A Quiet, Cruella Summer

 

QUIET PLACE 2

HORROR 

PLOT:    The Abbot family still trying to survive aliens and savage men.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  Very suspenseful.  How do you keep silent when you’re in pain or scream when something frightens you.

WHAT IS WRONG:  If you don’t like sequels.

SHOULD YOU WATCH: YES!  The cast and the exciting thrills are worth the wait.  If you like this sequel as of this writing there will be a Quiet Place 3.

CRUELLA

COMEDY 

PLOT:  Prequel on why Cruella DeVil is so evil.

WHAT IS RIGHT: The two lead actresses Emma Stone and Emma Thompson wicked to the core.  The soundtrack and the clothes are amazing.

WHAT IS WRONG:  Doesn’t seem like a Disney movie.  It is too dark for kids.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES! If you like Emma Stone and Emma Thompson being delightfully devious divas this should be seen, along with other new movie releases..

Finally, Summer 2021: Theaters Bring New Movie Releases

 

FAST AND FURIOUS #9

ACTION

PLOT: Dominic “Dom” Tretto and his team decide to go on another wild mission and we find out Dom has an evil brother, Jakob.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  Unbelievable action sequences wrestler John Cena is the brother Jakob and the comic relief of Tyrese Gibson as Roman and Ludacris as Tej is great.

WHAT IS WRONG:  The stunts are becoming more and more insane and no other gets hurt!

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  If you enjoy the Fast and Furious franchise up to now you will enjoy it.  It is becoming hard to believe, but this film is still good--indeed, one of the best new movie releases of 2021.

 THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

HORROR/THRILLER

PLOT:  A young man is possessed by a demon and kills someone.  The Warrens have to prove to the court of law that he was possessed by the Devil.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The film is unsettling  and the acting by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren are very good as with the rest of the cast especially  Ruairi O’ Connor as Arne taken by a demon.  They reference  the bible and God in the film-very rare in Hollywood.

WHAT IS WRONG:  Some predictable jump scares.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  OH YES!

NOBODY

ACTION/THRILLER 

PLOT:  Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk, TV show Better Call Saul) is a mild-mannered family man.  He has a pretty wife teenaged son and cute little daughter. He has an aging father David (Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future) who he visits often. He gets robbed in his home. Mansell is not an average man and finds out who the burglars are. He is still angry and takes the bus where thugs taunt the few passengers.  He assaults most of them but one is Yulian Kuzentsou ‘s (Alekesi Serebryakov) brother.  Yulian is a Russian gangster who wants vengeance. Mansell is up to the challenge.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The movie is action-packed!  Very funny and very violent.

WHAT IS WRONG:  The beginning is slow to show how mundane Mansell’s life is excessive.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES!  It is written by Derek Kolstad who wrote John Wick  films so you know what to expect.

UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY

BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

STREAMING ON HULU

PLOT:    Another film about the talented but tragic singer Billie Holiday and how the FBI did many things to bring her down so she would stop singing the song Strange Fruit about lynching.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  Newcomer Andra Day. She captures a lot of raw emotions.  Diana Ross was fantastic as the drug addict singer and so is this actress.  The cast is excellent as well.

WHAT IS WRONG:  The movie is epic but you think the film is over and it is not.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT:  YES!  It is a story of Ms. Holiday that hasn’t been told and now it is.

BODY BROKERS

CRIME DRAMA

PLOT:  Drug addict couple robs to get drugs but the guy wants to stop.  They meet a recruiter to help rid of his addiction but it is a racket to find other addicts to keep the top people in business.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  It is mostly newcomers so it looks authentic.

WHAT IS WRONG:  Scary but is it true?  Is it a drama? A thriller?

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  Acting is good but wait until on demand or cable.

MORTAL KOMBAT

ACTION/FANTASY 

PLOT:  An updated version of the popular video game.

WHAT IS RIGHT: The action sequences and special effects have improved from the 1995 movie.  The comic relief was very good thanks to Kano (Josh Lawson).

WHAT IS WRONG:  It is very good but very violent – I guess like the video game.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES!  If you like action, martial arts and fantasy this is for you.

The Ultimate Showdown! Thoughts on Godzilla vs Kong 2021

Note: This was written prior to the movie release in late March.

At last, the monster showdown is coming to theaters and HBO Max March 31.

                This is going to be in short-EPIC!

                Fans of both giant beasts are looking forward to watch this battle.  The last time these two fought was 1962.  It has been 59 years and endless  date changes when the film is released out because of the COVID 19, does Netflix have the movie or HBO!  It was March 26 then they pushed it back for the (hopefully the final date) March 31.  It will be the best action movie of the year, since it's the only film released so far! 

The plot of movie is unknown but the title tells all.  There will be other monsters in the flick but there are only two that matter.  The director Adam Wingard claims there will be only one winner.  The film should have two different endings to satisfy the fans of each monster.  In the 1962 film it was unclear who won.  There are two versions of the one in 1962 and believe it or not the American version was actually better than the Japanese version.  There was a rumor that Godzilla won in the Japanese version while the American version it was King Kong.  It was said all along Kong would be the winner and Godzilla the villain in the 60’s version.

Trailer # 1:(American) January: If you are a Godzilla fantastic you are happy the first trailer came out from all the delays but you won’t like it because King Kong punches Godzilla in the face, hits him again and blocks his atomic breath from Godzilla’s dorsal fin and a bone also from him.  How Kong got it is a mystery until the film is released.

Trailer# 2: (Japanese) February: If you are a Godzilla fan this one you will like somewhat better. Godzilla gives Kong a bitch-slap and he is falling down HARD!

My Trailer #1: Narrator:  Finally, a sequel people want to see!

My Trailer #2: Dr. Ishiro Serizawa:     Let (King Kong hits Godzilla) Them (Godzilla hits King Kong) Fight!(Godzilla and Kong attack each other!)

Why King Kong is Important- The original King Kong was a movie in 1933.  The special effects by Willis O’Brien were amazing at that time.  It told the story of a big gorilla worshipped on an island and Fay Wray while making a movie was a sacrifice to Kong and he was infatuated with her.   To many it was a different version to Beauty and the Beast.  To very few it was Kong was a black man who would die for a white woman. It was a success.  Many other giant gorillas followed but special effects guy Eiji Tsuburaya  in Japan was impressed with King Kong and wanted to make his own monster-Godzilla.

The Origin of Godzilla: In 1954 a kaiju- which means strange creature in Japanese and Godzilla was the first.  Godzilla was taken more seriously than now. Atomic explosions in Japan awakened the towering dinosaur.  It the original film Godzilla was called Gorji which means a beast and a whale. They inserted Raymond Burr know for Perry Mason and Ironside in the English dubbed version in 1956 so the film could sell to an American audience.  They made a sequel Gigantis The Fire Monster because they couldn’t use the name Godzilla but this movie started monster versus monster and the rest is history.

KING KONG VS GODZILLA 1962- Willis O’Brien wanted to make another King Kong movie fighting of all monsters Frankenstein!  Thank goodness they paired him up with Godzilla.  The plot I don’t really remember but the fight scenes weren’t exactly state-of-the art but it the two icons, giant size titans didn’t disappoint!  The movie showed them their powers and how they can use them against each other!

SHOULD GODZILLA AND KING KONG TEAM UP? Many fans speculate that the two super beasts will come together to attack an even more destructive giant creature they cannot defeat individually.  I am okay with that but the ad does says “one will fall” there should be a winner in this kaiju showdown.  Honestly, I don’t want them to team up. I want monsters attacking each other until there is ONE winner.

IF THE FILM IS SUCCESSFUL- If the movie is a hit lets have more giant monsters attack each other like Godzilla vs. Gammera. King Kong vs. Cloverfield and the ultimate monster tag team Godzilla and King Kong vs. Mechagodzilla and MechaKong.  That I would like.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The monsters fighting!  Minor spoiler-the action doesn’t start right away.  It takes about 40 minutes and there are only 3 fights but they are AMAZING!!

WHAT IS WRONG:  The plot and the people.  No one is interesting really except the  Jai (Kaylee Hottle) young mute girl who talks to King Kong in sign language and Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) as a black conspiracy theorist who provides much comic relief.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  If you can watch the film on the big screen.  It shows how marvelous and spectacular and dangerous these giant beasts are.

 

Big New Versions, More Family Animated Fun

ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE

SUPERHERO/ACTION

PLOT:    Batman forms a team to stop Darkseid and Steppenwolf in this new version of the same name in 2017.

WHAT IS RIGHT:   Snyder’s film has more back-story of the villains and heroes.  It also has more great action sequences.  MAJOR SPOILER:  The climax of the movie is TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

WHAT IS WRONG:  If you like some of the scenes in the movie in 2017-a lot is not there or cut short. The length of the movie is over four hours yet it is worth it.  If it is a success there will be a many director’s cut films and shouldn’t be.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES!  If you are a fan of superheroes and DC comics or just to see how much they added or took away is worth a look.

 

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

ANIMATED

PLOT:  A beautiful, Asian princess who is determined has an adventure finding a magical dragon.

WHAT IS RIGHT:   The colorful visuals and the funny supporting cast and how hard it is to trust but worth it.

WHAT IS WRONG:  NOTHING! It’s Disney!

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  YES! The voice actors are great (mostly Asian cast such as Daniel Dae Kim-Hawaii Five O, Benedict Wong –Dr. Strange and Awkafina-Crazy Rich Asian) the story is told well and it has humor, heart and action!

Falling Soul, American Skin

 

SOUL-2020

ANIMATION 

PLOT:  Middle age black man gets to play jazz with a legend but he dies but comes back to find out what is really important.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The great voice actors, Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey and Angela Bassett.  The jazz music is great.  Impressive story. 

WHAT IS WRONG:   Disney makes in-between life and death a pleasant experience.  Cute but not for children.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  Yes if you are an adult.

FALLING

DRAMA

PLOT:    John Peterson (Viggo Mortensen), a gay man who is married to an Asian has to take care of his aging father Willis (Lance Henriksen) who has dementia.

WHAT IS RIGHT:  The performances of Mortensen and Henriksen. These two actors are famous for action, fantasy and sci-fi films but they acted well as son and father who never got along as he got older and willing to take care of him.  Henriksen is a fussing racist, sexist difficult senior parent.  Praise also for Sverrir Gudnason as Young Willis who wants to be good to his wife and children but has a wild streak in him. 

WHAT IS WRONG:  Why is Willis the way he is.  There is a ton of flashbacks of the Peterson’s when they were young and teens but we don’t know about the father enough.  Was it the sign of the times or was he always mean and got mean as he got older and the world was changing without him.  Laura Linney as Sarah, John’s suffer sister had only one scene but she should have had more for she is very talented.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  It is an independent film so doesn’t expect Hollywood histrionics but it is emotional.  If you enjoy excellent acting you should go.

AMERICAN SKIN

DRAMA (Video Release)

PLOT:   Ex-veteran watches his son gunned down in front of him, the officer acquitted vows his own justice.

WHATS RIGHT:  Nate Parker wrote and directed this film.  It discusses both sides of the concerning subject of black people killed by the police and the police see it differently.  Parker wants you to see how tough  this issue truly  is.

WHAT’S WRONG:  It is hard to watch if you have been wronged by the police.  It is also low-budget so but there are some star you may know like Omari Hardwick (Showtime’s Power) and Theo Rossi( Netflix’s Luke Cage) Nate Parker is not very popular himself.  He also wrote and directed Birth of A Nation in 2016 about Nat Turner.  Rumors about an alleged rape charge the film didn’t do very well.

SHOULD YOU WATCH:  Yes!  It is on DVD and was on Demand.  If you don’t search for it you will not find it.  I found out about it on Black News Channel on a talk show.  It is worth the search.