Oscar and Action Movies to Watch

A MAN CALLED OTTO

COMEDY DRAMA

PLOT:  Tom Hanks is Otto, a grouchy senior citizen who has a heart of gold.  Based on a Swedish movie A Man Called Ove.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  Tom Hanks who loved his job and wife dearly and it was taken away from him and he hates the world but soon starts to care about his multicultural  neighbors is a joy to watch.  The rest of the cast is wonderful too.

WHAT IS WRONG:  It is predictable but still great to watch.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES!  Loss is hard to bear and his only reaction was anger at people.  Very good and very sad.  The only thing I can say is where is the series.

80 FOR BRADY

COMEDY 

PLOT:   Inspired by a true story of four senior ladies going to see Tom Brady at the Super bowl.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The four 80s ladies Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda (who looks AMAZING!), Rita Moreno and Sally Fields.  It is a cute concept with the team getting into fun and adventure.

WHAT IS WRONG:  You know what is going to happen but still fun to cheer them on.

SHOULD  YOU WATCH:  YES.  If you like the cast and Tom Brady is throughout the movie and is Executive Producer.  It is fun to watch ladies in their 80s have a good time.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP:  QUANTUMANIA

ACTION/FANTASY 

PLOT:  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is happy he was an Avenger and back with his family. His teen daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) made a device to contact the Quantum Realm but the adverse effect the family is sucked in to the Quantum Realm.  They try to find each other but secrets are revealed.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The spectacular special effects!  You feel you are like in another world.  The cast. Paul Rudd as Scott Lang /Ant-Man is Great!  Michelle Pfeiffer is equally good as Janet Van Pyne who lived in the Quantum Realm and has many secrets.  Kathryn Newton is good as the smart and wants to change whatever world she is in.  The supporting cast is wonderful too.  William Jackson Harper as Quaz who’s forehead glows and reads minds.  Katy O Brian as Jentorra, a female warrior trying to protect her people.  Jonathan Majors as Kang steals the show.  He is evil to the core and does it well!

WHAT IS WRONG:  There is a person from Ant-Man’s past who shows up.  They tell what happened to the person, but it could have been done better.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES.  It is full of excitement, adventure and comedy.

M3GAN 2023

HORROR/SCI-FI

PLOT:  The perfect robotic toy becomes a killing machine.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  M3GAN stands for Model 3 Generative Android. The prototype in the beginning she is loving, protective even a companion and sister. The doll then soon evolves to have human emotions.  She becomes toy Terminator before it is over and it is good.  The leads are women and there is dark humor.

WHAT IS BAD:  It is predictable and it has been done to death!  Machine turns on man or woman or machine wants to control man for his own good.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  If you enjoy dolls run amuck then yes!  Note:  The movie is rated PG-13 but the studio might have done an R-rated version.  Also they maybe a sequel and when you watch the film you will know why.

 

THE OLD WAY

WESTERN

PLOT:   A cold-blooded gunslinger, Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) marries and has a daughter but his past catches up with him.

WHAT IS RIGHT:    Nicolas Cage!  He can still act even if he does strange, quick buck movies and it is a western which they don’t make these days.

WHAT IS WRONG:  The plot you have seen in most western:  revenge!  Brook Briggs (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) is a headstrong, bratty kid you have seen a dozen times over.  The villain James McCallister (Noah LeGros) is the standard bad guy.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT:  Two things:  Nicolas Cage and it’s a western.  If not interested in those two reasons don’t watch!

 

Oscar Bait Season and the Fate of Young Boys

THE FABLEMANS

DRAMA 

PLOT:    A semi-autobiographical film about the legendary and talented Steven Spielberg. 

WHAT IS GOOD:  The acting!  Mitiz Fableman played by Michelle Williams is amazing as she supports her child Sammy who wants to make films after seeing The Greatest Show on Earth.  She is talented as well.  She gave up being a pianist to raise a family.  In was the 50s.  She is fun but also erratic.  Burt Fableman played by Paul Dano (The Batman as The Riddler) is just as amazing as a computer engineer  who takes his family place to place to give his family a better life.  He knows he is not exciting but he is excellent provider.  Judd Hirsch as Uncle Boris is not in the film very much but his “art” speech is nothing short of excellent! Williams, Dano and Hirsch should be Oscar nominated.

WHAT IS BAD:  When doing semi autobiographical movies many things may not be true so you would have to learn about Spielberg,

SHOULD YOU GO:  YES!  It has OSCAR all over it!  Up and coming film makers should see it for it is not easy to be one.

 

TILL

BIOGRAPHICAL/DRAMA 

PLOT:    Another retelling of the tragic story of Emmett Till, a black teen in Mississippi in 1955 who was disfigured by two white men when he whistled at a white woman. 

WHAT IS GOOD:  Dainelle Deadwyler as Mamie-Till Mobley .  It is a very difficult part-especially when she sees he son in the morgue.  Should be an Oscar nomination.  The cast is equally fantastic including Whoppi Goldberg who is in a brief part as Mamie’s mom and one of the producers.

WHAT IS BAD;   The subject has been done a few times now and though it is a true story Hollywood may change a few things for dramatic effect.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:   A cautious YES because this is not a crowd pleasing movie but an emotional journey of a mother trying to get justice for her son.

 

Animated Watery Wishes At Year's End

AVATAR: WAY OF WATER

SCI-FI/ACTION 

PLOT:   A decade later Jack Scully is now one of the Na’vi of Pandora and he has a family who find peace –for awhile in a beautiful place where they swim like fish.

WHAT IS GOOD:  The special effects!!!  It took director James Cameron 13 years so technology could catch up with him and his vision.  The beauty of the sea and sea creatures are dazzling.  Stephan Lang as Miles Quaritch the villain in the first movie is back and is Na’vi as well.  He is still a bad guy yet he has some comparison but not much.  He is amazing as a man obsessed to kill Jack no matter what the cost! When the action does start-WOW!

WHAT IS WRONG:  The movie is over 3 hours and it is a slow burn but it tells how Jack has to protect and provide for his family.  He has kids and a few are teens and teens no matter what they are give parents problems.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  If you like the first film-YES!  Action fans will enjoy the end I promise you.

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH

ANIMATED/ADVENTURE/ FANTASY 

PLOT:     Puss has used 8 of his 9 lives so he searches for a magical star to give him more lives.  On his quest he meets new and old friends and enemies.

WHAT IS GOOD:   Antonio Banderas who voices Puss is perfect!  Salma Hayek is great as Kitty Softpaws and the villain Wagner Maura is scary as the Wolf. 

WHAT IS BAD:  Should have been released sooner!

SHOULD YOU GO:   YES!!!  The film is fun and it tells a message without banging it over your head.  It’s funny, action packed and romantic.  MUST SEE!

 

How to Tar and Feather Xmas

VIOLENT NIGHT

HORROR, ACTION COMEDY 

PLOT:    Santa Claus kills bank robbers to save a rich little girl at Christmas.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  David Harbour as Santa Claus!  The actor was great in Black Widow as her father and he is better in this!  It is Die Hard and Santa Claus is John McLane and the bad guy’s name is Scrooge played by the funny and menacing John Legizamo!  Bad Santas are popular but this one is nuts!  The kills are creative and crazy.  Director Tommy Wirkola also directed Hansel and Greta: Witch Hunters.  The soundtrack is well done.

WHAT IS WRONG:  It is kinda long for a B-movie

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES if you like your Santa Claus funny and bloody.  Kids are in the film but it is not for children. It pays tribute to Die Hard, Home Alone and Rambo! So if you are into that you will definitely enjoy this movie.

 

TAR

DRAMA 

PLOT:   A character study of Lydia Tar, a talented but flawed female classical music conductor. 

WHAT IS RIGHT:  Cate Blanchett is a VERY gifted actress.  She wields the maestro’s stick with authority!  Classical music and scandal doesn’t usually go together but in this film it does.  She is a mom, married, has a career has bad days and abuses her power.

WHAT IS WRONG:  The beginning is slooow!  It has classical jargon only people who love classical music would know and like.  It is an art film also and it takes long time to get started.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  The film is over two hours and half but watching Blanchett is worth it if you enjoy excellent acting.

Long and Woke Forever

BLACK PANTHER WAKANDA FOREVER

ACTION/ADVENTURE/ FANTASY

PLOT:  T’ Challa is dead and the people of Wakanda don’t have much time to grieve for Namor wants their help to take over the surface world.

WHAT IS GOOD:  The cast Letitia Wright as Shuri, T’Challa’s sister is smart and sad of her brother’s death (the film does not tell what he died of) and Namor.  She has a lot of emotions she has to deal with.  Angela Basset as Queen Ramonda is excellent.  Tenoch Huerto as Namor, sea king of Talokan who think people who live above ground  are a threat.  Dominique Thorne as RiRi, a brilliant scientist  who helps Shuri.

WHAT IS BAD:  The length of the movie could have been shorter.  The women are the heroes so many people may not like that but they are very good.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  OH YEAH!!   The fight scenes, there is humor but not much.  It is sad in the beginning because the film dedicates to the wonderful but deceased actor Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa.

 

SHE SAID

DRAMA 

PLOT:  Two New York Times female reporters break the story about producer and predator Harvey Weinstein.

WHAT IS GOOD:  The two lead actresses Carey Mulligan as Megan Twohey and Zoe Karzan as Jodi Kanter.   The rest of the cast is equally amazing that include Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher.

WHAT IS BAD:   Slow burn.  There is  much talking - like a play.  

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  This is a SERIOUS movie about a serious subject so if you enjoy good drama this film is for you.