toe” with “Savage Tales” and its ilk. Basically, the carnage is more straightforward, as the Predators chop and dismember with ghoulish glee. Oh, and the creature design is inspired. Yes, each has that “crab-pincer” mouth, but each segment has wild variants with weird weapons. Fighting the Vikings is a Hulk-like, near seven-foot-tall alien (one of the crew calls it “Grendel”), sporting a “repulsor/sonic blaster” for a right claw. In Japan, we get a leaner. graceful sword-wielding hunter with a spear on a whip-like chain. The “battle ace” beast has a smooth dome as it propels all manner of devices (constricting nets, grappling hooks, etc..) from its armored hull. And the animation is superb, though it appeared a bit stiff in the early scenes. Perhaps this was to make the battle energy more impactful (it does). And each “chapter” has a distict tone, with “The Shield” looking dark and chilly”, “The Sword” giving a Springtime feel with the forest landscapes, as opposed to the 1940s early “recruitment poster color” of “The Bullet”. It’s all paced perfectly with an “Easter egg” final shot that will have fans jumping from their couches. And that’s my only real complaint. In a “just world” I’d have been swept up in these sprawling stories by being engulfed in the biggest screens, with booming Dolby-type audio. Nope, this is only streaming, and its quality is on par with any of the other recent franchise entries. Bravo to Trachtenberg and company. Those “trilling/growling” hunters are in great hands. And I anxiously await your next live-action installment in November, PREDATOR: BADLANDS. But for the next few months, fans will be delighted, becoming eager “trophies” for the animated epic PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS.

3.5 out of 4

PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS streams exclusively on Hulu beginning on Friday, June 6, 2025

BLITZ (2024) – Review

With a big holiday mere days away. this week’s new film reflects on families that can’t be together, certainly not for the “big feast”. And not by choice as it focuses on a dark time when the whole world was indeed at war. World War II is the setting for this drama. inspired by so many true events of the time. At the heart of this tale is a decision so difficult it may be tough for a modern audience to comprehend. But it was done. But there’s also the fervent desire to reunite, to return to the family unit, no matter how fractured or how dangerous. That’s because death was literally in the air and all around during the time of the BLITZ.

As the film begins we watch as bombs drop from a German bomber flying over London in 1940 (a year or so before the US joined the fight). Rita (Saoirse Ronan) is a single mother living with her widowed dad Gerald (Paul Weller) and trying to raise her mixed-race son George (Elliott Heffernan). As they return from an air raid shelter, she must prepare for a heartbreaking journey. For George, alone. In order to escape the near-nightly bombing of the city, the government sent children via train to live with families in the countryside until the city was back to normal (nobody knew when). George is furious and refuses to say goodbye to his Mum as he boards the train. The other kids in his train car mock him over his darker skin and thick curly hair. But George has a plan. While his seatmate sleeps he grabs his seatcase. opens the door to the outside connecter, and leaps off the speeding locomotive. He’s bruised but still determined and begins walking the rail to hop onto a train heading in the opposite direction AKA home. Meanwhile, Rita sadly goes back to work with her girlfriends at the munitions plant. At least she’ll get to sing on the radio when the BBC drops in. George does have some luck in jumping into an open boxcar of a passing train where he’s befriended by a group of other young “returnees”. The danger really begins as they try to elude the “bulls” in the London train yard. George makes it back to London, but it’s still a long long way from Mum. During his journey, he is helped by a friendly African immigrant air raid warden named Ife (Benjamin Clemente) and is later “recruited” into a gang of looters led by the unhinged Albert (Stephen Graham). Back at the factory, Rita learns from the relocation agents that George didn’t make it to the country. She then leaves the plant to look for him and enlists the help of a young fireman who is smitten with her, named Jack (Harris Dickinson). But even with their combined efforts, can they find George before he becomes another casualty in the war-ravaged heart of Britain?

Making his screen (big or small) debut is Heffernan, who is really the focus of this historical fable, despite the film vet that gets top billing in the marketing. He’s completely captivating as George, who can be sweet, soulful, fearful, and frustrating (verging on bratty) often within the same scene. He projects a real vulnerability as he’s taunted by the local kids, and transfers a bit of that cruelty as his mother makes a terrible decision that is for the best, though it doesn’t ease her heartache. We root for George when he triumphs and hold our breath as he tries to survive. Also running the gamut of emotions is vet Ronan as Rita, a working-class woman trying to shield her child from the horrors of war, while dealing with the heartache of losing her partner to the prejudices of the time (George’s papa is sent back to his faraway island birthplace). After Rita sends her son to safety, she’s near-catatonic until her chance at radio fame revives her a bit. When she gets the news of George’s train jumps, she goes into “mama grizzly” mode as we see the determination in Ronan’s eyes. Kudos to the strong supporting players, especially Clemente as the caring and gentle Ife who connects with George and to Graham as Albert who only wishes to exploit and deceive the lad (think of him as a psychotic Fagin).

This WW II family odyssey comes from writer/director Steve McQueen who expertly recreates the period’s look and emotions of fear and dread as sunset doesn’t bring rest and relief, but the threat of sudden decimation. We can almost smell the wounded and dying as the camera takes us through piles of rubble that were home just moments ago. It’s a story that has been recalled in films set in that era (HOPE AND GLORY) and other lands (LION), with great parallels to another wartime family reunion, EMPIRE OF THE SUN with a touch of the NARNIA series. Still, McQueen provides a fresh take thanks to the strong cast and several haunting set pieces. The sudden slaughter at the train yard is real nightmare fuel. that’s especially true as we go inside a swanky nightclub that operates as though all is normal outside its door. And then we hear the sirens and the whizzing sounds (cutting to the great shots of the bombs coming at us through the clouds). After a flash cut, we’re next to Albert and his crew of ghouls as they pry away jewelry as the rescue teams look away. As the story concludes, we’re running through those crumbling streets as this story of family love proves to be stronger than any damage inflicted by the BLITZ.

3 Out of 4

Blitz is playing in select theatres and streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on Friday, November 22, 2024

MIDWAY (2019) – Review

While the studios generally key lots of releases (mainly horror flicks and thrillers) for the Halloween holiday, the next major one, Veterans’ Day, rarely gets a true-life military battle docudrama. But that’s just what’s “heading ashore” at the multiplex this three day weekend. Following on the heels of 2017’s acclaimed box office hit, DUNKIRK, this new film chronicles an epic World War II battle, this time in the Pacific rather than the Atlantic (and much of Europe). And there’s no “jumping around the timeline” though the new film does begin several years prior. Oh, it should be noted that Hollywood has been there before, way back in 1976 as a showcase for the glorious cinema experience of Sensurround (bet it blew out some of those special speakers). And who’s directed this new take but a man who has orchestrated two different attacks on this planet by invaders from another galaxy. So how does he fare when both forces are from this world, more than 75 years ago, in the current take on the battle of MIDWAY?

The roots of the title encounter begin in Japan circa 1937, at a dinner party attended by strategist Lt. Commander Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson). During a conversation concerning recent strikes against China, a Japanese officer warns Layton of any attempt by the West to cut off their oil reserves. Flash forward to that first lazy Sunday in 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Flying ace Lt. Dick Best (Ed Skrein), whose wife Anne (Mandy Moore) and their daughter live in a cottage off base, is supervising the start of church services on the deck of one of the carriers. The morning calm is shattered by Japanese bombers dropping out of the clouds to rain death and destruction on the stunned sailors. As we hear FDR’s “day of infamy” speech, Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) assumes command of the US naval forces. Part of the fleet, the USS Enterprise is helmed by the determined sea vet Vice Admiral ‘Bull’ Halsey (Dennis Quaid) which becomes the launching pad for the April 1942 bombing raid on Tokyo led by Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle (Aaron Eckhart). This helps set the stage for the big showdown against the Japanese fleet in June of 1942, one that could establish dominance in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. Lt. Best must quickly train his young pilots to take on the enemy at the atolls and islands that are known as Midway.

Covering the first year of the US’s entry into the war, the sweeping saga encompasses several real heroes, but the one getting the most screen time may be Skrein’s gung-ho, hotshot flyboy (er..flyman) Best, whose airborne skills match his name. Skrein seems to have stepped right out of the late, late show (the closest to that now is the wee hours of cable’s Turner Classic Movies), peppering his dialogue wit’ lotsa’ dese’, dems’ and dos’, while having an over-confidence and impatience that make Best more than a bit abrasive. But he’s got the love of wife Anne played with adoring gazes by Moore, whose screen time primarily consists of concerned staring into the skies. She does get to “cut a rug’ at a USO dance hall while getting some lusty looks from one of Best’s rivals turned battle partners McClusky played by Luke (Gaston in the live BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) Evans. Nothing comes of this possible romantic triangle subplot since there’s a war to win. Eckhart makes for a dashing Doolittle even as he has to contend with wary Chinese locals after he bails out of his fighter. Wilson takes a break from researching spooks in THE CONJURING series and spin-offs to bring an academic spin (he’s got the apropos eyeglasses) on the battleplans as Layton. Quaid plays Halsey as a glaring, growling old “sea dog”, who is frustrated by his frailties (that #*% rash!), while Harrelson balances gravitas and a subtle sense of humor as the burdened Nimitz. And for the “youngsters” dreamy pop star Nick Jonas gets a break from his brothers as the burly sailor who leaps into action while sporting a swell Clark Gable ‘stache.

Director Roland Emmerich once again proves his knack for big bombastic battles utilizing the latest in CGI effects to make us feel that we’re right on deck as the bombers swarm the skies of Pearl. The same goes when we’re strapped in with the diving pilots as they seem to pull up with just a few feet to spare just as they release their “lethal load’ all while twirling through never-ending streams of artillery fire (looking like yellow glowing gnats). It’s pretty harrowing as the superb editing by Adam Wolfe gives us a “front-row seat” briskly going from the long shots to the commanders to the men twirling about in those cramped cockpits. Unfortunately, the dazzling visuals make the battle interludes rather dull as actors race in and out of rooms, laying out maps, and reciting some awkward exposition. Unlike the ’76 version there’s no turgid “forbidden romance” subplot to slow things to a crawl, but there’s not much in the way of human drama in this first feature film script from Wes Tooke. He does take us behind the closed doors of the enemy, but their restrained in-fighting feels more like political and personal squabbles in an office rather than “empire-makers”. And I’ll give him kudos for the subplot involving one of the titans of cinema. The period costumes, hairstyles, and auto look terrific thanks to the “Norman Rockwell” glow of Robby Baumgartner’s cinematography. And since it’s a period piece, the producers found the right balance in the depiction of tobacco use (in some flicks nobody’s puffing away while in others the smokey haze nearly obscures the actors). MIDWAY uses the newest tech to honor “the greatest generation”, but the writing doesn’t truly bring history to emotional life.

2 out of 4

Review: ‘Black Book’

Zac:

The newest film by Paul Verhoeven, of 80’s action movie fame, is a great WWII thriller revolving around a rich Jewish girl on the run and her eventual role in the resistance. Carice van Houten stars as Rachel/Ellis and is a wonderful find for the film fans (American producers have taken notice and have gobbled her up in a number of upcoming films). We are introduced to Rachel in hiding in a Christian family’s wine cellar in Holland
but is quickly forced back on the run. She eventually finds herself as part of the Dutch resistance and is asked how far she is willing to go for the cause. Dying her hair and changing her name to Ellis she finds her self deep behind enemy lines.
The movie’s twist and turns are what make this movie great so I will not share any more of the plot, but the film moves along, never slowing down as we move with Ellis on her dangerous path. The acting throughout is very good with a great turn by Sebastian Koch who some might recognize from “The Lives of Others,” as the Dutch Gestapo leader who has a direct relationship with Ellis. Thom Hoffman is also great as the right hand man to the resistance that helps to lead the group that Ellis falls into.
The film’s production value is also very high for an foreign film, selling the time period nicely and gives you a glimpse of the Nazi way of life for some of the higher officers. The film does divulge into the Holocaust or really preach the atrocities of the Nazi’s the war just serves as a great historical background for this taught thriller. I think this helps the films enjoyment and entertainment factors as it does beat you over the head with depressing material of the era and is more focused just telling a thrilling story of the time.
Anyone up for a good spy/espionage/period thriller should check this one out as it never really disappoints. It never lifts itself into the upper-echelon of films released this year, but is an entertaining ride that will engage you throughout.

[rating: 4.25/5]