Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

7/10

Starring

Keanu Reeves

Alex Winter

Kristen Schaal

Samara Weaving

 

 

Directed by Dean Parisot

I really, really enjoyed this movie more than I expected. At first, I was worried—would an older Keanu Reeves be able to deliver the same spunk he had when he played Ted 31 years ago? I also couldn’t imagine this movie’s plot holding up after the onslaught of films I’ve seen between then and now. Lastly, recalling the second movie, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), which I totally hated and found boring, I feared this would be just like it.

Thankfully, I was wrong. This movie felt more like the first one and picks up over 20 years after the events of 1991.

Maybe it’s nostalgia or just me missing these two dudes, but I enjoyed it a lot. Back in 1989, the legendary comedian George Carlin played Rufus, the character who gave Bill and Ted their time machine and set them off on their excellent journey. Back then, Theodore "Ted" Logan (Keanu Reeves) and William "Bill" Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) were a hilarious duo, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure was, at the time, the best time-travel movie I’d ever seen.

Fast forward to now, and these guys are married to their princesses from the first film. They even have daughters who are exactly like them—except they’re better musicians. But here’s the twist: Bill and Ted still haven’t written the song that was supposed to unite the world. Their band, Wyld Stallyns, has broken up, and they’re struggling as a duo. Their wives are the only things keeping their families afloat, and even they are starting to lose patience with Bill and Ted’s devotion to writing the song.

Time is running out, though. People from the future send Rufus’ daughter to bring them a message: they have a limited amount of time to deliver the song that will save the world.

Being the lovable goofballs they are, Bill and Ted steal a time machine (because, of course, they’re used to that by now). Naturally, they end up making everything worse. Their brilliant plan? Get the song from their future selves. Predictably, chaos ensues, creating a mess so convoluted it seems impossible to fix.

I kind of guessed how the movie would end about halfway through, but it didn’t take away from the fun. Watching them finally discover the song and seeing how it all came together felt really cool.

The movie has better effects, a fun setup, and lots of laughs. Honestly, I’m already looking forward to rewatching it because I just love Wyld Stallyns and their hilariously chaotic way of making a mess and cleaning it up.

This is one of the best things I’ve watched during the COVID period. However, if you haven’t seen the first film, you’re probably not going to enjoy this one. You don’t have to watch the second movie—just know that Death joined the band at some point.

Cocoon (1985)

Cocoon (1985)

6/10

Starring

Don Ameche

Wilford Brimley

Hume Cronyn

Brian Dennehy

 

 

Directed by Ron Howard

I thought this was the second time I was seeing Cocoon because, when I was younger, I saw a Cocoon movie that I didn’t like. When this was suggested to me, I was shocked to discover that what I saw back then was the terrible Cocoon: The Return (the sequel).

This movie, though, wasn’t as grand as I’d been told, but it was enjoyable for what it was: a sci-fi comedy with some cool 80s effects. It didn’t feel like it was trying too hard to impress—it just did its thing.

The story is about a group of men from an old folks' home who want their own space to hang out. They keep sneaking into the house next door to use the pool. Things change when the house gets rented out by a mysterious trio—two men and a woman.

Meanwhile, we meet Jack, a boat owner who makes a deal with the trio to take them out on boat trips for a few days. Needing the money, Jack agrees. Soon we discover the trio are aliens who’ve come back to Earth to retrieve their comrades left behind when Atlantis sank 10,000 years ago. To survive the journey back to their planet, the aliens infuse the pool with healing energy and place their cocooned friends (encased in rock) inside it.

Unaware of this, the old men from the home sneak into the pool again. The healing energy seeps into their bodies, making them feel young again, even though they still look old. From here, the movie delivers some fun moments. It’s amusing to watch how returning energy to these elderly men makes them act out—reminding you that some “nice” old people might just be former jerks who’ve mellowed out with age. Give them back their vigor, and the jerkiness resurfaces!

The movie progresses with the aliens working to get their friends back home, while the rejuvenated old folks become increasingly selfish and reckless, wanting to hang onto their newfound vitality.

Now, I’ve never met an alien from outer space, and I’m not exactly keen to, but this movie has the weirdest reactions to alien encounters. From Jack, the peeping tom, discovering that the woman he was spying on was actually wearing human skin, to the old men gleefully swimming in a pool containing alien cocoons—it’s all a bit ridiculous.

And here’s where I’m going to get a little racially biased, so fair warning: this feels like a very “white people movie.” As a Black viewer, I kept thinking, “What Black person in their right mind would do any of this?” It’s like the movie heard me because the only Black character in the retirement home freaks out about everything later on, which felt oddly validating.

The War with Grandpa (2020)

The War with Grandpa (2020)

4/10

Starring

Robert De Niro

Uma Thurman

Rob Riggle

Oakes Fegley

Christopher Walken

 

 

Directed by Tim Hill

When a movie is titled The War with Grandpa, you can expect it to be cheesy, silly, and an average family fun movie. It’s something you can watch during this COVID period without feeling the urge to turn it off or walk out on once you start. However, don't expect to be overjoyed, laughing hard at this comedy.

The movie is based on a book of the same name for young children by the late Robert Kimmel Smith. One thing I’ll give the movie credit for is the pranks—there were some scenes and pranks that cracked me up, though others seemed a bit over the top.

The whole idea of a turf war between grandpa and grandson may have started out silly, but the movie tries (and fails) to take it from silly to entertaining, with an ending I didn’t like. It went from what should have been a normal, happy ending where the family fixes the mess the two made, to some tears and a young man frowning as the credits roll. The idea behind that frown? If the movie does well at the box office, they already have a setup for a sequel.

The movie starts by introducing us to Sally’s (Uma Thurman) dad, Ed (Robert De Niro). Ed is old and, since the loss of his wife, tired and just wants things to stay the way they are—no changes that will make his existence harder. After a mess at a supermarket, Sally has to move him into her home, giving him her young son Peter’s (played by Oakes Fegley) room. Peter is not happy about this and complains. When he doesn’t get any response, he nags his friends about it. It’s during this gathering of his friends that he comes up with the idea to declare war on his grandpa by sending him a declaration of war notice.

At first, the old man doesn’t take it seriously, but when he sees that Peter is actually serious, they meet and decide to go after each other. From here, you can pretty much guess where it goes.

With the caliber of actors in this movie, I expected more. But hey, they worked with what was written. Even my main man Christopher Walken’s class did little to nothing to save this movie.

In the end, watch this movie if you feel you can stand two people pulling pranks on each other with guided special effects, stunts, and moments that are almost unrealistic all the time.

The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss (1989)

7/10

Starring

Ed Harris

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Michael Biehn

 

 

Directed by James Cameron

James Cameron’s The Abyss is a magnificent movie about the idea of, “What if aliens have been here all along?” The idea of aliens living deep underwater can be traced back to H.G. Wells’ short story from 1897, In the Abyss.

The special effects of this movie are way ahead of its time. Considering the movie is over two hours long, there is no dull moment. I was captivated and lost in the intrigue, suspense, and the somewhat action-packed sequences of this claustrophobic thriller.

Cameron wrote and directed the movie in such a way that, if it’s not the idea of aliens that grabs your attention, it’s the couple going through the motions of their relationship, or the military officer who seems to have lost all sense of reason.

Everything happens on an underwater drilling platform after a submarine is sunk when it almost comes in contact with an unidentified moving object traveling at a speed too fast to comprehend. The object moves past them, causing all the electrical machinery of the submarine to shut off for a few seconds. When things come back online, the submarine is already heading toward a collision, which sinks it.

The Soviets are trying to get to the submarine to salvage what might be on board, and the US is trying to retrieve their submarine and save any possible survivors first.

This race is another part of the movie that has nothing to do with the unidentified object that caused the submarine to crash. With a cast led by Ed Harris (playing Bud), the man in charge of the underwater drilling platform, the crew on the platform is enticed with a big payday if they help a SEAL team with their mission concerning the submarine.

The Navy SEAL team is sent to the platform with Dr. Lindsey, the designer of the rig, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Her character is explosive, and she plays Lindsey with so much emotion bubbling on the surface. There’s never a dull moment when she’s at the forefront of any scene.

When it’s discovered that things on the sunken submarine are beyond redemption, the SEAL team gets new orders, which don’t sit well with Bud, Lindsey, or Bud’s team. A storm from above causes a crane to crash onto the underwater rig, leading to deaths and other problems for the team.

Cameron had the idea for this film since he was a teenager and, over the years, changed many things to make the idea suitable for the big screen. His love for deep-sea exploration began with this movie, which led him to develop technologies that have helped film deep-sea explorations since then.

The movie won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, along with three other nominations. In the 80s, with films like The Terminator and Aliens, Cameron was on a roll, creating movies that will forever be seen as classics.

Irresistible (2020)

Irresistible (2020)

3/10

Starring

Steve Carell

Chris Cooper

Mackenzie Davis

Rose Byrne

 

Directed by Jon Stewart

Irresistible is a bungled idea. A political satire with boring jokes and a wasted cast. The movie kept nudging you to laugh at jokes that were too awkward to be funny, then stupidly paused at weird scenes, like a stand-up comedian waiting for a laugh after an unfunny joke.

The smart twist ending, which caught me off guard to be honest, wasn’t enough to save the movie. Even though it was a welcome treat after a long, boring ride, it still wasn’t enough to make me recommend this film. The twist just wasn’t a strong enough redeeming factor.

The plot starts with the same old thing: a man (Jack, played by Chris Cooper) gets up and tries to defend the immigrants in his town at a town hall meeting. His defense goes viral and catches the attention of a Democratic political strategist who believes he can spin Jack into winning the state from the Republicans.

This is where the movie delves into a wormhole of clichés, one of which is that rural people are not as smart as the suit-and-tie people from the city. The movie doesn’t fail to reinforce this idea, which is trapped in the mind of the political strategist, Gary (Steve Carell), who believes he can mold the town and get them to switch sides from the Republican mayor.

Jack wants Gary to be the one heading things in his town, not just any hack. Gary stays behind, and as soon as they get on board, the Republican Party sends in their person—who happens to be Gary’s nemesis, Faith. Faith is played by Rose Byrne, who’s hardly in the movie. So, if you’re a huge fan, get ready to be disappointed. The main person who fits the role of the leading lady in this movie is Mackenzie Davis, who plays Diana, Jack’s daughter.

Faith brings with her big money, so Gary also has to bring in big money to match what the Republicans are throwing into this race. All this happens across a bunch of well-known supporting cast members. It occurs to be spread like butter over too much bread (a LOTR quote), making the movie feel thin, like a supposed thirty-minute sitcom episode stretched over an hour and a half.

The movie is written and directed by Jon Stewart. My summary: this movie is best left unseen. If you haven’t heard much about it, it’s because there’s little to nothing to say about it. The movie was meant to get a wide release, but due to the pandemic, it’s only available on VOD. I’d advise you to save your money.

Ava (2020)

Ava (2020)

3/10

Starring

Jessica Chastain

John Malkovich

Common

Geena Davis

Colin Farrell

 

 

Directed by Tate Taylor

The movie starts off well. We get a taste of how badass she can be and her own twist on the killing of her clients. She was weird, and that made me think I was in for a ride. But after the first two murders, the movie just went downhill from there. It focused more on unnecessary drama than the needed action and suspense.

Ava is a film that wasted so much talent to deliver a bland movie. It has many action scenes that reminded me of Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde (2017), but the story wasn’t as captivating or inviting as Atomic Blonde (2017). I’m tempted to call this an Atomic Blonde wannabe, but there are many reasons why it doesn’t feel like one. One major reason is the useless drama this movie has wrapped around its assassin.

The movie wasted too much time building emotional bridges between the lead, Ava (Jessica Chastain), and her family + her past, that there was barely any time to get pulled into the action.

The plot focuses on Ava, an assassin who seems to be too curious for her own good. She always wants to know why she has to kill her clients, even talking to them before killing them, which makes her a point of worry for her employers. Things don’t get better when a botched job almost gets her caught or killed. She’s told to lay low for a while, which leads her to visit her family. In the past, she left home and joined the military due to issues with drugs and alcohol. Her leaving also meant leaving many unresolved issues. Her return forces her to face these issues and possibly resolve them. On top of all that, her employers want her dead for the botched job and her unstable character.

Chastain was the main reason I saw this movie, and even her acting couldn’t save it. The movie also boasts a strong supporting cast with John Malkovich, Common, Geena Davis, and Colin Farrell, but none of them helped make this movie worth the time I spent watching it.

The movie is directed by Tate Taylor, who also directed The Help (2011) and The Girl on the Train (2016). In this movie, his focus was too much on drama rather than the action and suspense that could have made it worth recommending.

I don’t see any reason why anyone should watch this movie. It’s just not worth it.

The One and Only Ivan (2020)

The One and Only Ivan (2020)

6/10

Starring

Bryan Cranston

Ramón Rodríguez

Ariana Greenblatt

 

Voices

Sam Rockwell

Angelina Jolie

Danny DeVito

Helen Mirren

 

Directed by Thea Sharrock

The One and Only Ivan is a heartwarming story that tries and succeeds in not making the movie too complex for younger viewers. There’s no daring escape, no violence, just sad tales of animals wanting to be free. The movie has many dark themes, all kept under the guise of family fun for the young ones.

Watching it as an adult and keeping in mind the movie's target audience, I can say the writers did a good job of masking the darker tones of animal captivity, divorce, death, and loneliness. They hid these themes so gently and well enough that you don’t have to worry about your children seeing this and asking too many questions. Making a little girl, who has a small role in the movie, the seemingly unlikely animal whisperer and hero is also a good way to balance out the film's dark themes.

The movie is based on the award-winning children's book written in 2012 of the same name by K. A. Applegate. The book and movie share the theme of Ivan the silverback gorilla moving from captivity to a free-range zoo, but everything in between is fantasy.

The movie’s plot centers around Ivan, who is the headliner of a show at a mall. Ivan isn’t the only animal there who performs—there’s a rabbit, parrot, chicken, poodle, seal, and the wise old elephant named Stella. To attract more customers to the show, the owner of the circus act, Mack (Bryan Cranston), buys a baby elephant named Ruby. Ruby is cared for by Stella and becomes the new main attraction. Ivan isn’t forgotten, and the movie doesn’t delve into a jealousy plot between the two. Soon, situations in the circus get better, but the animals want more. Stella and Ivan want a better life for Ruby than the one they have in captivity.

In terms of acting, the movie has Bryan Cranston leading the live-action role, so there’s no shortcoming there. The actors, along with the puppetry and effects, were smooth, so for me, there’s no downside. The movie's negativity may come from the fact that there’s no action—just a nice tale—which many may not find interesting enough. For me, the movie is aimed at younger viewers, so that criticism didn’t matter much.

In the end, I felt pleased to have seen the movie. If you’re not down for a gentle tale for children, then this movie is not for you. Trust me. You can catch the movie on Disney+.

Project Power (2020)

Project Power (2020)

5/10

Starring

Jamie Foxx

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Dominique Fishback

 

 

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Project Power is a Netflix movie that doesn’t aim high enough to make you go WOW!!! Nor is it so bad that you’ll turn it off. It’s a standard 5/10 film that doesn’t try to be more. Essentially, it’s a superhero movie poorly written by Mattson Tomlin, who also happens to be on the writing board for the upcoming The Batman movie. The film had so much potential from the start but just gave up halfway through.

One of the biggest letdowns for me is the writing and directing. The movie felt like I was watching something from the middle, as if a huge chunk of the beginning was missing. They tried to fill the gaps with flashbacks and backstory through The Major (Jamie Foxx), but it didn’t work. I kept feeling like I had missed the actual start of the movie.

The story introduces us to the power pill, which gives you superpowers for just five minutes after you take it. The makers of the pill distribute it to drug dealers for free, letting them sell it however they want. Soon, New Orleans becomes a hotbed of people with superpowers doing weird things. Some are invisible, some invincible, and most use the drug to commit crimes.

We then meet Robin (Dominique Fishback), a dealer of the drug. During a sale, she almost gets into trouble but is rescued by an officer named Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Frank only saves her because he wants to buy the pill himself.

Next, we meet The Major, who is hell-bent on stopping the distribution of the pill. He kidnaps Robin to help him track down the boss behind it all.

The movie tries way too hard to tug on your emotional strings, to the point where it gets annoying. Can someone explain how Robin and The Major even managed to form an emotional connection? The Major kidnaps her and drags her into his dangerous quest to stop the pill’s creators, almost getting her killed multiple times. She’s terrified and wants to escape, but as soon as he gets hurt, she suddenly feels attached. This shift happens so fast that it feels like yet another part of the story is missing.

Acting-wise, the movie benefits from having Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Their performances are solid, but there are so many moments where it feels like you’ve missed a scene. Even when Frank connects with his captain, it happens so effortlessly that I thought, “Did I miss something again?”

You can catch this movie on Netflix. Since there’s a lack of good movies these days, Project Power is passable—it won’t make you turn off your screen, but it also won’t leave a lasting impression.

Triangle (2009)

 

Triangle (2009)

 

6/10

Starring

Melissa George

Michael Dorman

Rachael Carpani

Henry Nixon

Directed by Christopher Smith

It had a false start, making me think I was in for a long, drawn-out journey to uncover the loop. But before I knew it, the lead, Jess (Melissa George), started experiencing déjà vu. Triangle is a fun movie to watch, with a thrilling and mysterious story that leaves you wondering where it all began and how it’s ever going to end.

The movie feels like we’re watching the middle of a long, ongoing loop that intertwines in unexpected ways. Each time Jess tries to get a grip on the situation, it seems to slip through her fingers at the most awkward moments. She repeatedly runs into herself, and we watch her struggle as she tries to get ahead of events she already knows are coming. This is where the director showcases their mastery—allowing Jess to encounter herself multiple times without making it creepy every time. The only moment that felt a bit silly was when she led a couple to a room; it seemed like the director lost the reins there.

The plot introduces us to Jess, a mother struggling to care for her autistic son. She seems to be at her wit’s end managing him. We then skip ahead to see her boarding a boat with her friends for a day of sailing. When asked about her son, she responds that he’s in school—in a tone that comes across as slightly unsettling.

 

While sailing, the group gets caught in a storm that capsizes their boat. Stranded, they spot a massive ship passing by and manage to climb aboard. At first, the ship seems completely deserted, but Jess begins to experience déjà vu, sensing that something is very wrong.

Soon, we all start to feel it too. This enormous ship, which initially appears empty, suddenly becomes the site of terrifying events. One by one, Jess’s friends are picked off by a lone shooter. Jess eventually discovers the shocking truth—the shooter is herself. Now, she’s pitted against her own actions, trying to stop the chaos while realizing she’s stuck in a time loop that she must somehow break.

The movie presents many potential ways for things to unfold. But just when it seems like a new path is forming, we see signs that it has already been crossed before. The film boasts a significant budget, evident in its production quality, though this didn’t translate into box office success. One downside is the pacing of the loops; there were moments when I felt bored and wished things would move along more quickly.

Triangle ends well for some viewers, but for me, it left something to be desired. I prefer stories that have a more definitive conclusion, and the ending here felt lacking. That said, it’s a solid movie with a fantastic use of the time loop concept and wonderful directing. Definitely worth a watch if you enjoy mysterious, thought-provoking thrillers.