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!

First Man Is A Powerful Reminder Of What Humanity Can Accomplish

It's been a dark week in the United States... Pittsburgh, my adopted hometown, in particular.  The tragic shooting here has left us all with a horrible reminder of the worst in humanity.  And, for many of us, the rhetoric coming out of the oval office seems like a race to the bottom in many ways.  It was nice to go into a movie tonight and be reminded that we as a country can achieve greatness if we so choose.  First Man, shockingly the first true biopic about Neil Armstrong, shoots for greatness.  Directed with surgeon's focus by Damian Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash), and acted with a quiet but gritty focus by Ryan Gosling, First Man is a shining star in a world that needs one.

Gosling leads First Man's stellar cast.

What was most interesting to me about this film is that while the moon landing was one of the most memorable moments of all-time, I hardly knew anything about the man who took mankind's greatest leap.  Armstrong is portrayed as a man haunted by the loss of his daughter and space compatriots who uses that pain to keep pushing forward.  Gosling is remarkable in this role.  It was interesting to see just how much of a loner that Armstrong was.  He kept everyone, including his wife (portrayed with steel resolve by The Crown's Claire Foye) and kids, at an arm's length.  Even his fellow astronauts couldn't get a true read on him.  There's a moment towards the end of the film, where you finally see Armstrong let go of the inner pain that haunts him throughout it.  This moment could very easily have veered into cheesy territory, but it's done in such a way that had my eyes welling up.

Speaking of direction, a lot of this film's success is due to the tight direction of Damian Chazelle.  He truly takes a step forward with this film.  From start to finish, this film is presented in a restrained manner.  We are presented with the story in a way that rightly steers clear of hero worship, while showcasing just how great these people were.  Chazelle presents the story in a "warts and all" manner, showing the sacrifice and human toll of walking on the moon.  He also does a lot with the camera, editing, and sound design to show just how harrowing space travel is.  This is not a movie that's heavy on musical score.  Instead, Chazelle let's the shaking of the camera and sound of the launch tell the story.  It reminded me a lot of my favorite movie from last year, Dunkirk, in this way.  The claustrophobia of such a big moment made it so much more intimate for the audience that I found myself white knuckling my chair at many moments this year.

First Man is a top rate movie.  It showcases the best of humanity at a time when many of us need that reminder.  I'm giving it 3.8 out of 4 stars.  It'll certainly make my top 10 of the year and should be a major player during awards season.

A Star Is Born is going to win best picture.

I've never seen any of the approximately 345 previous versions of A Star Is Born, so this review won't try to make any comparisons.  I'll judge this film on its own merits.  I can confidently predict that A Star Is Born will win this year's Best Picture.  It's an incredible character study with strong performances throughout.  The music is infectious and the Bradley Cooper's directing is strong.  While it's not currently my favorite movie of the year (That would be the incredible Annihilation), it'll be at the top of my year-end list. 

A Star Is Born is the fictional tale of an aging, drunken musician (Cooper in a breakout performance) who stumbles upon a no-name musician during a trip to a drag bar (the exceptional Lady Gaga).  He then takes her on the road with him and romance and heartbreak ensue on her rise to stardom.  This movie had a lot of chances to fall into a cliche trap, but Cooper's direction and the performances keep it from doing so.  For starters, the actors chose to sing live instead of to a pre-taped performance.  This gives each musical scene a sense of realism that may have been lost.  Cooper more than holds his own with the exceptional Gaga, which was something I didn't think he had in him.  The bond between these two characters was real and sincere.  Both their characters are given equal time to develop, so their choices have weight and meaning behind them.  I don't really want to spoil anything for those of you who aren't familiar with the story, but the film takes some dark turns along the way, and they hit so hard because of the time we as an audience are given to bond with them.

Cooper and Gaga have exceptional on-screen chemistry.

I was skeptical that Cooper and Gaga would be able to pull off such an excellent film, and boy was I wrong.  However, they aren't the only actors who shined in in A Star Is Born.  I can easily see Sam Elliott's brother/father figure character getting some awards' season recognition, and Andrew "Dice" Clay delivered a humorous yet relate-able performance as Gaga's father.

I'm giving A Star Is Born 3.75 out of 4 stars.  I predict it will be a major player come Oscar time.  It may not be the best film of the year, but I predict it will win Best Picture.

Watching Purple Rain for the first time in the shadow of the #MeToo movement

I've long been a fan of Prince's music, but for some reason or another, I've never gotten around to watching his 1984 breakout film Purple Rain.  I finally got around to it the other night when it made its way to the top of my Netflix DVD list (yes, I still use that service).  Making my way through this film, I couldn't help draw direct parallels to today's current climate... especially the Me Too movement.  While Purple Rain has some exhilarating musical performances and serves as a showcase for the then 23-year old Prince, it is rife with sexism and misogyny, which hasn't helped it age particularly well.  I realize that it's a product of its time, but its flaws are just so glaring that I had a hard time getting past them.

Purple Rain serves as a quasi-autobiography for Prince.  He plays "The Kid," the lead singer of The Revolution (Prince's real life band) who is striving to make it big in the Minneapolis music scene.  He plays at the First Avenue club, which is owned by Morris Day and his band "The Time."  This film definitely blends fantasy and reality in that it mixes real life artists with fictional characters.  Shortly into the film, we're introduced to Appollonia (played by Appollonia), as the muse to both The Kid and Morris Day. 

The major issue with this film is its portrayal of women (especially Appollonia).  They serve as objects to control by both Prince and Morris Day.  In an early scene, Prince's character plays a trick on Appollonia by convincing her to jump naked into a lake.  She's said maybe two words to him at this point.  Morris Day frequently refers to women as "Bitches" and seems to treat them as object.  His goal is to put together an all-girl group, but his only request is that they be "hot."  Their performance (in nothing but lingerie) of the laughable song "Sex Shooter" is her characters only real shining moment.  She is a victim of physical abuse at the hands of Prince's character.  The film poorly tries to make a connection between that abuse and the abuse that Prince's mother's character receives at the hands of her husband.  The reason this falls flat is that the violence comes out of nowhere, and it's never resolved.  There's a forced happy ending between The Kid and Appollonia, where it appears that nothing ever went wrong.  And this leads me to...

Purple Rain felt like a giant #MeToo foreshadow.  Watching it after the Kavanaugh hearings, I couldn't help but scream out "This is why victims don't come forward!"  It's ingrained in our society.  It's always "their fault," and the abusers always seem to be given the benefit of the doubt.  The Kid's music outshone the fact that he was a physical and mental abuser.  Just as Judge Kavanaugh's ability and record as a judge is more important than any potential abuse committed in his past.  While Purple Rain has many moments that shine, it feels like a relic of the past... though a past that is still rearing its ugly head.