M3gan

8/10

In this new horror comedy, toy designer Gemma (played by Girls and Look Out's Allison Williams) invents M3gan (voiced by Jenna Davis and performed by Amie Donald) a robotic doll equipped with advanced AI. Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw), who just lost her parents, becomes the test user for M3gan.

Yeah, both the whole evil robot and whole evil doll thing have been done to death. Doesn't help that there are also the natural comparisons to the Child's Play reboot a few years back. Yet, M3gan does a surprisingly good job of being entertaining and fresher than you think. It's not like this doesn't follow the very basic framework of the AI slowly goes bad story, but script is more robust than you'd think, featuring some effective plot points. The movie looks at  a career-focused woman who suddenly has the responsibility of raising a kid and struggles with the task. It's also a look at people's reliance on using technology to raise their kids that's smarter than you'd think. 

What really makes the this work is M3gan herself. You don't see a lot of big talkative/personality-heavy horror movie killers, probably because it's easier to make a silent or hide-in-the-shadows villain scary. M3gan is a villain that stays in your memory thanks to her personality. She's also a lot more understandable and relatable than your usual killer AI. She's definitely the most persuasive. I found myself agreeing with her point of view on several points. 

Physically, she also leaves an impression. Unlike Annabelle or reboot Chucky, she looks like an actual doll that kids would want. Yet, she still manages to be disconcerting due to her uncanny valley face and inhuman body movements and innovative kills. (I'd actually advise you avoid the trailers if you haven't seen them yet since most of the really good parts are spoiled.)  

As a comedy, this works well enough. Not the funniest film of the year, but it has it's moments. This is more lighthearted than the average horror film and it's nice to see an entry like this or Happy Deathday just having fun.   

A couple caveats: M3gan's supposed to be smart, but I found the timing and planning of her kills feel sloppy. Although, the majority of this is strong, the very conclusion feels cookie cutter.

Allison Williams does a pretty good job of playing a programmer who's more interested in what they can do rather than what they should, but also manages to bring a human element. (This is her third horror movie. After Girls, could anyone guess this is where here career would head? Or playing Peter Pan for that matter, but that feels like less of a jump.) Davis does a phenomenal job voicing M3gan. On the comedy side, The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng gives a reliable job as the ridiculous CEO of the toy company that makes her. 

Highly recommended, this is one of those popcorn/let's-have-fun movies and it really works. Plus, it looks like M3gan may be one of the top new horror monsters of the decade.

The Pale Blue Eye

8/10

In this Netflix film and adaptation of the book by Louis Bayard, retired detective Augustus Landor (played by Christian Bale) is called upon to investigate a mysterious death at West Point. He's soon aided by a young Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling, best known for playing Harry Potter's cousin) who's a cadet there.

This was a well constructed film with sort of an old-fashioned Hammer Studios feel to it. Superb acting all across the board (with a surprising number of British actors playing Americans). Has a solid script and dialogue and competent mystery. Sets and shooting locations and cinematography really help build the atmosphere.

Even though this features Poe, I'm glad they were interested in making this more of a historical film than a Poe-porn movie with constant references to his future works or their dark/gothic nature. (Funny enough, this has been the second movie about the author solving murders. Remember The Raven? That was decent, but I think this was better.) The movie features a young Poe as just that, a young Poe who's an aspiring poet. He's not supposed to be at the horror stage of his life yet. I appreciate that the movie doesn't even have a scene showing how the murderous events in the film will shape his future (you know, the obvious scene of him saying "This gives me an idea for a story.")

This length might not be for everyone. Pale Blue Eye runs at a robust two hours and eight minutes. Pacing is steady but deliberate. Nothing runs too long, but there is a fair amount of setting the characters and plot points up, and some of it probably could've been cut.

As I said, the cast's great. Christian Bale, naturally, delivers a strong performance. However, it's Melling who steals the show. The guy is perfectly cast. His face kinda resembles the author and he delivers an impressive Southern accent and manages to make the already solid dialogue flow oh-so-well. It's too bad this isn't the sort of film that attracts award nominations, because I thought Melling was Oscar-worthy. I also like that Pale Blue Eye features a few faces you haven't seen in many films these days (or at least American ones.) Timothy Spall is Superintendent Thayer, the head of West Point, and I was blown away by his accent and voice. I've always seen him talk the same away. I never realized he was talented at voice work, too. You wouldn't know it was him if you just heard the audio. Also, there is one other actor or actress in this that did a great job, but I won't spoil them for you.

Recommended. This is just a well-made film.

Matilda the Musical

 

8/10

This adaptation of the stage musical and the second film adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl is about Matilda (played by Alisha Weir), a super smart, nice girl with lousy, awful parents (Stephen Graham and Oblivion's Andrea Riseborough), who gets sent to Crunchem Hall, where she ends up in conflict with the harsh and controlling headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson).

This was directed by Matthew Warchus, the stage director of the original musical. Though directors don't always make a successful transition to screen when adapting a musical (like with the Producers, it just seemed to utilize basic shots of the same choreography from the musical without much utilization of what the camera and editing could do), but I'm proud to say that Warchus is up there with the guys who did The Music Man and 1776 when it came to making a successful jump to screen; a really successful jump to screen, mind you. If you compare some modern musicals to those of the golden age, you may notice that the musical numbers often don't match the energy, choreography, or amount of detail put into the scene. This is not the case with Matilda. These have some of the best looking, shot and choreographed numbers in recent years. So much effort went into making these scenes feel engaging. This also has one of the most consistent catchiest song tracks in a musical in recent years. The songs by Tim Minchin are very catchy. Sure, there are weaker ones, but there isn't a single straight up bad one in the bunch. If you loved the stage version, be forewarned that from what I hear they had to cut several songs for time, including most for both the parents for time. So, sorry if you liked them. 

Understand that the musical adds a little bit to it that makes it darker than either the original book or the Nineties Danny Devito one. (If you're wondering how the musical compares to that one. They follow the same story points basically, but Devito focused more on the broad, dark comedy, whereas this focuses more on the darker and more British elements.) The parents and Trunchbull's abuse may be harsher than you'd expect. 

Excellent cast with a lot of great singers, especially the child cast. Alisha Weir gives a great performance, and I'm sorry Mara Wilson fans, but she just does a better job. Emma Thompson under a lotta makeup, plays an absolutely abhorrent but fascinating Trunchbull. I don't know if you can really compare her performance to Pam Ferris in the Devito version. They were both good in different ways. Whereas Ferris was a bulky and physically imposing schoolyard bully, Thompson is more psychologically imposing and even more authoritarian. She's also more unhinged, and for a kids film this does a surprisingly good job of establishing or at least hinting at a psychological profile for the woman.  

Highly recommended, the dark tone might be a bit much for very young children (my sister tried to explain to her niece why Matilda's parents were mean to her), and not everyone might be into the Dahl style of playing it dark and broad, but overall this is a very enjoyable and well made musical.

Darby and the Dead

6/10

In this film on Hulu, teen Darby Harper (played by Henry Danger's Riele Downs) had a near death experience as a child and can now see ghosts. She uses her ability to help them move on to the next world, but keeps herself distant from the living and is unsocial at school. Her rival, popular mean girl Capri (Auli'i Cravalho, best known for voicing Moana) dies, and she forces Darby into seeing that the big birthday party she had coming up still happens.

I can see why this went directly to streaming. The story had potential, but the whole thing feels like a basic Mean Girls formula story. It's not bad but sorta predictable. There isn't enough to really elevate the material. I'm definitely not the first to say this online, but it's got to be said, it can be kinda hard to sympathize with Capri and buy her growing friendship with Darby when she can be so mean and selfish at times. 

In the film's defense, there are some pretty funny lines sprinkled throughout, especially from Capri's trio of cheerleader friends. I also appreciate Capri's relationship with her boyfirend, aspiring singer/songwriter James (Shazam's Asher Angel). The writers refreshingly didn't go with him being either handsome, rich, the most popular guy in school, or a star player. Capri's, admittedly over-the-top, devotion to him feels genuine, which is a nice change of pace when compared to mean girls in other films.

I've got no complaints about the casting. Everyone does a solid job. Cravalho is pretty entertaining and energetic in her role. Supergirl's Nicole Maines, Kylie Lia Page, and Genneya Walton do a great and funny job as the cheerleaders. The movie also features a couple veteran actors who haven't had as much exposure as they used to. I won't spoil one, but the other is Who's the Boss' Tony Danza as Gary, a ghost friend of Darby's. He does a pretty good job.

A soft not recommended. Like I said, the film's so-so, but there's nothing awful about it. You don't need to see this, but it's not a bad time waster, and also like I said, there are some good lines.

Violent Night

 

7.5/10

Santa Claus (played by Stranger Things' David Harbor) delivers presents to wealthy Gertrude's house, which at the same time has been taken over by a heavily armed group of thieves. It's up to St. Nick to fight the robbers and save her family. So, yeah, this is exactly Santa Claus in a Die Hard.

Yeah, Violent Night was advertised as a tongue-in-cheek action film and it delivers. The majority of this is the writers trying to come up with inventive, Christmas-themed kills, and they pretty much nail it. (Bear in mind, if this is the sort of thing that bugs you, for a movie that's trying to have goofy fun, the civilian death count is higher than you'd expect.) 

The violence is pretty much why people will watch this, never mind the plot. The script itself is uneven, featuring some fun or clever parts and some that are just okay. Santa is well characterized and his interactions with the matriarch's granddaughter Trudy (Leah Brady), a true believer in Christmas, are well handled. However, the rest of the family are just kinda there, or in the case of Trudy's aunt's family, a little too cartoonish and one note even for this.

Harbor, who I noticed with his new found-fame often picks the let's-have-fun projects like Winter Soldier, Hellboy, and that Netflix special he did, knows exactly what's he's supposed to do in this, playing a jaded  and entertaining Santa, and he definitely nails the John McLaneesque hero-thrown-in-the-fire-pan role. Admittedly, a lot of the cast, played by people I've never seen before, are just alright. To be fair, the script isn't Shakespeare. The two actors who do make the dialogue work are the other two known actors in this, Beverly D'Angelo as the tough, no-nonsense Gertrude and John Leguizamo as the robbers' leader Scrooge (his codename, don't worry about it). Credit should especially given to Leguizamo. Lesser actors probably wouldn't have made the dialogue work. Though Scrooge has a good backstory, he's a basic Christmas villain who happens to have beef with the holiday. Leguizamo really manages to bring personality and conviction to him. Okay, still not the strongest antagonist ever, but it's a solid performance. 

Recommended. I mean, the movie earns its R rating, so if violence isn't your thing then it isn't your thing, but I think most people will have a good time. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

 

6.5/10

This sequel to the highest grossing movie of all time takes place many years after the original. On the planet Pandora,  Jake (played by Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) now have a family of four kids. Soon, they're under threat from the returning Earth military and end up seeking shelter with the water tribes.

Basically this is kinda like the first one. It looks AMAZING! It's fairly obvious by now that Cameron likes oceans, and it really shows. All the water work is top notch. I love the new worlbuilding for the marine side of Pandora. I also appreciate that the water tribes Na'vi look a little different from the land based ones and have a physiology that is more attuned to an aquatic lifestyle.

However, the plot again is just okay. To the movie's credit, it isn't quite as predictable as the "Dances with Wolves" formula of the first one. "Quite" I said. The "evil of colonization" tropes are still heavy-handed here. 

I liked the family dynamic in this and, again, the world building. I was pleasantly surprised with how they handled returning villain Quaritch (Stephen Lang). When I heard they were bringing him back, I wasn't enthused. After Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix, I'd grown weary of bringing back a villain who had a solid first run, but didn't really add much in subsequent appearances. Here, they do something interesting with Quaritch, and he has more to do personality-wise.

Movie probably didn't need to be three hours and twelve minutes. Again, plot's not bad but is predictable and not enticing enough to merit everyone's attention spans. (Though, this is a real experiences-will-vary situation. Personally, I never felt bored or found the length unbearable, but I never felt that time flew by either.) There is a lot of Na'vi being mad at/distrustful of humans and each other that gets old real fast. Some scenes just feel like they're setting up the next film without any payback in this. 

Also, the movie repeats the plot of the first one in that Jake must become accustomed to yet again another culture. (The reasoning why he goes to the water tribe feels really forced by the way.)

The acting is solid across the board, including the younger actors. 

Kinda recommended. Overall, if you were mainly into the visuals of Avatar regardless of plot, you get exactly what you're looking for. This looks great on the big screen. If you're not keen on having to sit through another just okay story for a long period of time, then this may not be for you.

Disenchanted

7.5

In this sequel to Enchanted, Giselle (played by Amy Adams), originally from the magical and animated kingdom of Andalasia, and her husband Robert (Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey) move from New York City to the suburb of Monroeville. Dealing with the stresses of a new baby, the move, and her now teenaged stepdaughter Morgan's resentment of said move, Giselle ends up making a wish that turns the suburb into a fairy tale land. Unfortunately, since Giselle is a stepmother, the spell starts turning her into a traditional fairy tale "evil stepmother."

So, yeah, this isn't on the same level as the first film. The more adult humor and moments are gone and the dialogue and emotional tone isn't quite as on point. The musical numbers aren't as lavish or as well-shot. The animation is kinda shabby for Disney and doesn't compare to the animation from fifteen flippin' years ago. However, the issues are mainly that the movie can't quite recreate the feel of the first. By itself, it's still a fun film and does a lot better than expected for a sequel that came out over a decade since the original. (Think of this like the more light-hearted TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze when compared to the first TMNT film.) 

I think the idea of Giselle dealing with the long term difficulties of living in the real world is an admittedly predictable idea of where to take the story. However, the route the movie goes down feels fresh. The idea of Giselle turning bad is really the best part. Amy Adams was already great at playing an upbeat Disney princess, but she proves how good an actress she is as she knocks the other identity out of the park. I was a little worried about how the villain (besides evil Giselle) would turn out as I thought the weakest part of Enchanted was Susan Sarandon's rather one-dimensional evil queen. I'm pleased to say I'm relieved. Though Maya Rudolph's evil queen Malvina isn't the most complex character, she is enjoyable and has a lot more screen time in which to get to know her. One of the best parts of the film is evil Giselle and Malvina fighting against each other for dominance.

The relationship between Giselle and Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) is the emotional backbone of the film and it's done really well delivering a very satisfying climax. The whole final act itself is really good and a lot more satisfying with the action, stakes, and visual spectacle.

Too bad the movie doesn't really know what to do with Robert, who's sidelined Kristoff in Frozen II-style, and King Edward (James Marsden), who's still funny whenever he's onscreen but isn't in this much because the story just doesn't have much room for him.

The songs are done by the king of Disney songs Alan Menken with lyrics by Wicked/King of Egypt's Stephen Schwartz. The songs mostly aren't on the same par as the original film, but they aren't bad and I appreciate they're ability to mimic the old school Disney-fairy tale style (though there's an I-have-a-dream song that is a little too on the nose if you ask me). The biggest issue people bring up about Enchanted is that it has Wicked/Frozen's Idina Menzel, but she doesn't sing a word (in fairness, from what I've heard, she did have a song but it got cut.) Disney has clearly made the effort to remedy this as she gets two songs, including one that really shows off her pipes (too bad it doesn't compare to her songs from both Frozen films). Now, back when I said the songs mostly weren't on the same tier, this "mostly" is referring to the exeption of the song Badder which is both entertaining and a real earworm. (I've been listening to this online on repeat since yesterday.) The last film never got a villain song (heck we haven't had a true Disney villain song for a while), and this movie makes up for it. It's a duet between Adams and Rudolph and they both kill it, especially Rudolph who I didn't realize was musically talented. It's really too bad that the audio is off in the film and the music is loud enough that it's hard to hear the lyrics. I recommend you turn on the subtitles or listen to the song in the end credits where the audio is correct.

Recommended. Again, this isn't the perfection of the first film (with the exception of the one weird out-of-nowhere poop gag; what was with that?), but it is enjoyable and one that's good for family night.