Creed II Has The Heart Of A Champion

I was going to title this "Creed II Has The Eye Of The Tiger," but I feel like that wouldn't be giving this movie enough credit for standing on its own.  Sure, there's plenty of Rocky's DNA sprinkled throughout this film (including Sylvester Stallone's wonderful, and possible last-ever, performance as Rocky Balboa), but Creed II franchise can be enjoyed on its own.

This is the eighth film in the Rocky Universe (man, I long for the days when we can stop referring to film franchises as "Universes," but I digress), and it's never been stronger.  Whereas the latter Rocky films felt like cartoon versions of themselves (though, not including the franchise re-defining Rocky Balboa, which brought these films back to reality and essentially wiped Rocky V from the record books.), the Creed films feel lived in.  The re-focus on character and not excess has been a welcome breath of fresh air.  These films work because you feel like you've known the characters for decades.  Sure, we've known Balboa for over 40 years, but Adonis Creed (played with a champion's swagger by the incredible Michael B. Jordan), and company approach their characters with a realism not seen since Rocky II.

Speaking of characters... While Creed II owes a lot of its DNA to the over-the-top but thoroughly re-watchable Rocky IV,  these characters strip away the 80s glitz and glamour, and are presented in a much more modern realistic way.  Jordan's Creed, though now a champion in his own right, still can't escape the legacy of his deceased father, and his infamous in-ring death.  He's a world champion that still questions his worth and place in society.  Viktor Drago is seen as a way back to success and prestige for his once powerful father, Ivan (played with steel grit by a never better Dolph Lundgren).  Rocky Balboa still wears the physical and mental scars from his first encounter with the elder Drago (there's a scene where these two characters meet for the first time in three decades that gave me memories of the famous scene in Heat where Pacino and DeNiro share a cup of coffee).

Needless to say, the fight that everyone wants is Creed/Drago part 2, only with the children of Ivan and Apollo fighting this time instead.  The journey up to and including their bout is a character study in how we try to live up to, (and in some cases escape from) our parents shadows.  What does it mean to be our own person?  What role does our upbringing play in our lives as adults?  And do old wounds ever fully heal?  It's these questions and more that made this film such a delight to sit through.  And, who am I kidding, I'm always going to get goosebumps when the training montage begins. 

I couldn't get enough of Creed II.  Kudos to everyone involved.  If this is truly Stallone's last time lacing up his Rocky gloves, then it's a fitting conclusion to a legendary character.  It's now Creed's boxing world and we're all living in it.  3.5 stars out of 4.  My one critique isn't really a critique of the film.  Jordan is in such good shape that I felt guilty shoveling handfuls of movie popcorn in my mouth watching him.  I need to hit the gym...

Fantastic Beasts 2 Is Strictly For The Potter-Heads

I've been a big fan of the Harry Potter series (both book and film versions) since I saw the original film in the early 2000s.  Author J.K. Rowling created one of the most original and entertaining series of all-time and I've been a rabid fan for almost two decades (man, do I feel old).  I was both excited and sad when the final film version came out, as it was the culmination of a fantastic series of movies.  But, like anything in Hollywood, there's always money to be made in a successful intellectual property.  Instead of rebooting the series (fingers crossed that it never happens), Rowling (now the screenwriter) decided to expand the Potter-verse (now dubbed the Wizarding World) with the Fantastic Beasts series.  The original film introduced us to a new series of characters for us to enjoy.  I thought that it perfectly breathed life into the Wizarding World while being able to stand on its own two feet.  Newt Scamander (played with neurotic precision by Eddie Redmayne) traveled to 1920s New York City and wound up getting swept up in the original battle between Wizards and Muggles (or non-majs as they were called in America).  There was a pre-Voldemort evil wizard on the loose, and the surprise twist reveal that Johnny Depp was actually Grindelwald set up an exciting foundation for a sequel.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald takes place three months after the events of the first film with Grindelwald (not shockingly) escaping from custody.  A young Dumbledore (played by Jude Law) calls upon Newt to go on a secret mission to catch Grindelwald before he can declare war on the non magic world.  This film, like all sequels, goes bigger.  More characters.  More locations.  And more stories to follow.  The returns are a film that is better than its 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, but also one that's strictly for the devotees of the Wizarding World.  There's a lot of lore that's introduced here with our characters getting more of their back stories revealed.  Some of it works (like Newt's time at Hogwarts) and some of it gets lost in translation.  There's a familial bloodline story that made my sister and I scratch our heads.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, albeit slightly overstuffed, sequel.  The main cast of characters all do a great job of reprising their roles.  Controversial casting of Johnny Depp aside, he did a great job as portraying the villainous Grindelwald.  I look forward to seeing where he takes the character in future films (this is the second of a planned five-part series).  Some of the newer characters feel half-baked (most notably Zoe Kravitz's Leta Lestrange), and others are thrown in there as unnecessary callbacks to the original films (cough cough Nicolas Flamel), or canon-ruining (Professor McGonagall appears in this film... apparently 8 years before she was supposedly born according to the books).

My main issue with this series of films is that the Beasts almost seem like the most unnecessary part.  Yeah, they're cute and provide a sense of amusement and comic-relief, but they seem like almost afterthoughts to the larger story in this film.  I'd liken them to the Ewoks or Porgs in the Star Wars franchise.  Cute, fun, but largely unnecessary.

I'm giving Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald 2.5 out of 4 stars.  It was an entertaining film, but seemed to serve as a launching pad for more movies.  It was a "chess board" film, meaning that they're using it to move the pieces into position for future moves, instead of focusing on the current moves.  If you're a fan of the Wizarding World, definitely check it out.  If not, you can skip it.

2017 Turkey Trot Recap Video

Sadly, I won't be participating in the 2018 Turkey Trot race.  I'll be up in Massachusetts at my 20-year high school reunion.  Here's a little recap of last year's race to enjoy.

Thanks, as always to my sister Stephanie for running with me.  This video also features a special guest appearance from my sister-in-law, Tory... She "had not time to train" and yet she managed to kick my butt in the race... slacker.

The Totally Bonkers 'Mandy' Is The Nicolas Cage Movie To End All Nicolas Cage Movies.

I imagine the pitch for Mandy, the gonzo new Nicolas Cage movie, went something like this... Studio Exec, "It's the 'Not The Bees' scene from The Wicker Man, but like.. for an entire movie."  That being said, I mean that in the best way possible.  Nicolas Cage, afterall, is an Oscar winning actor.  However, in the past decade or so, he's become something of a punchline.  His direct to DVD catalog is beginning to rival the likes of Steven Segal and Van Damme.  The once juicy (and well-acted) roles have gone the way of cheese as Cage delivers more and more crap to our doorsteps.

There have been flashes of past brilliance in recent years, most noticeably in his Bad Lieutenant sequel and his Oscar nominated performance in Adaptation.  Mandy, while not quite Oscar caliber, reminds us that Cage can deliver the goods when called upon.  This movie serves up the right amount of "wink wink" cheese with a side dish of real anguish.  Cage's performance is mostly a silent one, but I'm fairly certain that there aren't many actors on the planet who could have pulled this performance off.  It sure is a sight to behold.

Mandy starts off in an almost David Lynchian dreamlike state.  The first third of the movie drones on with tones and colors that could have come straight out of a Twin Peaks outtake.  We follow Cage and his girlfriend as they meet a cult who movies into town and threatens their peace and tranquility.  Soon after they set their sights on Mandy (the titular character), she is brutally killed in front of Cage.  This isn't really a spoiler since it serves as the tipping point in this revenge story.  Soon enough, Cage makes his way back to his "old life."  We don't really get an explanation to what that life was, but it's clear that he is some sort of reformed hit man.

The final two thirds of this film is equal parts Tarantino style bloodbath and B-movie shlockfest.  Cage's character tries to exact punishment in the most brutal ways possible.  Cage has minimal dialogue in this portion of the film, but he makes maximum work of the lines he gets to deliver.  You'll never hear "you ruined my shirt" in the same way again after seeing this one.

Mandy is an absolute B-movie delight.  Check it out if you can stomach the gruesome violence.  If you're a Cage fan, it's a must-see!