"Justice League"

When the first “Justice League” trailer came out, it had the look and feel of the gloom and doom of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” mixed with CGI mashup and overpowering score.  To be honest, it was worrisome. Justice League has been a long time coming and it should be epic.  It's not impossible, after all, "The Avengers" was grandly satisfying.  Nothing beats the feeling of seeing all the superheroes together for the first time, however.  So the Avengers had that advantage five years ago.

Thankfully, “Justice League” is able to stand tall in the course-correcting DC Universe.  The plot is straightforward MacGuffin and it has a generic, computer-generated villain with a perfunctory exposition about his existence.  The battles are often awash in a haze of FX.  But the characters are compelling enough.  The character-driven dialogue and team chemistry save the movie.

The movie opens with a somber tone, a world without hope. That hope is gone with the death of Superman (Clark Kent; Henry Cavill, “Man of Steel” "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.") at the end of BvS, where he sacrificed his life for the world.  The first sign of trouble is shown when Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck, “Gone Girl,” "Argo") stages a scene to smoke out a parademon, a flying, fanged insect-like demon that can smell fear from afar.

That is not a lone parademon; it's part of an army led by prehistoric Steppenwolf, a horned demon.  He's after three mother boxes of mythical powers.  United, these boxes can transform Earth into a hellish planet suitable for him and his army. The boxes are now separated in three different places and safeguarded by the Amazonians, Atlanteans and men. Among all battles in this action-packed movie, the Themyscira sequence is a real spectacle.

Wonder Woman/Diana Prince recognizes the sign of invasion and comes to Bruce.  It's worth mentioning that her opening scene of rapid bullet-dodging and bomb-deflecting is nothing short of badass.  The two of them have their own issues. Bruce feels a sense of guilt by his role in the events of BvS.  He recognizes how human Superman was.  He's also a mere mortal and a couple decades of crime-fighting is taking a toll.  Diana, a demigod, could technically lead the team, but as she notes, being a leader is different, as the lives of others become your responsibility.

Bruce and Diana have the work cut out for them to form a team.  The rest of the superpowered beings live in hiding and they have to seek them out; Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher).  They have their own personalities and predicaments.

The King of the Sea plays by his own rules and could care less about joining a team, let alone following someone's lead.  Momoa has the imposing physicality and plays him coolly.  He ends up learning the amusing way what Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth does.

The Fastest Man Alive is a goofball with a nerdy energy that is off the chart.  He uses his power mostly on petty stuff, although his focus is to clear his dad's name from a false conviction and gets him out of prison. Miller will have you in stitches from his very first scene.  If you're used to Grant Gustin's pitch-perfect portrayal as the small screen counterpart on CW, Miller offers a different kind of performance that is just right for this universe.  He's naturally on point on so many laughter-inducing lines and he does this continually.

Machine-Man, on the other hand, is a tormented soul who feels burdensome by his altered form as a result of a freak accident.  He's more of an angsty kid than a brooding man though.  Little did he know that he would be an all-around pivotal player.

The super team is eventually comes together.  The dynamics surprisingly work well.  The team's chemistry lends itself to hilarious bickering and bonding.  Superman's fate is decided soon enough.  The world needs Superman by whatever means necessary.

“Justice League” is a Zack Snyder movie with Joss Whedon's touches.  It carries a more optimistic tone than other DCEU movies, “Wonder Woman” aside.  It's infinitely lighter and funnier.

It's not seamless.  They are moments that feel out-of-character (in particular, one iconic superhero) or clunky, but for the most part, the two directors managed to blend their diverging styles into an entertaining finished product, leading to promising sequels and standalone stories (“Aquaman,” “Flashpoint,” "Cyborg").  The movie has two scenes post-credit; a really fun mid-credit and then what's to come in the next installment, previewing a certain villain.

Even superheroes are greater together.  A league of its own, “Justice League” is a blast to watch.

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-justice-league/

Video: http://tinyurl.com/justiceleaguevideo
Collector Edition: http://tinyurl.com/justiceleaguecollectoredition

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"Paddington 2"

[Originally posted on 1/20/18]

"If we are kind and polite, then the world will be alright."

Paddington is back with his brand of gentleness, mischief and marmalade.  Now an integral part of the Brown family, Paddington adorably works odd-end jobs in order to save cash to buy a special gift for his aunt's 100th birthday. A hilarious mishap as a barbershop attendant doesn't stop him to improvise and eventually succeeds as a window cleaner.

The story involves an active involvement of the entire family, with the support of a transformed British neighborhood and inmates, whose lives have been touched by the lovable furry friend. An antique pop-up book robbery leads to a mistaken identity, frame-up and trial, prison break, puzzle-solving, frenetic foot-bicycle-train chase, and underwater rescue. Stay through the credits for a song-and-dance number in an unexpected place.

While it helps to see the first “Paddington,” “Paddington 2” can stand on its own.  A Bond bear with Mission Impossible misadventures, it's a sequel that is just as sweet-natured, heartwarming and exhilaratingly fun as the first. 

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-reviews-paddington-2-and-leap/

DVD: https://tinyurl.com/paddington2dvd
Video: https://tinyurl.com/paddington2video

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"Murder on the Orient Express"

Adapted from Agatha Christie's crime novel (1934), Kenneth Branagh (“Cinderella,” "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit," “Thor”) directs and stars in this plush production, “Murder at the Orient Express, as the famed detective Hercule Poirot.

After solving a case of a missing sacred relic in Jerusalem with a rabbi, a priest and an imam as the accused, as delightfully demonstrated to an astonished crowd, the detective boards a train in Istanbul to London for a break.  The Orient Express.

Aside from the crew where the train conductor (Marwan Kenzari) is most prominent, the luxury train is sparse with only 13 other passengers aboard.  The international passengers are princess (Judy Dench, “Skyfall”), maid (Olivia Coleman), count (Sergei Polunin), countess (Lucy Boynton), governess (Daisy Ridley), widow (Michelle Pfeiffer), missionary (Penelope Cruz, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”), doctor (Leslie Odom Jr.), professor (Willem Dafoe), car salesman (Manuel Garcia-Raflo), valet (Derek Jacobi), assistant (Josh Gad, “Beauty and the Beast”) and businessman (Johnny Depp, “The Tourist”). 

The three-day trip was meant to be relaxing, alas, trouble follows.   A passenger is found dead.  Murdered, as a matter of fact. To top it off, the train is derailed by an avalanche and they are all stranded.  Chill fills the air and it's not just because of the wintry weather.  It's up to the detective to solve the case, using his keen eye of observations, investigating each passenger and uncovering any motivation or connection.  Hopefully, everyone remains alive until they are rescued.  As it turns out, the passengers may not be who they say they are.

What stands out the most is not the acting, even with a starry and stylish cast.  The cinematography is the star of the movie.  It's captivating from start to finish.  The warmth and hustle and bustle of the daily life in the era permeate the opening scenes, against the backdrop of ancient stone walls, steamboats and vintage trains.  Then onto the snowy journey across moonlit mountains and sun-kissed plains, ending at sunset. Fine fashion and design are abound.  Immaculately dressed travelers, crisp linens and polished mahogany.  The movie is stunningly shot with creative angles and details and  lavishly lit.  The way the deceased is first shown to the audience is unconventionally filmed.

If you've never read the novel or seen the original film, the reveal's shock value is high.  Hercule Poirot, quite possibly the greatest detective of his time, is a man of law and order who values justice and balance.  In the end, he's forced to examine his principles.  Perhaps there's a situation where imbalance in life is necessary or that peace is more important than justice.

The dots are not always connecting clearly when they are rolling rapidly, and while suspension of disbelief is needed for this whodunnit tale, “Murder on the Orient Express” is a well-crafted, old-fashioned and modish murder mystery with a fantastic twist.

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-murder-at-the-orient-express/

Book: http://tinyurl.com/murderatorientexpressnovel

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/murderatorientexpressdvd

Video: http://tinyurl.com/murderatorientexpressvideo

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Upcoming Movies: March 2018

[Originally posted on 2/23/18]

March 2
"Red Sparrow" (https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/red-sparrow) - A ballerina is recruited to 'Sparrow School,' a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon.  Her first mission, targeting a CIA agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations.

"Death Wish" (https://www.deathwish.movie/) - A family man becomes a vigilante killing machine when his family is violently attacked by robbers.

March 9
"A Wrinkle in Time" (http://movies.disney.com/a-wrinkle-in-time) - After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send a girl, her brother and her friend to space in order to find him.

"The Hurricane Heist" - Thieves attempt a massive heist against the U.S. Treasury as a Category 5 hurricane approaches one of its Mint facilities.

March 16
"Tomb Raider" (http://www.tombraidermovie.com/) - Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.

"7 Days in Entebbe" - Inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris and the most daring rescue mission ever attempted.

March 23
"Pacific Rim Uprising" (http://www.pacificrimmovie.com/) - Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots against a new Kaiju threat.

"Sherlock Gnomes" (http://www.sherlockgnomes.com/) - Garden gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet, recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.

March 30
"Ready Player One" (http://readyplayeronemovie.com/) - When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg.

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"Thor: Ragnarok"

“Thor: Ragnarok” closes the standalone chapter of the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth, “The Avengers” series, "Rush"). Like “Thor: The Dark World,” the movie takes place almost entirely on distant planets, although it's tonally very different. Taika Waititi-directed 'Ragnarok' is overall bright and cheery.

Thor reunites with his mischievous, adversarial adopted brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and tracks down their banished father, King of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) on Earth. Here they encounter Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”) and his magical tricks.

After the death of Odin, Hela (Cate Blanchett, “Cinderella”) emerges from exile. She is the bloodthirsty sister Thor and Loki never knew, Odin's firstborn. Hela is marching back into Asgard to claim her birthright as the rightful heir of to the throne. Following the tradition of royal family drama, the revelation is the most interesting part of the story. Thor discovers that his late father wasn't always the benevolent and peaceful leader he knew and that the gleaming kingdom of Asgard has a dark history.

While Thor is mighty, Hela is mightier, as proven by what she does with the Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. Without his powerful hammer, Thor has to improvise and look within himself to show his strength when Hela unleashes hell upon Asgard. Hela's motivation is as legit as it gets as far as villain goes.

The super sibling showdown has to wait, however. First, Thor finds himself crash-landing on an artificial planet built on scraps, Sakaar, and getting captured by a scrap hauler (Tessa Thompson). Thor is hauled into the Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum) residence and forced into a bombastic gladiatorial match with a reigning champion, none other than the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, “Spotlight”). Fortunately, the scrap hauler turns out to be Valkyrie, a legendary former Asgard warrior.

Desperately wanting to get back to Asgard to save his people, Thor persuades Hulk, Valkyrie and Loki to escape from Sakaar, return to his home planet and defeat Hela. This is where the bulk of the comedy takes place. More than one-liners, their interactions are hilarious. Bruce Banner now has been in the Hulk form continuously for two years, so he has developed a more advanced level of expression and vocabulary, although still primitive by human standard.

Back at Asgard, Hela is raising an army of undead and goes on a murder spree. She declares herself queen and wants to continue with her ambition to conquer other realms. The quartet works together, and with the help from Asgard guardian, Heimdall (Idris Elba), to stop Hela and also to prevent a prophecy of Asgardian destruction, Ragnarok, from coming to fruition. In the end, the cost is way high.

The movie is brimming with comedic deliveries (including star cameos), fluid and packed action scenes bursting with candy colors. There's a “Guardian of the Galaxy” feel to it. The actors look like they're having one helluva time. There is nothing particularly memorable, unlike, say, the last installment of Captain America, 'Civil War,' but it sure is entertaining as a whole.

“Thor: Ragnarok” is a blast of rock-and-roll.

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-thor-ragnarok/

Video: http://tinyurl.com/thorragnarokvideo

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