"Red One"

Has there been any movie that has a bigger gap of opinions between professional film critics and the general public?  

I first saw “Red One” at a press screening nearly two weeks ago.  Coming off “Heretic” and “Here” reviews, and onto “Wicked,” I ended up sitting this one out earlier, even though I was tempted to write a review.  Then I've noticed that, while critics regard this as a lump of coal, the audience rave about it.  And I feel like I've had to say something anyway... I'm firmly on the fan camp.  

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“Red One” has never tried to be more than what is – a fun, brainless holiday movie.  Even the bonkers of a trailer shows it all.  What the trailer doesn't show is that the movie is packed with even more special effects, has a pretty cohesive story overall, and dare I say, a sweet message.  Yes, it's obviously a cash grab aiming for more than stocking stuffers - overstuffed with CGI creatures, loud and bloated, over-the-top wacky and sappy, but that's what makes it brainless fun.  

Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson, “Jungle Cruise”) is commander of the ELF (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification), a Secret Service-type of agency headquartered in the North Pole, where Santa Claus (St. Nick, J.K. Simmons) is based in.  After guarding Santa for hundreds of years, and seeing people's bad behavior, Callum has become really jaded.  It's too many people on the naughty list than the nice list.  He's told Nick that, after this Christmas, he's done and will be retiring.  

On Christmas Eve, Santa is suddenly missing.  Since Santa has been kidnapped, MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority), the organization that monitors mythical creatures is now involved.  Zoe (Lucy Liu), the head of MORA, and Callum, are determined to find Santa in time.  

Not only for Santa's safety, the last thing Zoe wants to do is to have to explain to kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents, parents and children all of the world why their Christmas is ruined and there are no gifts under their collective trees.  There is no substitute for Nick; it's his wise and compassionate spirit that makes him the one and only Santa Claus.  

Imagine a sophisticated secret society like Wakanda (“Black Panther”).  With its super high tech secretive operations, Callum and his team, with the help of captured hacker Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans, “Captain America” series, “The Avengers” series), are eventually able to track down the kidnapping to the White Witch (Gryla, Kieran Shipka).  

A complete Christmas skeptic Jack's mouth-gaping reactions of the eye-popping E.L.F. and MORA, and the North Pole – all turn out to be real – are made for laughs.  Along with his ex-wife, Chris tries to co-parent his young son, Dylan (Wesley Kimmel), although he's more of an absentee parent.  Suffice to say, Chris is on Santa's naughty list.

The folklore here dives into Santa's background and his estranged relationship with Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), his devil-like, horned brother, as well as Gryla.  Krampus and the White Witch want to punish misbehaved adults and kids alike... permanently.  

Considering that the bar is very low for the definition of misbehaving, that would be the majority of the world's population.  To Callum's and Jack's chagrin, they must work together and beat the Christmas clock to prevent mass imprisonment.  

When Chris hopelessly finds himself and his son trapped at the hands of the White Witch, he realizes that he can still makes a choice to be good and breaks free, in more ways than one.  The morale of the story is, regardless of which situation you are in, you can still make conscious choices.  The nice impact is not lost on Callum, and in turn, he realizes his purpose again. 

For a movie that doesn't take itself seriously, Christmas is a serious business here.  The Marvel-ized action is laden with neat special effects.  It goes beyond murderous snowmen.  The chase scenes through enclosed glass slide, snowmobile, drone and jet in a wintry night are off the rail.  Most memorable goes to the sleigh ride pulled by flying reindeers with illuminated antlers speeding off a suspended runway into the night skies.  

With a twist on the mythology, "Red One's" action-and-gadget packed, comedic Mission Impossible-style Santa movie will put you in an early holiday cheer.  And if the child in you ever wonder how Santa can drop off gifts to billions of people around the world at precise places and moments in one night, you'll be in for a fantastical holiday treat!

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"Wicked"

From 11/17/2024 press screening:

“Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”

The movie opens with a musical celebration, but is not for the reason you may think.  Oz is awash in pastels and sweeping vistas of the yellow brick road, rainbow field of tulips, colorful village with wildflower-adorned thatch huts.  The villagers are mesmerized by the arrival of Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande).  Holding a magic wand inside a floating bubble, Glinda tells them about the fate of the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo).  

Then Glinda's memory flashes back, revealing the untold story between her, formerly named Galinda, and the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, when they were students at the Schiz University.  The palatial school has elegant stone columns with cascading flowers and chic canals, bordered by sea cliffs, verdant forest and golden meadow.  

The eldest daughter of the governor, Elphaba was born with a green skin and extraordinary powers.  Rejected by her parents from birth, she grows up as an outcast.  While her parents end up having a normal-looking, younger daughter in a wheelchair, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), the familial relationship doesn't get better due to an even more tragic reason.  

While pretty, popular and pink-preoccupied Galinda instantly becomes the most popular among her peers on the first day of school, predictably, that day, and the days after, aren't going well for misunderstood Elphaba.  Growing up the way she did, Elphaba seems to be used to the unfavorable, unwanted attention though.  While there's simmering umbrage, surprisingly, she looks relatively comfortable and confident in her own green skin.  

When Elphaba causes an incident with her mysterious ability, she attracts the attention of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, “Crazy Rich Asians”), the magical arts professor.  Morrible is very impressed by Elphaba and takes her under her wing.  

While Elphaba thinks of her quirk as something to suppress or hide, Morrible recognizes her super talent and believes that if Elphaba could learn to harness her emotions the right way, she could channel her powers for good.  Coincidentally, Galinda, not only aspiring to be perennially popular, aims to learn sorcery and get tutored by Morrible.  

Due to a comedy of errors, Galinda and Elphaba become an accidental roommate.  Talk about opposite sides.  Frilly frocks and flamboyant versus utilitarian and substance.  The entrance of Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) as a love interest complicates the relationships. A musical number in the library atop books and tables, and along rotating ladders inside a giant clock-like wall space, is a standout.  

Things come to a head when even Galinda realizes she went too far and witnesses the painful influence of her action, and everyone's whispering and laughing at Elphaba.  Elphaba is human and feels hurt.  Thankfully, this is a turning point of their relationship, which begins to shift toward friendship.  The vocal-and dance performance that follows is emotional and impactful.  

Grande adds dimensions into her bubbly role, fluctuating from shallow and self-absorbed to supportive, conflicted and tempted by power.  Erivo is a powerhouse, conveying a deep range of emotions both subtly and powerfully.  

When Elphaba receives a solo invite from the Wizard of Oz to meet him, she invites Galinda to hop onboard the retrofuturistic train to Emerald City with her.  

Ensconced in the gleaming green palace, the Wizard is worshipped by all citizens for his purported powers.  Even though he turns out to be a man (Jeff Goldblum, “Jurassic World Dominion”), it seems that he fulfills the prophecy as the all-mighty who enters the skies in a hot air balloon and falls into the land of Oz.  

When The Wizard wants to grant Elphaba's  her true desire, Elphaba discovers that something has... changed within her.  Something deeper inside of her and it's not for the chance to be normal.  She wants the Wizard to help her find what's going on with with animals losing their voices and ability to talk, and gone missing at school and in town.  

When the truth comes out, Elphaba and Galinda are faced with impossibly tough choices.  At perilous crossroad, their friendship is tested beyond limit, and the choices they make will change their lives and the people around them forever.  

Power-propelled propaganda corrupts and controls people.  It's scary to see how easily people can be manipulated en masse with a twist of the narrative.  

This is a story about an outsider trusting her instinct and coming into her own power, charting her path to do the right thing, even when the odds are not in her favor.  The penultimate scenes are visually spellbinding, with powerful poses and flying freely across the skies at sunset.  Defying gravity, it ends with a chillingly empowering ending.  

The movie has a lavish production, powerhouse acting, great musical numbers, feast of visuals, striking vocals and sound.  It's a regal Broadway show on a silver screen.  If part 2 is anything like part 1, it will be worth the wait.  

Evoking fantasy and wonder grander in scale than the "Oz: The Great and Powerful"), “Wicked” is wickedly wondrous.  

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Movie Reaction: "Red One"

Action-packed, gadget-filled, comedic "Mission Impossible" style Santa story with a twist on the mythology that will put you in early holiday cheers.  Over the top and overstuffed, but it's wacky fun.  It reminds you to make conscious choices and believes in the magic of Christmas.   

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"Here"

If walls could talk...

Director Robert Zemeckis (“The Walk,” “Polar Express”), known for his penchant for experimenting with technological advances, reunites Tom Hanks (“Saving Mr. Banks,” “Captain Phillips”) with Robin Wright, 30 years after they starred in “Forrest Gump.”  

In “Here,” they are de-aged down to more than 40 years with remarkable believability, although it's clearly not perfect and noticeable in some aspects.  The de-aging technology, combined with the fixed camera angle framing the spot, which eventually turns into a window-facing living room, as well as vignette storytelling style, results in a unique film.  It also appeals as a family movie or something to watch together during the holiday season.

“Here” begins all the way back in time, zooming in on the exact same spot where the eventual living room would exist – when dinosaurs roam free on Earth, meteor strikes, ice age, greening of the planet, and human civilization.  

The story is told in numerous vignettes non-linearly, going back and forth between pre-colonial, colonial, jazz era, war periods, early and mid 20th century, and the current 21st century.  The view seen from the same window turns from the lush forest into the house across, people, street, horse-drawn carriages, steam engine cars and modern vehicles.  

Multiple couples and families occupy the house, and the story flashes back and forth, although the Young families, starting in the 1940s and all the way through the present time, are the focus of the film.  Al (Paul Bettany, “Transcendence,” “The Avengers” series) and Rose (Kelly Reilly) first make the house their home.  Al is dealing with the aftermath as a soldier returning from war.  Rose, being a woman of that era, is the dutiful housewife and mother, with no other option.  

Richard (Tom Hanks) is the Young's son and Margaret (Robin Wright) is his girlfriend.  Richard has a passion for painting and Margaret aspires to be a lawyer.  Their dreams come crashing down when Margaret becomes pregnant at 18.  Richard has to earn a living and turns into sales and Margaret becomes a housewife. 

When Violet, their daughter, is born, the multi-generational families continue to live in the same house due to financial reasons, even as Margaret really wants to move out and have a place of their own.  Through time, they get older and realize that the lives they build together are no longer what they want.  They discover themselves, grow, drift apart, although they still love each other.  

The way the movie is filmed makes it like a stage play.  Contrivance is inevitable with the one-room setting, and sometimes scenes are cut and fade away before an emotional element truly makes an impact.  The sheer number of characters doesn't allow us to get to know most of them.  Understandably, the film has its critics.  It might have been better if the stories were told linearly, still, it's easy to follow the Young families and feel invested in their lives.  A throughline from the earliest native American couple makes a sentimental surprise.

The film touches on patriarchy, slavery, war, sexism, women's agency and independence, racism, and the pandemic.  Life events happen and evolve through multiple families over a 100-year period in the house.  House search, coupling up, domestic bliss, pregnancy, wedding, birth, kids, career, aging, illness, death, funeral service, reunion, celebrations and holidays.  Happiness, heartbreak, tears, struggles, success, fights, loss, grief, love, laughter and joy are seen or heard from the same vantage point.  Right here, these same walls witness so much history and significance.  

Through centuries and generations, “Here” is a full circle of life, filled with moments, milestones and memories.

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"Heretic"

From 10/30/2024 press screening:

“Question everything.”  

Why do you believe what you believe?  Have you ever considered that maybe it’s because of how you’re raised and told all your life?  

Two young missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), are doing what they are supposed to be doing, proselytizing, spreading the word about the teachings of their church in their community.  On one fateful day, they knock on an older gentleman’s door, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant; “Wonka”).  

Mr. Reed has expressed interest in learning more about the religion and he invited the Sisters into his home.  The Sisters have taken precautions before entering the older man’s abode – they have provided the church a list of people they will be visiting, they walk in a pair, and also have asked for a woman’s presence in the home.  

Affable and warm, Mr. Reed says that his wife is inside making a blueberry pie, in which the homemade cooking could be smelled from outside.  The day turns blustery and the Sisters decide it’s safe enough to come in.  Never would have they predicted that it might be the last time they would be able to see the light of the day. 

After initial pleasantries, the Sisters learn that Mr. Reed is a voracious reader and highly educated in the history of religions.  While very impressed, they have noticed that it’s taking a while for his wife to come out with the promised blueberry pie.  Not only that, some of the lights flicker off.  Meanwhile, the blustery day outside turns into one blizzard of a night. 

The Sisters try to fake polite excuses to leave, but begin to panic inside when they find the entrance door knob is either stuck or locked.  They realize their predicament when they are told that the front door has a timer and cannot be opened until the next morning. 

Panic turns into fear and terror, in a suspenseful ambiance of dimmed lights, dark hallways, rickety doors, and layers of rooms in a labyrinth of a house with a play on darkness and shadow.  Each time a door is opened, you don’t know what’s behind it and what it may lead to, heightening the fear of the unknown.  The Sisters’ faith is tested to the limit and their survival may depend on whether they can outwit and outlast the twisted trap.  Plans and prayers may not save them from falling prey to predator Mr. Reed.    

It’s a game where each party knows what the other party means, while pretending and presenting a façade of innocence to get what they want most.  Continuous dialogue and debate on myth, history, faith, spirituality, religion, prayer, higher power, savior, resurrection and afterlife, with the Sisters trying to figure out how to escape the death trap set by a maniacal and diabolical evil.  Surprisingly, the Sisters are not as naïve as they appear to be.  Slight movements are noticed and words are interpreted in different ways, challenged and turned around.  Everything is articulately delivered and phenomenally acted all around.  

You don’t need to be spiritual or religious to be taken along for the sinister and scary ride, and believe it or not, humorous from time to time.  The film answers the question of what the one true religion is, considering there are numerous religions in the world and iterations over centuries.  It's refreshing to see a story with originality and creativity that not only makes you tense, squirm, uneasy and queasy, but also laugh at the same time.  

An argument about the human existence and way of life – why we believe the way we do and how our beliefs influence how we live our lives – unfolding with equal sense of dread, horror and humor.  As a psychological horror thriller, “Heretic” is a thought-provoking, bone-chilling, diverting and divisive duel of ideas.  

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