Month: January 2018

Today’s quick review: Going in Style. When Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman), and Al (Alan Arkin), a trio of retirees, learn that their pensions have been taken away, they hatch a plan to solve their money troubles the direct way: by robbing a bank. With no real criminal experience, they try to come up with a plan that will get them in, get them out, and get them the cash, all without getting caught.

Going in Style is a heist comedy from director Zach Braff. Featuring a trio of talented leads, an entertaining script, and tight pacing, Going in Style is a light and enjoyable movie about a low-stakes caper. The humor comes from observations about aging, banter between friends, and the heist itself, which is less a source of excitement or tension than a source of comedy.

Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin are perfectly cast, perfectly balanced, and a delight to watch. Much of the film’s charm comes from watching the three old friends interact, quipping and reminiscing with a twinkle in their eye. And while all three actors have their merits, Alan Arkin deserves special credit for stealing the best punchlines as the group’s resident cynic.

Going in Style delivers on its premise but does not exceed it. It is funny rather than hilarious, charming rather than heartwarming, and amusing rather than exciting. As such, Going in Style makes for an excellent casual watch that delivers a steady stream of honest laughter. Give it a shot when you are in the mood for something light and carefree. Skip it over if you are looking for a side-splitter or a proper heist.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for great characters and entertaining comedy.

Today’s quick review: Free Fire. Late one evening, Frank (Michael Smiley), Justine (Brie Larson), and Chris (Cillian Murphy) show up at an abandoned factory to buy a shipment of guns from a South African arms dealer named Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his assistant Ord (Armie Hammer). But when a petty squabble erupts in gunfire, the deal turns into a hectic shootout as each side struggles to escape with the money and their lives.

Free Fire is an experimental crime comedy based around one protracted shootout. The premise is a simple one: a gun deal gone wrong leads to a messy fight involving a dozen people, several crates of guns, and a building full of rubble, scrap, and pillars to hide behind. As the bullets start to fly, tempers flare and the few remaining cool heads try to untangle the hairy situation.

Unfortunately, Free Fire ends up caught somewhere between comedy and drama. The characters, their incompetence, and the farcical nature of the shootout all scream comedy, but the movie never manages to be all that funny. The best it can offer are a few hurled insults and some bullet-based slapstick. On the drama side, Free Fire suffers from a dearth of likable characters, chaotic plot progression, and little story to work with.

As such, Free Fire has a peculiar, hybrid tone that is hard to take in. It is stylized, but not punchy enough for style to carry the movie alone. It is comedic, with characters trading flesh wounds as readily as verbal barbs, yet it tempers its comedy with downer moments and real strife. It is dramatic, with characters thrust into a tense and dangerous situation, but dilutes its drama with absurdity.

Free Fire does have a few points in its favor. The cast is talented in ways that become more apparent as the movie progresses. The premise is unusual in both its elegance and its opportunities for mayhem. The situation eventually develops some real tension, and a few of the turnabouts are almost poetic. But the muddy tone, slow start, and myriad failings offset even these virtues.

Watch Free Fire only if you feel like taking a chance on a crime movie with a peculiar tone and an experimental premise. Free Fire is stylized enough that it is bound to scratch some viewers the right way, but those expecting either a taut thriller or a side-splitting comedy will be disappointed. For better takes on similar themes, check out Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels for comedy or Reservoir Dogs for drama.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for vision and style let down by tone issues and a lack of real comedy.

Today’s quick review: Now You See Me 2. Eighteen months after their last job, the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Lizzy Caplan), a group of magicians who use their talents to combat injustice, return to right another wrong. But their comeback is upstaged by Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), an information magnate believed dead, who abducts the Horsemen and forces them to steal a dangerous computer chip for him.

Now You See Me 2 is a magic-based heist film with an ensemble cast. Set in the wake of the first film, Now You See Me 2 sees the Horsemen stumble out of the starting gate as they return to the public eye. Weakened by doubts and their time in the shadows, they are one-upped, kidnapped, and forced to use their talents to help Mabry cement his power over the world’s information.

Now You See Me 2 sports a couple of cast changes from the original. Lizzy Caplan replaces Isla Fisher on the Horsemen’s roster, the talkative Lula filling a similar role as the first movie’s Henley Reeves. Daniel Radcliffe joins the cast as Walter Mabry, a villainous millionaire who orchestrates the Horsemen’s downfall. The changes work well enough, but do not add all that much to the series: Radcliffe makes for an odd villain, while Caplan has a minor part at best.

Much of the original cast returns, including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. The high pedigree of the cast is marred somewhat by weak roles for veteran actors Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, but the Horsemen have good banter and Mark Ruffalo makes for a likable protagonist.

Now You See Me 2 addresses one of the issues with the first film, but at a cost. The original kept its leads offscreen for much of the film in order to keep their plans secret. The sequel shows the Horsemen improvising as they go along, both humanizing them and affording them more screen time. Their tricks are a joy to watch, and each heist has an inventiveness that few ordinary crime films can rival.

The tradeoff is a somewhat weaker plot than the original, with an unclear trajectory and twists that are harder to appreciate. Putting the Horsemen on such a weak footing damages the mystique they built up during the first film, while the plot’s grand reveal leaves something to be desired. The sequel also delves deeper into the backstory of the original, which, depending on your perspectice, is either a sensible elaobration or a needless reframing.

Still, Now You See Me 2 is an enjoyable and unpredictable heist film with a couple of unique perks. Watch it if you enjoyed the first film and are game for another. The sequel’s changes are not all positive, but enough of the old charm is there for the sequel to be worth a watch to the curious. But those content with the ending of the first film would not be missing too much by skipping the second.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for being an entertaining heist film with a strong cast and some plot issues.