The Equalizer 3

Tonight, on On Demand, I watched “The Equalizer 3,” which came out in theaters in September but on premium-on-demand last month. As you may recall, I was not fond of the second film. How is this one compared to the last sequel?

“The Equalizer 3” is not a franchise dragging to the final act. If anything, the third film of the franchise makes a very strong case for at least one more chapter.

Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua had never done a sequel to any of their largely successful films until this franchise. That’s helped make “The Equalizer” so special. It’s a shortage and one audience can’t take it for granted. It’s a good thing that this partnership has delivered way more than expected.

“The Equalizer 3” starts with an intense opening scene in Southern Italy. Washington’s Robert McCall has left major damage in his path. And he’s got just a few more victims left.

Fuqua doesn’t repeat the popular parts from the previous two films. Franchise fans know the logical method where McCall calculates how to take out overwhelming odds and it stays highly effective. Now, Fuqua lets viewers fill in the gaps. We don’t have to see every death and action happen. Sometimes it’s more effective to leave some elements up to the imagination.

This mission is different as McCall lets his guard down too quickly and gets seriously damaged. Fortunately for McCall, he’s saved by a nice police officer Gio (Eugenio Mastrandrea), and Enzo (Remo Girone), a skilled doctor who understands the need for secrecy. McCall can’t jump back to full strength immediately allowing screenwriter Richard Wenk to give the dangerously effective killer a new look on life.

Jeffrey Lyles said in his review, “And with the majestic views and captivating architecture, it’s not a bad place to set up a new chapter.”

Over time, McCall starts looking at Enzo and Gio as friends along with the friendly waitress Aminah, played by Gaia Scodellaro, who’s written just short of being a love interest. Lyles noted, “His new peaceful existence is threatened when the local mafia start getting more aggressive with their shakedowns and protection money racket.”

Maybe the best part of the film is it has some really wicked, hopeless villains. Andrea Scarduzio and Andrea Dodero are the alpha villains, playing brothers Vincent and Marco, who are frightening the town through intimidation and cruel physical violence. Lyles noted, “They’re not charismatically cool or even get a whiff of great witty dialogue. They’re loathsome awful people who McCall can’t kill off soon enough.”

In the real world where ideas like fairness and justice seem like hopeful thinking it’s nice to watch a movie where villains have to pay real consequences for their actions.

Lyles said, “Since he’s still recovering, McCall can’t immediately jump into action especially when there’s more layers to this racket than initially appears.” McCall calls CIA analyst Emma, played by Dakota Fanning, to bring the situation to her attention.

Lyles credited, “The scenes with Washington and Fanning are the film’s most intentional to showcase his boundless charisma. Fanning is game, giving Emma enough agency that she doesn’t shrink on screen with a focused pursuit of uncovering the case.”

Lyles continued, “There’s an irony in the film taking place in Sicily as the final act has a definite Godfather vibe to it.”

Fuqua’s restraint in holding back on too much violence from McCall’s end works well. To some degree, this is McCall getting pulled back into a life he’d rather leave, but the dangerous acts of the brothers make sure he’s got no choice but to get violent once again. For temperance for most of the film, Fuqua doesn’t hold back when it comes to letting the brutal violence occur constantly.

Lyles noted, “Washington displays a cold, detached prowess as McCall is taking out bad guys. It’s almost like he’s entering a killing trance and he’s just taking out annoying obstacles in his path.”

“The Equalizer 3” shows this franchise still has enough for a fourth movie. If it’s good enough for John Wick, the fourth time can be the charm for Robert McCall too.

I was surprised at how much better this film was compared to the second one. Unlike John Wick, there are a lot of slow moments in the film, which I think is fine. I like that it takes time to build up the action to get to the parts we like. Check this out on premium-on-demand because I think it is worth watching. I don’t think this is currently still playing in theaters, but if not, then you can see it On Demand. If you weren’t a fan of the second movie, then you should see this one. I hear there are talks of another, whether it will be a prequel or a sequel, we will find out.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Look out tomorrow to see what I will end the year off with.

Blue Beetle

Tonight, on Max, I saw the latest film in the near-ending DC Extended Universe, “Blue Beetle,” which came out theatrically in August but on Max 12 days ago. How is this film? Let’s find out.

This is a superhero movie that would be a lot better if it weren’t a superhero movie.

That’s the case with “Blue Beetle.”

In it, Jaime Reyes, played by Miguel from “Cobra Kai,” Xolo Mariduena, a recent college graduate, gets passed an alien relic called a scarab, and it chooses him to transform into the Blue Beetle, complete with a blue suit of armor and the ability to create super weapons.

The first time this happens, he’s in the kitchen with his Latino family and opens a Big Belly Burger box (which I first heard of from CW’s “The Flash”) that he’s been given suddenly by Jenny Kord, played by Bruan Marquezine. The box has the scarab, which Jenny steals from her aunt, Victoria Kord, played by Susan Sarandon, the evil CEO of Kord Industries.

Jaime doesn’t know the relic is in the burger box, and Jenny has told him not to open it. But Jaime’s family – mom (Elpidia Carrillo), dad (Damian Alcazar), sister (Belissa Escobedo), grandmother (Adriana Barraza), and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) – insist he sees what’s inside. He does, the beetle relic sticks to his face, crazy stuff happens, and the family gets frightened.

The Reyes family’s scared reaction is the funniest scene in this lighter DC film, which is at its best when it focuses on the family, and (after the first transformation scene) at its most uninspired when the story changes to superhero action.

Tim Miller said in his review, “In much of the same way that “Black Panther” was admirably groundbreaking for its Black hero and depiction of Black culture in what traditionally has been a very white genre, “Blue Beetle” deserves attention for its emphasis on Latino characters. (As was the case with “Black Panther,” this shouldn’t be a big deal at this point in history, but it is.)”

Miller continued, “Aside from its historical significance, though, the Reyes family is just a lot of fun, especially Mariduena’s likable, charismatic Jaime; Escobedo’s wisecracking younger sister (who, noting that Jaime took pre-law in college, asks potential employer Jenny, “You guys need any pre-lawyers?”); and Lopez’s excitable free spirit, Uncle Rudy, who tools around in a pickup truck he calls “The Taco”.”

“Blue Beetle’s” director, Angel Manuel Soto, and screenwriter, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, could have made a family comedy with these charming characters, getting rid of the tired superhero theatrics, and they might have had a stronger film,

As it is, the film looks at Reyes’ economic/employment issues, family values over materialism (“Things don’t last; la familia, that’s forever”), and related themes. “Blue Beetle” is smart, entertaining, and, in its respect, necessary.

I think that this movie is fun, enjoyable, and funny. Check this out on Max because I think this is a good film to look at. This has been getting very good reviews and for a superhero that is a young Latino, I think this is to be seen. Don’t miss your chance to watch this on Max because I do think this is one of the better DCEU films.

Spoiler alert: there is a mid-credits scene where Jenny’s father makes a radio call on the computer in his mansion saying that if she is watching this, he is alive. I think they are going to include Blue Beetle in the new DC Universe when that is made. I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t since this film is not as bad as some of the previous ones.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Look out next month to see what I will end the year off with.

John Wick: Chapter 4

Tonight, I finally got to see “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which came out theatrically in March and on Starz in September. The only problem is I don’t know anyone who has Starz, so I decided to do something I haven’t done since the lockdown: rent this film from the library. I started to watch this on Thanksgiving Day and I got through most of the movie. However, I was able to finish this tonight and now I will let everyone know my thoughts on one of my most wanted-to-watch movies of the year.

John Wick (aka “The Baba Yaga”) has been through a lot since he was conceived in Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick” in 2014. The original film co-directed by David Leitch saw the retired assassin and grieving widower go back to the underworld of the killer elite to revenge the murder of his dog, the last gift from his wife Helen to encourage him to keep living. Nadine Whitney said in her review, “In comparison to the following films in the ever-expanding franchise it was a stripped back affair that gave Keanu Reeves the chance to create another action legend who could dispatch adversaries with a pencil.”

“John Wick” was a decently straightforward revenge story with moving action directed by stuntman and action choreographer Stahelski. It showed his strong eye for the genre and gave memorable set pieces that would go on to larger and sometimes not better things as the series continued. Whitney said, “By the second and third instalments the audience became aware of an international network of assassins controlled by ‘The High Table’ that appeared to mimic an arcane and even quasi-religious society. The lore built up and soon words like ‘consecrated’ and ‘excommunicated’ became part of the John Wick lexicon. Tokens, tickets, blood markers and other bizarre currencies bled into the action – whether this was for good or not is up to the individual viewer.”

What the John Wick franchise did give was an awesome amount for action and martial legends to get their time in a mainstream American franchise. Mark Dacascos was the highlight as Zero in the third film. In “John Wick: Chapter 4” the legendary Donnie Yen is front and center with Hiroyuki Sanada and often overlooked action star Scott Adkins coming along for the enjoyable ride. In terms of honoring the genre of action, Stahelski walks the walk.

Kind of breaking from the traditional closeness of the chapters following each other in real-time, John has been hiding out with the Bowery King, reprised by Laurence Fishburne, long enough for both of their scars and wounds to heal since what transpired in the last film. John is now out for revenge against the High Table. He travels to Morocco and puts a bullet in the head of the Elder, reprised by George Georgiou (the only one who stands above the High Table), who put him in a weak situation in the last film. Meanwhile, the Harbinger (Clancy Jones) desecrates Winston Scott’s (Ian McShane) New York Continental Hotel. He and Charon (Lance Reddick) are brought to meet the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard in complete 19th-century groovy mode) who has made it clear that it is not only time to get rid of John Wick finally, but to kill the very idea of John Wick. The New York Continental exploded in broad daylight. The Marquis has the backing of the High Table and is not doing things by halves.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” continues its traveling adventures. John is hiding in the Osaka Continental under the protection of his old friend Shimazu Koji, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, who is the manager. His daughter, Akira, played by Rina Sawayam, is the concierge. The Marquis’ team is led by Chidi, played by Marko Zaror, attack. For both John and Shimazu, there is a surprising addition to the Marquis’ team, their once close associate, Caine, played by Donnie Yen, a blind assassin who has been pulled back into the eye of the High Table under the threat of them killing his daughter.

“Rules and consequences” are part of the lore of the franchise. For every act, there is an estimate. Despite the High Table having to stand by a secret set of rules, they also have little problem with bending them as they fit. The rules take John to Berlin where he needs to be reinstated with the Ruska Roma so he can challenge the Maruqis to a single fight. When he arrives, he comes across Killa, played by Scott Adkins in a fat suit and a ridiculous accent. Even though the scenes in Berlin are heavy with action, there is a certain softness that takes over the narrative. Stahelski has realized just how much the franchise looks like a video game and has gone in that direction. Whitney said, “It looks amazing (the films always do) but it feels a little like a cut scene that you have to watch before you can get on with the rest of the game.”

Everything ends up with the final fight in Paris at the Sacre-Coeur, but there are some incredible scenes (one shot entirely from above that is worth seeing the film) to make you realize why the John Wick franchise is the best mainstream action franchise.

Whitney mentioned, “There are numerous call-backs to the previous films, so it is a good idea to be aware of what has come before. Keanu Reeves makes the most of his near monosyllabic hero and utilises everything he has to provide a compelling performance that knows how over the top it is.” Donnie Yen is just excellent, and Ian McShane gets some of the best lines in the film. The supporting cast including Natalia Tena as John’s adoptive sister Katia and especially Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody the tracker/bounty hunter (and the man with a dog) give the film both the gravity and humor that keep it going. Bill Skarsgard’s arrogant Marquis is a brilliant addition – the fact that Stahelski’s introductory shot of him is his eye twitching is a certain type of intelligence.

Whitney noted, “We come to John Wick films for the action, and it is high octane and perfectly shot. The fact that most of the actors do their own stunts is one of the major drawcards in the franchise. Keanu has proven his mettle as an action star in The Matrix films (Stahelski was a choreographer and stunt double for Neo – there is a full circle aspect to the franchise) and the inclusion of some of the world’s greatest martial arts/action practitioners as leads and supporting characters makes JW4 the very best of the sequels.” You might have seen some of it before, but it has never been as big and hasty as it is in this sequel.

This is, hands down, the best of the sequels. Despite the fact that this film is nearly three hours long, it is nonstop action at its finest. You will be on the edge of your seat the entire time waiting to see what will happen next. They upped their game in this sequel and you will enjoy it. If you haven’t seen this yet, and you have Starz, see it. This is one of those films that is not to be missed by any fans of the series. I’m so surprised at how Reeves has changed from a boring, one-note character actor into one of the best action stars we have seen. You have to see this film to see where the franchise will go. Especially the ending which may leave you wondering what is going to happen. There is a spin-off film that will come out next year and a fifth film in development.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned next month to see what I will end the year off with.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

This is a great return of the hilarious Jim Carrey everyone has missed.

Roger Ebert described in his review, “In "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," a predictable but often terrific absurdist comedy, Carrey plays Steve Gray, a long-haired, tattoo-spangled, masochistic performance artist/illusionist from the Criss Angel/David Blaine school. Forget about walking on hot coals; this guy sleeps overnight on hot coals and asks for a wake-up call.”

Ebert continued, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is a Will Ferrell sports comedy without Will Ferrell and without the sports. In plot and tone, in a screenplay recipe that's two parts lunatic comedy and one part shameless sentimentality with a dash of romance thrown in, this magic-themed buddy movie isn't so different from "Blades of Glory" or "Kicking and Screaming" or "Semi-Pro" or "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." (And gosh, Will Ferrell's made a lot of sports comedies, hasn't he?)”

Ebert went on, “Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) is a pompous, clueless, sexist blowhard who somehow comes across as at least somewhat sympathetic, perhaps because we've seen the abuse and the hard knocks he endured as a child. It's as if Michael Scott from "The Office" had actually pursued his lifelong love of magic and had managed to become a successful albeit old-fashioned and cheesy act headlining his own theater at Bally's in Las Vegas.”

Anton, played by Steve Buscemi, Burt’s childhood friend, bravely joins his friend onstage each night to the sounds of Steve Miller’s Abracadabra, starting off yet another night of magic that hasn’t changed once in the last 10 years. Ebert noted, “Their routines are so dated they look as if they've been lifted from a 1950s TV extravaganza.”

Here is the problem with their so-called magical friendship. The late James Gandolfini’s stormy casino owner, the not-so-subtly named Doug Munny, tells the boys their time has passed and it’s time to make way for the new generation of magicians, as shown by the viral video, cable-TV sensation Steve Gray, a man not afraid to injure himself, hammer a nail into a table with his forehead or go a week without urinating – all shown from multiple camera angles.

As Steve Gray grows to the height of stardom, Burt struggles to find work in supermarkets and retirement homes. It’s the latter job that brings him face-to-face with the legendary magician Rance Holloway, played by Alan Arkin, Burt’s childhood hero.

Could a comeback for Burt Wonderstone be happening? Can he pull off his greatest trick of all – making himself relevant again?

Ebert noted, “A movie satirizing magicians — even rock 'n' roll hipster magicians — is only slightly more cutting edge than a movie mocking mimes or carnies. At times "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" seems as creaky as old Rance Holloway.”

However, this is also one dark and teasingly funny comedy. When Anton pays a visit to a very poor village in Africa and hands out magic kits instead of the usual foot and clean water, there’s a great visual punch line. Steve Gray’s tricks are so horrible, that audience members switch between applause and projectile vomit. Ebert said, “Even Rance Holloway has a bit of the sadist in him, as we learn when he explains how he pulled off one nifty little trick.”

As the old, slightly insane veteran with a few tricks up his sleeve, Arkin is a genius. Olivia Wilde does fine as the necessary love interest we always see standing on the sidelines in movies such as this, hovering over the silly lead because she believes he’s capable of being a better man. Ebert admitted, “Gandolfini, always interesting on the screen, is a bit miscast as a Steve Wynn-like mogul building a self-named casino. (One can picture a Brad Pitt or a George Clooney adding extra layers of charm and oil to the role.)”

Then we have Carrey, going deep into the trick bag that turned him into a star over 20 years prior. Ebert admitted, “He's physical, he's intense, he's ridiculous — and he made me laugh more than any comedic character in recent memory.”

It’s a performance of inspiring stupidity.

This 2013 comedy is not as bad as people made it out to be. I found myself enjoying it while I watched it a few years back. Don’t listen to the critics and check this out. It’s a nice return to form for Carrey, and Carrell and Buscemi really make a believable buddy duo of magicians who have strained their friendship and try to make amends. You should see this movie and judge for yourself. I think if people see this, they will find a lot of enjoyment and laughter that will make them at least happy they saw this.

Thank you for joining in on “Steve Carell Month.” I hope everyone enjoyed this month and has seen the films I recommended. I apologize for posting this really late as I was really tired from work today. Look out next month for a very busy month of film reviews that I will end the year off with.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

For this year’s “Thanksgiving Day Movie Reviews,” I had to look up films to watch around this time. Looking at one of the lists, I found the 2009 stop-motion animated film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

Some artists have a way of exciting your vision with the certainty of what they do. This has nothing to do with subject or style. It’s mysterious. Roger Ebert made the following examples in his review, “Andy Warhol and Grandma Moses. The spareness of Bergman or the Fellini circus. Wes Anderson is like that. There's nothing consistent about his recent work but its ability to make me go zooinng! What else do "The Darjeeling Limited" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" have in common?”

Now here’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” an animated film with nothing in common with traditional animation, except that it’s mainly in one of the oldest animation styles of the time – stop-motion, the one used in “King Kong.” The animals aren’t smaller than people but are often larger, and more mature.

They sometimes live in a flat space. The cameras are happier moving back and forth than moving in and out. Ebert said, “The landscapes and structures of this world are mannered and picture-booky. Yet the extraordinary faces of the animals are almost disturbingly human (for animals, of course). We venture into the UnCanny Valley, that No Man's Land dividing humans from the devised. Above all, their fur is so real. I've rarely seen such texture in a film.”

The story is about a valley somewhere, by which is meant the world, which is under the supervision of:

Boggis and Bunce and Bean,

One fat, one short, one lean.

These horrible crooks, so different in looks.

Were nonetheless equally mean.

None of the animals are saints. Mr. Fox, voiced by George Clooney, was a successful chicken thief until things got tough. Ebert described, “Then, like a bootlegger after the repeal, he went straight -- or, more precisely, into journalism. He's the Walter Winchell of the valley, until he slips back into dining on takeout chicken, taking them out himself.” This he keeps a secret from his wife, Mrs. Fox, voiced by Meryl Streep.

His cover is blown, to everyone’s huge disappointment, when Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Bunce (Hugo Guinness), and Bean (Michael Gambon) all get ticked off and want to murder them. Leading a team of other animals (Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Wes Anderson, James Hamilton, Adrien Brody, Mario Batali), Mr. Fox starts digging underground like the protagonists of “The Great Escape” – but in rather than out.

This film looks at personal issues, as doubt comes in between Mr. Fox’s immature son, Ash (Jason Schwartzman), and a cousin named Kristofferson (Eric Anderson). Kristofferson is everything a fox should be, as with that name how could he not? He’s the family's quintessential fox. Does Mr. Fox admire the cousin more than his son? What kind of a father has he been, anyway?

Ebert described, “All of the animals have excellent tailoring, which adds to their stature. They're not forced to wear silly sailor suits, or like Donald Duck, never to put on pants. The art design is a large part of the film's appeal. It stays fresh all the way through. Think back to the color palettes of "Darjeeling" and "The Life Aquatic."

The film is based on the famous children’s book by Roald Dahl, which like all his books, has threatening suggestions, as if evil can sneak in at any moment. These animals aren’t serving anyone in the audience. We get the feeling they’re seriously leading their own lives without slowing down for ours.

Like the protagonist of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor,” also based on one of his books, the animals of Dahl’s Valley seem to know more than they’re letting on. Maybe even secrets we don’t much want to know. Children, especially, will find things they don’t understand, and things that scare them. Excellent. Ebert suggested, “A good story for children should suggest a hidden dimension, and that dimension of course is the lifetime still ahead of them. Six is a little early for a movie to suggest to kids that the case is closed. Oh, what if the kids start crying about words they don't know? -- Mommy, Mommy! What's creme brulee?" Show them, for goodness sake. They'll thank you for it. Take my word on this.”

This film is nice to see with the family. I don’t see anything in here that would be harmful for kids. What I found especially funny is that everywhere there would have been a swear word, they replaced it with “cuss.” I laughed every time they did that. This is a film that shows you that you should be thankful for everything you have. Check it out on Max and have a great time.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy the dinner tonight that I know everyone is looking forward to, myself included. Look out tomorrow when I finish off “Steve Carrell Month.”

The Marvels

Today, my sister and I went to the theaters to see “The Marvels,” which came out 12 days ago. Seeing how this is not performing well at the box office and getting above-average reviews on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, how is this latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

With “The Marvels,” Kevin Feige and the team in charge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe proves to fans that the unusual fun of “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” is not going anywhere

Director/co-writer Nia DaCosta’s merging of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) skillfully produces the narrative features of “Captain Marvel,” “WandaVision,” and “Ms. Marvel” with abundant laughs and Marvel’s usual top-notch action – though with some main roughness.

As the trio strangely switches places and thoughts are made by Nick Fury, reprised by Samuel L. Jackson, and the women themselves think about why they’re connected, there’s a strong feeling that scenes have been removed. Edwin Arnaudin said in his review, “But the fan-girling by teenage Kamala at being around her idol Captain Marvel gleefully patches up the storytelling holes, as does the unspoken tension between Monica and her “Aunt” Carol.”

At the center of the protagonists’ link are sneaky attempts by Kree warrior Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, to restore natural resources to her droughted home planet Hala, whose troubles are technically Captain Marvel’s fault, despite the good intentions around Carol’s actions. Despite this villain not being well-developed, her threat to decimate planets close to Carol is, and that’s enough to insert our protagonists into a series of exciting set pieces.

Arnaudin said, “Throughout these intergalactic adventures, DaCosta proves she can handle the challenges of a big budget production and wisely recruits MCU TV vets Megan McDonnell (WandaVision) and Elissa Karasik (Loki) to help her with the script. Together, they bring viewers to such wondrously goofy places as Aladna, where the native language is song, and make terrific use of Carol’s ginger “cat” sidekick Goose, who’s actually a Flerken that swallows people and other large objects with the aid of multiple oral tentacles.”

The addition of countless baby Flerkens in Fury’s crew’s time of need is particularly inspired, as is the unavoidable fight between Dar-Benn and our three protagonists, whose combination of powers excitingly renders to the big screen. Arnaudin said, “In the process, plentiful humor and heart intertwine to successful ends and, in classic MCU fashion, the tag scenes set up multiple intriguing follow-up chapters.”

As long as these actors and filmmakers are involved in making these future movies, everything will be fine with the MCU.

My sister and I got to the theater late, but when we were buying our tickets, the cashier reassured us that previews should still be playing. When we got into the theater, the screen was blank. Then when commercials started playing, the screen was still black. I and another person had to go to the usher and let him know that the commercials were playing over a black screen. After the commercials were done, it took a little bit before the trailers started to play. I think someone went out to let them know again that there was a delay. I never had this issue before at this theater, so maybe there were just some technical difficulties on this particular day.

I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard at a movie. This film had me cracking up so many times in the theater, that my cheeks were hurting. My sister and I both agreed that this is one of the better MCU movies that we have had in a while. Another one of my favorites. If you hear from people that this is not good, don’t listen to them. This is one of the funniest, action-packed, emotional, humanizing installments in the MCU. Well worth the price of admission. Go see it in the theaters and have a great time.

Spoiler alert: in the mid-credits scene, Monica wakes up to find herself in a different universe where she is being nursed back to health by Hank McCoy aka the Beast, reprised by Kelsey Grammar. This must be a sign that the X-Men are going to be included in the MCU soon. However, I wonder if Disney will be picking up where Fox left off before they were bought or are going to restart the franchise. I don't think they should because some of the Fox "X-Men" movies were really good.

Thank you for joining in on the review tonight. Stay tuned tomorrow when I review my yearly “Thanksgiving Day Movie Reviews.”

Horton Hears a Who!

The third time’s a charm for Dr. Seuss after the outrageous live-action adaptations of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Cat in the Hat.”

The 2008 computer-animated film based on Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who!” from Blue Sky – the company that released the “Ice Age” films – is frequently charming, beautifully drawn, and far more faithful to the source material than the horrifying Ron Howard-Brian Grazer productions.

Jim Carrey, who arrogantly played the Grinch, is in reasonably controlled form as Horton, a friendly elephant who lives in the jungle of Nool with his mouse friend Morton, voiced by Seth Rogen.

One day, Horton finds a speck of dust on a clover that’s a small planet – where little residents live in a town called Who-ville.

Horton is somehow able to hear the much-disrespected mayor of Who-ville, voiced by a terrific Steve Carrell, but nobody else can. Especially not the overbearing Kangaroo, voiced by the late Carol Burnett (very good), who thinks Horton has a delusion that causes a danger to the social order of Nool. Lou Lumenick noted in his review, “By some accounts, Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) intended “Horton,” published in 1954, at least in part as a political commentary on the times, with Kangaroo a surrogate for Communist witchhunter Sen. Joseph McCarthy.”

Lumenick continued, “While that political subtext will still resonate for boomer parents, this cartoon is also a delight for their kids, with beautifully rendered images of Nool and Who-ville, and the book’s original beguiling rhymes recited as narration by the perfectly chosen Charles Osgood.”

The simple story has Horton trying to save Who-ville from extinction by predators and from Kangaroo, arguing more than once that “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Lumenick noted, “Geisel, adamantly pro-choice, once sued a pro-life group that appropriated his slogan”).

Meanwhile, in Who-ville, the mayor is having a hard time convincing the doubtful public that Horton even exists, much less that they’re in danger unless they come together in a community effort.

Seuss’ short books barely were enough story for half-hour TV specials (an animated “Horton” aired in 1970), so makers of films always have to extend things out with action sequences, and in this case, some clever visual gags.

Screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio have added lines for characters voiced by Will Arnett, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, and Amy Poehler.

However, they and directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino thankfully never stray far from the creator’s gentle quirkiness in “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”

The only Seuss film I never saw is “The Cat in the Hat,” which I don’t plan to after seeing Nostalgia Critic’s review of it. However, I decided to check this out, and I loved it. I know that people have criticisms about this, like the anime fight sequences, but I didn’t mind it at all. It was still an enjoyable Seuss film. This and “The Lorax” are the only good ones, in my opinion, even though I know “The Lorax” adds more to the ending that may not have been needed, but I still like those two. Check this film out on Max and I promise you will love this, especially if you’re a Dr. Seuss fan of the books.

Look out next week when I review my yearly “Thanksgiving Movie Reviews.”

Over the Hedge

“Over the Hedge” is one of the few comic strips where you will see discussions about the Theory of Relativity, population control, and global warming. None of those issues are talked about in the 2006 animated film inspired by the strip, but there is a large amount about suburban stretch, junk food, and the popularity of the SUV (“How many people does it hold?” “Usually one.”)

The movie starts with the arrival of spring and the awakening from the hibernation of many forest animals, including some that do not hibernate, but never mind. Vincent the bear, voiced by Nick Nolte, wakes up to find that his entire amount of stolen food has been – stolen! He catches the master thief RJ the raccoon, voiced by Bruce Willis, and gives him a deadline to return the food, or else. RJ smartly calls the entire population of the forest to help him on this task (where he does not explain the bear and the deadline). Together they confront a great development: During the winter, half of their forest has been replaced by a suburb, and they are separated from it by a large hedge.

Roger Ebert described in his review, “That's the setup for a feature cartoon that is not at the level of "Finding Nemo" or "Shrek," but is a lot of fun, awfully nice to look at, and filled with energy and smiles. It's not a movie adults would probably want to attend on their own, but those taking the kids are likely to be amused, and the kids, I think, will like it just fine.”

Once again, we get an animal population where all the species work together instead of eating each other, and there is even the possibility of other species mating when a human’s house cat falls in love with Stella the skunk, voiced by Wanda Sykes. There are also the usual animals. Mammals and reptiles are the top of the line, but when a dragonfly gets caught by an insect zapper, no one feels sad.

These animals once ate leaves and roots and stuff, but everything changed when Hammy the squirrel, voiced by Steve Carell, found nacho chips. Ebert said, “The animals find these so delicious, they are the forest equivalent of manna, and RJ, who usurps leadership of the bunch from Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling), is happy to lead them to the promised land of nachos and other junk foods, in the garbage cans and kitchens of humans.”

Like every human who likes to live with a look of beautiful forests, the humans in “Over the Hedge” are personally offended that they are occupied by animals. Gladys (Allison Janney), the head of the homeowners’ association, is personally insulted that RJ and his clique might violate her garbage can and brings in Dwayne (Thomas Haden Church), a pest control expert known worryingly as The Verminator. “I want them exterminated as inhumanely as possible,” she tells him. She’s all heart.

Ebert said, “The encroachment of the forest animals and the efforts of the Verminator in "Over the Hedge" don't approach the wit and genius of a similar situation in the Academy Award-winning "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" (2005), but then how could they? This movie is pitched at a different level. But the action scenes are fun, the characters are well-drawn and voiced, and I thought the film's visual look was sort of lovely.” If the animals lack the disdainful thinking of their originals on the comics page, they are nevertheless a notch or two above the I.Q. levels of many an animated creature.

They have to be. It’s a hard life for a hunter currently when you’re caught between an angry bear on one side of the hedge and a street hockey game on the other.

I saw this with my sister and cousin and we enjoyed it. I understand that this film may not be liked by people, but I can see why. However, I think it was enjoyable and it was a harmless kids film that everyone could see. Check it out and see for yourself.

Next week I will look at another animated movie in “Steve Carrell Month.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Tonight, on Netflix, I saw “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which came out in June, but on Netflix on Halloween Day. As one of the films that I was desperately wanting to see, how is this compared to the first Spider-Verse movie?

Nadine Whitney started her review by saying, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is not only an antidote to superhero fatigue it is genuinely one of the most beautifully rendered animated features in years and possibly the best tent-pole release of 2023.” Even though it ends on a cliffhanger, the story is written carefully and brings Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to the level of co-lead with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). The film focuses on family, sacrifice, and consequences with Miles and Gwen having to accept what being a superhero means for them as people, not just heroes.

The film starts with Gwen playing the drums as a way of venting. Back in her dimension, she is alone and feeling the pressure of being found by her father, Captain George Stacy, voiced by Shea Whigham, as guilty of the murder of her best friend Peter Parker. Eventually, Gwen has to tell her father that she is Spider-Woman, and he chooses to arrest her, leaving her all alone with no one to turn to. Whitney credited, “Her world is animated in a painterly style, soft watercolours that bleed in a spread in a melancholy fashion.” Soon she is brought into a new life, one who has Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac, in charge and has congregated every multiverse Spider-Man to protect the Web of Life and Destiny from anomalies. One anomaly is Miles Morales himself.

In Miles’ dimension, the 15-year-old is balancing the life of Spider-Man with his school and home life. He’s become a better Spider-Man but as much as he tries otherwise, he isn’t a better son. The film gives time to developing his relationship with his father who’s about to become Captain Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry) and his mother Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Vélez). Fighting the “villain of the week” The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) who was created by Miles’ actions in the previous film sees him meeting a dimension-hopping enemy who has gotten the attention of Michael O’Hara and his Spider-Man team which includes Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), and Gwen.

It's not long until Miles follows the team across the Spider-Verse where he meets new people like Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), Spider-Byte (Amandla Steinberg), and a familiar person from the first movie, Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) who is carrying his baby Mayday with him to fight crime, the baby that he was convinced by his time with Miles to finally have with Mary-Jane (Melissa Sturm).

The dramatic tension comes when Miles finds out that he was never meant to be a Spider-Man. The radioactive spider that bit him was from Earth-44 and brought to his dimension by Kingpin’s machine. Although Miles has experienced loss, he was never given his defining moment- the sacrifice that makes all Spider-Men. His dimension was supposed to have a Peter Parker who lived. Whitney said, “Miguel O’Hara explains that there are fixed points that keep the multiverse from imploding and Miles by dent of his existence, and by wanting to be able to save people from so-called pre-determined fates is an unwanted cog in the multiversal wheel.”

Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson and writers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham expand on the already hectic and superb Spider-Verse. The animation is as mind-blowing as the audience has expected. Whitney noted, “Hobie Brown is made up of zine styled photocopies befitting his Punk name and attitude.” The dimension of Pavitr Prabhakar pays tribute to Bollywood. Every dimension of the Spider-Men travel though is an amazing collage of comic book art, fine art (Jorma Taccone’s The Vulture is a Da Vinci drawing), and cultural specificity. The writing is made to give the characters space to have their personalities and think about what being a hero means. There are a lot of well-placed visual gags, connected universes, and an excess of meaningful moments that support the tragedies that make Spider-Men who they are.

The action set pieces are dynamic and honestly astonishing. The film balances its drama with the madness of the multiverse, something that people might think the Doctor Strange sequel could have done much better. The question “Do you sacrifice a whole world to save one person?” is at the center of the film – for Miles the answer is why does it have to be a choice? Once he learns what is really at stake he to decide if he should do things his way.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is as perfect a movie can be both as an animation and as a superhero story. Whitney noted, “This perfection isn’t dulled by the fact that it is part one of a two-part story.” Like the comic books on which this is based it manages to be complete within itself but also something that will have the audiences wanting the next film. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a brilliant film with imagined writing and characters we care about not to mention a visual masterpiece. It goes beyond the genre to be one of the most enjoyable and engrossing films of the year.

If you missed the chance to see this in theaters, watch this on Netflix. I promise you, if you loved the first Spider-Verse movie, you will love the sequel more. This is an amazing movie. Everything that made the first movie great, this one did more. You will love the animation, the action, the comedy, and the humanizing, emotional moments this film never fails to deliver. This is a must-see and is not to be missed.

Thank you for joining in on the review tonight. Stay tuned Friday for the continuation of “Steve Carrell Month.”

Bewitched

Once again, I had a hard time trying to figure out what to review this month. When trying to find an actor whose films I felt could fill out this entire month, I found out that I saw enough Steve Carrell movies to fill out this month with. Let’s get started with the 2005 adaptation of “Bewitched.”

This is not the usual redoing of a classic show. It’s a smart reimagining of the show’s original story, updated and reworked for a time that already knows all about Samantha and Darrin. Mick LaSalle said in his review, “If anything, it's even more lightweight than the TV series, though that may be hard to imagine. But it's funny, easily the funniest and least self-conscious movie that director Nora Ephron has made.”

Comedy doesn’t happen unintentionally. LaSalle described, “The sheer skill involved in making "Bewitched" is worth standing back to appreciate, not in the way we might appreciate a Michelangelo sculpture, but in the way we might an exceptionally functional and sturdy dining room table. It's just pleasant to sit at.” Screenwriters Ephron and her sister Delia can get laughs and make character points even at the times of laying out a very involved exposition, and that’s nothing simple. That requires some serious skill.

One change that was established from the beginning of “Bewitched:” There is no Samantha. Then again, there couldn’t be, because there’s no Elizabeth Montgomery.

Instead, Nicole Kidman plays Isabel, a witch who wants to experience life as the usual human beings experience it. Unlike Samantha, she had been sheltered and doesn’t know how mortals live. Isabel is completely innocent. LaSalle noted, “That's a shrewd innovation in that it makes use of Kidman's comic gifts and doubles the number of funny characters in the movie.”

Darrin is not here either. Will Ferrell plays Jack Wyatt, who’s stupider than Darrin and not as nice of a person. A self-centered outdate whose film career has sunk, Jack agrees to star in a TV remake of “Bewitched,” but only if an unknown is cast as his co-star. He finds Isabel and insists that the network hire her, figuring he can walk all over her. However, you can’t walk all over a witch every time.

LaSalle said, “The Ephrons have no interest in what might be called the more serious themes of the "Bewitched" sitcom. Samantha's sacrifice of immortality for love has no analogue in the movie. Nor is there any equivalent of Samantha's considered decision to give up magic for a life of suburban domesticity. On two occasions, the movie indulges in something that would have been considered cheap by the standards of the TV show: It has Isabel turning back time. Perhaps they did it on the sitcom, too -- I'm no expert -- but it's a dangerous element to introduce, because it means nothing is unsolvable, and therefore nothing matters.”

Instead, the Ephrons’ take a smaller and not particularly determined approach to the film, turning “Bewitched” into an event for showbiz satire. However, they make the majority of their decisions, and they give the film speed and a feeling of fun. Jack, feeling insecure, overreacts to demanding tasks on the set: “Make me 20 cappuccinos and bring me the best one!” Scenes of Jack playing Darrin allow Ferrell to get laughs by doing bad comic acting. He’s hilarious.

Meanwhile, Isabel, having her first encounter with people, becomes disappointed by people. She doesn’t realize that she’s seeing examples of people that would disappoint anybody. TV actors. Kidman’s talent as a dramatic actress is beyond question, but it’s only in her comedies that we see her differently. Here, playing an innocent released in the human world, Kidman creates a well-meaning character who never stops watching and guessing. LaSalle said, “The spectacle of Isabel's half-formed thoughts and false conclusions as they register on Kidman's face is often priceless and so are the moments when Isabel abandons herself to some notion of normal human behavior, which turns out to be ridiculously off.”

There’s something pure, specific, and full about Kidman’s comedy. In one scene, Isabel puts a love spell on Jack, goes on a date with him, and becomes charmed by his attentions, even though she knows it’s only a spell. Without Kidman’s ability to portray innocence and without the clarity of her moment-to-moment being on screen, that scene wouldn’t have been funny. It might have been pointless and confusing.

Ephron spreads out the comedy, giving good moments and personalities to the supporting characters, not just to Michael Caine as Isabel’s dad and Shirley MacLaine as the actress who plays Endora, but to Heather Burns as a bitter TV staff person with a massive contempt for Jack. The film does drop a little near the finish, particularly when the character of Uncle Arthur, played by Steve Carrell, formerly played by Paul Lynde, makes an extended appearance. However, that’s the only point in “Bewitched” that feels uncertain, and the movie recovers.

I saw this when I was browsing for free movies On Demand and I decided to check it out. I didn’t mind it. I can understand if someone doesn’t like it probably because they didn’t like the reimagining, which I can get. However, as someone who didn’t grow up watching “Bewitched” (I only saw one episode, but it was in color), I guess that’s why I didn’t mind it so much. Check it out if you want, but if you don’t like it, I understand.

Look out next week when I look at a DreamWorks film in “Steve Carrell Month.”