Last night I saw Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer.
It's been 40 years since Laurie Strode (Curtis), a young babysitter, survived an attack by killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) in her Illinois town. Now, he's being transferred from one prison facility to another, and Laurie is ready for him.
Laurie's severe PTSD from the incident has plagued her for decades, causing her to lose her family due to her paranoia. She lives outside of town in a house she's converted to a bunker of sorts, complete with an arsenal of weapons to protect herself. Her daughter Karen (Greer) keeps her distance and encourages her own daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) to do the same.
Unfortunately, something goes horribly wrong during the transfer and Myers is again a free man, roaming the same streets he once terrorized so many Halloweens ago. Laurie, along with members of law enforcement who were on the hunt for him in 1978, set out to get justice—one way or another.
This sequel to the original (which pretends none of the other sequels happened) is satisfying on many levels: seeing the original actors return to reprise their roles is a delight and the realistic way they've advanced the characters is a relief. Honestly, I couldn't find much wrong with this. It was suspenseful, clever, fun, jumpy and terrifying just like the first one.
Michael Myers strikes again.
~~~
Showing posts with label sequel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sequel. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Monday, July 23, 2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
On Saturday, I saw Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Amanda Seyfried and Lily James.
Sophie (Seyfried) is on the verge of opening the hotel her mother Donna (James/Meryl Streep) had always dreamed of running. She's having trouble with her boyfriend, trouble with the weather and trouble with nausea. Of course, she sings about all of it.
Through present-day scenes with her and flashbacks of her young mother at a similar time in her life, we explore the parallels between the two women in a more heartwarming way that I honestly expected.
Lily James does a brilliant job of conveying the spirit of young Donna (a role originated by the magnificent Streep), finding herself in a new life on a small island, pregnant with Sophie. We get the backstory on how she first met Sophie's three dads (in somewhat comical retellings) and see her bravery and fears surface in vibrant color.
The film is enjoyable, if not a bit sad at poignant moments, and the always-reliable A-list stars definitely deliver (they even let Pierce Brosnan sing again).
My only disappointments would be the under-utilized Cher and the slow pace of the first 30 minutes.
~~~
Sophie (Seyfried) is on the verge of opening the hotel her mother Donna (James/Meryl Streep) had always dreamed of running. She's having trouble with her boyfriend, trouble with the weather and trouble with nausea. Of course, she sings about all of it.
Through present-day scenes with her and flashbacks of her young mother at a similar time in her life, we explore the parallels between the two women in a more heartwarming way that I honestly expected.
Lily James does a brilliant job of conveying the spirit of young Donna (a role originated by the magnificent Streep), finding herself in a new life on a small island, pregnant with Sophie. We get the backstory on how she first met Sophie's three dads (in somewhat comical retellings) and see her bravery and fears surface in vibrant color.
The film is enjoyable, if not a bit sad at poignant moments, and the always-reliable A-list stars definitely deliver (they even let Pierce Brosnan sing again).
My only disappointments would be the under-utilized Cher and the slow pace of the first 30 minutes.
~~~
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
Insidious: The Last Key
Today I saw Insidious: The Last Key, starring Lin Shaye and Josh Stewart.
Like the other three films in this series, the focus is on family, which I think sets it apart (in a good way) from other horror franchises.
We start in the childhood of our heroine Elise (Shaye) as she struggles with her emerging psychic gift and her abusive father rallies against it. Much as she tries to protect her younger brother, after her mother is killed in a horrific supernatural event, she leaves home to escape further torture.
In present day, Elise is working full-time as a psychic, complete with two sidekick ghost hunters that come with a cheesy bus of their own. They seem to be there purely to gawk at pretty girls and perpetuate the television stereotypes of paranormal investigators, but thankfully they didn't distract too much from the story.
A call comes for help and Elise is rattled to learn that it's her childhood home that needs to be checked out. Making use of the new bus, the trio sets out for New Mexico to exorcise her demons. At the town diner they run into two of Elise's nieces, whom she's never met, and then her brother. I won't spoil it, but let's just say the family drama has only been resting on "pause" all these years.
Soon enough, the horrors of that dark house are unleashed and Elise finds herself in a wicked battle. This is where the film offers its best scares (there are definitely a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments) and the truth of the past rises to the present.
Shaye is fantastic here—in every frame her face conveys the pain, discovery and struggle of her situation. The film simply wouldn't work without her complexity, but she brings it, and it does.
For a prequel to a sequel (I hope I got that right), this is pretty darned satisfying.
~~~
Like the other three films in this series, the focus is on family, which I think sets it apart (in a good way) from other horror franchises.
We start in the childhood of our heroine Elise (Shaye) as she struggles with her emerging psychic gift and her abusive father rallies against it. Much as she tries to protect her younger brother, after her mother is killed in a horrific supernatural event, she leaves home to escape further torture.
In present day, Elise is working full-time as a psychic, complete with two sidekick ghost hunters that come with a cheesy bus of their own. They seem to be there purely to gawk at pretty girls and perpetuate the television stereotypes of paranormal investigators, but thankfully they didn't distract too much from the story.
A call comes for help and Elise is rattled to learn that it's her childhood home that needs to be checked out. Making use of the new bus, the trio sets out for New Mexico to exorcise her demons. At the town diner they run into two of Elise's nieces, whom she's never met, and then her brother. I won't spoil it, but let's just say the family drama has only been resting on "pause" all these years.
Soon enough, the horrors of that dark house are unleashed and Elise finds herself in a wicked battle. This is where the film offers its best scares (there are definitely a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments) and the truth of the past rises to the present.
Shaye is fantastic here—in every frame her face conveys the pain, discovery and struggle of her situation. The film simply wouldn't work without her complexity, but she brings it, and it does.
For a prequel to a sequel (I hope I got that right), this is pretty darned satisfying.
~~~
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
This morning I saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.
I'm a big fan of The Hunger Games book series, and I loved the first two film adaptations, but the Mockingjay installments unfortunately leave a lot to be desired.
In this final curtain call, the boy who stole the heart of Katniss (Lawrence), Peeta (Hutcherson), has been brainwashed by the Big Bad Government and instead of wanting to live out his days with her, he wants to kill her. Of course, she still wants him and realizes that he doesn't have control of his mind.
He eventually comes back to the correct side of the war ... kinda. He has spontaneous, violent outbursts aimed at her from time to time, but for the most part behaves himself. They, along with their team of allies, set out to take back the world (and kill President Snow).
Donald Sutherland, as the hated leader, seems to be having a grand time in this one; less evil and more 'mad scientist' in spirit. It would be hard for anyone to think of him claiming victory when he's so jovial and Katniss is so serious.
So—what's wrong with the film?
#1 The pace. It's painfully slow for the first hour. I actually went and got a cup of coffee and when I came back they were still on the same scene.
#2 Wasted talent. Jennifer Lawrence is a gifted, sparkling superstar. She doesn't have much to do here except look sad. Look mad. Look tired.
#3 Anticlimactic action. Of course we know what's coming, but that's not what ruins it. The battle scenes just don't have the magic of the first two films. They're silly.
So—is there any reason to see it?
If you're a completist like me, it's your civic duty to sit through it. Also, it's Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film and just his mere presence—alive and breathing brilliance—is a gift.
~~~
I'm a big fan of The Hunger Games book series, and I loved the first two film adaptations, but the Mockingjay installments unfortunately leave a lot to be desired.
In this final curtain call, the boy who stole the heart of Katniss (Lawrence), Peeta (Hutcherson), has been brainwashed by the Big Bad Government and instead of wanting to live out his days with her, he wants to kill her. Of course, she still wants him and realizes that he doesn't have control of his mind.
He eventually comes back to the correct side of the war ... kinda. He has spontaneous, violent outbursts aimed at her from time to time, but for the most part behaves himself. They, along with their team of allies, set out to take back the world (and kill President Snow).
Donald Sutherland, as the hated leader, seems to be having a grand time in this one; less evil and more 'mad scientist' in spirit. It would be hard for anyone to think of him claiming victory when he's so jovial and Katniss is so serious.
So—what's wrong with the film?
#1 The pace. It's painfully slow for the first hour. I actually went and got a cup of coffee and when I came back they were still on the same scene.
#2 Wasted talent. Jennifer Lawrence is a gifted, sparkling superstar. She doesn't have much to do here except look sad. Look mad. Look tired.
#3 Anticlimactic action. Of course we know what's coming, but that's not what ruins it. The battle scenes just don't have the magic of the first two films. They're silly.
So—is there any reason to see it?
If you're a completist like me, it's your civic duty to sit through it. Also, it's Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film and just his mere presence—alive and breathing brilliance—is a gift.
~~~
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Ted 2
Last night I saw Ted 2, starring Mark Wahlberg and the voice of Seth MacFarlane.
When we last saw Ted the talking teddy bear (MacFarlane), he had fallen in love with his colleague Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). When this film opens, they're tying the knot.
But just like any other couple, soon there's trouble in paradise and Ted is desperate to save his marriage. On the advice of a mutual friend, Ted suggests they have a baby and Tami-Lynn couldn't be happier. The only problem? Ted doesn't have the appropriate baby-making body part.
After a few attempts to find a surrogate, they decide a smarter route would be to try to adopt, but when they apply they're told it won't be possible because the state of Massachusetts doesn't recognize Ted as a real person. Hilarity ensues.
Actually, the whole movie is funny. It's ridiculous, filthy, and wildly inappropriate, but yes—it's funny. A running Google joke had me in tears it was so good. The delivery of each actor (and some phenomenal cameos) was brilliant. I'm not remotely ashamed to admit I liked it.
On the negative side (if you don't mind the filth) was the continuation of Hasbro villain Donny (Giovonni Ribisi) trying to reclaim Ted. What was supposed to be creepy induced yawns and what could have been the climax (pun intended) was anything but that.
It's okay though, I laughed enough at every other part of the story to forgive it for this sin.
~~~
When we last saw Ted the talking teddy bear (MacFarlane), he had fallen in love with his colleague Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). When this film opens, they're tying the knot.
But just like any other couple, soon there's trouble in paradise and Ted is desperate to save his marriage. On the advice of a mutual friend, Ted suggests they have a baby and Tami-Lynn couldn't be happier. The only problem? Ted doesn't have the appropriate baby-making body part.
After a few attempts to find a surrogate, they decide a smarter route would be to try to adopt, but when they apply they're told it won't be possible because the state of Massachusetts doesn't recognize Ted as a real person. Hilarity ensues.
Actually, the whole movie is funny. It's ridiculous, filthy, and wildly inappropriate, but yes—it's funny. A running Google joke had me in tears it was so good. The delivery of each actor (and some phenomenal cameos) was brilliant. I'm not remotely ashamed to admit I liked it.
On the negative side (if you don't mind the filth) was the continuation of Hasbro villain Donny (Giovonni Ribisi) trying to reclaim Ted. What was supposed to be creepy induced yawns and what could have been the climax (pun intended) was anything but that.
It's okay though, I laughed enough at every other part of the story to forgive it for this sin.
~~~
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Magic Mike XXL
Tonight I saw Magic Mike XXL, starring Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello.
You know what? This film is what it is. It is what it's supposed to be and it's supposed to be a movie for straight women and gay men to see with their friends and hoot and holler at the screen.
Mission accomplished.
The plot, if you could call it that, finds Mike (Tatum) re-joining his tribe of "male entertainter" mates as they take a road trip to the annual strippers' convention. Yeah, that's about it.
While that's pretty predictable, I will say that they do a better job this time around of fleshing out the characters (Kevin Nash's Tarzan is a budding artist; Matt Bomer's Ken experiments with energy healing), and it's later revealed just why we're supposed to care.
All of the men are charmers, but Manganiello really steals the show with a convenience store scene that can't be missed. His finale was also my personal favorite, but I've always liked Nine Inch Nails, so maybe that had something to do with it.
Jada Pinkett Smith is a perfect addition to the cast, adding a jolt of feminist strength, and the varied sizes of women they entertain throughout give me new respect for whomever cast the film.
Put simply it's a really fun romp—lighter fare than last time, and that's a good thing. The only thing missing was Matthew McConaughey
~~~
You know what? This film is what it is. It is what it's supposed to be and it's supposed to be a movie for straight women and gay men to see with their friends and hoot and holler at the screen.
Mission accomplished.
The plot, if you could call it that, finds Mike (Tatum) re-joining his tribe of "male entertainter" mates as they take a road trip to the annual strippers' convention. Yeah, that's about it.
While that's pretty predictable, I will say that they do a better job this time around of fleshing out the characters (Kevin Nash's Tarzan is a budding artist; Matt Bomer's Ken experiments with energy healing), and it's later revealed just why we're supposed to care.
All of the men are charmers, but Manganiello really steals the show with a convenience store scene that can't be missed. His finale was also my personal favorite, but I've always liked Nine Inch Nails, so maybe that had something to do with it.
Jada Pinkett Smith is a perfect addition to the cast, adding a jolt of feminist strength, and the varied sizes of women they entertain throughout give me new respect for whomever cast the film.
Put simply it's a really fun romp—lighter fare than last time, and that's a good thing. The only thing missing was Matthew McConaughey
~~~
Sunday, December 28, 2014
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Today I saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Julianne Moore.
I never thought the word "boredom" would ever go hand-in-hand with "Hunger Games" but unfortunately sitting through this movie proved it to be true.
In this installment, our heroine Katniss (Lawrence) agrees to become the fighting Mockingjay for President Coin (Moore) in a symbolic move for the survivors in Panem.
Never mind that she has severe PTSD from her previous exploits defending the good people, or that her partner/perhaps love-of-life Peeta still remains captive in the capitol. They figure, the more angry she is about the whole situation, the better a fighter she'll be.
Unfortunately, we barely get to the fighting by the time this film is over.
Spending time with Lawrence, Moore, Woody Harrelson and Philip Seymour Hoffman (R.I.P.) should never feel like a chore, but the endless dialog they pull out of these characters unfortunately commits that crime-against-audience.
I hurried through this book to make sure I'd finished it before seeing this, and now I wish I hadn't. Only the first fourth of the novel is truly represented here, which makes this a huge waste of about and a half.
Instead of all of the exploration, I wish they'd just have made one long film to close the franchise out.
Having to pay a full ticket price for so much chit-chat feels greedy.
~~~
I never thought the word "boredom" would ever go hand-in-hand with "Hunger Games" but unfortunately sitting through this movie proved it to be true.
In this installment, our heroine Katniss (Lawrence) agrees to become the fighting Mockingjay for President Coin (Moore) in a symbolic move for the survivors in Panem.
Never mind that she has severe PTSD from her previous exploits defending the good people, or that her partner/perhaps love-of-life Peeta still remains captive in the capitol. They figure, the more angry she is about the whole situation, the better a fighter she'll be.
Unfortunately, we barely get to the fighting by the time this film is over.
Spending time with Lawrence, Moore, Woody Harrelson and Philip Seymour Hoffman (R.I.P.) should never feel like a chore, but the endless dialog they pull out of these characters unfortunately commits that crime-against-audience.
I hurried through this book to make sure I'd finished it before seeing this, and now I wish I hadn't. Only the first fourth of the novel is truly represented here, which makes this a huge waste of about and a half.
Instead of all of the exploration, I wish they'd just have made one long film to close the franchise out.
Having to pay a full ticket price for so much chit-chat feels greedy.
~~~
Friday, June 07, 2013
The Hangover Part III
Today I saw The Hangover Part III, starring Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis.
The Wolf Pack is back—this time to save Doug (Justin Bartha) from Marshall (John Goodman), a drug kingpin that has a score to settle with Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong).
The group is en route to get help for Alan (Galifianakis), who has gone off his meds in recent months, when they get kidnapped by Marshall's goons. Their task? To bring Mr. Chow (and the gold he stole) back to Marshall.
Through Alan's lasting friendship with Chow, they're able to locate him and the adventure begins.
Along the way, they're forced to return to the scene of the (first) crime, Las Vegas (oh, darn) where Alan falls for his soul mate, Cassie (Melissa McCarthy). There's also a visit to Jade (Heather Graham) and a heart-stopping cliffhanger that will never allow me to view Caesar's Palace the same way again.
It's all good fun—even if not as raunchy or laugh-out-loud as the first two—and great to see these actors, who have such a fun chemistry with one another, back for another ride.
~~~
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2
Today I saw Paranormal Activity 2, starring Sprague Grayden and Molly Ephraim.
I've arrived at the point where I cringe when I hear the announcement of a sequel. In recent years, very few sequels (save for Toy Story) have lived up to my expectations, and when I like the original film so much, I fear a bad second one will tarnish my memory of it.
That wasn't the case today when I saw the second installment of this independent horror success story. Today's film was more of a prequel than a sequel, but since it ends after the first one, I guess it's still technically a sequel.
Anyway, in this one we spend time with the sister, Kristi (Grayden), of the original star Katie (Katie Featherston), who makes a few appearances too.
Kristi has recently given birth to the first son on her side of the family in many generations. Her stepdaughter Ali (Ephraim) learns of this fun fact after she begins researching demons due to weird occurrences in their home. Doors open and close on their own, the dog reacts to 'nothing' and the automatic pool cleaner moves out of the water each night.
Dad (Brian Boland) believes nor witnesses any of it, but when the house is trashed and nothing is stolen, he installs surveillance cameras to try to catch the intruders. This footage point of view is how the audience sees the film 90% of the time.
Without giving anything away, the same tension and delayed jolts permeate this film the way they did the first, and surprisingly the effect is not diminished by anticipation. Though the plot is similar, even involving some of the same characters, at the heart of the plot the question "Why?" keeps everything interesting.
Why does this family have to endure this torture? What is the root reason of their link to the paranormal world? Will we ever know exactly what happened in the family's fire years ago?
The ending leaves all of these questions without answers, but remains satisfying because of the authentic feel of the cast and the less-shaky camera-work, which was a welcome improvement from the original.
All in all, this is a great movie to see if you want to stay spooked.
I've arrived at the point where I cringe when I hear the announcement of a sequel. In recent years, very few sequels (save for Toy Story) have lived up to my expectations, and when I like the original film so much, I fear a bad second one will tarnish my memory of it.
That wasn't the case today when I saw the second installment of this independent horror success story. Today's film was more of a prequel than a sequel, but since it ends after the first one, I guess it's still technically a sequel.
Anyway, in this one we spend time with the sister, Kristi (Grayden), of the original star Katie (Katie Featherston), who makes a few appearances too.
Kristi has recently given birth to the first son on her side of the family in many generations. Her stepdaughter Ali (Ephraim) learns of this fun fact after she begins researching demons due to weird occurrences in their home. Doors open and close on their own, the dog reacts to 'nothing' and the automatic pool cleaner moves out of the water each night.
Dad (Brian Boland) believes nor witnesses any of it, but when the house is trashed and nothing is stolen, he installs surveillance cameras to try to catch the intruders. This footage point of view is how the audience sees the film 90% of the time.
Without giving anything away, the same tension and delayed jolts permeate this film the way they did the first, and surprisingly the effect is not diminished by anticipation. Though the plot is similar, even involving some of the same characters, at the heart of the plot the question "Why?" keeps everything interesting.
Why does this family have to endure this torture? What is the root reason of their link to the paranormal world? Will we ever know exactly what happened in the family's fire years ago?
The ending leaves all of these questions without answers, but remains satisfying because of the authentic feel of the cast and the less-shaky camera-work, which was a welcome improvement from the original.
All in all, this is a great movie to see if you want to stay spooked.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
The Bourne Ultimatum
This morning I saw The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon and Julia Stiles.
This was definitely the best film of the trilogy. The first one lacked sentiment, the second one was simply a 'setup' device for the third, but this one had everything: action, suspense, drama, comedy and heart.
The heart is what really sets it apart from its predecessors.
In a very brief, yet pivotal scene, Nicky (Stiles) conveys more love for Bourne (Damon) than Marie (Franke Potente) did in either of the two movies. A twist I (and hopefully the rest of the audience) didn't see coming.
And while their 'love' story is never defined, her loyalty to him essentially saves him and vice versa.
Another standout in the film is David Strathairn as Noah Vosen, a bitter government big shot hell bent on burying Bourne and anyone who stands in his way from doing so. He's pitch perfect in this role because he's evil without being menacing and makes it easy for you to side with the assassin.
This film is also less dizzying than part two and the story moves at a more comfortable pace (read: I didn't feel like throwing up because of the camera work in this one).
My only gripe would be that it had a wink of an ending that almost begs for The Bourne Resurrection.
Let's hope they just let sleeping assassins lie.
This was definitely the best film of the trilogy. The first one lacked sentiment, the second one was simply a 'setup' device for the third, but this one had everything: action, suspense, drama, comedy and heart.
The heart is what really sets it apart from its predecessors.
In a very brief, yet pivotal scene, Nicky (Stiles) conveys more love for Bourne (Damon) than Marie (Franke Potente) did in either of the two movies. A twist I (and hopefully the rest of the audience) didn't see coming.
And while their 'love' story is never defined, her loyalty to him essentially saves him and vice versa.
Another standout in the film is David Strathairn as Noah Vosen, a bitter government big shot hell bent on burying Bourne and anyone who stands in his way from doing so. He's pitch perfect in this role because he's evil without being menacing and makes it easy for you to side with the assassin.
This film is also less dizzying than part two and the story moves at a more comfortable pace (read: I didn't feel like throwing up because of the camera work in this one).
My only gripe would be that it had a wink of an ending that almost begs for The Bourne Resurrection.
Let's hope they just let sleeping assassins lie.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Spider-Man 3
Tonight I saw Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.
It was the topic of Cinebanter 30, which is available for download here.
It was the topic of Cinebanter 30, which is available for download here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)