Haunted Mansion (2023)

6/10

It's been twenty years since the first Haunted Mansion movie which didn't do that well. (Never understood the hate for it. I liked it. Can we at least agree that Terrence Stamp was great in that?) Now, Disney has made a second attempt at doing a film based on its theme park attraction. In this, Ben Matthias (played by Lakeith Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck former astrophysicist dealing with tragic events in his life, becomes involved, based on a previous interest in ghosts, with breaking the curse on Gracey Manor.

This is one of those movies that have some good ideas and moments but fail to reach a cohesive whole. The editing is rather circumspect.

There are many decent lines but not all of them land. 

I like that this movie was more faithful to showing actual elements from the attraction and when you see the ghosts they're definitely fun and one of the highlights of the movie. They can even be a little scary but not too much for kids. You also get them early enough, so that you don't have to wait for them. However, the emphasis is on the human characters more than the ghosts, and I think that was a mistake. The movie's always more entertaining when spooky things happen.

The mansion and and the main antagonist The Hat Box Ghost (voiced by Jared Leto) both have interesting backgrounds to them. Ben's past is pretty emotional and well written. However, all the current goings on just aren't as intriguing or cohesive. There's one subplot involving a ghost that you think would be resolved, but it isn't.

I think that a problem with this is that the movie has too many characters to focus on. Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson would be a dream team, but they're not. Part of it is the writing for their characters not being the best to work with, but also there just isn't as much personal interaction between the talented actors as you'd think. Sure they're in a lot of scenes together, but they don't do that much together if you get my drift. 

Lakeith does a great job as Ben who's one of the best written parts. He really is a tragic, three-dimensional character, and a fairly solid guy once his mettle is tested. Second best character is Tiffany Haddish's psychic Harriet. Her character has the second most going on next to Ben. Haddish may be the best actor in this as she really sells a someone who's often trying to put on a confident face. 

Wilson as Father Kent and DeVito as history professor Bruce Davis do their best, especially the latter who shines when given a chance, but they're given so little to work with. I honestly feel Devito got a lot of scenes edited or cut, and he probably had a backstory that didn't make it in.

Dawson as the mansion's owner Gabbie is wasted. She's just a nice mom/love interest who isn't given much to do and definitely not proactive enough. She also gets the worse dialogue. There's one delivery from her that's truly awful, and I hope it was due to direction/editing. Chase Dillon as Gabbie's son Travis is one of those child actors who deliver their lines too much like an adult. Something always feels off about him.

I genuinely liked the villain in this. The Hat Box Ghost is an old school genteel, loquacious baddie, and I liked his retro style. 

Visually, director Justin Simien (Dear White People) has a great sense of visuals for not just the mansion, but all buildings. Even Ben's small place has a distinct look to the exterior.

Not recommended. It's not a hard no. It could be a decent watch for the kids, but there's no need to see this and definitely no reason to spend big bucks on it. I'd say the original Haunted Mansion was better. Yeah, Ben's conflict is definitely better than the "dad who's too busy working and has to learn to spend time with his family" conflict, but the original's overall plot was stronger.

The First Slam Dunk

9.5/10

This is a follow-up film to the anime Slam Dunk, and a retelling of the original manga's final match. (Yeah, First Slam Dunk makes it look like a prequel. Very confusing.) In this movie, the Shohoku high school basketball team compete against their rivals the unbeatable Sanno for the championship title. The focus is on not the series' main lead Hanamichi Sakuragi but on Ryota Miyagi, the short but fast member of the team, and gives us his backstory.

This may be some of the most impressive 2D animation of the decade. I've been impressed with how recent animation, even for television, has been able to get closer and closer to manage to duplicate the specific looks of the original manga illustrators' pencilings. This may be one of the closest to a manga page truly come to life I've ever seen. The coloring even feels like the type you'd see used sometimes in manga pages. This is written and directed by the manga's original creator Takehiko Inoue, and the character design and animation looks so good in this. The movement is also really lifelike, like rotoscoping. Even the motion of faceless background characters in the crowd look good.

Characters have a 2D1/2 look to them and sometimes the use of this juxtaposed against regular 2D backgrounds or the use of CGI in general can look a little off sometimes. Also, the coloring of character's hair tapering off at the border of the their heads can look weird. However, none of these issues are deal breakers.

Direction itself is so tight. The baseball scenes are intricately executed. The movie makes you feel the tension at the end and the struggle the players go through against such a powerful team. You don't notice at first, but it becomes apparent as things heat up that the music and sound editing also really complement the game. I loved how the gym (or whatever facility, it's never specified) they're in looks. The flashback scenes for Ryoto also have fine detail that help tell the story.

What differentiates this from other sports movies is that the current plot all takes place during one game; no series of matches building up and not even scenes of the characters preparing beforehand or entering the facility. It turns out that focusing on only one game can really work. It doesn't feel drawn out or boring (in fact things pick up as the game goes on) and really shows the stress and passion that one can have in playing a very important game.

It's a pleasant surprise that the rival team isn't portrayed, as they are often stereotypically done in American movies and television, as jerks, or its coach as an angry or corrupt guy who's consumed with winning. Sure they're a little overconfident with their success and not as charming as their leads, but that's it. They're true athletic forces on the court and that's all they need, and the coach is a shrewd operator.

Ryota's story, though admittedly can't match the game itself, is a well told tale of rising above tragedy and the relationship between him and his mother is something I hadn't seen done in quite this way before. 

The movie works well enough for first time watchers. (I've read that that was Inoue's intent.) You're just thrown in and don't get a lot of backstory on characters, but they tend to fit basic types, so it doesn't take a lot of work to figure what these characters are about.

The back-and-forth between timelines can get a little annoying. For the first half, I was hoping the game scenes would switch back to the flashbacks, so I wanted to see how story points would be resolved or answered and for the second half, I wanted to keep watching the game because I'd gotten so involved. The past scenes also could've been shorter. I commend the movie for saying a lot with little or no dialogue, but it still could've been streamlined.

Fans of the original manga and anime may be disappointed that they've been waiting for the finale to be animated for years, and it turns out to not be a pure adaptation. You don't get to see much of a follow-up after the game (which I assumed would be in the manga). Most importantly, if you were following Sakuragi all this time, you'd might be frustrated that he's second fiddle in the culmination of his story.

Highly recommended. This may be the best sports movie I've ever seen and it looks amazing. I've never been so drawn into a fictional sports match before this.

Secret Invasion

6.5/10

In this new Marvel limited series on Disney+ based on the comics storyline, Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) must deal with a secret rebellion planned by rogue Skrulls, alien shapeshifters, refugees who've been living on Earth for decades and are tired of their hidden status and Fury not realizing his promise to find them a new homeworld.

Secret Invasion is a mixed bag. On one hand they're truly surprising reveals, great scenes and character moments or deliveries, and solid action. The sociopolitical history of the Skrulls is interesting. I also give this credit for being one of the darkest and most violent MCU entries.

On the other hand, the story doesn't go to places as good as you've set up in your mind. Everybody's motives are explained, but it always feels like they needed more time or flashbacks to explain things. It really feels like time wasn't properly utilized. Some of the big risks the writers take do not pay off. I definitely wanted more from the conclusion.

It may have been a miscalculation to center the entire show around Fury. For a show about a global plot, this may've worked better as an ensemble show darting back and forth between various players to get a better look at the big picture.

We don't get Fury in the prime of his energy here. Don't get me wrong, this is Samuel Jackson, so he gives a fine performance, but it's as a world-wearier Fury (who was kinda world-weary to begin with) haunted by his failings. Fury has a long history working with the Skrulls, and I applaud the writers for having him have real mixed feelings about how events have turned out.

Ben Mendelsohn returns as Fury's ally the Skrull Talos. He's one of the high points of this as the most optimistic character in the show. He's got a great dynamic with Fury, and you get the feeling that they've been work friends for years. Mendelsohn often gets typecast as villains, and he's clearly jumping at the chance to play a good guy.

Olivia Coleman is both funny yet kinda scary as Sonya Falsworth, Fury's British counterpart who's always cheery and level-headed, yet easily mows down the enemy without mercy. Sort of a lawful chaotic character.

I wouldn't say Skrull terrorist leader Gavrik is one of the top Marvel villains, but his actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (who was recently the loyal friend to the main Ken in the Barbie movie) iss clearly talented and when the script gives him the chance to shine, he sure does. His final confrontation with Fury is one of the highlights of the show.

If you're expecting so see a lot of Skrull makeup or CGI, prepare to be disappointed. Disney is clearly saving on money by having them appear in human form as much as possible. 

The opening credits are controversial because they used AI to create them (though, they say that actual creatives oversaw the whole affair). I must say that I haven't had an open credits catch my attention like this in some time. (With the exception of the opening credits to Housebroken, an adult animated show about pets. The theme song is catchy as hell.) It has this intriguing, surreal quality to it that has to be seen. 

Kinda recommended. The show never reaches its full potential, but there are some very good parts in this. This is one of those situations where people will probably be divided on whether they like it or not.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

8/10

In 1969, Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) is retiring, but he's dragged into artifact hunting one last time by his goddaughter Helena (Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge). What ensues is an Indy-style chase for part of a compass created by Archimedes.

Dial definitely feels more like classic Indy than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. (And I'm not trying to knock KotCS. Had a decent time. Don't understand the hardcore hate for it. Yeah, yeah, there was the refrigerator scene. Temple of Doom had Indy rafting down a mountain slope from a plane and a minecart track built over lava without melting. Suspension of disbelief, people.) Spielberg had gotten a bit tamer by the time of KotCS and this movie brings back the harder action edge found in the original trilogy. The opening fight scene in particular is just peak Indy and so enjoyable. (Admittedly, some chase scenes could've been shorter.) The final act is also definitely something and different.

This is also one of the darkest Indy films. This goes harder with civilian casualties than usual and this might not be ideal for you if you prefer more lighthearted action fare. This movie also carries on this nasty recent trend of having the protagonist or protagonists of a film series that has had long gaps between entries wind up in a worse place in life than where we last saw them. It's nihilistic, and I'm getting tired of it. In fairness, this plot point does have its reasons and does emotionally resonate more than with other films of this type.

There is one unresolved plothole that's impossible to ignore. I don't know what they were thinking with letting that string hang.

Harrison Ford is 81 years old, and he still KILLS it as Indy. Yeah, he isn't able to get into physical fights with people now (I congratulate the film on being completely realistic that Indy's gotten old), but he still has that energy and sheer passion he holds for archaeology. This movie does something that no other film really does: it shows Indy being truly emotional and honest and again Ford KILLS the performance here. You may argue that the IJ saga should've stayed a trilogy, but I thinks it's Indy's dramatic scenes here that justify the film.

Phoebe-Waller works well as a sharp-tongued comedic foil/sidekick for Indy. She's merely interested in profit which easily conflicts with the more noble Indy. (Yes, yes, Indiana should probably return artifacts to their countries of origin. Let's not get into that.) 

Antagonists are also stronger than in KotCS. Mads Mikllelson is the villain, former Nazi scientist Dr. Voller. Yeah, American films tend to typecast Mikkelson as the baddie, and he's got greater range than that, but he does do it well. Here he manages to make Voller different than some of his previous roles by adding a little dimension to the character than just being calmly evil. (Admittedly I haven't seen his Gindewald, so I can't comment on that.) Voller is clearly fueled by a desperate urgency in his search for the compass. He's also got a couple henchmen, the typical one who's HUGE and the typical one who's got a mouth on him, and they work pretty well.

Movie looks pretty nice. Yeah, I miss the more practical effects and natural lighting of the original trilogy, but the computer animation and artificial look isn't as in your face as KotCS. There are a lot of exotic locales here (perhaps too much) and director James Mangold (Girl Interrupted, Logan, Ford vs. Ferrari) puts a lot of detail into the crowds and historic setting. The digital face for younger Indy for the flashback at the beginning is quite realistic and you have to focus on it for a sec before you realize it's fake.

Recommended. Again, latter Indy isn't as good as the original trilogy, but this is still an entertaining film and is definitely the most moving of all of them. If anything, watch it for Ford's performance.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

7/10

In Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, the titular Ruby (voiced by To all the Boys I've Loved's Lana Condor) is a Kraken, legendary creature of the deep, whose family have disguised themselves as humans and live in the coastal town of Seaside. Ruby's never been in the ocean and her mother forbids her from entering. However, soon an event will cause Ruby to get in touch with her Kraken heritage.

So, yes, it's the coming-of-age story that was Turning Red but told more simply and not as well. However, by itself RGTK ain't a half bad watch. 

Ruby's likable enough and though this is no Turning Red, her relationship with her mother Agatha (Toni Collette) works well enough. The humor is also decent and the writers were clearly having fun.

The best part is the look of Seaside. It's a very creative looking place that doesn't exist in the real world and is like an American Venice. The design and color for the settings all pop.

At first I didn't think I'd like the character animation. I'm not a big fan of simplistic looks, but I changed my mind on this. All the characters have a unique appearance with differing body and head shapes and the movement animation works gels with the simplicity. Also at first, it bugged me that the Gillmans are able to pass for human when they are blue and have fin ears. However, they explain it away in the movie in a manner that was amusing and worked for me.

Voice acting's alright. The standout here is Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy as popular new girl Chelsea Van Der Zee. Her voice has this energy to it that jumps off the screen. On the other hand, SNL/Last Man on Eath's Will Forte voices sea captain Gordon Lighthouse, and he doesn't work. Forte's trying but it sounds like he's attempting to be a sea captain rather than actually being a sea captain.

Besides the simplicity of the story, the movie has two weak points that prevents it from being better.: 1) Though Agatha's reasons for not returning to the ocean are explained, it felt like the backstory should've had more detail and tried to hit harder emotionally. 2) The outcome of Chelsea's storyline just aren't as narratively interesting as possibilities you could've come up with in your head.

Kinda recommended. Yeah, it's not perfect and the story goes for basic children's film rather than try to be ambitious, but it's still a fun watch, and I definitely recommend checking out Seaside. This is Dreamworks' lowest grossing animated film at the box office, and it doesn't deserve that. It's much better than the likes of Shark Tale, Antz, Spirit, and Sinbad. Your kids will probably like it; my nieces and nephew had a fun time watching this.

Oppenheimer

 

9/10

This new Christopher Nolan film looks at how physicist J. Robert Oppnheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) led the team that created the atomic bomb and how he was eventually forced out of the Atomic Energy Commission and any other influence on atomic weapon policy in government.

This movie is a gripping three-dimensional portrayal of Oppenheimer as both a man compelled to help win the war but also as a man grappling with such a deadly weapon he's unleashed upon the world. Many have criticized the three hour run time, but it really does allow you to get a feel for Oppenheimer as a person. (There is one scene in particular near the beginning that will make you say "Did that really happen?! Feels like a stretch." I checked and yeah, that's generally what happened, just movied up a bit.) There are also a LOT of historical characters in this, but I wouldn't have wanted to drop any of them. Having all these figures really enhances the historical feel to the film.

What mostly prevents this movie from getting boring is that Nolan realizes you shouldn't spend too much time on one scene. This isn't a film about long drawn out dialogues in order to fill out the runtime. This movie hammers in historical plot point after historical plot point. Every new thing I learned was pretty interesting. (Admittedly, I felt exhausted by the first part of the third act, yeah this is so long the acts have acts, but things start getting engrossing again.)

The movie is really about two things. One is naturally about the creation of the atomic bomb, all the effort that went into it and Oppenheimer and his fellow scientist's moral struggles with what they were doing, and the other part that wasn't apparent in the trailers was about his being forced out of the political sphere because his viewpoints didn't match the hawkish powers that be. This part is just as watchable as it is a very pointed look at how science and people are manipulated by politicians and the military and how Oppenheimer was useful until he wasn't.

This is a Christopher Nolan film, so the thing is shot and edited superbly. The story is told in a non-linear manner, but I never got confused as to what was going on. This has some of the best use of sound I've seen in a movie in a while; Nolan uses it a couple times to great dramatic effect. There's one scene in this that's chilling. 'Course since this is a Nolan film and he's an old school auteur, he's basically yelling at you "Cinema! Cinema! Cinema, d***it!" There is one artsy scene I felt was trying too hard.

Mostly the makeup in this showing Oppenheimer and others aging, was really, really good. It felt so natural. However, when I said "mostly," for some reason the very final stage of makeup looked fake; luckily there's not much of it.

Cillian has always been a good actor, but this may be the one performance he'll be most remembered and possibly receive an Oscar for. He makes you feel for Oppenheimer, but he also makes it clear he's not perfect. I also see supporting acting nominations for Emily Blunt, in a strong-willed performance as Oppenheimer's wife Kitty, and Robert Downey Jr. as former AEC head Lewis Strauss. You wouldn't guess it from the trailers, but Downey is basically the third biggest character in this. Since recently Downey's been knowing for playing a type, but here he's playing against character, and I almost didn't recognize him at first, he's so different looking in this. 

The entire, large cast is solid. You get some big names in this as well as some actors you probably recognize and like, but they don't get as much exposure as they should.

Highly recommended. This is one of Nolan's best films and a great rebound from Tenet.

Barbie

 

9.5/10

In this new film, Stereotypical Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) lives in the idyllic Barbieland where all the Barbie dolls live. One day, Barbie starts having dark thoughts and becoming more realistic. In order to go back to normal, she goes on a journey to the real world.

Barbie is one of the funniest movies this year. They're so many delightful lines in this. This is one of those movies like the original Enchanted or Return of the Killer Tomatoes that jumps straight into the deep end of the inherent silliness of the whole basic concept. 

Director-writer team Greta Gerwig (Ladybird/Little Women) and Noah Bambauch mine all the known details about Barbie they can, like Weird Barbie (SNL's Kate McKinnon), the Barbie that's damaged by having her owner play with her too much, or ractual ecalled/controversial Barbies (they have a lot of fun with this, and I won't spoil how misconceived some of these were), or lesser known Barbies like Ken's pal Allan (Michael Cera). There's an unexpected whole subplot about the Kens basically being considered Barbie's accessories and second-hand citizens in a world where women can and do all the jobs. 

When I heard Barbie was going to the real world, I was worried that this would be like the live-action Smurfs movies or the He-Man movie where the potential of the fantasy world is sacrificed for more mundane goings-ons. However, I'm pleased to say that this takes place more in Barbieland than the real world. The movie sort of has a magic realism feel to it, and I like that they treat Barbies coming to reality as something that's happened and is a secret kept by Mattel rather than something everyone has to wrap their heads around for the first time.

Despite the filmmakers clearly having fun with the whole concept, at times the movie can be surprisingly poignant. There's like four or so emotional moments that play off better than you expect. Besides being a movie that celebrates Barbie, the movie also analyzes the pros and cons of the character's influence, and compares the idealistic women-dominated world of Barbieland to reality. I was surprised with a couple scenes that though they don't go to the darkest places are completely candid with how men can treat women as objects. Be prepared that some of these moments could make certain people uncomfortable. I have to applaud Mattel for giving Gerwig sheer range and not shying away from some of the more regretful aspects of Barbie over the years.

Barbieland looks fantastic as it is the plastic world of Barbie brought to life and feels authentic.  Not to mention that Gerwig just generally has a great design sense. Really, I haven't seen such bright and simply fun visuals in a major motion picture in a while. Costumes also appear accurate to those actually worn by Barbie dolls. Also, we get a great soundtrack that perfectly accentuates what's going, including four new solid songs, including entries from Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish.

Margot Robbie was the perfect choice for Barbie. She has such a wide range in this and nails all of the character's various emotions. Considering that Ryan isn't know for comedy, his casting as Ken was a surprise, but he gives the funniest performance in the entire film as kinda a big child. Unfortunately, there isn't enough time to list the entire great cast in this. (Gerwig really had the magic touch when it came to casting each Barbie). I will give a quick shout out to Ugly Betty/Superstore's America Ferrera who's likable as the human who aids Barbie and Michael Cera who's Allan is so darn watchable as the unpopular doll who can be equally awkward but is also one of the saner characters and an underdog you root for. 

I found this but to be highly enjoyable, but the ending has a few nitpicks for me. I thought the last scene of the Kens' storyline could've been cut down for time and could've been handled better. Also, they make you like Allan, but the character doesn't really have a final destination.

Though Barbie is a child's toy, this movie feels more written for teens and adults (it's PG-13). That having been said, I wouldn't say your kid can't watch it, I just can't guarantee if they'll keep up with the plot. (They'll probably like the visuals, though.) Barbie is a girl's toy, but I feel the jokes and messages in this can appeal to anyone.

Highly recommended. This is like The Lego Movie or the Paddington movies where they really manage to elevate and make a good film out of an existing IP.