Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Be Cool. After witnessing the murder of a record executive by Russian gangsters, movie producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) goes into business with the man’s widow, Edie Athens (Uma Thurman). As Edie scrounges up the $300,000 her husband owed to Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer), Chili tries to poach a promising young singer (Christina Milian) from her abusive manager (Vince Vaughn) and his boss (Harvey Keitel).

Be Cool is a crime comedy and the sequel to Get Shorty. The movie follows an ex-loan shark’s further adventures in Los Angeles, this time as he tries to break into the music industry. Be Cool keeps the same lead and overall tone as the first movie but swaps out most of the supporting cast. It scores some points thanks to Travolta’s performance, but recycled jokes and an unfocused plot make it a step down from the original.

Be Cool tries to hit the same beats as Get Shorty, but it has less skill. Many of the gags are lifted verbatim and end up being too predictable. The less direct references take the form of characters and situations that echo the first film but have a new twist. Unfortunately, the new additions are mediocre at best. The characters are not as fresh, the conflicts are not as compelling, and the writing trends towards self-indulgence.

Be Cool can still be a fun watch, largely due to Chili’s unique personality and a slew of jokes that halfway hit the mark. Anyone looking for a light crime movie with a chaotic plot may want to check it out. But anyone hoping for a polished and original movie in the tradition of Get Shorty will be disappointed; Be Cool apes the superficial aspects of its predecessor without carving out enough of an identity of its own.

For another crime movie starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman, check out Pulp Fiction. For a crime comedy in the same vein, try The Whole Nine Yards. For a Hollywood mystery with a comedic bent, try Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Finally, for a chaotic crime movie with more even storytelling, try Jackie Brown.

[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377471/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for modest entertainment value that’s missing the spark of the original.

Today’s quick review: Get Shorty. Chili Palmer (John Travolta), a Miami loan shark, travels to Los Angeles to collect a debt for Ray Bones (Dennis Farina). While he’s there, Chili makes friends with movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) and horror actress Karen Flores (Rene Russo). Sensing a chance to break into show business, Chili helps Harry put together a new movie project and pay off the money he owes to Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo).

Get Shorty is a crime comedy about a loan shark who finagles his way into a job as a movie producer. Chili’s talent for solving problems makes him a natural fit for Hollywood, cutting through bad deals, attempts at intimidation, and actor hesitancy to get the job done. His unorthodox tactics give Harry the chance to pull off the deal of his career, but only if they can string along Bo long enough to pay their debt.

Get Shorty has a knack for chaos. Chili, Ray, Harry, and Bo are all working their own angles to get a piece of the cash that’s at stake, including a briefcase of money Bo put up for a drug deal, the massive contract Harry signed for his next film, and the small fortune in fraudulent insurance money Chili was sent to collect. Seeing the men trick, negotiate with, and outmaneuver each other is one of the great joys of the movie.

Get Shorty also gets its characters right. Chili Palmer is just tough enough without being ridiculous, and his calm, polite demeanor contrasts nicely with the chaos around him. Harry is a producer whose creative accounting has landed him in hot water, while his girlfriend and former star Karen acts as the voice of reason. Ray and Bo round out the cast as offbeat criminals who think they can make a fortune by ripping off Chili.

Try Get Shorty if you enjoy quirky characters, sharp dialogue, and convoluted plots that tie together neatly at the end. Get Shorty takes an odd route to get to its destination, following Chili on an adventure with no clear endpoint in mind, but dynamic characters and smartly chosen plot threads see the movie through to a satisfying finish.

For a crime comedy that takes a similar approach toward criminal enterprise, try The Whole Nine Yards. For a darker comedy with a similar attitude and a Hollywood setting, try The Nice Guys. For an even more chaotic crime comedy, try Lucky Number Slevin, Snatch, The Gentlemen, or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. For a more dramatic, stylized crime film starring John Travolta, try Pulp Fiction.

[6.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113161/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for clever writing and a great cast.

Today’s quick review: My Spy. After botching an undercover mission, CIA agent JJ (Dave Bautista) is put on surveillance duty with his partner Bobbi (Kristen Schaal). Their targets are Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley), the sister-in-law of arms dealer Victor Marquez (Greg Gryk), and her daughter Sophie (Chloe Coleman). But when JJ blows his cover, Sophie blackmails him into spending time with her family and teaching her the tricks of his trade.

My Spy is an action comedy about a spy who befriends a nine-year-old girl to maintain his cover. Dave Bautista stars as JJ, an excellent soldier who lacks the subtlety to succeed in his new career as a spy. At the same time, his compassion makes him a great companion for Sophie, a bright young girl who is struggling to find her footing after losing her father. Excellent leads and some fun action make My Spy a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

My Spy is less of a spy movie than it bills itself as. JJ and Bobbi are on a surveillance mission that isn’t expected to pay off, so their duties are limited to watching Kate and keeping Sophie from telling her mother about them. The action is similarly limited to a few sequences near the beginning and the end, although these are flashy enough to make up for lost time.

But even though the spy side of the story moves slowly, the characters more than pick up the slack. Chloe Coleman is a perfect choice for Sophie, who uses blackmail to get JJ to take her places, teach her spy tricks, and even date her mother Kate. Sophie has a knack for catching JJ off-guard, and their easy chemistry is an endless source of humor. At the same time, the simple ways that JJ helps Sophie and Kate gives the movie some heart.

Give My Spy a shot when you are in the mood for something light, funny, and friendly. The movie is not ambitious for an action movie, but its light tone and organic sense of humor make it a fun time for the right viewer. For a more action-packed comedy about a spy befriending a civilian, try RED, Knight and Day, or Central Intelligence. For another offbeat take on spy work, try Spies in Disguise or Get Smart.

[6.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8242084/). I give it a 7.0 for great comedy and a good character work.

Today’s quick review: Central Intelligence. Twenty years after being a high school superstar, Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) leads a depressingly ordinary life with his wife Maggie (Danielle Nicolet). But that changes when his high school friend Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson), now a CIA agent, asks Calvin to help him recover satellite codes stolen by the Black Badger, codes that CIA agent Pamela Harris (Amy Ryan) believes Bob stole.

Central Intelligence is a spy action comedy starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Calvin is an accountant who feels that he never lived up to his early potential, while Bob is a sensitive CIA agent who channeled his self-esteem issues into a muscular body. Central Intelligence plays the two men off each other on an off-the-books mission to save the world. Great chemistry and decent action make the movie an entertaining watch.

Central Intelligence draws most of its appeal from the interplay between Hart and Johnson. The pair are perfectly matched, and their characters play to their strengths. Calvin acts as the fast-talking straight man thrust into a situation beyond his ability to cope with, while Bob continues to throw him curveballs with his mixture of friendly, clingy behavior and dangerous spy gambles.

If Central Intelligence has a main weakness, it is that its plot is not as robust as it could be. Bob’s hunt for the Black Badger provides an impetus for the action but not much else. There is no larger world that the movie is trying to build up, only a small fragment of a generic spy mission for Calvin and Bob to interact with. The characters are also more cartoonish than they could have been, robbing the movie of some needed depth.

Overall, Central Intelligence is a solid popcorn watch that delivers excellent comedy, some entertaining action, and a minimal amount of story. Fans of either of the leads will have a fun time, but the movie gambles on them to the exclusion of all else. Anyone who dislikes either Kevin Hart or Dwayne Johnson may want to steer clear.

For a raunchier comedy about a man in a dead-end job dragged on a dangerous adventure after an encounter with a high school friend, try The Do-Over. For another spy comedy with Dwayne Johnson, try Get Smart. For a similar comedy with Kevin Hart, try Ride Along. For a crime comedy about a dissatisfied hitman at his class reunion, try Grosse Pointe Blank. For a classic comedy with a similar dynamic between the leads, try The In-Laws.

[6.3 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489889/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for enjoyable comedy without much substance to back it up.

Today’s quick review: The Transporter Refueled. Frank Martin (Ed Skrein), an elite driver with a special forces background, gets dragged into a war between ex-prostitute Anna (Loan Chabanol) and her abusive pimp Arkady (Radivoje Bukvic) when Anna kidnaps Frank’s father (Ray Stevenson). To free his father, Frank must help Anna steal documents from Arkady’s lieutenants that will give her access to Arkady’s vast criminal fortune.

The Transporter Refueled is an action movie about a driver roped into a series of dangerous crimes. The fourth film in the Transporter series replaces Jason Statham with Ed Skrein, kicking off a new adventure with a new cast of characters. The movie aims for the same blend of high-octane car chases and martial arts action as the previous films. However, basic stunts and a weak lead make it a subpar choice as far as the action genre goes.

The Transporter Refueled never pushes itself as much as its predecessors. The action scenes are passable but not memorable, with the usual car stunts, hand-to-hand combat, and firefights. The movie tries something original with one or two fights, including a fight between two walls of drawers, but these never rise above the level of midly interesting.

The Transporter Refueled also misses with its characters. Ed Skrein makes for a lackluster Frank Martin, with none of the charisma or menace that Jason Statham brought to the role. Ray Stevenson fares a little better as Frank’s dad, a retired spy and ladies’ man, but the move presumes a rapport between them that doesn’t really exist. Loan Chabanol lacks the spark to make her part stand out, making Anna little more than a plot device.

The Transporter Refueled is a marked step down from the previous Transporter movies. Fans of budget action flicks may get something out of the movie, as it checks off the basics of the genre. But even among the budget offerings, there are movies with better stunts, more experimental plots, or more memorable failures. Give The Transporter Refueled a shot only if you’re looking for a bit of action and don’t need to be impressed.

For a better take on the character, try The Transporter or its other sequels. For another Jason Statham action movie that shows more creativity, try The Mechanic or its sequel. For a car-focused series of action movies with larger budgets and sharper writing, try any of the Fast & Furious movies.

[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2938956/). I give it a 5.0 for low-effort action, a weak lead, and a mediocre story.

“I still know kung fu.” —Neo

Today’s quick review: The Matrix Resurrections. Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), an award-winning game designer, knows that something is wrong with his world. He sees it in his rare interactions with Tiffany (Carrie Anne-Moss), his work for his boss (Jonathan Groff), and his therapy sessions with his analyst (Neil Patrick Harris). But he can only learn the truth from a mysterious woman (Jessica Henwick) and an old friend (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie and the fourth film in the Matrix trilogy. Resurrections picks up years after Revolution left off, with Neo trapped in a new world with different methods of control. The sequel takes a very different tack than the original movies. Not only does the time jump shake up the setting and the rules of the universe, it also brings with it a different tone, aesthetic, and set of themes.

The novel aspects of the story are risky but interesting. Faced with the prospect of continuing Neo’s story, Resurrections goes meta. The story looks at Neo’s impact on the world, the undying nature of fiction, and the often blurry line between fiction and reality. Resurrections also gets the chance to update the look and feel of the Matrix, dropping the rigidity of the original version in favor of something that feels more organic.

At the same time, The Matrix Resurrections relies heavily on nostalgia. Many scenes are explicit callbacks to the original films, and key moments are interspersed with clips from those films. The gambit is a mixed success. The nostalgia highlights the series’ strengths, but the blunt nature of the callbacks takes the audience out of the story. Further muddying the waters, the callbacks tie directly into the film’s musings on cycles and fiction.

As for its action, The Matrix Resurrections is not as groundbreaking as its predecessors. It still has plenty of spectacle, but the fights are scaled back to be less technically demanding. The special effects are more polished than the old films, thanks to advances in technology, but they are not used with as much care or reverence. To its credit, Resurrections does toy with a few new ideas for its action, but they are not explored in depth.

Finally, the story is as much of a mixed bag as the rest of the movie. The core of the plot is interesting and makes for a workable extension to the series, but the execution fluctuates wildly. The movie will flirt with real stakes and sincere conflict, only to trail off into self-aware comments. It also does a mediocre job of managing its new cast, giving them basic personalities but never putting in the work to make the audience care.

Ultimately, The Matrix Resurrections accomplishes what it wants to, but not necessarily in a way the audience will like. Decent action, intriguing new ideas, and a viable story make it worth a watch for the curious, but there are numerous pitfalls for anyone looking for something true to the spirit of the originals. Try it if you are interested in an offbeat and highly meta riff on the originals. Skip it if you are looking for innovative action.

For a stylized fantasy action flick that deals with similar themes of oppression and mental illness, check out Sucker Punch. For a sci-fi film that takes a more measured look at the nature of reality, try Inception. For a Matrix-influenced sci-fi action movie about a man who awakens from a dystopian system of control, check out Equilibrium.

[6.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10838180/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for spectacle and speculation broken up by a slew of risky decisions.

Today’s quick review: Deck the Halls. Christmas becomes a war when Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito) moves in across the street from Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick) and sets up the most obnoxious display of Christmas lights in town. Much to the chagrin of Buddy’s wife Tia (Kristin Chenoweth) and Steve’s wife Kelly (Kristin Davis), their husbands’ argument escalates into a rivalry that threatens to ruin the holiday for both families.

Deck the Halls is a Christmas comedy starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. Steve is the king of Christmas in his Massachusetts town, but his role is threatened when Buddy gets carried away putting up Christmas lights and becomes the town favorite. This setup leads to some decent slapstick as the two men try one-up each other. However, basic jokes and a thin story keep the movie from accomplishing much.

Deck the Halls skimps on what it needs the most: humor and heart. The movie gets off to a slow start with its comedy. The jokes only really kick in once the rivalry between Steve and Buddy is underway. Even then, Deck the Halls does not have much to offer. The slapstick works well enough for a family film, but the verbal humor is thin, the conflict is predictable, and the resolution does not feel earned.

If you are in the mood for a Christmas movie and just want something light, Deck the Halls is a passable pick. DeVito and Broderick fit their roles well, and the premise does feed into some nice mayhem. But the script leaves plenty to be desired, and none of the jokes land well enough to justify the movie to a more skeptical viewer. Most viewers will have better luck elsewhere.

For a Christmas comedy in a similar vein, check out Christmas with the Kranks. For a more action-oriented comedy set at Christmas, check out Jingle All the Way. For Danny DeVito in a similar role in a darker comedy, try Throw Momma from the Train.

[5.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790604/). I give it a 5.5 for middling humor without much to back it up.

“Put that cookie down!” —Howard Langston

Today’s quick review: Jingle All the Way. Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger), an overworked father, barely has time for his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) and son Jamie (Jake Lloyd). To make up it up to Jamie, Howard promises to get him a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. But when Howard heads out to pick up the toy on Christmas Eve, every store is out of stock, forcing him to pull a series of increasingly desperate stunts to get one.

Jingle All the Way is a family action comedy about the last-minute shopping rush on Christmas Eve. Desperate for the hottest toy in town, Howard must fight with fellow shoppers, gamble on raffles, and break every traffic law known to Man to make his son’s Christmas wish come true. Jingle All the Way satirizes holiday shopping with brawls, betrayals, and no end of family-friendly stunts.

However, the main shortcoming of Jingle All the Way is that it is shallow. Where other Christmas movies have a heartfelt core, Jingle All the Way pays lip service to love and the Christmas spirit before sending Howard out to cause more chaos. This is not necessarily a bad thing in terms of keeping the story light and linear, but it robs the movie of depth and forces it to rely on contrived situations for its entertainment value.

How much you get out of Jingle All the Way will depend on what you are looking for. If you are a fan of Schwarzenegger’s style of comedy and are in the mood for a simple story with lots of mayhem, Jingle All the Way is an entertaining pick. If you are looking for a Christmas movie with a more heartfelt story or a plot that has better justification, you may want to steer clear.

For another comedy about the stress of the holiday season, try Christmas with the Kranks. For a slapstick-oriented family Christmas comedy with more depth, try Home Alone. For a less family-friendly action movie set at Christmas, try Die Hard. For a Schwarzenegger action comedy with more substance, check out True Lies.

[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116705/). I give it a 6.5 for simple but entertaining antics.

Today’s quick review: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now that the world knows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is Spider-Man, he and his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) can’t get a moment’s peace. Afraid that he ruined his friends’ lives, Peter asks Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell to make his identity secret again. But when the spell goes haywire and pulls in Peter’s enemies from other universes, Peter must find a way to send them back.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a superhero action comedy set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The third Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland, No Way Home picks up in the aftermath of Far from Home as the revelation of Peter’s identity suddenly turns him into a public figure. The film continues the story begun in Homecoming, touches on the post-Endgame state of the MCU through Dr. Strange, and tells a clever story that Spider-Man fans are sure to love.

No Way Home is a love letter to Spider-Man’s film history. The story draws in villains from previous iterations of the character, including Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx). The transplanted characters are given their due, with continuations of their character arcs, new action scenes, and plenty of chances to interact with the Homecoming cast and each other.

At the same time, No Way Home stands as the culmination of its own series. It is easily the most ambitious of the Tom Holland films, not only in terms of the reality-altering scope of its plot but in what it does with its characters. The film introduces some of the elements of Spider-Man’s story that were missing from the Homecoming universe. In doing so, it gives Peter and MJ the chance to mature and sets Peter on the path of being his own hero.

As for the basics of the superhero genre, the film outdoes itself. The grab bag of villains leads to varied fight scenes that take full advantage of the characters’ powers, especially Dr. Strange’s reality-bending magic. The writing is crisp and consistently funny, and the dialogue is packed with quips without turning the story into a joke. Finally, every combination of characters has great chemistry, making the large cast well worth the effort.

No Way Home sets a difficult task for itself but manages to pull it off handily. The film effortlessly pivots between comedy and drama, juggles an enormous cast with no apparent difficulty, and builds on the events of previous Spider-Man films in satisfying ways. The film is a must-see fans of Spider-Man and a worthwhile pick for any superhero or action fans who are familiar with the preceding movies. Go check it out.

For an animated Spider-Man film with a similar premise and a lot more stylization, check out Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. For another Spider-Man movie featuring a grab bag of villains, check out Spider-Man 3 or The Amazing Spider-Man 2. For more mind-bending magic set in the MCU, check out Doctor Strange. For another deftly handled superhero crossover with even higher stakes, check out Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

[9.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10872600/). I give it an 8.5 for top-notch storytelling with lots of action and a keen sense of humor.

Today’s quick review: Eternals. Seven millennia ago, the Celestial Arishem (David Kaye) sent immortal beings known as the Eternals to protect humanity from the Deviants. In the present, the Eternals have gone their separate ways. But when a worldwide earthquake coincides with the reappearance of the Deviants, Sersi (Gemma Chan), Sprite (Lia McHugh), and Ikaris (Richard Madden) set out to round up their teammates and investigate the new threat.

Eternals is a superhero movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eternals delves into the cosmic side of Marvel, exploring the origins of Earth, the secrets of its history, and the nature of the Celestials themselves. Unlike other superhero movies, Eternals is speculative science fiction on an epic scale. Polished action and interesting ideas make it a promising movie, but a number of missteps keep it from reaching its full potential.

Eternals’ strengths lie with its spectacle, its scope, and its ideas. The special effects are consistently solid, leading to satisfying fights that make creative use of the Eternals’ powers. The visual design is not perfect, failing to establish an iconic look for the Eternals, but it gets the job done. And if nothing else, the story is ambitious, reframing vast swaths of human history as part of a grand cosmic narrative.

Eternals also has moments of brilliance with its characters. Nowhere is this better seen than with Sprite, an Eternal trapped in the unaging body of a teenage girl. Perpetually treated like a child, Sprite is torn between her affection for her teammates and her frustration at the hand she has been dealt. Lia McHugh’s performance is excellent, and Sprite’s character arc is one of the few to actually explore the ramifications of immortality.

But for every point Eternals scores, it loses one shortly after. The size of the cast is a prime exmaple. Juggling ten Eternals—each with his or her own powers, personality, and opinions—proves to be a formidable challenge. The plot becomes bloated and unwieldy as Sersi tracks down the others one by one, then brings them up to speed on what has happened. Managing ten individual character arcs slows the movie down even more.

Eternals also does a poor job of managing its conflicts. The Deviants make for subpar villains, generic monsters who are only as powerful as the plot needs them to be at a given moment. The same variability in power applies to the Eternals, whose limitations are never properly defined. Meanwhile, the main conflict shows a similar lack of finesse, driven by lumps of exposition and plot twists that are not as shocking as the movie wants them to be.

The characters are a mixed bag as well. Sersi makes for a lukewarm protagonist, blandly competent but a poor fit for the leadership position staked out for her. Ikaris has some interesting moments but never tips over into being a compelling character. The supporting cast receives a fair amount of development, but they lack chemistry as a group. Despite some fun interactions, they never click the way the Avengers or the Justice League do.

Finally, the story is an awkward fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie has to bend over backwards to explain why the Eternals did not intervene in the events of the previous films, and the sweeping exposition about the Celestials undermines the careful drip of information Marvel had practiced to date. Apart from a few forced references to the Avengers, Eternals might as well take place in its own continuity.

Eternals is a movie that aims high but falls short of its goals. Fans who are just in it for the spectacle and humor will get what they want, although the film’s lengthy run time and large cast dilute the experience. But critical viewers will find a lot to pick apart, from the hit-or-miss characters to a plot that struggles to find its rhythm. Eternals has a lot to offer, but its virtues come at a price. Approach with caution.

For a superhero movie about powerful aliens whose history is interwoven with humanity’s, check out Thor. For a superhero fantasy movie with more creative visuals and a more distinct flavor, try Doctor Strange. For another superhero movie about a secret protector of humanity, try Wonder Woman. For another look at the cosmic side of Marvel, try Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, or Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

[6.8 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9032400/). I give it a 7.0 for bold ambitions with mixed execution.