Author: Stan

Today’s quick review: Shazam!. Fourteen-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has just moved to the latest in a long line of foster homes when an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) chooses him to inherit his power and become the superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). As Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) experiment with Billy’s newfound powers, Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) tries to steal them for himself using his own mystic abilities.

Shazam! is a superhero actioin comedy based on the DC Comics character. Shazam! follows young Billy Batson as he adjusts to both his new foster home and the opportunities and responsibilities afforded by the life of a superhero. The movie is a light-hearted, loving take on the superhero genre that treats it with all the wonder and excitement of a child. Likable characters, spot-on comedy, and a solid emotional core make Shazam! a fun and refreshing watch.

Shazam! excels at capturing the sorts of antics a teenager with superpowers would get up to. Billy and Freddy spend a significant portion of the movie just figuring out how Shazam’s powers work and how to apply them, ranging from unsuccessful experiments with flight to using Billy’s adult form to buy beer. Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Zachary Levi are a natural fit together, and nearly all of their scenes together hit the mark.

Shazam! also benefits from a heartfelt personal story about Billy coming to accept his new family. Billy has spent years searching for the mother who abandoned him as a child, making him distrustful of others and unwilling to view his new foster home as anything but a stopover. Shazam! stops short of heavy drama, but its treatment of Billy’s personal story gives the movie some heart and fits well with the superhero side of the story.

As far as action and overarching plot are concerned, Shazam! sticks to the basics. Dr. Sivana makes for a straightforward villain, a spiteful man who was once rejected to inherit the wizard’s power. The superhero side of the plot is a fun fantasy adventure without much complexity, leaving more room for comedy and character development. The special effects aren’t that impressive either, but they’re used well and give the action just enough punch.

Watch Shazam! when you’re in the mood for a light, consistently entertaining adventure with great comedy and a dash of heart. Shazam! can’t match the more ambitious entries into the superhero genre for plot or spectacle, but it knows its strengths and plays to them well, making it a fun and very satisfying popcorn watch. Steer clear if you’re looking for deep drama, realism, or more all-out action.

For another light superhero movie from DC with much more in the way of spectacle, try Aquaman. For another superhero comedy with a young protagonist and more action, try Spider-Man: Homecoming. For a darker comedy that has similar fun with the genre, try Venom. For a superhero movie that delves deeper into magic, try Doctor Strange. For another comedy about a reluctant superhero, try Hancock.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for fun, innocent comedy, likable characters, and a dash of action.

Today’s quick review: I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. An introverted teenager (Robbie Daymond) unintentionally makes a new friend when he meets Sakura Yamauchi (Erika Harlacher), an outgoing classmate with pancreatic disease. With only a few years left to live, Sakura is determined to make as much of her remaining time as possible. But as the end draws near, the two teens struggle with the meaning of their relationship and the prospect of dying.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is a Japanese animated drama, comedy, and romance. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas follows the unlikely relationship between Sakura, a girl with a terminal illness, and “Me”, a boy who has never really lived. Beautiful animation, robust storytelling, and a bevy of touching moments make it a fulfilling look at love, death, and friendship. Its premise is not entirely unique, but its solid execution makes it well worth a watch.

Sakura’s zest for life is at the heart of the film and is responsible for its bittersweet nature. Her vibrant antics and optimistic outlook on life make her easy to like and fuel the film’s comedy, while her attempts to get Me to come out of his shell lead to a nuanced friendship that evolves over time. At the same time, her illness gives a tragic tinge to their relationship and lets the story explore mature themes of loss and acceptance.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas hits just the right emotional notes to tell the kind of story it is aiming for. There are no frills or gimmicks, just an honest story crafted with plenty of care. Those who enjoy sentimental, bittersweet drama will get exactly what they are hoping for, and even skeptical viewers should find something to like. Those who want a romance that’s less melancholy will want to look elsewhere.

For another animated romantic drama from Japan, this one with a fantasy twist and a more elaborate plot, try Your Name. For a lower-stakes tale of love and friendship from Studio Ghibli, try Whisper of the Heart. For an American live-action movie that explores the process of dying, try The Bucket List or Seven Pounds.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for rich animation and a touching story.

Today’s quick review: The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Five years after an invasion by aliens from the Systar System, Bricksburg has been reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland. Undaunted by the gritty changes to his friends and home, Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) continues to look on the bright side. But when Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) kidnaps Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and the rest of his friends, Emmet has to grow up quickly to save them.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is an animated family comedy based on Lego toys. The Lego Movie 2 is cut from the same cloth as the first film, sharing its fast pacing, sharp dialogue, inventive premise, and energetic, self-aware humor. Several new additions to the universe and different themes help the sequel carve out an identity for itself. However, a less immersive world and a shakier story make it a step down from the original.

The Lego Movie 2 makes for a peculiar sequel. Where the first movie was an eclectic love letter to Lego toys and children’s creativity, the sequel shifts its focus to themes of family and growing up. The new focus works well enough, but it leads to a top-down story that’s more narrowly constrained and less satisfying overall, in contrast to the sprawling quest and brilliant revelations of the first film.

For all that, The Lego Movie 2 is still a hilarious comedy and a worthy sequel. Its rapid-fire jokes score plenty of hits, its colorful characters are fun to watch in action, and its self-aware humor and pop culture references are handled with rare skill. There’s less emphasis on Lego designs this time around but still plenty of creativity on display. The whole package is tied up nicely by a comedically talented voice cast and a few clever songs.

Watch The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part when you’re in the mood for an upbeat, entertaining romp. Though it doesn’t hit its target as squarely as the first film, it remains a solid pick that has plenty to offer adults and children alike. Viewers should approach with caution, however, since the changes to the story and world will be hit-or-miss. For another movie with the same formula, try The Lego Movie or The Lego Batman Movie.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for fun humor that’s missing some of the shine of the original.

“These go to eleven.” —Nigel Tufnel

Today’s quick review: This Is Spinal Tap. Documentary director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) sets out to document Spinal Tap, a British rock band, on their latest tour of America. Along the way, band members David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) reflect on their careers and drop pearls of wisdom about rock. But the band hits a rough patch as flagging interest threatens to sink their tour.

This Is Spinal Tap is a music comedy that spoofs the rock bands of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Framed as a documentary about the fictional band Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap offers a glimpse behind the curtain at the not-so-glamorous lifestyle of a trio of fading rock legends. There’s little in the way of plot or drama, just funny characters, clever bits, affectionate jabs at the rock genre, and the gradual derailment of the band’s American tour.

This Is Spinal Tap is a blisteringly effective parody with the perfect vehicle for poking fun at the excesses of rock music. The members of Spinal Tap are drawn to noise, sex, and controversy in an amped-up version of the hard rock dream. That their careers are on the rocks, their brilliant ideas are nothing of the sort, and their tour is plagued by setback after setback hardly daunts them. The film is packed with memorable gags and larger-than-life characters.

Watch This Is Spinal Tap when you’re in the mood for something light, clever, and iconic. How much you get out of it will depend on your taste in humor and how invested you are in the rock scene. At a bare minimum, This Is Spinal Tap is a breezy watch that earns some honest laughs and has little downside for trying. For the right viewer, it goes well beyond that, with a cavalcade of brilliant, understated humor and lines worth quoting.

For a similar flavor of parody, try Wayne’s World. For a comedy of the same caliber about the workplace, try Office Space.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for quotable comedy with considerable cult potential.

Today’s quick review: Bohemian Rhapsody. In London in 1970, Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) joins lead guitarist Brian May (Gwilym Lee), drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), and bass guitarist John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello) to form Queen. The band’s creative energy and Freddie’s flamboyant personality soon propel them to the top. But their success is accompanied by dramatic changes in Freddie’s personal life that jeopardize his health and the band’s future.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a biographical drama about the band Queen and its lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody covers the history of Queen from its formation to its peak in the 1980s. The film focuses in particular on the ups and downs of Freddie Mercury’s life, from his heartfelt but increasingly strained relationship with Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) to the extravagant, self-destructive lifestyle he took up at the height of the band’s success.

Bohemian Rhapsody’s chief appeal lies in its soundtrack. The movie has the entirety of Queen’s song catalog to choose from, and it manages to work in nearly all of their greatest hits, along with recreations of some of their most famous concerts. There are occasional rough spots where songs are cut down for time—as well as a time or two when the opposite occurs and the movie gets lost in song—but the cavalcade of hits is bound to please any Queen fan.

Bohemian Rhapsody does have slight pacing issues as a result of fitting two decades of band history into a single film. The early portion of the film is a whirlwind introduction to Queen and their rise to the top. The rest of the film takes a more selective approach, focusing on Freddie Mercury’s personal struggles and tensions within the band. Overall, the movie finds a good mix of band moments, professional history, and personal drama to spend its time on.

The sheer volume of material it has to cover governs the way Bohemian Rhapsody handles its drama. The movie skims through the highlights of Queen’s career and Freddie’s life, stopping just long enough to evoke a mood or document a pivotal moment before moving on. These brief stops are enough to tell an effective story, but they lack the depth and cohesion that a narrower approach might have had. Whether this is a positive or a negative comes down to taste.

Strong dramatic performances and an excellent soundtrack make Bohemian Rhapsody worth a watch for those who want what it has to offer. Those interested in either the music or the story of Freddie Mercury will get what they’re looking for. Those hoping for a more focused story that delves deeper in to the lives of the band will get less out of it.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid drama and a memorable soundtrack.

Today’s quick review: Igby Goes Down. Igby Slocumb (Kieran Culkin) has been kicked out of every private school on the East Coast. Running out of options, his wealthy mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) sends him to spend the summer working for his godfather D.H. (Jeff Goldblum) in New York. But when the summer ends, Igby ditches his school and family to live on his own in the city, in the process striking up a relationship with D.H.’s mistress Rachel (Amanda Peet).

Igby Goes Down is a black comedy about a misfit teenager and his wealthy, dysfunctional family. The movie chronicles Igby Slocumb’s varied attempts to make a life for himself outside the confines of his home. More concerned with sex and drugs than his future, Igby has no plan other than to get away from it all. Fittingly enough, Igby Goes Down is less of a singular story than a series of misadventures that force Igby to grow up, after a fashion.

Much of the conflict in Igby Goes Down takes place between Igby and his family. Igby shows open contempt for his mother Mimi, a cold, aristocratic woman who just wants Igby to shut up and behave. He also butts heads with his older brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe), a hard-working, cultured young man who is everything Igby is not. Igby has a more ambivalent relationship with his godfather D.H., an avuncular businessman who is every bit as shrewd as Igby.

How much you get out of the movie will depend on how interesting you find its main character. Igby is clever and bitter, a combination that drives him to lash out even when the smart thing to do would be to hold his tongue. He is a rare protagonist whose spite is genuine and not shed lightly. His cynical outlook on life fuels much of the film’s humor, though the jokes are doled out infrequently and tend to have a dark edge to them.

In spite of his bad attitude, Igby does have nuance as a character. He may not have the sentimental core that other disaffected teenagers do in fiction, but he does have a heart, one that’s most readily seen when his attempts to game the system fall apart. Igby wants to be treated like an adult but simply isn’t ready for it yet. His brushes with responsibility, romantic rejection, and illness in the family give depth to the character and the story.

Igby Goes Down is a decent pick for those interested in its themes of teenage rebellion and familial dysfunction in the upper class. The movie doesn’t offer much in the way of overt humor—its comedy comes mainly from odd situations and Igby’s sarcastic quips—nor does it have much in the way of redemption for its protagonist. But it does paint a nuanced, fascinating portrait of Igby Slocumb, and that’s enough to make it a solid watch for the right viewer.

For a dry coming-of-age comedy that deals with similar issues, try Rushmore or Lady Bird. For the more upbeat adventures of a precocious teenager, try Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. For the story of a similarly dysfunctional upper-class family, try The Royal Tenenbaums. For a more surreal tale of self-destruction, try Birdman.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a fascinating lead and interesting themes without the story or heart to do more with them.

“I’m single. Sort of.” —Fay Grim

Today’s quick review: Fay Grim. Fay Grim’s (Parker Posey) life is complicated. Her son Ned (Liam Aiken) is in trouble at school, her loutish husband Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan) fled the country years ago, and her brother Simon (James Urbaniak) is in jail for helping him. Now, to top it all off, Agent Fulbright (Jeff Goldblum) of the CIA wants Fay’s help in retrieving Henry’s missing journals, which he believes contain important national secrets.

Fay Grim is a quirky independent comedy about a single mother caught up in an international web of intrigue, thanks to the exploits of her notorious husband. Fay Grim combines a unique premise, a convoluted plot, a wry sense of humor, and a jaunty directorial style to produce a fresh and entertaining experience. However, the complexity of the story, its madcap pacing, and the serious places it goes all put a damper on an otherwise upbeat comedy.

Fay Grim is the sequel to Henry Fool, another comedy from writer and director Hal Hartley. The sequel picks up roughly seven years after the end of the first film and spins its offbeat ending into an even stranger adventure involving international espionage. The leftover plot points from Henry Fool make Fay Grim’s story even more convoluted, but the sequel takes it all in stride, providing enough in the way of a recap to orient new viewers.

Fay Grim has a unique style of comedy that not even its predecessor fully shares. The movie presents itself with an overly serious, deadpan style that its characters and dialogue undercut at every opportunity. The vivid, fallible characters flounce around like they are in a soap opera, mundane conversational exchanges are delivered with even more gravitas than key plot points, and the script is chock full of dry wit and subtle, tongue-in-cheek humor.

The plot itself is contrived and convoluted to a comical degree. Fay, an ordinary single mother, gets wrapped up in the loose ends of her husband’s flight from the country. Pressured into helping the CIA retrieve her husband’s journals, Fay travles to France and lands in the middle of an international web of intrigue and deception. The many, many puzzle pieces do fit together, but they’re thrown at the viewer rapid-fire, more for comedic than dramatic effect.

Here is where Fay Grim starts to falter. The sheer volume of information required to follow the plot is overwhelming, and it gradually becomes apparent that all the schemes, lies, and competing agents in the hunt for Henry’s journals are not mere throwaways but actual parts of the plot. Eventually Fay Grim sheds its comedy entirely and becomes the spy thriller it was pretending to be all along, with a concomitant shift in tone to pure drama.

How much you get out of Fay Grim will depend heavily on what you want it to be. Those hoping for a breezy comedy may trip on the film’s complex plot and gradual shift to a heavier tone. Those hoping for a genuine spy thriller may not appreciate the film’s flippant treatment of its plot. But those willing to invest in Fay Grim’s plot and roll with the drama as it comes will be treated to a quirky comedy with subtle and skillfully delivered humor.

For a more elaborate comedic romp with similarly dry delivery, try The Grand Budapest Hotel. For a wry, espionage-based caper with a similar tonal trajectory, try Burn After Reading. For an understated comedy with a similar tone and more heart, try Sunshine Cleaning. For a black comedy with a convoluted plot and a bittersweet tone, try In Bruges.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for intriguing deadpan humor attached to a double-edged story and tone; your score will vary depending on your taste in comedy.

“They’re throwing bottles at your house. Come on, let’s go break their arms.” —Henry

Today’s quick review: Henry Fool. Simon Grim (James Urbaniak), an unassertive garbageman, lives with his sister Fay (Parker Posey) and their mother Mary (Maria Porter). His life takes a peculiar turn when he meets Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), an ex-con with grand ideas and a shady past, who decides to rent out the Grims’ basement. Henry urges Simon to take up poetry, and his evocative poems soon stir up controversy in the local community.

Henry Fool is a quirky independent comedy from writer and director Hal Hartley. Henry Fool specializes in dry humor punctuated by fits of crassness and dramatic themes that become more pronounced as the movie goes on. The cast is a motley lot of losers and malcontents, including the emotionally stunted Simon, his sex-starved sister Fay, and their troublesome tenant Henry. Henry Fool has a twisted charm to it and the craftsmanship to see it through.

The movie, much like its namesake, has a knack for making terrible ideas seem plausible. Henry is a societal rebel whose grandiose ideas are perfectly convincing until they’re put into practice, when they are usually revealed as dubiously effective and deeply antisocial. Under Henry’s tutelage, Simon transforms into a controversial poet whose notorious work makes him a local menace. Henry’s effects on the other characters are no less catastrophic.

Yet Henry has a strange sort of nobility about him that makes him a compelling character. Despite being a repulsive, self-interested, and unrepentant man guilty of terrible crimes, he has a sort of perverse charisma that the movie uses to great effect. Henry’s twisted character, the Grims’ attempts to stay afloat, and Simon’s quixotic quest to get published form the foundation for an unusual but intriguing comedy with fascinating ideas.

However, Henry Fool makes for a niche pick. Its wry black humor lacks the accessibility of other comedies, while its flippant portrayal of everything from sex to suicide is bound to turn off many of its viewers. The story also veers in odd directions, spanning the course of years as Henry works his way deeper into the Grims’ lives. The resulting is a sprawling movie that’s driven more by individual incidents than an overarching plot.

Watch Henry Fool if you’re interested in comedy that’s offbeat, perverse, and somewhat melancholy. The movie achieves its unique vision of an enigmatic stranger and a dysfunctional family, but not everyone will like what it has to offer. For the right viewer, Henry Fool will be a clever and inventive watch. The wrong one will find it utterly unpalatable. For a quirky coming-of-age comedy with less explicit content, try Lady Bird or Rushmore.

7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for fascinating characters, creative ideas, and a peculiar mix of comedy, drama, and coarseness.

Today’s quick review: The Legend of Drunken Master. Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) lands in trouble when he accidentally takes a package containing a priceless jade seal from the British ambassador (Louis Roth) as he was smuggling it out of the country. When the ambassador sends his men to rough up Fei-Hung and harass his family, Fei-Hung must disobey his father (Lung Ti) and use the powerful but dangerous technique of drunken boxing to defend himself.

The Legend of Drunken Master is a martial arts action comedy starring Jackie Chan. The movie showcases drunken boxing, an erratic, unpredictable martial arts style that uses alcohol to numb a fighter to pain. Fei-Hung’s use of the style makes him a fearsome opponent, but using too much alcohol sends him over the edge, which is why his father forbids the art. This unusual technique gives the film plenty of material for its action and comedy alike.

As far as action goes, The Legend of Drunken Master is one of Jackie Chan’s sharpest films. The stunts are fast-paced and endlessly creative, making use of improvised weaponry, a variety of environments, and the flashy moves of Fei-Hung’s fighting style to keep the action fresh. The martial arts talent on display is hard to top. The fights do skew somewhat more violent than Jackie Chan’s other work, but only to keep the stakes high and never to excess.

The Legend of Drunken Master doesn’t skimp on comedy, either. Fei-Hung is a natural troublemaker, an easygoing slacker whose shortcuts tend to backfire. His friendly personality and double-edged fighting style are a perfect fit for Jackie Chan. But the film’s unexpected comedic star is Anita Mui, who plays Fei-Hung’s wily stepmother Ling, a fiery woman who covers for her stepson, gambles behind her husband’s back, and steals the show whenever she’s onscreen.

The movie’s sharp action and earnest comedy are balanced out by a story with plenty of natural drama. Though the movie generally keeps up a light tone, the plot dips into drama at key moments. Fei-Hung faces constant setbacks, whether from his stern father, the ambassador’s men, or his own mistakes. Overcoming them gives Fei-Hung a weight that a purely comedic character would lack, while the story’s dramatic beats set up its fight scenes quite nicely.

The Legend of Drunken Master is an excellent pick for fans of Jackie Chan or the martial arts genre in general. Between its unique fighting style, talented cast, and careful balance between action, comedy, and drama, The Legend of Drunken Master has everything it needs to entertain a viewer who’s at all interested in the genre. For a similar flavor of martial arts comedy from Jackie Chan, try Project A or Rumble in the Bronx.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for just the right mix of stunt work and humor.

Today’s quick review: Young Tiger. Cab driver Chien Chen (Charlie Chin) lands in hot water when a woman being chased by a gang of criminals dies in his cab. The gang believes that she gave Chen the purse she was carrying, so they attack and harrass him in order to get it. Chen must team up with Ho Mai-Wah (Qiu Yuen), an undercover cop and the sister of the deceased, to turn the table on the gang’s boss (Nan Chiang) and his lieutenant (Jackie Chan).

Young Tiger is a martial arts crime movie that pits a brave cabbie and a talented police officer against a drug kingpin and his men. The movie’s half-decent plot revolves around a missing purse that the criminals desperately want back. But what modest potential the movie has is let down by sloppy cinematography, uncompelling acting, and stunts that fall well short of other films in the genre. The result is a forgettable and unsatisfying watch.

Young Tiger has a few minor points in its favor that aren’t enough to overcome its weaknesses. Qiu Yuen is a capable martial artist, though her stunts are less spectacular and somewhat more strained than harder-hitting entries into the genre. The skeleton of the plot works just fine, a crime movie where an innocent bystander gets dragged into a criminal conflict with a fair amount of backstory to reveal. But that’s really as far as Young Tiger goes.

The weaknesses of the film are glaring. Aside from Qiu Yuen’s fights, the stunts are sparing, unimaginative, and stick mostly to the basics. Chien Chen is a neutral protagonist with no real skills of his own. The plot lingers on Chen being harrassed by the gang and back-loads the events that matter. Jackie Chan is almost a nonentity, with no real personality or role to play in the story. Low production values also hurt the film at a technical level.

Young Tiger has very little to offer that other films don’t do better. Martial arts fans who are looking for a short dose of action may get something out of it, but most viewers will find that the quality simply isn’t there. Young Tiger doesn’t make any single mistake that dooms it, but it falls short due to a variety of shortcomings that pile up quickly. The result is a flick that’s forgettable and not especially entertaining.

For a martial arts movie with a similar plot and better stunts, try Rumble in the Bronx.

3.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.5 for a decent plot and martial arts let down by weak acting, writing, and overall execution.