Multiplex Madnees
Meg 2: The Trench
⭐⭐
Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction
Director: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cia, Cliff Curtis, Skyler Samuels, Page Kennedy, Sergio Persis-Mencheta, Sienna Guillory
I love The Meg. I went into that movie five years ago with zero expectations except maybe I'd get to see Jason Statham save the day by roundhouse kicking a giant shark in its goddamn face. I came out thoroughly entertained by a stupidly fun creature feature. I say mostly to contextualize just exactly what I went into this particular movie feeling about it, as opposed to the dismissal attitude you'd probably see from most critics
Based on the second novel in Steve Alten's ridiculously long-running book series (I didn't know you could have ten stories to tell about a giant shark but someone found a way), this sequel sees Jason Statham leading a routine expedition down to the trench that houses long-thought extinct aquatic species (including Megalodons), only to be trapped by internal sabotage and forced to traverse the trench by foot to escape back to the surface. I think anybody who enjoyed the first Meg will enjoy the second through its very primal creature feature thrills, though in scrutinizing the details it's a more lackluster blockbuster than the first. The original had greater pace, leaner presentation, and laser focus, while The Trench is more chaotic and clunky. The film is a Saturday morning cartoon in both good and bad ways, including cackling Captain Planet villains whose master plan is 1. Blow up the trench, 2. Murder people, 3. ?????, 4. Profit. Sienna Guillory, in particular, is going full Parker Poesy in her limited role, becoming one of those characters who doesn't care about the environment because it's in the way of her making money. Meanwhile, setpieces can grow to be uneven, as the trench scenes feature the cast in large, clunky suits that make it difficult to tell who is doing what and the climactic beach scene feels like the climax of the first again, just with a few more creatures thrown in. Noted horror director Ben Wheatley (who also directed one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, Deep Breath) takes the reins from National Treasure's Jon Turteltaub for this installment, and it feels like he wants to go full Piranha 3D for the film's climax but is forced to scale back for the sake of a PG-13 rating. There is some thrills and laughs throughout, making it an easy recommendation to those who enjoy the full Megalodon movie monster experience. How appealing its brand of nonsense is beyond that might prove to be limited.
Shortcomings
⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director: Randall Park
Starring: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki
Based on a graphic novel, Shortcomings tells a story about a dickbag film enthusiast (you know, like we all are) who "takes a break" from his relationship and tests the waters with other women types that he is attracted to, while also being morally guided by his brash lesbian best friend. If Shortcomings has a shortcoming of its own, it would be that it tends to be a little on-the-nose with its name-dropping pop culture references, which sometimes feel clunky and unneeded to the point where they take you out of the movie (Jacob Batalon only seems to be in this movie to drop a reference to the Spider-Man movies, where he plays Ned). Shortcomings doesn't rely on this, to its credit, as it only keeps them as quaint little moments for simple laughs. The romcom elements are mostly isolated from them, wishing to be a commentary on quite a few thing, including a somewhat complicated culture behind interracial relationships, exploring the "type" and a line between fetish and love and being mature enough to tell the difference between what you want and what you need, while overall working with the idea that overanalyzing it leads to chaos and you should just love who you love (I think the film might be paralleling this to film critique, but it never sticks the landing on this). The film is a predominantly Asian cast, and its male lead has a thing for white girls, which his Asian girlfriend does take note of, so as they go their separate ways he gravitates toward his "type." From here it's a "grass is always greener" scenario as what he desires changes the more he experiences, to the point where he, predictably, wants his girlfriend back and the complications that stem from that. The film starts with his critique of the film Crazy Rich Asians, which he dismisses as a plain romcom that was only celebrated for its diversity, completely removing himself from what a mass takeaway from the film might be and resenting that someone might actually enjoy it while dismissing any view other than his own (which is sadly a very honest portrayal of who most film students try to be). That lack of outside consideration pretty much defines his character. What follows is the movie doing its own version of the romcom with a central protagonist who is a complete douche, dismisses the fact that he is a douche, and spends the film coming to terms with the fact that maybe his life is becoming a mess because he is a douche. Shortcomings shines in this corner, because the arguments and outcomes feel both real and deserved. The movie is also really funny, directed with great comedic punch by comedian Randall Park in his directorial debut. Indie comedy nerds will want to jump on this one, because it is probably one of the funniest they'll see this year. Other than Joy Ride, it's probably the hardest I've laughed all year.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Comedy, Science Fiction, Action, Superhero
Director: Jeff Rowe
Starring: Micah Abby, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Maya Rudolph, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, John Cena, Rose Byrne, Giancarlo Esposito
The latest incarnation of the indie comic turned pop culture phenomenon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is probably the best movie based on the property to date (depending on one's nostalgic love for the 90's film). This version sees the Turtles as young teenagers living in the sewers dreaming of living a life as normal teenagers, but fearing that mankind will not accept them. They meet a high school girl named April O'Neil who accepts them for who they are, and also leads them down a rabbit hole of a criminal mutant named Superfly, who plans to mutate every animal on the planet and dominate the planet. The film has a distinct tone to it, presented like an indie coming-of-age comedy and animated in a unique street graffiti style that suits the Turtles quite well. The film sometimes stumbles because it becomes more about its vibe than its plot, and often random occurrences happen that the movie just kinda goes with because it's living in itself. There are brief moments where the film shows glimpses of greatness, but sometimes it seems too stoned on itself to follow through. A refined version of this could be quite spectacular, and I look forward to seeing what the future of the Turtles looks like based on this film. It gets so much right, right down to its moral that it's okay to be a freak, just try not to be a dick, bruh. If there is any message that sums up the Turtles, it's that one.
Theater Camp
⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Comedy
Director: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman
Starring: Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Ben Platt, Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele, Caroline Aaron, Amy Sedaris
Theater Camp has been out for a few weeks now, but brutal overtime hours at work have forced me to cut corners over the last few entries. I finally got to check it out this week, and I'm glad I did. This cute little mockumentary is about a summer camp for theater kids who find that the camp's founder has been put into a coma by a snafu during a production of Bye Bye Birdie. The kids and teachers scramble to put on a performance dramatization of her life while her vlogging, man-child son tries to prevent the camp from being closed down. Theater Camp is a love letter for theater community people made by people who hold both its positive and silliest aspects near-and-dear to their hearts. Anybody who grew up around the playful environments like this and the colorful characters that inhabit them will recognize so much in this movie. Sometimes it feels so specific that it might feel boxed in by it, lacking general appeal, but the film is probably funny enough to stand on its feet with non-theater goers as just a humorous ninety minutes. It will probably play best with those who enjoy mockumentary style comedies, like The Office, more than a casual comedy audience. But those of us who are familiar with what Theater Camp portrays, we do assure that this movie hits its target.
Oppenheimer ⭐⭐⭐
Talk to Me ⭐⭐⭐⭐
New To Digital
New To Physical
Coming Soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment