Deep Cover

Grade: B+

In this new movie on Amazon Prime, improv teacher/failed actress Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) and her improv students IT guy Hugh (Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed) and struggling actor Marlon (Pirates of the Caribbean/Lord of the Rings' Orlando Bloom) are recruited for a minor sting operation. Events don't go as planned and they find themselves forced to pretend to be professional criminals. 

The setup makes this feel like it might be a groaner. The introduction to all the characters isn't particularly entertaining, and Hugh's social awkwardness and Marlon's obsession with method acting as a tough criminal initially feels awkward and too much. 

However, once they get involved in the crime world, things really pick up. The jokes work. It also helps that the movie doesn't overplay the scenario. They could've had the characters go really over-the-top and silly with trying to cover for themselves, but the were smart enough to not play the characters too dumb. I was also afraid that Hugh's social awkwardness and Marlon's going too deep into his character would be overplayed, but the script never overdoes these elements. The movie's basically getting themselves in deeper and into crazier and crazier situations, and the situations don't disappoint. 

The one major complaint people may have with Deep Cover is that some of the resolutions to the perilous situations the characters find themselves in are just cleaned up with "it's a comedy don't worry about it" plot devices that don't always track. 

Pretty strong casting in this across the board. Howard's playing the straight man, but she honestly is the most watchable of the main trio. She's the most grounded, and it's fun to see her think on her feet. Bloom, it turns out has great comic timing. I do believe Mohammed is typecast, basically playing a variation of the same guy he played in Ted Lasso. (Guy does have range. Ever see Maggie Moore(s); solidly plays a confident guy in that.) He does more of the same, but he's good at it. 

Credit should also be given to Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen as a couple of detectives. They've got a good straight man/goofy guy dynamic going on.

Recommended. This was a pleasant experience with a good cast.

Titan: the Oceangate Disaster

Grade: A-

This new Netflix documentary looks at the inevitable in hindsight implosion of Oceangate's Titan submersible and the company's CEO Stockton Rush who ignored all criticism's of the ship's design and safety, did his best to avoid oversight, and died in his creation.

The Titan has been a morbidly fascinating story as it a tale of man's hubris mirroring that of the original Titanic disaster, which was the source of the sub's creation as it was created to perform tours to its wreckage. This movie follows the many issues with the sub's design, which used carbon fiber, which doesn't do great under extreme pressure. The documentary chronologically goes over the various people who raised issues and either left or were fired as it becomes clear that this was always going to fail and how sketchy Rush's entire operation was.

The movie really focuses on him. Rush comes clear as a stereotypical psychopathic rich guy who sounds very confident but will say and do anything to get what he wants rather than admit he failed.

The pacing, editing, interviews, and music all work smoothly. My only major complaint is that not a lot of time is spent looking at the victims.

If you've heard, another Titan documentary also came out (Implosion on Max). If you're wondering which one's stronger, I'd say they're both equal in quality (they have very similar direction, music, and tone, including no narrator). They actually compliment each other as Titan focuses more on Rush and has more audio/video from the inside goings of Oceangate, while Implosion focuses more on bigger picture info. and the design of the Titan.

Recommended. 

Predator: Killer of Killers

Grade: A-

This new predator film on Hulu/Disney+ is an animated anthology film in which we see different Predators hunting different human warriors throughout history.

This is helmed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), who directed the previous Predator installment Prey, and the guy's still got it. What with Prey taking place in the past, this movie whets our appetite for more of this by seeing Predator action in other parts of history. This results in innovative new set pieces. Plus, all the Predators have very different looks and techniques. 

As for tone, it probably comes the closest to going with the more serious one that Predators had, however I honestly thought this did a better job with story and drama. 

The animation is like that of Arcane, having a painterly look to it. Animation isn't as detailed as Arcane, but more fluid. The whole thing is really gorgeous to look at with some impressively choreographed action moments (you even have a tracking shot; rare in animation). KoK is able to pull stuff off that you just couldn't in live-action.

Sections-

The Shield- A

A viking warrior and her group go searching for their enemy and encounter a Predator.

Probably my favorite one. Has the best story, script and characterization and efficiently manages to set everything up in a short amount of time.

The Sword- B+

In feudal Japan, a Predator becomes involved in a fight between two men.

Has the best fight scenes out of the entire film. The Japanese setting makes for a distinct look and fighting techniques. However, you get the basic gist of the story, but there are a lot of follow-up questions that aren't answered.

The Bullett- B+

A WII aerial squadron fights... you guessed it... a Predator and its space ship.

This is really ingenious: the idea of a Predator aerial fight. This segment, though still full of death, also feels a little less earnest than the previous ones. However, the fight scenes are too rapid fire; and there are too many close-ups.

Final section- A-

Not spoiling this point. This is like The Sword in that the story has a lot of follow-up questions,  but it has the second best action and finishes off everything with a bang.

Recommended. There are a few plot nitpicks, but this is a real action-packed tour-de-force for the eyes and definitely something to see for Predator fans. I'd say this is my fourth favorite film behind P1+2 and Prey.

Doctor Who (2023)- Season 2

Grade: A

In the newest season of Doctor Who, available in the US on Disney+, the Doctor (played by Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) meets nurse Belindra Chandra (Andor's Varada Sethu), who becomes his companion by accident as after their first adventure, getting her back home turns out to be more trouble than expected as a mysterious occurrence forces them to take the long way back.

This season is stronger than the last one. Whereas that one made the mistake of putting the heavy episodes all in the middle without any lighter fare between them and had one very polarizing episode and a finale that couldn't stand up to its setup, I'm pleased to say that this season is far more consistent. Standout episodes include The Well, a trademark DW scary episode, and The Story & the Engine, which is a more unique DW story. 

Like the last season, the show makes the wiser choice to focus on newer or lesser known DW villains, avoiding over saturated antagonists like the Daleks or the Cybermen. 

If there are any nitpicks, the villains' plan in the episode Lucky Day has some holes in it, and the finale, while entertaining does try to do a lot at once (which admittedly is a common critique of showrunner Russell T. Davis' writing.)

I felt that last season's companion Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson) was stronger  in terms of personality (she does get some guest appearances this season), but Sethu ain't too shabby an actress and she works well off of Gatwa.

Gatwa remains the driving force of the show. I think he may be my favorite Doctor. He plays one of the most open, emotional and life loving Doctors. Man can the guy hit the emotional beats, mastering happy, sad, afraid, and angry.

 Highly recommended. This is a fun and imaginative season.

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

Grade: A-

In this live-action remake of the popular Disney Channel movie, alien experiment Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, the character’s original voice and the director of the original film), is deemed a threat to the galaxy. He escapes his captors before punishment and crash lands his spaceship into Hawaii. There he is mistaken for a dog and adopted by young, quirky Lilo (played by Maia Kealoha).

A lot of people complain that Disney remakes are uncalled for, not as good as the originals, and do not have a lot to offer. At first I was worried that this movie was going to be too much of a by-the-numbers replication of the original. At the beginning of the movie, there are a lot of lines taken directly from the first movie. (Say what you will about the other remakes, but the scripts will at least paraphrase dialogue.) However, after the first ten minutes, I was pleased to see that the entirety of the movie wasn't just repetition like the Gus Van Sant Psycho remake was. Though this does still follow the basic brush strokes of the original story, this remake actually tries some new stuff. 

A lot more emphasis is put on the relationship between Lilo and her older sister/guardian Nani (Sydney Agudong) as well as Nani's struggles as a guardian and other aspects of her. This is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp who directed the heartfelt film Marcel the Shell with Shoes on (critically well liked, but didn't get a lot of advertising). The guy was really trying for bringing the character/human aspect to this movie, which I felt paid off. Some may not love the fact that the original film's antagonist Gantu was cut in this to give the other characters more time and space. In fairness, his basic purpose was to create a last act physical threat and wasn't heavily involved in the rest of the story. The guy's a good character, but I don't think he's in anyone's top five list of Disney villains. Some may also not love the final obstacle put in Gantu's stead, but I applaud Camp for trying something new. Again, one wants a remake to do things at least a little different, otherwise it's the exact same movie. Besides, I think the final problem works well story-wise.

Though many jokes are recycled, the new humor works pretty well.

Sanders' still got it when it comes to voicing Stitch, managing to make the guy sound both funny, but also sympathetic when the movie calls for it. Kealoha makes for an energetic and talented young actress. Billy Magnusson, who has proven he's been gifted at comedy before in films like Game Night, makes for a game and goofy Pleakley, an alien official pursuing Stitch, and Zach Galifianakis as Stitch's creator Jumba is fairly funny too and works well as a straight man to Pleakley. Some may not love that Galifianakis' voice sounds nothing like the original cartoon character, who had a Russian accent, but again I appreciate that this movie is attempting something new, and I think Galifianakis works for this take on the character.

Not loving the fact that though the original movie was colorful and that the story takes place in bright, sunny Hawaii, this remake has a shaded look to it and isn't as bright as it could be. In fairness, this might be to make sure the computer animated characters' detail doesn't feel as artificial when compared to natural color. 

It is also a little disappointing that the alien and spaceship design adhere so closely to the original movie without trying anything new. Jumba and Pleakley's looks in particular feel like they worked better in 2D, and don't adapt quite well to 3D. Stitch is still cute, though.

Recommended. I'm not saying the original isn't better, but this makes for what will be an enjoyable time for the family and is one of my top 3 remakes, below Pete's Dragon and the Glenn Close 101 Dalmations.

Fountain of Youth

Grade: C+

In this new movie on Apple+ directed by Guy Ritichie, morally flexible treasure hunter Luke Purdue (The Office/Jack Ryan's John Krasinski) cajoles his straight-laced sister art curator sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) into helping him search for the Fountain of Youth.

This is definitely a thing that is a treasure hunting movie. It is basic and feels like mostly everything in this has been done before. It's not like the movie is running on fumes, but a quarter tank. This is a competently made flick, and there's a few good lines. Luke's back-and-forth with Esme (Eiza Gonzalez), who's part of a group sworn to protect the fountain, is kinda fun, and I do like that there are several interest parties also after our leads, but there is just nothing about this does enough to set it apart from the likes of National Treasure and such. Also, Charlotte's soon-to-be ex-husband Harold (Daniel de Bourg), is completely unnecessary and ruins any scene he's in. 

Guy Ritchie's work can really fluctuate between great and so-so, and yeah, this one is so-so. He replaced the originally scheduled director, and this really feels like a pay-the-bills entry for him. The movie doesn't feel like this has the special Ritchie touch that he has had with projects he felt invested in.

It's a fine cast between Portman, Krasinski, and Domhnall Gleeson as Owen Carver, Luke's financial backer (I do hope that guy's star is rising; he's always good in whatever he's in.) However, they are only able to do so much with the script (Krasinski in particular is definitely trying his best, poor guy).

I feel that for an adventurous, globe-traversing movie, the whole thing looks drab as Ritchie goes for a greyish, overcast tone. The set design for the various locations they visit ain't too shabby, I'll give you that.

This is not must-see. However, it is not unwatchable (I'd be fine seeing this again). It could serve well as a time-waster that you don't have to put a lot of emotional/intellectual investment into it.

Elsbeth- Season 2

Grade: A-

In season 2, consent decree monitor Elsbeth Tascione (Carrie Preston) continues to help the New York police catch criminals.

The strength of the show is still Elsbeth. Even in weaker episodes she shines with her sheer enthusiasm, funny lines, and quirky personality. 

The supporting cast also helps make this work. The rotating cast of detectives Elsbeth works with remain a fun and colorful bunch. The Arrangement's Carra Patterson as Elsbeth's friend Officer Kaya Blanke continues to have great chemistry with Preston. One of my biggest complaints about the last season is that Kaya was basically there just for someone for Elsbeth to talk to. Here, she gets some subplots and more screentime. Although there isn't as much of Captain Wagner (The Wire's Wendell Pierce) being the commanding one and the only one able to control Elsbeth's enthusiasm, but Pierce is so watchable and has some great understated comedy chops. We get a new Lieutenant: Steve Connor (Billions' Daniel K. Isaac), a very logic-based fellow. I feel his introduction storyline didn't really go anywhere, but he works pretty well as an oddball character, and the guy you need police to give police rule jargon from time to time.

Again we get a fine selection of guest actors as the killers, some of which will make you say "Oh, they got him/her." The show mostly has a Columbo "howcathem" formula where you know who did it. However, there are a handful of episodes that are more experimental than the last season, including a few actual mysteries.

If you feel that the show is a little optimistic, especially when compared to its parent shows The Good Wife and The Good Fight, what with Justice always prevailing in a neat little bow. Here Elsbeth has a couple storylines where she has to deal with the more unfair aspects of the world. We even get to know what caused Elsbeth to become disillusioned with being a practicing defense attorney.

Recommended. This remains one of the more entertaining crime shows out there.