'No Time To Die' Review

Synopsis: James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Runtime: 163 minutes

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

Who should see it? Fans of Daniel Craig's James Bond.

Daniel Craig's 15-year tenure as 007 has been rather interesting. Craig was reluctant to accept the part and went on record saying he'd rather slash his wrists than reprise the role. Though it's worth noting these comments followed a grueling shoot on Spectre in which Craig had broken his leg. But Craig's back one last time and clarified his comments were disingenuous. His series began amidst a widespread tonal shift for espionage thrillers and the action genre as a whole. Craig's films were more grounded than his predecessors and serialized in the wake of Jason Bourne and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. The reception to his films has been admittedly uneven. I enjoyed the odd-numbered entries (Casino Royale and Skyfall) over the others, and fortunately, No Time To Die followed suit. 

Over the last few years, we've seen series conclusions that either respectfully acknowledged all that had come before or found themselves with selective memory. No Time To Die thankfully falls in that first camp, building on the foundation laid by all four preceding entries, warts and all. Bond actors traditionally have chosen to hang up their tux after their last outing. No Time To Die breaks the mold, with an intentional ending for Daniel Craig's 007. It was long believed Spectre would be his last, but I'm glad Craig had one more film left in the chamber because it proved to be his very best. 

Craig's films have accumulated a stable of respected talent over the years, and No Time To Die director Cary Fukunaga proves to be no exception. This is Fukunaga's first true blockbuster, but that's not something you'd glean from the screen because he has a deft handle on things. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge contributed to the script alongside Fukunaga, keenly interested in deconstructing James Bond as they bid Daniel Craig a fond farewell. Fukunaga and company brave uncharted waters for the franchise, but they do so with an admirable assuredness. No Time To Die is nearly three hours long, but the time breezes by thanks to show-stopping set-pieces and an especially intriguing plot. I'd be remiss not to mention Daniel Kleinman's exquisite title sequence, Linus Sandgren's gorgeous cinematography, the exceptional stuntwork, booming sound mix, and Hans Zimmer's propulsive score. All of these elements coalesce for one of the most exciting action movies I've seen since Tenet.

Yet, No Time To Die is not simply a show of spectacle. It swells just as often as it explodes. Thanks to the groundwork of the four prior films, plenty of emotional weight lingers behind Daniel Craig's final mission. Here, character is just as essential as the action. The all-encompassing nature of this film permits Craig to go out on a high note with his best performance among the five 007 films in which he starred. As the plot unravels, audiences are shown new sides to his Bond. Despite any comments he may have previously made, he's devoutly committed to this material. 

The supporting cast features a mix of familiar faces and newcomers. Reprising her role of Madeleine Swann, Léa Seydoux remains a compelling love interest for Bond as more light is shed on her past. The dynamic between Seydoux and Craig is fascinating to watch, and I found myself much more invested in their relationship this time around. I'll leave it at that for the sake of not spoiling anything. Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Christoph Waltz stepped back into their roles with ease, while Billy Magnussen, Lashana Lynch, and Ana De Armas were thrilling additions to the cast. I particularly enjoyed the rapport between Craig and both Lynch and De Armas. It was amusing to see Craig and Lynch butt heads as Bond met his successor. Ana De Armas's Paloma only appears in the Cuba sequence but is impressionable due to her charisma and comic timing. It was interesting to see her act opposite Daniel Craig in such radically different roles than their previous collaboration in Knives Out. 

Regarding Rami Malek, I was taken aback by his villainous performance as Lyutsifer Safin. Safin is a genuinely evil foil to Bond, and Malek plays the part, channels an unsettling aura anytime he appears onscreen. It's impressive how Craig's antagonists have varied so much in personality from film to film but remain convincing threats to Bond. 

It's become increasingly rare for franchise films to be driven by bold storytelling choices, but when one comes along, I can't help but admire it... No Time To Die draws the Daniel Craig chapter to a close in an unexpected fashion, albeit delivering an appropriate ending for this iteration of Bond. Contrary to how James Bond prefers his martinis, Craig's swan song is an emotionally-stirring conclusion to his 15-year run as 007. Not one that was haphazardly shaken. 

Film Assessment: A+

'Alita: Battle Angel' Review

Synopsis: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious past.

Runtime: 122 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language)

Who should see it? Teens and up, as the action can be quite gruesome for PG-13.

Based on Yukito Kishiro's manga series Gunnm, Alita: Battle Angel is directed by Robert Rodriguez and features a screenplay by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis. Originally Cameron was slated to direct, but his fixation on the future of the Avatar franchise kept him preoccupied. After impressing the visionary with a condensed version of Cameron's script, Rodriguez was enlisted to helm the film adaptation by Cameron himself. Cameron still produced the feature though, and his influence is quite evident in Alita's digital aesthetic since it employs the same CG-technology utilized on Avatar. If there's one thing to be said about Alita: Battle Angel, it's that the visual effects are extraordinary.

You're undoubtedly paying first-and-foremost for sensational cybernetic spectacle, as the combat sequences and motor-ball matches are particularly eye-catching. The world itself is also quite fascinating, with a unique appearance compared to other cinematic dystopian societies. I will say though that the universe's internal logic could have been better explained, as a friend of mine familiar with the source material had to clarify a few things for me afterward. 

While I don't disagree with the consensus that Alita prioritizes style over substance, the filmmakers clearly made an effort to imbue the character and over-arching narrative with a touch of sentiment. The heart of this film is derived from the lead character, and it wouldn't function without her. Thankfully, Roza Salazar provided an excellent motion-capture performance and modern technology's progressed far enough for Alita to be well-realized on the big screen. The large eyes may look a bit peculiar at first glance, but you'll adjust to them as the story progresses. On that note, that's where I deemed Alita underwhelming. You can give me two and a half hours of thrilling action, but it ultimately doesn't matter if I'm not invested in the characters and story. Unfortunately, I just didn't care about much aside from Alita. 

With virtually no chemistry between the two leads, the romantic subplot is a bore. Otherwise, the plotting drags, and the narrative's crammed with so many other threads that it's difficult to latch onto any while dialogue teeters between being exposition-heavy and inherently cheesy. The characterization for the supporting cast is notably light as well. However, I'd say Alita's most significant drawback is that too much source material was stuffed into two hours along with sequel set-up. It'd be better served as a series with more time available to flesh out the world and characters.

As I mentioned earlier, there weren't any sparks flying between Roza Salazar's Alita and Keean Johnson's Hugo. Since Salazar's nuanced expressions and mannerism were expertly translated through motion-capture, I think this was mostly due to Johnson's wooden dialogue delivery. However, writing and direction are equally at fault. Elsewhere, Christoph Waltz, Ed Skrein, and Mahershala Ali made the most of their respective roles while Jennifer Connelly felt a bit underutilized in the grand scheme of things. I do wish these characters had been more substantial though.

In spite of its shortcomings, Alita: Battle Angel's quite endearing and awe-inspiring when all is said-and-done! It's well worth the price of admission for striking visuals and thrilling action, but be prepared for artificial, automated storytelling.

Film Assessment: B-

'Downsizing' Review

Downsizing asks audiences to look down as scientists have discovered a means to combat overpopulation and better sustain the Earth. The solution is called "downsizing," or the ability to shrink humans down to the height of five inches, and it's quickly becoming a hot commodity because it enables the "downsized" to conserve their resources and live like little kings. Paul Safranek, an occupational therapist for Omaha Steaks, and his wife Aubrey see all the advantages of "downsizing" and decide they'd like to miniaturize themselves and move to a "downsized" community. 

Alexander Payne directs the miniature venture in addition to writing the screenplay alongside Jim Taylor, and the concept they've concocted is compelling on paper to be sure, but not all too interesting in execution. Payne and his vfx team appropriately scale things for a cutesy comedic effect, but Downsizing never really goes beyond that, and even manages to squander the fun of shrinking down. At least Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and Ant-Man were able to toy around with the concept in fun and interesting ways. Downsizing uses the gimmick for a couple jokes, forgets about it almost entirely, and proceeds to meander around as a meaningless movie.

Once the film ended, I had absolutely no idea what the point of any of it seemed to be... Downsizing's purpose was pointless, so it was a real Rebel without a Cause. Payne clearly had a lot to say about sustaining the environment, but his message is haphazardly communicated. If Payne wanted to make a comedy about shrinking down, fine. Go out and make that. If Payne was looking to make a smart social satire, fine. Go out and make that. However, Payne barely blends those two ideologies, and the end result was a sorry excuse for a smoothie that left an awful taste in my mouth. 

I found it especially ironic that in a film about changing size, hardly any of the characters experienced any growth whatsoever. In fact, the characters hardly had any depth to begin with. The only character with any substance at all was Ngoc Lan Tran, and the way her character was utilized came across as a vaguely racist stereotype... I'm sure if I were Asian, I probably would be offended by the fact she's turned into the butt of almost every joke.

Now, Matt Damon is an actor I admire for not only delivering fine performances in films like Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, The Martian, and the Bourne trilogy, but also because he's genuinely well-behaved compared to most actors in Hollywood. However, this has got to be one of the most mediocre roles I've seen from him since perhaps We Bought a Zoo... I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Damon showed up purely for the paycheck because his character is extraordinary bland to the point I had absolutely no idea what his character's name was afterwards.

Christoph Waltz is another actor I quite like, but his role here was too weird for my taste. Waltz strides about with an especially eccentric accent and the attitude of a partying playboy, and it's incredibly odd... Like a man of his talents shouldn't be bothering himself with things like this... Especially when he's got two Oscars on his mantle. If there's one shining star among the cast though, it's undoubtedly Hong Chau as Ngoc Lan Tran. Her character comes across as racist by no fault of her own, but simply on account of Payne's depiction of her. Chau makes the most of things though, and easily steals the show as the most layered performer in the star studded ensemble. While I don't think she's quite deserving of the awards acclaim she's started to receive, I'm glad people are at least appreciative of her for turning in a fine performance, and I hope to see this influence wider recognition for Asian actors in the industry. 

Oh yeah, and Kristen Wiig is in this, but you probably will forget about her two-dimensional vanilla character halfway through the movie. Some may consider this a slight spoiler, but it's in the trailers and I don't think you should waste your time actually watching this mess, so I'm going to proceed as if it's not. Wiig's character, Aubrey, decides not to shrink down with Paul and the two divorce. There's never really any prior inclination that Aubrey was hesitant of proceeding because the film hardly spends any time with her. She's just kind of there with little to do or say. 

Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern also have a BRIEF cameo for whatever reason that honestly could have been done by any actor and actress. I'm not really sure why Harris and Dern were cast, other than potentially for the purposes of bolstering the film's star power, but good luck remembering that they even swung by when it's all over. 

In case you weren't able to tell already, you probably should shrink your expectations for this one. The premise was promising, but Downsizing just couldn't measure up to its enormous potential. 

Film Assessment: D

'The Legend of Tarzan' Review

I apologize that this review has been significantly delayed as I actually just got around to seeing The Legend of Tarzan thanks to some unforeseen complications and a busy schedule.

'The Legend of Tarzan' Review

The Legend of Tarzan picks up a decade after the classic tale of Tarzan written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (not to be confused with Disney's animated adaptation Tarzan as this film is in no way correlated to Disney's version since The Legend of Tarzan is a Warner Bros. production) where we find that Tarzan has adopted his official monicker of John Clayton III and grown accustomed to a lavish life in London. Tarzan must return to his true home to thwart imperial schemes threatening all life in the African Congo and that's where the adventure begins. 

One thing that I think should be made expressly clear in this review is that The Legend of Tarzan is in no way, shape or form a retelling of Tarzan's origin, although there are some flashbacks intermitted that flesh out the backstory for this specific adaptation. However, I found myself wishing that the film did retell Tarzan's origin because I'd love to see a modern live-action take on it and especially with the talented cast amassed for the flick. **Psst** Disney, please make a live-action adaptation of the animated film and use the technology showcased in The Jungle Book because that would be terrific. Although with Disney's crowded slate of films, I'm not sure when a live-action Tarzan could feasibly happen. 

David Yates, director of all Harry Potter films post-Goblet of Fire and even the upcoming spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, takes charge of The Legend of Tarzan and I must admit his direction and the other technical elements are a mixed bag, soaring in their heights and drowning in a sea of boring bleakness in their lowest points.

Yates tries one of the latest Hollywood tropes by bringing about a dreary reimagining of a classic character (ala Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). I'm not knocking Yates' abilities as a director but rather commenting that he doesn't have a distinctive voice.

As for the cinematography, Yates and cinematographer Henry Braham in many instances captured gorgeous imagery of the lush African jungle shrouded by mist and natural light while also bringing some sloppy camera work, reminiscent of The Hunger Games, and the remaining portions of the film are lit in a grim grayscale that evokes a darker tone for the film reflected in the grittier more mature narrative and the grounded fight choreography. 

The visual effects seem a bit mediocre in comparison to this year's The Jungle Book and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, films reliant on computer generated animals that look exceptionally real in comparison to the gorillas here. 

The screenplay is penned by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer, and unfortunately neither saw it fitting to to explore the character of Tarzan or any character for that matter. The story's convoluted, the dialogue is cheesy, and the entire thing lacks energy (something a movie about a man swinging through the jungle hooping and hollering desperately needs). 

The only charisma to be found in the flick comes from Samuel L. Jackson's George Washington Williams. The remaining cast members all give quality performances but aren't granted exciting material to work with. 

Alexander Skarsgård brings the sheer impressive physicality of Tarzan, going the extra mile by even ensuring he has posture of a man raised by apes, and a more intellectual mind now that he's become the civilized Brit John Clayton III but doesn't get to do much beyond that with such a shallow lead role. He does provide a terrific trademark Tarzan yell, works well in action sequences, and sure can swing around. 

Margot Robbie has proven herself to be quite the actress hitting the nail of role after role straight on the head, I can't wait to see her kick butt as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, and this film is no exception. Margot Robbie makes for a more capable Jane Porter, who although characterized as a damsel can certainly fend for herself if need be. Robbie like her other costars isn't given much to work with, but does the best she can with the lackluster material provided. 

Samuel L. Jackson steals the show as the charming George Washington Williams, a real historic figure, bringing fun and levity to the proceedings. Jackson seems to be the only actor enjoying himself and was certainly the only one with a smile on his face for the entire runtime (I'm not qualifying any mischievous grins from Christoph Waltz). 

Christoph Waltz's villainous role as Captain Leon Rom is all too reminiscent of his roles in Inglorious Basterds and Spectre, a refined wacko in charge of some malicious organization, but he's done it better in those films. I seriously hope that Waltz isn't headed in the direction of Johnny Depp where he will play a single caricature in upcoming films because I'd prefer to see something new from Waltz, and it's not to be found in The Legend of Tarzan. 

Poor Djimon Hounsou is given another relatively small antagonistic role in yet another big budget franchise, similar in size to his roles in Furious 7 and Guardians of the Galaxy. Hounsou is great as Chief Mbongo, but is used in such a small capacity it may have been a better idea to just leave his character out of the story altogether.

With all that being said, there are some aspects that saved the film for me. For one, the third act finale is epic and full of grandeur adventure as Tarzan leads a wildebeest charge. Up to this point, I had found most of the first and second acts be sluggish and boring at times as it was very uneventful and a tad uninteresting till the characters reached Africa, and even then I didn't ever feel the raw energy that should be emulated from a Tarzan movie till the third act. Another saving grace was the score composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams. Greyson-Williams' score fit perfectly with ongoing events and when the action got going, African drums crescendoed instilling a more adventurous undercurrent, but unfortunately this daring fun tone wasn't carried forth into the entire film. Just another thing The Jungle Book did right.

The Legend of Tarzan is worth watching at some point and maybe when the film swings onto home media release will be a prime rental, but is just a so-so Tarzan movie that's too dark and gritty for it's own good.

Film Assessment: C+

'Spectre' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Song "Writing's On The Wall"(written by Sam Smith and James Napier).
Won: Best Original Song "Writing's On The Wall"(written by Sam Smith and James Napier).

Spectre is the newest Bond flick and possibly the last one that will star Daniel Craig and if it is indeed the last one with him as the infamous gentleman spy it was a very satisfying conclusion to the Daniel Craig 007 films that goes full circle. I went to go see the film last night at a early premiere showing for the film after watching all of the previous Daniel Craig led Bond flicks these past three weeks in preparation for the film and must say I quite enjoyed it. The film hits the ground running as per usual in these latest 007 films with an incredible Day Of the Dead action sequence. This sequence incorporated so many great elements and wrapped them all together for a phenomenal action scene. The costume and production design in this sequence as well as the entire film really cooperated in establishing location and looked incredible onscreen for all the exotic locations. The film's score also is quite effective in servicing the film adding to the experience, especially in the opening Day of the Dead scene. The opening Day of the Dead sequence was then accompanied by a wonderful opening credit scene that featured and really visualized  Sam Smith's contribution "The Writing on the Wall" perfectly.  The action was top notch from beginning to the end of the Day of the Dead sequence from Bond running on rooftops to an intense chase to an insane chopper battle above the celebratory parade. The action also doesn't let up for the remainder of the film with a car chase in Rome, an epic battle down the Austrian mountainside, and a visceral hand to hand combat fight with Mr. Hinx onboard a train. The only action sequence I found slightly underwhelming was the anticlimactic final fight. Spectre was a visual delight though as the car chase in Rome was gorgeous thanks to some awe-inspiring cinematography. The film also sports some of the best performances of the recent 007 films. Daniel Craig with this film provides his best take at the iconic gentlemen spy cementing his place as one of the best James Bond's to grace the screen. Lea Seydoux made for a great Bond girl as she not only did well in regards to acting but action as well. She made for a nontraditional Bond girl in that sense and differentiated from the rest since she is here to stay as opposed to the usual one offs. Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny each have slightly increased roles and really add to the film in their terrific supporting performances.  In regards to the film's villains, Dave Bautista makes a serviceable, menacing henchman as Mr. Hinx but one glaring problem with this role for me was that he came across also to be a brutal thoughtless henchman. I felt like Bautista was very underused as unfortunately he literally had one lie of dialogue and could have been better portrayed had he not come across as a meathead henchman. On the other side of that coin, Christoph Waltz's performance as a cold, calculating megalomaniac Franz Oberhauser. I thought Waltz was perfectly cast and made for a great villain although he had much less screen time than I anticipated. I did like that his reveal was saved for the middle of the film and the character was shrouded in mystery and intrigue until that point. I will say however that I felt Javier Bardem made for a much more interesting villain in Skyfall.  Unfortunately despite all of the impressive qualities of Spectre there is a blaring weakness of the film. It's narrative that seemed eerily familiar to two recent films, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation with a very similar basic plot that incorporates elements that are explored in both films. The story for Spectre wasn't "bad" it just didn't really feel very original. However I did like that the film's narrative brought all of these Daniel Craig Bond films full circle back to Casino Royale where it all began.  To sum it up, Spectre is a love letter to the classic Bond flicks incorporating elements from them in a modern context and setting that is visually delightful, contains top notch action, a rousing score, and exceptional performances. I have reviews on all three of the Daniel Craig led Bond flicks if you'd like to read them the hyperlinks are as follows: Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, and Skyfall.

Film Assessment: A-