Month: October 2021

Today’s quick review: Fargo. To solve his money problems, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a Minneapolis car salesman, hires a pair of criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife (Kristin Rudrud) and collect a small fortune in ransom from her wealthy father (Herve Presnell). But the plan hits a snag when the kidnappers kill a police officer and put Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a kind, small-town cop, on their trail.

Fargo is a crime drama and black comedy from the Coen Brothers. Fargo tells the story of a fake kidnapping scheme that spirals wildly out of control, all set against the cheerful backdrop of rural Minnesota. The movie splits the difference between the two extremes of the Coen Brothers’ style. Its violent subject matter and unpredictable plot make it a dark watch, but its odd characters and peculiar situations give it a dash of comedy as well.

Fargo’s plot is a criminal misadventure with a lot of moving parts. Fargo peeks behind the curtain of a staged kidnapping, showing the petty motivations and crucial mistakes of the people involved. Tracking the delicate tangle of choices and coincidences is a major part of the film’s appeal, while its unusual characters and pacing make it a unique puzzle. There are also a few shocking, violent moments to keep the viewer from getting complacent.

The emotional anchor of the film is Marge Gunderson, a small-town police officer with a kind heart. Her mundane life, devotion to her duty, and unflinchingly positive attitude are a rarity in the crime genre, and they serve as a perfect balance to the dark content of the film’s plot. Frances McDormand makes the character remarkably easy to like; those willing to wade through the drama will find Marge and the people around her as their reward.

Still, what Fargo has to offer won’t appeal to everyone. Its comedy is understated, relying on the quirks of its characters and situations rather than explicit jokes. The film borders on the macabre in a few places, especially during a first watch. It also has less action and lower stakes than other crime thrillers. The plot unfolds as a series of happenstances more than a focused story, which may disappoint viewers hoping for a larger payoff.

Fargo is a strong pick for fans of the Coen Brothers and woth a watch for anyone interested in something intricate, offbeat, and darkly humorous. Fargo is an odd movie that does not rely on the usual strengths of either the comedy or the crime genres. But it does succeed in carving it its own niche, and the combination of its well-drawn characters and crafty plot make it worth a try. Skip it if you’re looking for something more conventional.

For a more comedic movie from the Coen Brothers, try O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, or Burn After Reading. For a darker crime drama from them, try Blood Simple or No Country for Old Men. For a more action-packed crime thriller with a similarly quirky plot, try The Way of the Gun. For a darker, more violent crime drama starring Steve Buscemi, try Reservoir Dogs. For a crime comedy with a more over-the-top style, try Pain & Gain.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for great characters and an interesting story.

Today’s quick review: Cut Bank. Trouble comes to the town of Cut Bank, Montana, when Dwayne McClaren (Liam Hemsworth) and his girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer) catch the murder of Georgie Wits (Bruce Dern), the local mailman, on video. As Sheriff Roland Vogel (John Malkovich) investigates the town’s first-ever homicide, mild-mannered loner Derby Milton (Michael Stuhlbarg) sets out to find a package of his that was lost in the incident.

Cut Bank is a crime drama set in a small Northwestern town. What begins as a shocking but isolated murder soon grows into a tangle of lies and deception that shakes the town to its core. Cut Bank features a well-balanced mixture of character development, plot twists, and dark secrets. Although it lacks the macabre content and immediate danger of other crime thrillers, it packs enough of a punch to satisfy anyone willing to invest in its story.

Cut Bank makes good use of the tools at its disposal. The cast is a solid hit, with natural roles for John Malkovich, Liam Hemsworth, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Billy Bob Thornton. The characters have some depth to them, with varied personalities that have an impact on how the story plays out. The story moves in a clear direction without being too easy to predict. The result a movie that isn’t exactly shocking but does make for an engaging mystery.

Fans of the crime genre may want to give Cut Bank a shot. There are other, similar movies that build up more tension or deliver more shocking twists, but Cut Bank carves out a reasonable niche for itself with its well-constructed characters and plot. Those looking for more action, more stylization, or a dark story that goes all the way will want to steer clear.

For a crime drama with a similar plot and setting and a darkly comedic tone, try Fargo or Cold Pursuit. For a minimalistic crime thriller that unravels in similar ways, try Blood Simple or Blue Ruin. For a small-town mystery in a similar vein, try Shimmer Lake. For a darker, more violent crime movie with a similar setup, try No Country for Old Men or The Hollow Point. For another crime drama about unwitting witnesses, try First Kill or Cop Car.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a good cast and a solid story that’s missing some of the impact it needs.

Today’s quick review: Doom: Annihilation. As punishment for her failure, Lt. Joan Dark (Amy Manson) and her team of marines are assigned to guard duty at a secret research laboratory on Mars’ moon Phobos. They arrive to find the lab overrun by demonic creatures that were once human, the horrific result of Dr. Betruger’s (Dominic Mafham) teleportation experiments. To put an end to the threat, Joan will have to journey to the heart of the lab.

Doom: Annihilation is an action horror movie based on the video game Doom. Doom: Annihilation features a classic setup for dark sci-fi action: a team of soldiers trapped in a dark, monster-infested environment. The movie goes through the motions of the genre reasonably well, but it doesn’t bring anything unique to the table, either in terms of story or spectacle. Mediocre action, a bare-bones plot, and forgettable characters make it an unimpressive watch.

Doom: Annihilation serves up bloody action without much finesse. The demons are a weak point of the movie: the same two designs get reused repeatedly, and neither one is distinctive enough to make the encounters feel special. The fights lack variety, gravitating towards the safe formula of a marine unloading an automatic weapon into a demon until it drops dead. The token attempts at telling a story never really go anywhere either.

This will still be enough for some fans. Doom: Annihilation avoids the biggest missteps of most budget sci-fi. Its story is coherent, its action is at the very least gory, and it’s peppered with a few Easter eggs for fans of video games. But ultimately it’s lacking the sense of identity it needs to really make its premise worthwhile. Even for most action horror fans, it will be badly outclassed by other entries in the genre.

For another adaptation of the same source material, try Doom. For a survival horror movie that takes bigger risks, try Resident Evil. For a more iconic movie with a similar premise, try Alien or Aliens. For a sci-fi horror movie with a stronger plot, try Pandorum.

3.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for passable action but little else.

Today’s quick review: The Outsider. Jing Phang (Jon Foo), a Chinese railroad worker, loses everything he loves when his pregnant wife Li (Nelli Tsay) is raped and murdered by James Walker (Kaiwi Lyman), a local lawman. Jing embarks on a quest for revenge, killing his way through James’ men to get at James himself. But he runs into trouble when James’ father, Marshal Walker (Trace Adkins), hires tracker Chris King (Sean Patrick Flanery) to find him.

The Outsider is a Western action movie and drama from director Timothy Woodward, Jr. The Outsider follows Jing on his one-man crusade to get revenge on James Walker, who’s protected by his powerful father and a seemingly endless stream of hired guns. The movie aims for a serious tone, squeezing every bit of drama it can from James’ deeds. But The Outsider ultimately comes up short, missing the skill it needs to make the most of its promising setup.

To its credit, The Outsider has a better story than most budget flicks. At its core, the story is a straightforward tale of revenge: Jing is out for blood, and that’s basically the extent of it. But the movie does a reasonable job of dressing up the story with subplots that give it a bit of depth. The strained relationship between James and his father is The Outsider’s best feature, and it touches on some interesting motivations with Chris’ arc.

Even with these glimmers of potential, The Outsider never quite seals the deal. The drama falls somewhat flat due to a generic conflict and a mediocre script. The cinematography has a few sporadic issues, places where the dark lighting or slow pacing hurt the immersion. The action is workmanlike and unexciting. The stunts mainly consist of Jing disarming his enemies from up close, but without the flair or skill found in a true martial arts film.

The end result is a movie that makes decent use of the resources at its disposal but still falls short of its goals. The Outsider is a reasonable pick for fans of the budget action genre who are interested in something with a little more heft to it, but neither its story nor its action will be engaging enough to hook the average viewer.

For a gorier, more stylish tale of revenge in the West, try Django Unchained. For a dark, dramatic Western with better execution, try The Duel. For a serious Western with better direction and a more classic feel, try Once Upon a Time in the West. For more from the same director, try 4Got10, Checkmate, or Silencer.

5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for the makings of a decent story held back by a weak follow-through.

Today’s quick review: Pottersville. Maynard Greiger (Michael Shannon) is the kind-hearted owner of the general store in Pottersville, a small town that has fallen on hard times. When he catches his wife Connie (Christina Hendricks) in a compromising situation with Sheriff Jack (Ron Perlman), he goes on a drunken rampage in a gorilla suit. Much to his surprise, he’s mistaken for Bigfoot, kicking off a media frenzy that breathes new life into Pottersville.

Pottersville is a comedy about a generous man who finds himself at the center of an outrageous hoax that could save his beloved town. The plot centers around the Bigfoot craze that sweeps Pottersville and Maynard’s decision whether to perpetuate the hoax or come clean. Pottersville features a town full of offbeat characters and a talented comedic cast. However, a bare-bones plot and a lack of standout jokes keep it from greater comedic success.

Pottersville’s greatest strength is its town full of odd characters. Everyone in Pottersville is a little strange, from Maynard’s inhuman patience to the curmudgeonly attitude of the local hunter (Ian McShane) to the raw egotism of the TV star (Tom Lennon) who comes to investigate Bigfoot. The movie is clever in its treatment of its characters: their motives are just transparent enough to tell jokes at their expense without making them unlikable.

Pottersville is at its best when it gets the chance to drop a few of its characters in an odd situation. The cast has a nice chemistry together that feeds into the movie’s small-town atmospere. But Pottersville doesn’t pack enough punch to make the most of its cast. The jokes are more amusing than hilarious, and the story could do with an extra subplot or two to feel less linear. The result is a pleasant but insubstantial holiday comedy.

Pottersville is worth a watch when you’re in the mood for something simple and feel-good. Neither its story nor its sense of humor is ground-breaking, but the combination of a charming premise and an interesting cast makes it worth a watch for those who are curious. Those looking for a raunchier comedy with bigger laughs or bigger surprises may want to steer clear. For a similar flavor of low-key, heartfelt comedy, try Be Kind Rewind.

5.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a strong cast hurt by a script that doesn’t have much impact.

Today’s quick review: Left Behind. Captain Ray Steele (Nicolas Cage) is flying to London to get away from his religious wife when something inexplicable happens: his copilot and half his passengers disappear without a trace. With the help of a journalist (Chad Michael Murray) and a stewardess (Nicky Whelan), Ray must find a way to land the plane safely. Meanwhile, his daughter Chloe (Cassi Thomson) tries to cope with the disappearance of her family.

Left Behind is a religious thriller about the Rapture. The premise is simple: all at once, millions of people around the world vanish into thin air, leaving the rest of humanity to deal with the chaos. Left Behind leans heavily into its religious themes: almost all of the drama involves characters coming to grips with Christian morality. Unfortunately, the thriller side of the story is given short shrift, making it a less than engaging watch.

The core issue with Left Behind is that there’s nowhere for its premise to go. The movie drags its feet getting to the Rapture, then spends nearly an hour waiting for its characters to figure out what happened. There’s no mystery for the audience, only a half-decent look at the aftermath of a global disappearance and a tacked-on crisis about Ray landing the plane. The result is a slow, static movie that spends most of its time on moral speculation.

These heavy moral themes could have been the basis for a solid drama, but Left Behind lacks the subtlety to pull it off. The characters are hard to care about, one-note caricatures whose purpose is to illustrate the movie’s moral points. There is some decent drama that crops up incidentally, such as Ray trying to keep his terrified passengers calm. But the movie quickly goes back to the heavy-handed character arcs it originally had in mind.

Left Behind earns a few points for taking a sensitive premise and playing it as earnestly as it can. But the movie doesn’t have the finesse needed to spin its premise into a compelling story. Those who are interested in the subject matter for its own sake may get some value out of seeing it portrayed as part of a full story, but those hoping for either a nuanced moral tale or a thrilling disaster movie will be disappointed.

For an eerier disaster movie starring Nicolas Cage, try Knowing. For a sci-fi thriller that tries for a similar mystery with similar results, try The Happening. For a goofier take on an airplane disaster, try Snakees on a Plane or Airplane!.

3.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.5 for an original premise with weak execution.

Today’s quick review: Renaissance. For his latest assignment, Captain Karas (Daniel Craig) of the Paris police force must solve the kidnapping of Ilona Tasuiev (Romola Garai), an up-and-coming researcher for Avalon, a corporate giant in biotechnology. Karas’ only leads are her sister Bislane (Catherine McCormack), her mentor Dr. Jonas Muller (Ian Holm), and her boss Paul Dellenbach (Jonathan Pryce), one of whom holds the key to her disappearance.

Renaissance is an animated sci-fi crime drama set in a futuristic version of Paris. The movie features a distinctive black-and-white animation style, a noir-style mystery, and a core of sci-fi speculation that subtly sits at the center of the plot. Unfortunately, Renaissance isn’t as visionary as it wants to be—neither its visuals nor its speculation match the best in the genre—but it does have the fundamentals to be a satisfying watch.

Renaissance’s most striking feature is its visual style. The entire movie is done in black-and-white, cel-shaded CGI animation that’s a solid fit for the movie’s shadowy vision of Paris. The environments in particular work well, a mixture of futuristic structures and familiar architecture. But the characters fare worse, with low-detail models that haven’t aged well. The black-and-white style can also make the events of the movie hard to follow.

Underneath its flashy exterior, Renaissance is a bread-and-butter noir mystery with a science fiction twist. Karas must follow the clues and avoid an attempted cover-up to locate Ilona and uncover the truth about her disappearance. The story has a steady progression and juggles its plot threads well, gradually revealing a more complicated situation than a mere kidnapping. None of the twists are groundbreaking, but they are handled with care.

Renaissance will appeal to fans of the plot-focused side of the science fiction genre. Its visuals are hit-or-miss and don’t quite add the character that the movie wants them to, but they are an interesting gambit, and they work well enough for the purposes of the story. The story itself is similar: not outstanding, but robust enough to satisfy most viewers. Renaissance has sound fundamentals but it’s missing the inspiration needed to stand out.

For noirish science fiction with similar sensibilities, try Blade Runner. For a similarly corporate, dystopian depiction of Paris, try Ares. For a more bizarre sci-fi story with a similarly striking visual style, try Immortal. For a brutal, stylized crime drama that puts its black-and-white graphics to better use, try Sin City. For a more action-oriented sci-fi movie with a somewhat similar plot, try I, Robot.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a double-edged visual style and a solid story.

Today’s quick review: Franck Spadone. Pickpocket Franck Spadone (Stanislas Merhar) breaks the rules of his trade when he takes an interest in one of his victims: Laura (Monica Bellucci), a gorgeous stripper. Following her to the nightclub where she works, Franck gradually becomes entangled in her life. But his impertinence costs him when Ferdinand (Carlo Brandt), Laura’s boss and a powerful figure in the criminal underworld, sends a man to kill him.

Franck Spadone is a French crime drama about a street thief drawn into a larger conflict by the looks of a beautiful woman. Franck Spadone offers a peek into the life of Franck, whose skills as a pickpocket have yet to bring him any real success, and that of Laura, whose beauty has only trapped her with the wrong crowd. The movie finds drama in the consequences of their encounter, but its slow pacing and limited plot make it a less than engaging watch.

Franck Spadone is a very slow boil. The scenes are contemplative, with dark lighting, mundane environments, and minimal dialogue. The characters are ciphers who barely emote and often go unnamed. In general, the movie leaves a lot unsaid, from thoughts that are merely implied to crucial events that happen just out of frame. The result is a detached, melancholy watch that doesn’t set strong enough hooks to pull the viewer in.

Franck Spadone may have something to offer fans of grounded, minimalistic crime movies. It has a particular style in mind, one that’s slow and moody, but it lacks the artistry to make it interesting. Most viewers will find that there isn’t enough substance to Franck Spadone’s story to bother with.

For a minimalistic crime thriller with a more engaging plot, try Following. For a French crime drama with more personality, try La Femme Nikita. For a Spanish crime drama with a similarly indirect storytelling style, try Getaway Plan. For a more elaborate drama about a low-level criminal taking on a crime boss, try Layer Cake.

4.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a weak story and an artistic style that doesn’t pay off.

Today’s quick review: Unknown. While visiting Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) is involved in a car accident that damages his memory. He returns to the hotel where he was staying only to find his wife Liz (January Jones) with another man (Aidan Quinn) claiming to be the real Martin Harris. Unsure of whether he’s being set up or losing his mind, Martin searches for the one person who can help: Gina (Diane Kruger), the taxi driver from the crash.

Unknown is an action thriller about a doctor with amnesia who finds out that he has been replaced by an imposter. Unknown tries to combine the haunting mystery of a psychological thriller with the stakes and danger of an action movie. In this, it is only partially successful. The movie has good ideas, serviceable action, and paints its hero into an interesting corner. However, the two halves of its story blend poorly and lead to a weak payoff.

Unknown’s two key strengths are its setup and its competent execution. The early stages of the movie play out like a Hitchcock film, with Martin growing increasingly desperate as the impossibility of his situation sets in. The hook of having to prove one’s own existence is a strong one, and though the movie doesn’t play its hand expertly, it certainly has a sturdy foundation to build on. It also benefits from a capable main cast and decent writing.

The trouble comes when Unknown tries to take its story to the next stage. Action elements begin to creep in that work fine on their own but fit poorly with the first half of the movie. The mystery takes a back seat to survival as Martin’s enemies make themselves known. The answer to the mystery is similarly ambivalent, a creative idea that fits the clues and sets up an action-oriented finale, but one that marks an odd tonal shift for the movie.

Unknown’s premise, execution, and mixture of action and mystery make it a decent pick for anyone in the mood for a thriller. It does suffer from a few issues trying to reconcile the two halves of its story, and its ending won’t satisfy everyone, but it has enough to offer to be worth a watch for those who are curious. Those hoping for a pure, fully developed Hitchcock-style mystery should look elsewhere, as should those hoping for bigger action.

For a more delicately handled take on a similar premise, try North by Northwest. For a much more violent action thriller starring Liam Neeson, try Taken. For a more action-heavy thriller with an amnesiac protagonist, try The Bourne Identity. For one with a sci-fi twist, try Paycheck or The Adjustment Bureau. For a psychological thriller with a similar premise and a more unsettling tone, try Enemy.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a strong setup and a few issues playing it out.

Today’s quick review: Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout. For the first time since he began his crusade against crime, Batman (Troy Baker) agrees to take a vacation. Nightwing (Will Friedle) and Batgirl (Sarah Hyland) take him to visit Madame Mantis (Amy Hill), his old master. Meanwhile, Superman (Nolan North) keeps an eye on Gotham, only to find that Gotham’s supervillains are a greater challenge than he expected.

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout is an animated family superhero comedy set in Lego’s rendition of the DC Universe. The plot follows two separate threads: Batman’s vacation, which quickly turns into a battle against Deathstroke (John DiMaggio), and Superman’s attempts to deal with the Joker (Jason Spisak) and Gotham’s other criminals. The movie features kid-friendly humor but suffers from a bland and slow-paced plot.

Even with an enormous cast and the entire DC Universe to work with, Gotham City Breakout has a hard time finding things for its characters to do. The Bat-Family vacation has real comedic potential, but the movie immediately drops it in favor of a generic superhero adventure. Likewise, Superman’s stint as the protector of Gotham has the potential to be a fun kids’ story, but the movie wastes its setup on cheap gags and character cameos.

As a result, Gotham City Breakout doesn’t have much to capture the audience’s interest. There are only loose ties between the two plot threads, and neither one has enough of a payoff to feel worthwhile. Where other family comedies use characters and story to hook their viewers, Gotham City Breakout relies almost exclusively on humor. The jokes are light and irreverent in true Lego fashion, but their hit rate is splotchy, with more than a few duds.

Watch Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout if you’re a die-hard fan of either DC superheroes or the Lego style of humor. The movie has a good setup, some decent one-off gags, and a slew of DC heroes and villains in minor roles, but an aimless plot and a mediocre script put a damper on the fun. Some viewers will still enjoy its humor, but most viewers will have better luck with other family-friendly superhero comedies.

For a big-budget Lego superhero comedy with a sharper sense of humor, try The Lego Batman Movie. For another entry in the same series that strikes a better balance of plot, character, and humor, try Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash. For an animated Marvel movie with a young target audience and a similar set of flaws, try Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for middling humor and a weak story.