'Ready or Not' Review

Synopsis: A young bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a time-honored tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.

Runtime: 95 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use)

Who should see it? Adult fans of unique, original horror-thrillers.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with a screenplay from Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy, Ready or Not is the hide-and-seek movie you never realized you wanted. This inventive thriller mashes the core concept of the game with violent ritualism, and the end result is a wild ride that's darkly comedic and full of tantalizing twists and turns. 

Viewers are thrust into this crazed situation just as Grace is on the heels of her wedding. Trailers aside, the audience is also unfamiliar with the gothic surroundings and peculiar inhabitants at first. We discover nooks and crannies while Grace is on the run rather than explore the house before the game begins, so the protagonist and audience share a frantic sense of curiosity concerning what lies around the corner. The red band trailer spoils two early surprises, but Ready or Not is otherwise unpredictable. Though the confined mansion only offers a select number of hiding spots, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett creatively maneuver Grace and the Le Domas family. Thus, keeping viewers on their toes and providing distinctive settings for the barbaric shenanigans. There were a few occasions where one of the in-laws would inexplicably reach a distant destination in a matter of minutes, but these didn't substantially affect my experience.

No doubt holding everything together is an exceptional lead performance from Samara Weaving. Weaving demonstrates remarkable versatility and humanity as Grace's blissful naivety becomes crazed panic upon uncovering the game's malicious intent. In the face of danger, Grace is believably badass though. While frequently out of her depth, Grace proves to be ferocious, but never invincible. Physically, emotionally, and psychologically, she endures substantial hardships and Weaving sells it all. After her turn here, I hope to see Weaving star in more projects soon!

Filling out the Le Domas household, Mark O'Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Nicky Guadagni, and Elyse Levesque each lend sufficient depth to their varied roles. The family includes a diverse bunch of eccentric personalities, and the cast does a fine job differentiating themselves without being perceived purely as heightened caricatures. Portraying the groom, O'Brien must choose between honoring tradition and helping his new spouse survive the evening. It seems like an easy decision, but it grows increasingly complex as the night continues. Brody faces a similar dilemma, while Scrofano and Bruun are hysterical additions.

As the summer movie-going season draws to a close, it turns out there was one last gem hiding in our midst. After a string of mostly underwhelming releases, it's such a relief to find a film like Ready or Not in cinemas. It's a jack of all trades as an original release with edge-of-your-seat action and a macabre funny bone. Now, please seek it out!

Film Assessment: A-

'Blinded by the Light' Review

Synopsis: In 1987, during the austere days of Margaret Thatcher's Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family, pursue his dreams, and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Runtime: 118 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for thematic material and language including some ethnic slurs)

Who should see it? Fans of Bruce Springsteen's music and coming-of-age films.

Inspired by the life of Bruce Springsteen super-fan Sarfraz Manzoor as well as words and music from "The Boss" himself, Blinded by the Light is directed by Gurinder Chadha, co-written by Chadha, Manzoor, and Paul Mayeda Berges, and follows in the footsteps of 2019's other cinematic odes to popular musicians. Rocketman retold Elton John's life story as a fantastical jukebox musical. Yesterday chronicled the struggles of an artist as he dealt with the moral and ethical implications of exploiting The Beatles' music amidst rising stardom. Like those films, Blinded by the Light is a unique celebration of a renowned performer's discography as it details a Pakistani teenager's discovery of the unfathomable parallels between Bruce Springsteen's lyrics and the everyday dilemmas facing Pakistani immigrants.

Chadha's depiction of the personal connection between Javed and Springsteen's work impeccably encapsulates the experience of unearthing an obsession and becoming a fan. Though not everyone in the audience will identify with Javed's individual enthusiasm for Bruce Springsteen, viewers can connect to the moment they found their passion. Viewing Springsteen's music through Javed's perspective grants it new life. The lyrics weren't intended to fit Javed's particular situation, but the fact it can be perceived that way underscores the subjective essence of media. Everyone has a different takeaway from reading a book, listening to music, or watching a movie, and that's the beauty of art. 

Despite being positioned as a feel-good crowdpleaser, Blinded by the Light addresses some hard-hitting subject matter. As Javed faces a troubled home-life, financial woes, and xenophobia, none of these hardships seem superficial. Therefore, his immersion into poetry, creative writing, and Springsteen's music genuinely feels like a joyous escape from an unforgiving world. It's a relief for Javed and the audience that he finds temporarily solace from life's adversities. I can't resist respecting Gurinder Chadha, Sarfraz Manzoor, and Paul Mayeda Berges for fleshing out Javed's misfortune since these circumstances are often watered-down in mainstream media for commerciality. Regardless, the story's still very sentimental, and the sequences set to Springsteen's hits are gleeful, to say the least.

However, the film's not without shortcomings. Occasionally, Chadha gets lost in the frenzy of narrative threads, so certain story elements don't have enough dedicated screen time to justify their inclusion. Most notably, Javed's childhood friend Matt was relegated to a subplot on the outskirts. So I wasn't invested in that relationship when conflict arose, and the catalyst setting off said drama was a bit unclear to me. I'm unsure whether Matt is based on an actual person, but scenes involving his character tended to be easily dismissed as irrelevant. Emotionally, the film doesn't wholly hit its stride till the ending, and the musical set-pieces lacked a visual pizazz to engage me completely. 

Where acting is concerned, Viveik Kalra provides an astounding breakthrough performance as Javed. His enthusiasm for Springsteen is infectious while his emotionally vulnerable moments are quite poignant and equally convincing. Playing his disapproving father Malik, Kulvinder Ghir fleshes out an often two-dimensional archetype. Ghir profoundly articulates a conflict between upholding traditional values and a love for his son. And this clash between father and son is especially moving as the film's centerpiece. The remaining cast serves the script well but are confined to select scenes as Javed's encouragers. Hayley Atwell, Neil Williams, and Aaron Phagura are notable stand-outs in that regard.

Consider me stunned because Blinded by the Light is far-and-away one of the year's more charming releases. It's earnest, affecting, and offers so much to say about varying state of affairs while paying tribute to "The Boss."

Film Assessment: B

'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' Review

Synopsis: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle, nothing could prepare Dora for her most dangerous adventure yet - high school. Accompanied by a ragtag group of teens and Boots the monkey, Dora embarks on a quest to save her parents while trying to solve the seemingly impossible mystery behind a lost Incan civilization.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for action and some impolite humor)

Who should see it? Families with young children interested in Dora the Explorer.

Based on the Nickelodeon animated series Dora the Explorer created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is the first live-action feature for the famed female adventurer. Handling her live-action debut, director James Bobin and writers Matthew Robinson, Nicholas Stoller, and Tom Wheeler have re-imagined the property as Tomb Raider for four-to-eight-year-olds. As one would suspect, children are the target audience, and the filmmakers catered much of the comedy towards that demographic. Unfortunately, that means there's an absurd amount of toilet humor (namely poop-and-fart jokes as well as a few peculiar references to mating). Aside from a couple of chuckle-worthy moments of self-awareness and some bizarre scenes which must be seen to be believed, Dora and the Lost City of Gold has little to offer adults. It's a live-action cartoon plain-and-simple.

Contrary to the recent trend of adapting animated properties with realism firmly in mind, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is silly, self-aware, and as carefree as it can be. Disregarding a pragmatic approach proved to be for the best though since taking itself too seriously would have surely ended in disaster. Bobin and the screenwriters embrace the series' wacky sensibilities and find unique ways to translate them to the big screen. For better or worse, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is most engaging when the filmmakers swing for the fences. Otherwise, it's fairly formulaic. The plot and circumstances these characters find themselves in often call Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones to mind. And the score from John Debney and Germaine Franco even seems to emulate John Williams' adventurous themes at times.

Front and center, Isabela Moner embodies the Dora persona quite nicely. Moner leans into the overbearing enthusiasm and naive nature of the character for an intentionally cheesy performance which is consistent with the established tone. This could have easily gone awry in the wrong hands, but Moner made it work. High-profile cast members include Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, Benicio Del Toro, and Danny Trejo who each lent sufficient supporting performances in varying roles. Dora's peers are played by Jeff Wahlberg, Madeleine Madden, and Nicholas Coombe to lackluster effect as one-note comic relief. I found their characters obnoxious and felt their line delivery was wooden.

And this wouldn't be a proper Dora the Explorer adaptation without Boots and Swiper. For a majority of the film, Boots communicates via monkey grunts rather than speech. However, Danny Trejo is credited as voicing the blue and yellow primate, and that's made abundantly clear when Boots speaks in a specific scene. It's odd and treated as such, but even stranger that the characters question Boots' ability to talk while Swiper's treated as a commonplace fox. 

But Swiper is no run-of-the-mill animal, nor is he vocalized by an unknown voice-over actor. Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro voices the sly fox, delivering the signature line "Oh man!" to hilarious effect. Yes, you read that correctly... Del Toro's likely the last actor you'd expect to take on such a role, but he's probably eager to diversify his portfolio. Jokes aside, Del Toro's Swiper was a genuine stand-out to the extent I wish he'd had more screen time. I'd also be remiss to ignore the visual effects utilized to realize Boots and Swiper. While not flawless, they retain the distinctive features of the original cartoon designs and are very impressive considering the $50 M budget.

Unless you're feeling nostalgic for Dora the Explorer or have young children, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is an excavation site best left unexplored at the cinema. Thankfully, there are enough wacky scenarios and clever meta-jokes to compensate for generic plotting and toilet humor while ensuring a tolerable experience at the very least!

Film Assessment: C+

'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw' Review

Synopsis: Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

Runtime: 135 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material, and some strong language)

Who should see it? Fans of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason Statham, and the Fast & Furious franchise.

Branching off from the central Fast & Furious series, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is the franchise's first spin-off. As each Fast & Furious entry drove further away from the series' starting point of street racing and small-time heists, real-world physics were chucked out the window. To no-one's surprise, Hobbs & Shaw continues that trend of escalated absurdity. If you bother scrutinizing the logic of Hobbs & Shaw, you will be miserable for two hours and fifteen minutes. To best enjoy this ride, you should suspend disbelief and mindlessly munch on popcorn.

Considering I haven't been impressed by recent projects involving "The Rock" and Statham, I approached Hobbs & Shaw with appropriate skepticism. The only Fast & Furious films I've really appreciated are the fifth, sixth, and seventh installments. I felt the franchise finally found its stride with Fast Five but grew concerned the franchise ran out of fuel when I didn't take to The Fate of the Furious. Directed by David Leitch and featuring a screenplay from Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce, Hobbs & Shaw rides the thin line between overbearing and entertaining. Surprisingly, this bombastic summer blockbuster won me over with the charm of its cast, technical merits, and outlandish high octane action.

Leitch's extensive background as a stunt coordinator and experience helming Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and John Wick serves him well here. Leitch embraces the lunacy of the franchise's physics-defying spectacle, pairing it with the visceral intensity and visual flair frequently found in his filmography. I was occasionally disoriented by the use of quick cuts and shaky cam, but the action sequences are easy to interpret and impressively absurd for the most part. Carrying over from Leitch's previous projects, cinematographer Jonathan Sela lends an attractive aesthetic to the affair with stylish lighting and quality camerawork. I expected the entire movie to look like concrete, so I was delighted to see some stunning shots amidst the ludicrous action. Unfortunately, the film failed to really surprise me otherwise.

Regarding plot, Hobbs & Shaw is about as predictable as it gets. The buddy spy action-comedy plays out like most other flicks of its ilk, and the dialogue is equally ridiculous as the action. In Fast & Furious tradition, Hobbs & Shaw even champions the franchise's principle focus on family. Does it get any deeper than hearing that word spoken out loud from time-to-time? Not particularly, but when has it ever? Hobbs & Shaw is exactly as advertised, an over-the-top action movie with heart and plenty of cheesy one-liners. Exactly what you'd expect from a summer blockbuster.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their respective roles of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw to headline the first Fast & Furious off-shoot. The baseline charisma and star power associated with Johnson and Statham are probably enough to garner most viewer's interest, and the duo measures up to that presumption. The two actors possess the macho physicality as well as an engaging rapport since their back-and-forth banter is undoubtedly a highlight. They bicker endlessly, and while not every joke lands, those which do are hysterical. The insults, which felt primarily improvised, effectively critique the other's general Hollywood persona without seeming too self-aware.

However, it's Vanessa Kirby, the breakout star of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, who emerges as a scene-stealer. Kirby's Hattie Shaw rounds out the grouping of Johnson and Statham as an intriguing third-party and capable femme fatale. Her fight scenes were particularly impressive, as they were in Fallout, so Kirby is definitely cut out for action. She's reportedly up for the role of Catwoman in Matt Reeve's The Batman, which I'd LOVE to see pan out. 

Elsewhere, Eiza González is prominently featured in the marketing material but merely relegated to a single scene. She's serviceable in the capacity used but didn't really have much opportunity to leave a lasting impression. Other high-profile actors appear in a series of uncredited surprise cameos that are funny, but somewhat distracting. It's also worth noting that there are three comedic post-credit scenes and you may be fortunate enough to see a teaser for Christopher Nolan's next film Tenet beforehand. Don't expect teases towards a sequel or you may be disappointed.

Last but not least, Idris Elba's cybernetic terrorist Brixton was a formidable foe. Elba's screen presence coupled with the character's resilience compensated for the script's shortcoming characterization while providing a worthwhile villain.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw puts the pedal to the mettle as a prime example of an entertaining, over-the-top action-comedy. It won't be in contention for any awards, and you'll likely forget what happens soon afterward, but it's an ideal movie to close out the summer moviegoing season. Maybe this series still has gas in the tank after all.

Film Assessment: B-