'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+

'Knives Out' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Screenplay.

Synopsis: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Runtime: 130 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material)

Who should see it? Fans of whodunnits and murder mysteries.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out is an ode to the work of Agatha Christie set amidst today's contentious political climate. A Thanksgiving release is quite fitting considering the volatile nature of family get-togethers, so once you finish scarfing down turkey this Thursday, visit your local multiplex to solve a uniquely entertaining murder mystery. Knives Out offers all the fun of Clue without the insufferable board-game bickering. 

Johnson kicks things off by thrusting viewers straight into the scene of the crime. He then efficiently characterizes the members of the Thrombey family while establishing each of their potential motives through a series of police interviews seamlessly strung together by editor Bob Ducsay. The board has been set with an audience understanding of the prime suspects, and we're only fifteen minutes in. An elaborate unwinding of truth and justice follows closely behind. In the search for a killer, Johnson deceptively tinkers with the truth. When the family members lie, he ensures the audience remains sure of the facts rather than steering them away to elude suspicion. However, there's undoubtedly a sleight of hand at play behind the camera as Johnson shifts your focus from figuring out whodunnit to more pressing matters. 

As a result, the narrative of Knives Out is wildly unpredictable since each twist changes the course of the story and, by extension, the mystery. On second viewing, I noticed that Johnson drops clues without calling direct attention to them. The hints may be disguised as an innocent joke or irrelevant happenstance, but, as any detective knows, every detail matters. Contributions from Johnson's frequent collaborators further fortify his efforts in the form of Steve Yedlin's stately cinematography and an engrossing score composed by Rian's cousin Nathan Johnson. Not to mention, superb work from production designer David Crank, as the Thrombey mansion provides an intricate, embellished setting for the sleuthing shenanigans. At the center of it all, Johnson's sharp screenplay leads audiences down a winding path of absurdity, animosity, and intrigue that amounts to one of the year's most entertaining moviegoing experiences. 

Heading the star-studded cast, Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig are the two breakthrough performers. De Armas continues to impress while Craig's clearly having the time of his life as renowned detective Benoit Blanc, hamming things up with his Southern drawl and kooky disposition. The shared moments between their characters tend to be among the film's best, though the eccentric personalities in the Thrombey family give them a run for their money. 

Comprised of veteran actors and up-and-comers, the A-list ensemble assuredly inhabits their roles of entitled A-holes and make the most of every morsel Johnson sends their way. This includes the likes of Christopher Plummer, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Jaeden Martell, and Katherine Langford, who each relish in the Thrombey family's argumentative nature and distinct attributes. On the other side of the investigation, LaKeith Stanfield and Nathan Segan portray an amusing pair of police officers dead set on closing this peculiar case. 

Gripping murder mysteries don't reveal themselves too often, but Knives Out is guilty as charged. To no surprise, Rian Johnson's dunnit again! One can only hope it's successful enough to warrant further exploits with Detective Blanc.

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'

Sorry for the slight delay, but I prioritized an early review of Tomb Raider last week before even stopping to watch Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Anyways, I'm reviewing Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to coincide with last weekend's release of the 2018 incarnation. If you're wondering what happened with the previous week's Throwback Thurday, I was originally going to review A Wrinkle in Time (2004) till I found out it was a four hour eleven minute TV movie... I read the novel in seventh grade and can recall watching the TV movie in class, but I'd rather not spend four hours watching something I already know I dislike just to turn around and spend another few hours writing about it... Now that that's all cleared up, you can expect to see the following reviews through the remainder of March. This includes Throwback Thursday Reviews of Pacific Rim, and Jurassic Park, new reviews of Pacific Rim: Uprising, Isle of Dogs, and Ready Player One.

'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' Review

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider accompanies the adept adventurer Lara Croft as she races across the globe to save the world by keeping ancient artifacts out of the wrong hands. There's not really much of a plot beyond that simple set-up though, as Croft merely globe trotted from ancient ruin to ancient ruin for little else than an over-the-top action sequence.

For whatever reason, I've found it incredibly difficult to write about this movie (hence why this review's a week late). What could I possibly have to say about this that hasn't already been said? It's an adaptation that accurately reflects the silly escapades lead by an accomplished femme fatale found in the the Tomb Raider video game series from the '90s. Director Simon West clearly wasn't interested in deviating from the source material much at all, as the film adaptation hardly explores anything else. Instead, viewers are offered an exploitation of Angelina Jolie's sex appeal which was meant to disguise a faulty action flick. Did that work? Not really. I was entirely unengaged when Lara wasn't wrapped up in some silly situation. When something did catch my attention, I was still uninvested in the story at hand.

The film's enjoyable in the sense that everything you watch unfold is so preposterous that you can't help but smile amidst it all. The script is composed of an outlandish story strung together by John Zinman, Patrick Massett, and Michael Colleary, a silly screenplay full of corny dialogue penned by Mike Were and Sara B. Cooper, while West himself is credited by the Writers Guild for the adaptation itself. The action sequences don't fair much better either, as it's all spectacle for the sake of  including spectacle. As an viewer, I could have cared less whether Lara emerged triumphant over the stone monkeys or not. And on that note, the CGI is ridiculously dated. Of course, that's because this came out in 2001, but I think the effects are still lacking for the time in which they were rendered.

Angelina Jolie commits to Lara Croft's over-sexualized attitude, but there's little else going on for the character. Jolie just fights varying baddies and stops every once and a while to pose like a vapid lipstick/lingerie model (there's a significant emphasis on her lips, hips, and breasts)... I suppose she succeeded at playing the sex icon the filmmakers were hoping for, but I'd hardly call that acting. I'd comment on her co-stars, but they hardly do anything in the film worth mentioning. I can at least say it was interesting to see what Daniel Craig and Iain Glen were up to seventeen years ago before they became James Bond and Jorah Mormont respectively. It's nice to know they found success elsewhere.

After watching Lara Croft: Tomb Raider for the first time on Netflix, I've only become more appreciative of this year's Tomb Raider. It's easy to understand why this film franchise's tomb was ever sealed to begin with.

Film Assessment: D

'Logan Lucky' Review

[This review was originally written in August 2017 and is now being published to coincide with the digital home media release. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Logan Lucky pits audiences out in West Virginia, where tough times have convinced Jimmy Logan to team-up with his one-armed brother, his speed-demon sister, and a detained demolitions expert in order to break into the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race and pull off the gutsiest hillbilly heist of a lifetime. 

Despite announcing his retirement from directing four years ago, Steven Soderbergh races back into feature filmmaking with Logan Lucky. Unconventionally, Soderbergh decided to independently distribute the film because he wanted to ensure his vision made it into cinemas with no studio meddling. Another quirky fun-fact is that Soderbergh likes to handle the cinematography and editing himself under false pseudonyms (Peter Andrews and Marry Ann Bernard). I bring this up not only because it's interesting and informative, but because the film's credited screenwriter is Rebecca Blunt (who has no prior credits and is believed to be another pseudonym for either Soderbergh or his wife).

Steven Soderbergh had a tricky task ahead of him in trying to balance the dramatic heist elements with the comedic sensibilities, but across the board Soderbergh ensures Logan Lucky remains entertaining and inoffensive with a jovial tone and smart screenplay. This film could have easily veered into offensive areas by ridiculing rednecks, but Rebecca Blunt paints an authentic portrayal of the America's Deep-South instead. The characters are constructed in such a way that they don't come off as caricatures since the film takes great care to put everything into proper perspective. The situations these character find themselves in are real, so the characters are relatable to-a-degree.

One especially intriguing element to Logan Lucky is how it provides viewers a general sense of the heist, but enough information is withheld so the film never reaches a point of predictability. There are moments that seemingly meander, because the audience is kept in the dark at times, but the pay-off allows for plenty of pleasant surprises along the way. Oh, and the script is surprisingly sharp with tons of zany one-liners and hysterical moments all throughout.

Channing Tatum keeps it all together in his most venerable performance yet as the genuine family man Jimmy Logan. Alongside Tatum, Adam Driver imbues Jimmy's brother Clyde with a reserved nature and Riley Keough flexes her resilience as their sister Mellie. The one actor who took me completely off-guard was Farrah Mackenzie as Jimmy's daughter, Sadie. Mackenzie demonstrates a knack for playing out the sweetness and innocence associated with children, but takes it a step further by leaving a sizable impression for every moment she's onscreen.

Daniel Craig's the one who steals the show though as the outrageously eccentric Joe Bang. I'm really only familiar with watching Daniel Craig in the recent Bond flicks, so it was loads of fun to see such a drastic departure from the straight-laced, straight-faced gentleman spy. Bang's brothers are portrayed by Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson, who are an absolute hoot as well. You'll also likely recognize much of the supporting talent sprinkled throughout the cast, but I won't ruin their inclusion here.

Steven Soderbergh's return to cinematic storytelling is immensely entertaining and easily of of the year's more unique entries. Logan Lucky doesn't totally transcend the heist genre, but it's a refreshing change of pace well-worth watching due to its fixed direction, some eccentric performances, and off-kilter humor.

Film Assessment: B+

'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-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Skyfall'

This week concludes my Daniel Craig 007 series of reviews as the is the last one before Spectre. I will be seeing Spectre tonight so expect a review up on that film soon. Next week I will begin my Hunger Games Throwback Thursday Reviews leading up to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Maybe one day I will go back and review the classic Bond flicks when my review schedule opens up.

'Skyfall' Review

Nominated For: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song "Skyfall" (written by Adele and Paul Epworth).
Won: Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song "Skyfall" (written by Adele and Paul Epworth).

Prior to beginning the 007 series of reviews this was the only James Bond movie I had ever seen, and I loved it and still do. This film jumps straight into the action with an intense chase scene with high stakes followed by Adele's beautiful song "Skyfall" with some stunning opening credit visuals. The film manages to balance dialogue and action well with very intense action scenes as well as phenomenal acting performances. Daniel Craig once again is phenomenal as James Bond perfectly captivating the essence of the suave gentleman agent. He is incredible in the role and this time around is probably his best take at the role in comparison to the two previous films. Judi Dench also goes her best performance as M in this film as she struggles to lead in these difficult times when the agency is in question. Ralph Fiennes was great in his supporting role but unfortunately wasn't given too much to do this time around although I'm sure that will change with Spectre. Naomi Harris was great as Eve Moneypenny in her action scenes as well as the character interactions, especially with Bond which contained some great humor. This film also had the best villain of the three Daniel Craig led Bond flicks with Javier Bardem playing a very twisted compelling villain who was a great equal in opposition to Bond. I loved that his character was always a step ahead and was a mental and physical force to be reckoned with who had well thought out complicated schemes that were executed well. Skyfall also allowed for a little bit of a dive into the 007 mythos as we are teased about Bond's childhood and yet learn quite a bit about the character. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the film which was quite captivating and the best of the three in my opinion. The film also had gorgeous cinematography and incredible visual effects. This film was not only a good spy flick but a terrific film as well. Overall, this is currently my favorite among the Daniel Craig Bond flicks and I'm curious to see if Spectre will be able to compete for that spot.

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Quantum Of Solace'

This week I continue my 007 series of Throwback Thursday Reviews as there is now one week until Spectre is released. If you would like to read my thoughts on Casino Royale click the following hyperlink Casino Royale. My next Throwback Thursday 007 review will be the next in the series Skyfall followed by the new 007 film Spectre which will be the final Bond flick starring Daniel Craig. After which I will go back and review The Hunger Games followed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as I haven't reviewed these two and would like to revisit them before the final film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and I have already reviewed The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part One so I will include hyperlink for in these upcoming Hunger Games reviews.

'Quantum Of Solace' Review

This film raises the bar for action as it opens with an exhilarating car chase sequence that is among the best car chase sequences I've ever seen only to be followed by incredible action scenes including a speedboat chase, a plane fight, and several hand to hand combat sequences. Unfortunately there's a little too much action as it becomes a little too action heavy for a Bond flick negating the importance of great writing. The unbalanced proportion of action to dialogue and exposition made the film a little confusing at times which was a little annoying. In doing research for my reviews I try to see the public consensus of a film and try to avoid it from affecting my writing but noticed I did agree with the general consensus of the film. Daniel Craig returns as James Bond and certainly carries the film with his performance which is mostly physical due to the action heavy aspect of the film.  Judi Dench once again returns as M and I didn't speak too much about her in my Casino Royale review because she had a smaller part in the first installment. But she probably had more dialogue than Bond himself in his film and did quite well in her role. There were female roles aside from M who like all Bond girls will probably not return as they're basically one-off characters for the series but both actresses did well in the limited screen time. The film's villain is a typical businessman with a uninteresting plan and is unfortunately not very compelling at all in regards to being the main antagonist. I found this to be quite disappointing given that Bond villains are supposed to be an interesting integral part of the story. The film's plot was unfortunately not very interesting or elaborate probably due to the focus on action and little attention to story. Quantum Of Solace is a great action film, but fails to really stand up to being considered a great Bond flick wth very little dialogue, a bland villain, and waits until the closing credits to even utilize the iconic Bond theme.

Film Assessment: D

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Casino Royale'

This is the beginning of my Throwback Thursday Reviews on the newer 007 films starring Daniel Craig maybe in the future I will go back and review some of the more classic Bond flicks as I haven't actually watched them before and would really like to watch them in the near future. The only 007 film I've watched all the way through prior to watching and reviewing this film was the most recent one, Skyfall.  I'm very excited to watch and review the rest of these James Bond films in the coming weeks. Next week I will review Quantum Of Solace and Skyfall followed by Spectre when Spectre is released.

'Casino Royale' Review

As I stated above this was the first time I had seen Casino Royale and I really enjoyed it! The action sequences and fight choreography are among the best I've seen in any spy movies and very entertaining. The film as a whole is more "Christopher Nolan-esque" where it's a darker more realistic tone. The story was very interesting with one great twists and kept me engaged for the entire 140 minutes although at times it did somewhat drag in the more dialogue heavy scenes. I really enjoy Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond and I liked seeing him be promoted to 007 status. I like that Daniel Craig does quite well in the action and maintaining his seriousness throughout the film really embodying the persona of the slick, suave gentlemen spy while injecting his own originality into this more revitalized version of the character. Casino Royale not only is a great Bond flick or a spy thriller but a very entertaining action film as well so I highly recommend you watch it if you haven't already. 

Film Assessment: B