Luca

8/10 

In Luca now on Disney+, Luca Paguro (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) is a young Italian sea monster who's curious about the human world. (Yes, the sea monsters have regular people names. It's best not to think about it too much.) He meets the adventurous, uninhibited sea monster Alberto Scorfano (Jack Dylan Grazer) who introduces him to the surface world, and the two end up deciding to visit a human town (they can take human form) where they befriend a human girl Giulia Marcovaldo (Emma Berman). 

Now, this lacks some of that special narrative backbone or innovation that the best of the Pixar films have. The plot is not the most original what with having clear Little Mermaid similarities, a "learn-to-look-past-people's differences" message that makes the ending predictable, and a traditional bully protagonist with two lackeys. In fact, I was thinking of rating this a notch lower at first. Then the third act came, and they hit all the emotional beats out of the park. The biggest strength to this is the relationships between the three kids and you become invested in their goals and the changes in their journeys.

Giulia's father Massimo (voiced by Marco Barricelli), a large, imposing, yet caring guy, is a fun character, though he isn't in this that much. I also got to give director Enrico Casarosa credit, he does not shy away from the occasional moment of the boys getting physically hurt. I mean it isn't something that happens a lot, but this isn't something you see in many animated children's films.

Being a Pixar movie, Luca looks really, really good, managing to captures the old-timey Italian seaside. The character design is probably the most cartoonish of all the Pixar movies. Yeah, I mean as cartoon characters they all look cartoonish, but the designs really go for the simple, stylized look. Have you seen the Pixar short Luna? Casarosa directed that too; same style.

Again, not one of the best of the Pixar movies but definitely a good watch. I think children will especially love this. Recommended.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

4/10 

In this sequel to the Hitman's Bodyguard, bodyguard Michael Bryce (played by Ryan Reynolds) is roped into saving kidnapped hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) by his foul-mouthed, nutty wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). 

This makes the mistake that some comedy sequels do by making the film less grounded and more broad in its humor, so much that the movie feels detached from the last film. The writers' stance appears to be: an hour and thirty-nine minutes of bad stuff happening to Bryce = comedy. It's too bad. Reynolds starts off funny, but they write so many jokes for him that his character gets real old, real fast. Plus, the movie makes the frustrating choice of throwing out any character journey he had in the last film and just put him back where he started from but in an even worse situation.  Plus, his romantic interest is just dropped without a mention.  

The plot feels inconsequential and half-baked, because the writers just care about having the characters get into shenanigans, but said shenanigans aren't strong enough.

Frank Grillo plays an Interpol agent who's whole shtick is that he's an angry Boston guy. He's soooooo badly written. The last movie had Gary Oldman as the villain in a role so lackluster that it seemed they hired such a fine actor for a role anyone could've played. Here Antonio Banderas plays a rich Greek guy with plans to destabilize Europe. I feel that at least here the actor was in a role that was written for him. However, he appears so rarely and does so little that you don't really feel anything for him.   

Also, this has some of the most obvious stunt double moments I've ever seen, and they have a moment where Hayek uses a terrible English accent.

On the plus side, there are some funny moments, including a fun montage with Bryce and Sonia. I was worried that since they boosted Hayek's role that she could become overexposed. However, I thought she fared the best of the three leads. She brings such energy to the character's instability.

I do not recommend this. The movie started promisingly, but I got more bored and frustrated with the it's decisions as it went on, and I was eventually hoping for it to end soon.

Rutherford Falls- Season 1

 

7.5/10

In the comedy Rutherford Falls on Peacock, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) runs the Rutherford Falls historical center and is the descendant of the town's founder. He is a big fan of the Rutherford line and accomplishments. However, the town plans to remove the founder's statue which has become a traffic issue. An upset Nathan acts to keep the statue. Meanwhile, his best friend Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding) just wants to improve the Minishonka tribe's barebone cultural center.

The story to this is compelling. There are a lot of twists and turns with several distinctive people all with their own goals that sometimes align and sometimes cross each other. There is a focus on the lives of Native Americans in modern America, the sugarcoating of the history of American Colonialism, and the concept of heritage.

However, the show is more interesting than it is funny. Correction, the last third finds its footing and gets fairly amusing, it's the first two thirds that only have sporadic laughs. The show is co-created by comedy guru Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place), but this doesn't have quite the style his other shows do if that's what you're looking for. Admittedly, that expectation is a little unfair to the specific voices brought by co-creators Ed Helms and Sierra Teller Ornelas. 

The show goes a little too all in on Nathan. It is fascinating how things keep getting worse and worse for him and how he'll often dig his own grave. His obsession with glorifying the past and inability to create an identity for himself is an interesting character piece. Plus, you can feel for him during the emotional moments. However, the character is so pigheaded that it gets tiresome. I think the mistake was having him being controlling or stubborn in areas outside his obsession with the Rutherford line. If it was just his obsession that blinded him, it would've been easier to like him.   

The best character in this is definitely is Minishonka casino owner Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes). He's got a very "nothing personal, it's just business" attitude. He can be completely ruthless in achieving his goals, and yet he yet he has sympathetic reasons and holds no ill will against anyone he has to manipulate or go up against. It's just fascinating figuring out what he's going after and how'll he achieve it. His solo episode is by far the best one of the season.

Overall, Rutherford Falls is an interesting watch, just don't expect this to be a laugh riot.

Things Heard & Seen

6/10

In Things Heard & Seen, based on the novel All Things Cease to Appear, Catherine Claire (played by Big Love/Mank's Amanda Seyfried) uproots her life and moves to Hudson Valley when her husband George (James Norton) gets a new lecturing position. She has to deal with the loneliness of being a new person in rural New York and begins to suspect something is wrong about her house.   

Contrary to what this movie's trailer would have you expect, this isn't so much a horror story as a dark drama. This is a well structured tale. It does a very good job of implying things rather than straight up spoonfeeding the audience. A lot of people online have an issue with how the movie ends. It is not the ending I wanted (I mean it when I say this is dark), but I understand what the director was going for.

The two hour run time does strain itself. You'll spend a lot of time watching stuff you might not be in the mood for, including some really reprehensible actions.

The character intelligence in this is weird. There are a couple moments where you'll question the characters' decisions. Yet, the townsfolk are surprisingly smart and aware. Usually in these stories, those around the main characters have no clue anything is going on or end up believing a different narrative.    

Great location settings in this; they have a rural beauty. Whereas a lot of the sets/buildings reinforce the dark/isolated tone of the movie. 

Overall, this is competently made. But, it's not something something I was looking for. I didn't have fun and the message wasn't enough to make this a strong "story that has something to say" deal. I can't recommend this to others, especially if you just want to sit back and be entertained.  

In the Heights

9/10

In the Heights is a film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical. (Although Hamilton made him a household name, this is what got him on the scene.) It follows the lives of of several residents of the neighborhood of Washington Heights in Manhattan.  

A lot of the musical numbers of movie musicals of the more recent decades lack a little something that those from the technicolor age of Hollywood had. Back then you had elaborate dance routines with large numbers of dancers. I'm very pleased to say that In the Heights recaptures the feel. The musical numbers are really, really good. Director Jon M. Chu, best known for helming Crazy Rich Asians, has had a history of dance in his works and he clearly knows what he's doing here. The intricate choreography is impressive. The sense of grandest is there with huge ensembles, and colorful, engaging settings. Plus the editing is very tight. A lot of effort went into meshing all these elements together. I'm really impressed with how the opening number was crazy ambitious with the the sheer number of locations they shot at. Though most of the numbers rely on the more grounded setting of the barrio, a couple of them get imaginative visually as well. 

The movie does a good job of telling the immigrant experience while keeping the characters individuals and not speaking points. I also rather liked the framing device of the film's lead bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) telling his story to a bunch of kids more than I thought I would as it blends in with the main story nicely. However, I don't know if everyone will have the attention span for this. The movie is two hours and thirty-two minutes long and between the songs a lot of this is just people talking with each other. 

The cast is great all across the board. This is actually a big break for a bunch of new talent who haven't gotten the chance to shine. Anthony Ramos in particular manages to sell his role. There are a couple known actors in here as well. NYPD Blue's Jimmy Smits gives a strong performance as father who wants what's best for his daughter, but disagrees with her on what that is. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz is part of a trio of salon owners along with Daphne Rubin-Vega and Dascha Polanco who serve as the show's more lighthearted characters. Though 99 viewers are more familiar with Beatriz's tough, reserved performance, she's got range and probably does the best facial expression work out of the entire cast. 

Overall, I really recommend this. I think this is one of the best put together movie musicals in recent years. 

P.S. Make sure to stay through the credits.

Love, Death & Robots- Season 2

9/10

It's the return of the adult animated anthology show that's the modern equivalent of Heavy Metal. (The show in fact initially evolved from the creators' original attempts to create a new Heavy Metal movie.) 

This season has been cut a little under half with only six episodes, unfortunately. Would've liked more, but can't complain with what I got. A lot of people have been complaining about the episodes this season, but I haven't had any trouble. I thought the shorts were interesting enough. I love how varied this show gets and no two stories are alike. My favorites are the future dystopian tale Pop Squad, the horror installment The Tall Grass, and the macabre Christmas story All Through the House. The Drowned Giant, about a dead giant found washed up on the beach, has a truly original concept, but I admit this segment suffers from a narration that tries too hard to be philosophical.

The largest difference between this season and the last is that the nudity and hard violence just for nudity and hard violence have been cut. Some people may miss that content, but this still isn't family fare if that's what you're worried about.

The show is as visually impressive as the last season. Money is clearly put into this as all the segments look great. There is a a lot of variation in style.

Highly recommended. Another creative season and something different from other animated TV fare. Even if the episodes aren't to your taste, they're short, so you're not wasting much time taking a chance on them. 

M.O.D.O.K.

7/10

M.O.D.O.K./Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, the Marvel villain who grew popular due to his distinctive appearance, he's got a giant head disproportionate to his body and moves around in a hover chair, gets his own stop-motion comedy on Hulu. In it, M.O.D.O.K. (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is faced with a tech giant buying his evil organization A.I.M. and his wife Jodie (Lucifer's Aimee Garcia) leaving him.

This is a mixed work. The biggest issue with this is that it exercises worn character types and their associated jokes without adding anything new to the table. M.O.D.O.K. is the typical selfish, kinda dumb, and oblivious character. The show goes all in on him, but his jokes can be soooooo predictable. The Super-Adaptoid (Jon Daly) is the guy who gets dumped on for no reason, a trope that is really worn out. You could leave him out and the show wouldn't really change that much. M.O.D.O.K.'s son Lou (Ben Schwartz) is the weird one. Usually that guy is the really funny one, but I've never seen this type fail so hard. Most of his lines bomb. He goes into these ramblings about magic or dancing, and they're so indulgent and run out their welcome.   

On the other hand, the show can be pretty funny at times. The first half of the show is finding itself. The humor hits its stride in the second half. There are approximately three jokes in this that are truly inspired. A.I.M.'s second-in-command Monica Rappacini (Reno 911's/The Goldberg's Wendi McLendon-Lovey) is rather fun. She's a little nuts and has an obsession with weird biological experiments like cyborg manatees.

Occasionally the show will get a little more serious, and those moments really work. Although M.O.D.O.K. can get tiresome, you can feel for him sometimes. Oswalt really nails these moments. The finale... Wow! It's really something. Not the usual type of finale. It'll keep you hooked.   

The stop-motion in this is pretty impressive given all the high concept superhero world stuff that happens in this. M.O.D.O.K. usually hovers and that must've been very hard to pull off.

I see this as one of those shows that'll get a lot of mixed reactions. Some'll really like it and some'll be turned off. Though I'm definitely coming back to the second season, I don't know if I can just recommend this to everyone as the writers often do coast and there are just so many stronger comedies out there to watch. Still, this can be an interesting watch if you so choose to stick through this.

Army of the Dead

8/10

Zach Snyder's first post-DCU film goes back to his roots. The movie that started his career was the Dawn of the Dead remake and after all these years he's back to zombies. In Army of the dead, the entirety of Las Vegas was quarantined and blocked off after a zombie outbreak. A typically ragtag group led by former soldier Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) is organized to retrieve a whole lot of money from a casino vault before the government blows the place up.  

There's been a lot of zombie movies over the years, and Snyder seems to realize that. He tries to tackle some new things with zombies (he definitely has the budget to), smart zombies and zombie animals. 

Movie looks good. The intro montage showing the start of the zombie attack is really impressive and the best planned part of the movie. Since this takes place out in the heat of Nevada, Snyder actually uses sunlight in his film, though it is still muted somewhat as is the director's wont. The zombie fighting is well done. It's especially fun to see the massive Bautista take down zombies with just a knife.

You get a sizable number of distinctive characters in this. The one who stands out the most is safe-cracker and comic relief Dieter (Matthias Schewighofer).

There are a lot of plot points you can question about this, especially the whole plan for the heist, but they weren't severe enough that they interrupted my just enjoying the film.

One thing that bugged me is that ending goes on a little too long past a good stopping point. It's not as long as Snyder's infamous epilogue to Justice League, but it feels inelegant. 

Overall, Army of the Dead is a pretty entertaining zombie action flick. Nothing more, nothing less. Recommended.

The Conjuring, the Devil Made Me Do It

 

8/10

In this third entry in the main Conjuring line of films, Lorraine and Ed Warren (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) investigate the possession of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor) who was made to commit a murder.

First, off this didn't have the same steady rate of scares as the first two films. There are decent ones, don't get me wrong, but they're spread apart. I didn't really mind as The Devil Makes Me Do It has an entertaining story. The movie moves away from focusing on one family being haunted (although I liked Conjuring 2, I admit it the plot did feel a little retread-ey) and is more of a supernatural investigation movie. Instead of constant scare there is a little more of an emphasis of general dark underpinnings.

This is the first time in the main films you actually see kills if that's what you like. However, one may also feel it gross to make a popcorn film based on a real manslaughter case.        

One of the best parts is just hanging with the Warrens. Between their dialogue and Farmiga and Wilson's performance, the characters are just plain likable. (Credit should especially be given to Farmiga. She really sells her reactions to the supernatural.) I could watch them ordering breakfast at Denny's and I'd be fine. The rest of the cast is good, too. 

What I like about the Conjuring sequels is that they always tweak a little what the main threat will be. The antagonist in this may not be quite the standout that Conjuring 2's The Nun was, but is fairly effective and he or she leaves more of an impression than the ghost from the first film.

The movie's just nice to look at. This was directed by Michael Chaves, who direct the Conjuring-verse's La Llorona. That was my second least favorite film in the franchise, and I must admit I had my reservations about the director. I'm happy to say that Chaves has really improved. He really has a confident control of the cinematography. This movie reverts to the first Conjuring's  lighting scheme, and shows you can have natural, sunny lighting and still be a horror film. Chaves also has a really good eye for scenery and set design.

The scary moments may not be as frequent or have the punch that of the Conjuring, but don't get me wrong there are some good ones, some of which maintain the style of the previous films. 

Overall, I'd recommend this. Again, not quite as strong as the last two films but that's just compared to them. Besides, they were directed by James Wan, one of the biggest horror directors of recent. It's a bit of an unfair comparison. It's just a good time if you like spooky stuff.

The Bleepin' Robot Chicken Archie Comics Special

6.5

The stop-motion comedy sketch show Robot Chicken has done both Star Wars and DC specials and now they've set their eyes on the Archie Comics characters.

There's some fairly funny parts. The writers are acquainted with the material and there are some apt jabs at the franchise, including one deep dive (how many people here remember Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space?)

However, this is Robot Chicken. For every hit there is a miss. The writers like to go blue or gross assuming the joke'll be automatically funny without having to put any effort into it. There is one particular sketch with Principal Weatherbee (voiced by Jared Harris) that goes waaaay too far. 

Voice cast is pretty good, and you get a surprising group of known names. (Seriously, how'd they get Jared "mostly drama" Harris to do this?) However, I thought Amy Sedaris was miscast as Betty. The voice just doesn't fit the character. 

Overall, it's an average Robot Chicken episode. Not the best entry point for newbies or re-entry point if you haven't seen the show in a while. Current fans will get what they want.