Fargo- Season 5

9.5/10

In season 5 of the FX anthology series, housewife Dot Lyon (Ted Lasso's Juno Temple) finds her life and family under threat when a shadow from the past pursues her.

The last couple seasons haven't been as strong as the first two, so I'm proud to say that 5 is a real return to form. It both feels like the classic Fargo formula while also reinventing itself. (I especially appreciate that this has more of the main character's family life, which I felt really helped make seasons 1 and 2 work and juxtaposes well against the crueler aspects of the world of Fargo.) What ensues is a pretty well written look at the American political divide and the nature of debt coupled by an interesting story and characters. Creator Noah Hawley's gift for excellently crafted dialogue and monologues is at full speed here. The last three episodes may have been the most engrossing cap off to a season of Fargo there's been, and the very last scene of the entire show may be one of the best moments on television I've ever seen.

Going in though, understand that this is also the darkest season of Fargo (and that's saying something.) Sure, the show's always been about violent crime, but this one focuses on a pretty sensitive subject that may not be for everyone and DOES NOT shy away from the matter.

Visually, the show is also still top knotch with some film-quality shots. Plus, there's some of the best use of music the show's ever done.

I'm glad Temple's work on Ted Lasso really helped jump start her career in America. (Unlike the rest of the British cast on that show she'd already been working regularly in the US, but a lot of her films were flops or limited release.) She brings such a humanity and determination to her character (all with a pretty fun midwestern accent.) Rest of the cast is also great. Jennifer Jason Leigh excels as Dot's sarcastic, cold-blooded billionaire mother-in-law Lorraine Lyon, who inexplicably has an outdated transatlantic accent.

Mad Men's Jon Hamm is antagonist Roy Tillman, a constitutional sherriff and rancher from a line of sheriffs who rules his county like a fiefdom. He's different from previous Fargo villains. Most of them are the love to hate types. Tillman, however, is designed simply to be hated. Hamm is really pulling off the loathsome. (Most villains are honest with themselves in their criminality whereas Tillman clearly feels he's the hero of his story.) You don't watch because of fascination of the character, you want to see if he'll get his just deserts or not. But don't worry, the show still has its interesting villain. Ole Munch (Sam Spruell, who was the main baddie in Jodie Whittaker's last season of Doctor Who) is this season's contract criminal. The tall, kilt-wearing Danish man is a fascinatingly eccentric fellow who doesn't have a personal stake in the matters at hand and brings his own personal philosophy into the events.

Unfortunately, there are so many characters that some of them don't get enough screentime. Kids in the Hall/Newsradio's Dave Foley gets to be Lorraine's one-eyed lawyer/fix-it man Danish Graves who's got a flair about him. New Girl's Lamorne Morris gives the best performance I've ever seen him do as a kind-hearted cop caught in Dot's story. Both of them you truly wish you got more of. 

Highly recommended. This is peak golden age television.

Lift

6.5/10

In Lift, master thief Cyrus (played by Kevin Hart) and his crew are recruited by Interpol agent Abby (Belle/Loki's Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who was previously after them, in order to steal a large shipment of gold being transported via plane to terrorists.

This is a fairly basic heist film in terms of characters, dialogue, and set up, but it is still a light, breezy experience that managed to keep my attention. I particularly liked that this was trying to be an escapist film without civilian casualties, but the filmmakers also managed to make the villains fairly nasty/reprehensible enough within the PG-13 boundaries.

The most unique aspect of this is the flight-based heist. I won't spoil anything, but I hadn't a heist done this way before (haven't seen money plane, but I'm pretty sure they're going a different route than Money Plane). This is a popcorn film, and they make the exterior and interiors of planes in this (one of which is first class) pretty appealing with sleek and colorful modern design.

It's kinda apparent that Hart is doing this to prove that he can also be a dramatic/action star. Known for his particular comedic style, he plays it completely straight here without jokes, and he does a decent job. Wouldn't say he's become the most charismatic action star, but he sells the character. Vincent D'Onofrio plays the flamboyant member of the gang and as the actor has proven in The Magnificent Seven and Dumb Money he relishes whenever he can go over-the-top. Attention should also be given to Torchwood/Pacific Rim's Burn Gorman (who is unappreciated in my opinion) as the villain's right hand who brings a little bit of personality to the role.

Kinda recommended. Not the greatest heist movie ever but makes for a passable time waster.

Mean Girls (2024)

8/10

In this film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical adaptation of the original 2004 Mean Girls movie which itself was loosely based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabees (whew...), Cady Herron (played by Angourie Rice who was Betty Brant in the latest Spider-Man trilogy), who has lived in Africa and been home schooled all her life, gets to experience American school life for the first time. Here, she captures the attention of the glamorous but mean queen bee of the school Regina George (The Sex Lives of College Girls' Renee Rapp who also originated the role on Broadway) and soon finds herself in Regina's toxic clutches.

Screenwriter Tina Fey had the unenviable position of adapting a musical to film while also having to remake her own film. I heard the original musical followed the original's pretty closely but Fey couldn't just have them repeat all the dialogue. She did a surprisingly good job of still following all the general beats while coming up with an original script. Yeah, the original movie was funnier but this is a pretty entertaining follow-up where the script and dialogue don't falter. Admittedly, what with this having songs in it, some story parts felt a little rushed or slimmed (I definitely would've liked more time with Regina's followers Gretchen Weiners (Bebe Wood) and Karen Shetty (Avantika)) when compared to the original but the whole affair still runs pretty smoothly).

The best part of this is that Fey's had twenty years to think about what parts about popularity and girl cruelty could've been better said or handled. I thought this movie honestly did a better job of actually showcasing and analyzing mean girls. The movie has Regina be more three-dimensional and imply without directly saying why she is the way she is. Cadie being sucked into the "mean girl" world felt more prominent and the battle with her selfish side feels a lot stronger here.

If you're a fan of the original musical, I've got to warn you: Approximately seven songs are cut or replaced (I'm not counting the reprises). I haven't seen so many songs cut since the film adaptation of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas back in the eighties and that wasn't even that many. A lot of songs also feel like their rhythm has been altered; not that this has never happened before with adaptations (like the Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer song in Cats or the wolf song in Into the Woods), but I've never seen it so prevalent. In fairness, you have to give the creators credit for making sure the script worked and wasn't bogged down by requisite musical numbers. They remember that this is a movie and not a show and have this piece last an acceptable, non-indulgent 1 hour and 52 minutes. As for the songs in this movie themselves, yeah, most of them are pretty good with Regina's songs being the real highlights.

This was originally shot for Paramount+ before the execs thought this could make the big bucks in the theaters. Because of this, the movie definitely has a mid-budget feel. You can see this was shot at an older school and not one of those nicer ones you usually see used in theatrical films, and "Africa" is clearly just some field in America. However, I give directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. credit for doing a lot with what they had. This is their first feature-length fiction film, and I wish them the best as they show promise. The musical numbers pop in terms of choreography and visuals. 

The original movie had iconic casting, but the gang here isn't shabby, even the ones who don't shine as brightly as the originals still are pretty good. The standouts here are Rapp, who has the best voice, kills her numbers and has a slightly tougher version of Regina that is on equal with that of Rachel McAdams, and Auli'i Cravalho (the voice of Moana), as Cady's friend Janis 'Imi'ike, she's also a great singer and has this more fun energy to her that I feel out does original actress Lizzy Caplan. Although I think Amanda Seyfried was the best and more well-rounded Karen, the simple-minded member of the clique, Avantika is pretty entertaining as she makes the choice to make the character a wide-eyed space case 85% of the time. Weakest actor might actually be lead Rice. She does alright but has the weakest singing voice and her speaking voice feels a little muted in the beginning. However, when it comes to her personality being influenced by the events around her, I actually thought her changes were done stronger than original actress Lindsay Lohan.

Recommended. Sure it isn't as good as the original but is definitely an entertaining time by itself and frankly came out better than I thought it would. This really does have some of the best shot musical numbers of recent years.

Rebel Moon: Part 1--A Child of Earth

5.5/10

In Zack Snyder's new film on Netflix, a small village on a moon face the threat of a warship from the galactic empire known as the Imperium, which wants their crops. To save themselves, villager Gunnar (played by Treme's Michiel Huisman) and newer resident with a mysterious past Kora (2017's The Mummy's Sofia Boutella) go in search of warriors to help fight back.

This is a very derivative sci-fi space film. The plot is basically Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven in space, and they already did that in the early 80's with Battle Beyond the Stars. The Imperium feels a lot like the military in Dune. The empire's soldiers dress way too similarly to Nazis. (At least the military uniforms in Star Wars were "generally" fascist.)

Almost all the Imperium soldiers are way too one dimensional super, super EVIL. Gets exhausting.

There isn't much special about this movie, but there are moments where there are clever ideas.

Snyder has always been know for style over substance, and has delivered some truly epic visuals that most aren't capable of achieving. So, I'm disappointed to say that this is one of his least impressive looking films. The sets in particular just don't feel that ambitious. In fairness, credit should go to the digital effects teams because their detail work when it comes to space ships or cities is pretty good.

No complaints about the casting here. The actors aren't given much to work with but they do their best. This feels like Boutella's main lead role in a major motion picture, and she steps up to the plate even if she is the typical "tough female warrior". I hope this advances her career. Though he plays a cliched fascist, Ed Skrein is clearly having fun playing the warship's commander. Credit should also be going to Mishuis, who does a good job of displaying Gunnar's noviceness, but not ignorance, when dealing with the world outside his village. (Also, props to Ant-Man's Corey Stoll as the village's leader, a role very different form his usual ones. The guy is almost unrecognizable; didn't realize he had that range.)

The best you can say about Rebel Moon is that it is a film. The movie isn't particularly weak but there is barely anything original about it. Can't recommend but can't say you need to avoid either.

Night Swim

7.5/10

In Night Swim, Ray Waller (played by Falcon and the Winter Soldier/Monarch's Wyatt Russell), a former baseball player suffering from multiple sclerosis, and his family move into a new house with a pool, but it's not a regular pool, it's a scary supernatural murder pool.

I'm surprised that a pool has never been turned into a an average--object-turned-element-of-murder movie. Pools are kinda scary. People can drown, strike their heads on the cement parts/diving board, and there's something unknown/ominous about the gaps where the water flows through. This movie makes good use of the concept and does a diverse job of showing various ways in which this pool just ain't right. There's some fairly creepy imagery, including seeing things in the background that aren't in focus. However, the scares are diminishing returns; the best parts are earlier on.

The plot itself is decent but could've been improved upon. There are plenty of horror movie families, but you don't usually see one dealing with a family member with a disease, which adds a little more to the usual formula. You get a feel for the characters, especially the dad, but the script doesn't go for that extra mile in their characterization. Some scenes and dialogue are mixed in quality. (This was originally a short film and you can see some of the growing pains in fleshing the story out.) Cast is good, especially Russell, but there is one small role that really isn't working.

Special effects and makeup are fairly good, though there a couple moments that feel a little weak. This is one of those horror situations where the supernatural threats aren't as effective as when you clearly see them.

Recommended. Story is good but not great. What makes this work definitely is the scares. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

 

7.5/10

In what is considered the last film in the DCEU, Aquaman/Arthur Curry (played by Jason Momoa) is now the king of Atlantis and has to juggle between that position and as a family man. Soon, all that Aquaman holds dear is threatened when his vengeful nemesis Black Manta (the 2021 Candyman's Yahya Abdul Mateen II) returns with a dangerous new weapon and plot. In order to track him down, Aquman must recruit Orm (Insidious/The Conjuring's Patrick Wilson), the villain of the first film and Aquaman's half brother.

I feel that the DCEU is gonna out on at least a decent note. There is nothing about AatLC that breaks the mold, but it is a fun ride. Got some decent jokes in this and entertaining sci-fi/fantasy fight scenes. The best part of this is the depiction of Atlantis/the underwater world in general. The design looks really eye-catching.

The last film focused on a lot of drama about the court/royalty-side of Atlantis. There was all this backstory about Aquaman and setup for the whole kingdoms of the ocean that it did feel a little bloated and soap opera-ish. I like that this film is leaner and focuses more on the adventure. However, this movie did not need to be so long. A lot of the story is Aquaman and Orm pursuing Black Manta to a location, fight a threat and rinse and repeat.

The core of this is Aquman's relationship with Orm. They work well off of each other with Aquaman being a chill jokester and Orm being the uptight but intelligent one. Though Orm was a straight up #$@! who wants Aqua Man defeated in the last film, he was given enough dimension to show why he was the way he was, and this film does a good job of bridging that gap to where he's working with his half-brother. (In fact, the two movies flow into each other really cohesively. Unlike the Shazam sequel, this actually pays off the previous setup.) Orm's seen his dreams and expectations destroyed, so he is still arrogant but more accessible and since his actions, though twisted, were for protecting his kingdom, his ability to see the bigger picture makes working his half-brother seem reasonable. That having been said, it does feel questionable of the filmmakers to try to freshen up Orm's image considering that he's killed many innocents.

Fresh off the Boat's Randall Park has the honor of being one of the most entertaining performances in both the Marvel films and the DC films as Dr. Stephen Shin, a scientist forced to work with Black Manta and constantly worried about what he is doing. He brings the perfect combo of humor and humanity.

I did miss the chemistry between Aquaman and his love interest Mera (Amber Heard). She's barely in this, and it feels like they basically substituted Orm for her as someone more serious to work off of Aquaman. Director James Wan claims the story was always going to focus on the brothers, but considering the recent controversy about Heard, one cannot but feel that there is a different reason for her absence. If the latter is true, one cannot wonder if they couldn't have just recast.

Recommended. AatLK a good time-waster and popcorn film. 

Doctor Who- 60th anniversary special trilogy and Christmas special

9/10

For the start of Doctor Who's move to Disney+, we get a trilogy of specials for the 60th anniversary of the show and a Christmas special. In the trilogy, the Doctor has surprisingly not regenerated into a new form but into a previous one, his Tenth (played by David Tennant). He ends up running into his old companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) which places her in danger again. The two end up going against three threats. Then, we get the debut of the new 15th Doctor (Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) who will be helming DW's upcoming season. In his Xmas special, The Church on Ruby Road the Doctor goes up against baby-napping goblins.

Russell T. Davies, the creator of the recent DW and show runner of the first four seasons is back. When he originally left, I was okay with it and ready to give the next guy a chance. Davies could be silly/childish, maybe have the Doctor be a little too emotional at times, and throw too many ideas into one episode. However, I realized I took Davies for granted and didn't appreciate what I had with him. Davies understood this was a show for the young and old and though death always follows the Doctor, this is a show about hope. The other show runners forgot that and could forget the human element or go too dark and/or nihilistic. 

The human element definitely feels back here. Donna's married now, and it's been so long that we've seen her that she's now got a daughter Rose (Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney). It used to bug me that every companion had to have a full family attached, but I realized this keeps them grounded, and I missed the feeling of family that Davies effortlessly brought. I particularly realized how much I missed the Noble family in general. Tate hasn't missed a beat as the sharp-tongued Donna, and Jacqueline King as her mother Sylvia is very watchable when you see her in her protective mode and her sheer dislike of putting up with another of the Doctor's adventures. The Doctor generally cared for Donna and her grandfather, and his reactions to reuniting with the Nobles feels really pure here. Tennant and Tate have still got it and they work off of each other so well.

Though the specials of the new Who are a resetting of the tone, Davies doesn't brush aside previous show runners' decisions (including those two very controversial decisions from last season) under the rug and does a surprisingly good job of running with them. The whole crux of these specials is Tennant's Doctor dealing with his baggage in a surprisingly meaningful and emotional way. 

The humor of the early years is back and it is infectious.

As for the three specials themselves: The first is just a fun adventure in Davies' vein of DW. The second is one of the "ominous threat" style of episodes. If you love those, you'll like this as it's very well done. The second is a big finale and is an excellent combo of heart, grandeur, and scares. Not to mention that this has one of the best villains/villain performances in the entire show. That third episode is simply one of the most satisfying finales in the history of DW.

Now to the Xmas special. Only one episode in and I'm already liking Ncuti. He's more of an openly high energy life-loving/good-natured style of Doctor. His new companion is Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson). I do fear we may have some companion fatigue as her persona does feel a little derivative of previous companions. That having been said, Gibson does ain't too shabby in the part, especially when she's being enthusiastic.

The special isn't as fun as the last three, but it still makes for a solid episode. The goblins make for silly but still threatening foes.

What all four specials have in common are improved special effects due to the show's deal with Disney+. Yeah, the recent seasons have been looking pretty good for British television budgets, but the effects are at another level here. There is a whimsical splendor to some of the sets/digital backgrounds here.

Highly recommended. The 60th specials in particular are must see and the third may be one of the best in the show's history. If you once loved DW but lost interest after Davies left, you may want to return, because what you originally loved about the show is back.