The Secret Life of Pets

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney
Starring Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, et. al.
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated PG

Long Story Short:  The studio that brought us the Minions now brings an even more irresistible subject to the screen: pets.  Simple yet focused, The Secret Life of Pets will likely be the most entertaining film you'll see all year.  A great voice cast led by Louis C.K., Kevin Hart and Jenny Slate bring the amusing animals to life, and all you have to do is settle in for the ride.  Highly recommended.


A terrier named Max (Louis C.K.) lives a contented life with his human companion Katie (Kemper) in Manhattan.  He is heartbroken each day when she leaves him for work... but soon turns to his fellow "abandoned" pets in the same apartment building.  When Katie returns home one day with a rescue dog named Duke (Stonestreet), however, Max feels his life has been turned on its head.  The two compete for top pet status with Katie, and during a walk one day with a careless petsitter, they get lost in the scary alleys of New York.  Max and Duke are saved from a life in the pound by Snowball, a little bunny, but their savior quickly becomes their tormentor.  Meanwhile, Gidget (Slate), a Pomeranian who has gazed adoringly at Max from the apartment next door, realizes he is missing and assembles the neighborhood pets for a rescue mission.  These pampered pets must summon their collective grit and wit in order to save their pals.

Like many other recent animated films, The Secret Life of Pets is voiced by an all-star cast that adds significantly to the fun.  Hilarious comedian Louis C.K. takes a break from his subtle comedy show to take on the lead role that is about as unsubtle as you can get: a pet dog.  C.K. voices the eagerness of Max when Katie is around, but his more sober sarcasm comes out to great effect when he is hanging out with the other pets.  Max's nemesis in the film, the feral bunny Snowball, is voiced even more entertainingly by Kevin Hart.  I'm a fan of his live-action work, and he clearly got the green light here to just go for it and it works brilliantly: he bounces seamlessly from streetwise gangsta to unhinged maniac to class clown and back again.  The third of the most impressive roles, though she may not be listed at the top, is Jenny Slate's Gidget.  Employing the same fun, breaking high-pitched voice (is there a special word for this?) as in her Zootopia role, Slate turns Gidget into the film's unlikely yet fascinating heroine.  The other voice actors are fun, too, with particular shout-outs for Lake Bell as rotund kitty Chloe and Bobby Moynihan as a pug named Mel.

While not as involved as a Pixar film, The Secret Life of Pets is near flawless pure entertainment.  This film will not leave you with a lot to chew on when the lights come back on, nor powerful moments of emotion, but if it's fun you want, that's exactly what you'll get.  The overall story itself is quite simple, too, but it is filled with enough Pixar-level clever winks that it holds attention easily (or mine, anyway).  Where the film really shines is pretty obvious: its capture of the pet mindset - again, with Pixar-level detail and wit - and release of that into an animated world whose rules can be bent to put all of it into action.  The introduction is basically what you've seen in the trailers, which is a great idea: remind the audience why they came, the snapshots of pets on their own at home, laughing at those gags one more time before moving to the new stuff/main story.  From there, the story gives just enough color to the characters among the high jinks to ground the humor, give it more punch, and prevent older members of the audience from wandering attention.  The varied type of humor involved also helps, from slapstick to observational, and just a dash of the more self-aware, cultural reference stuff that can be fun but wore itself out years ago in similar films.  Finally, great editing keeps things moving along - but not too quickly - so that the pace never ebbs and it all wraps up right on time.

***

It's been a sensational year for animated films so far in 2016, and The Secret Life of Pets continues that trend.  I had high expectations going into this one, having enjoyed the trailer and loving pets in general.  It was a set up for disappointment, but in fact the film surpassed my expectations.  Secret Life has the same elements that many others - which failed - had as well: a talented cast, beautiful effects/visuals, and a great premise.  But unlike so many others, this film wisely keeps it simple and focused, not trying to play to every possible tangential market/trend out there.  For that I give the filmmakers - directors, writers, etc. - a lot of credit, and even the studio for (presumably) trusting in them.  Oh, and a final bit, like a Pixar film, Secret Life also has a short film before it: produced by the same company, it's an amusing sketch involving the Minions.  I highly recommend this to all, though fair warning to parents of young children: if you don't have any pets, you will likely face great pressure to get one.  But why resist?  Pick a dog or a cat (or both) from a rescue shelter, and you won't regret it.



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47006167

Finding Dory

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Directed by Andrew Stanton
Starring Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill
Running time: 97 minutes
Rated PG

Long Story Short:  Pixar turns to another sequel of one of their bigger hits in Finding Dory.  Focused, of course, on a different character this time, the film explores challenging themes both powerful for adults and relatable for children in a way that only Pixar can.  The adventure itself might be nothing new, but fresh, fun characters combine with the ambition and impact of the themes to make this a worthy viewing for all audiences.


Dory (DeGeneres) is a happy member of her ocean community, with friends such as Marlin (Brooks) and his son, Nemo (Rolence).  However, this cheery blue tang fish is also lonely in other ways, due to her lack of short-term memory and, relatedly, the mystery of her origin.  During a school lesson one day, Dory has flashbacks to bits of her childhood and she recalls her parents.  With just the smallest scraps of information to work with, she takes Marlin and Nemo along on a quest to find her original family.  Dory's focus propels the trio both into and out of danger in the open ocean before they manage to find the last place she saw her parents: a marine life reserve.

Dory soon finds herself separated from Marlin and Nemo but continues her search among the various areas of the reserve.  A mistrusting octopus (O'Neill) helps her along, in exchange for an item that will grant his most treasured wish.  Although the elder fish has doubts about Dory's chances of success, Marlin and Nemo still do everything they can to find her - and to help her discover the truth about her family.

Finding Dory features a lively cast of voice actors, both returning stars from Finding Nemo as well as newcomers.  Ellen DeGeneres's Dory takes the lead this time around, and both her character and voice acting provide a strong center for the film.  Dory is relentless in a sometimes tiresome yet gentle and endearing way, and she is brave yet often not mindful of risk.  Thus a balanced and intriguing hero, and DeGeneres conveys this all in a warm, deceptively simple performance.  Marlin and Nemo are essentially "along for the ride" and convey the audience's contrasting feelings about Dory: exasperation and worry, but also determination and caring.  Many of the new characters are quite interesting, starting with Ed O'Neill as Dory's helper Hank, an octopus.  He is a fairly typical crank-with-a-heart, but O'Neill is a great voice for that.  His Modern Family costar Ty Burrell joins him in a small part as a beluga whale and seemed to have great fun making echolocation howls.  Kaitlin Olson's friendly whale shark and Idris Elba's competitive sea lion round out the fun.

Finding Dory qualifies as a standard (therefore, successful) Pixar adventure, but it's the emotional theme that, even more than prior films, holds it all together.  Admittedly, I read this idea in another review before seeing the film, but Dory is a powerful Pixar representative of individuals with learning disabilities.  The film gives us flashbacks to Dory as a youngster raised by her parents, which bring on tears of bittersweet joy as easily as other Pixar films, by showing both the challenges and ultimately the love of those who may be different but are no less special.  When the action gets back to the main story, with Dory as an adult, it shows her as a unique individual with unique talents like each of her friends, rather than as someone with "problems" (which we all have) that need to be fixed.  It's not a completely new idea for this thoughtful company, but it extends Pixar's reach in this important yet too often (in the general culture) avoided area.  The adventure around this is fairly standard, but maybe that's a good thing so as to focus more on Dory and what her character represents.  That is, until things go a little nuts in the final act - but it's also a lot of fun, so it works out just fine.  As a last word, the short, unrelated animated feature that comes before every Pixar movie is quite fun, too (and also ocean-related).  The animation is stunning and adds that much more to the value of your ticket.

***

Not surprisingly, Finding Dory finds itself among the year's strongest films as Pixar films tend to do.  I wasn't sure I would see this in the theater since I don't remember Finding Nemo too well, but Dory stands by itself perfectly capably.  It's mildly disappointing to me when I hear Pixar is releasing a sequel - not because the originals aren't great, but because they're so good at generating yet more original ideas.  But the strong and important themes of Finding Dory make the character- and even story-based similarities to Nemo irrelevant.  I'm certain that audiences who have a more direct connection to Dory's themes in their own lives will discern this much more deeply and meaningfully than me, too.  No matter who you are, heed my broken-record advice:  Pixar makes the best quality films today, and Finding Dory keeps up those standards.



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47530962

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Score:  ***1/2 out of ***** (B-)

Directed by Dave Green
Starring Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, et. al.
Running time:  112 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  TMNT: Out of the Shadows continues the live-action film reboot of the beloved cartoon franchise that started with the 2014 film.  Settled in now, the sequel spends more time with the characters and boosts the humor factor.  It also has a few very fun action scenes, a crucial component in this series, but it lacks inventiveness, a good villain, and the 2014's films exhilaration.  You likely already know if this appeals to you and if so, it's worth at least a Netflix.


A year after saving New York City from the Shredder, the ninja turtles continue to watch over the city from their home in the sewers.  The Shredder's gang known as the Foot Clan attempts to free him as he is transported to a new prison and the ninja turtles race to stop them - when he suddenly disappears.  The Shredder had gained a new ally on the outside, a mad scientist named Stockman.  As the turtles try to figure out the Shredder and Stockman's plan, they encounter both new allies and new enemies, and also struggle to conceal their existence to a world not yet ready to accept them.

TMNT: Out of the Shadows has a fun cast that embraces the spirit of the cartoon in this live action sequel.  The turtles themselves are fully CGI, with distinctive designs for each turtle that makes it easy to tell them apart.  The turtles' personalities remain faithful to the cartoon and while they each occupy broadly stereotypical roles, the dialogue is typically light fun and nothing cringe-worthy.  Michelangelo and Rafael tend to get a bit more to do than Leonardo and Donatello, but it's definitely still an ensemble effort.  Megan Fox returns as April O'Neil, the turtles' first human friend and ally.  She provides a perfectly solid performance that shows her character's independence and grit more than in the first film.  Newcomer Stephen Amell is likable if unremarkable as the turtles' second ally, former cop and hockey enthusiast Casey Jones.  The other notable supporting roles are enjoyable for the humor they bring, including Tyler Perry's unhinged scientist villain, Will Arnett's returning Vern Fenwick, and a pair of numbskull criminals known as Bebop and Rocksteady (Gary Anthony Williams and Sheamus).

Out of the Shadows is an enjoyable sequel to the series' reboot from two years ago, with some improvements but still modest in its overall success.  Leaving anything heavy at the door, the Ninja Turtles films just want to have fun, something this film does well with its characters and humor, and to a lesser extent with CGI-based action.  Out of the Shadows, along with the 2014 film, takes advantage of the fun foursome of turtle characters, which is appreciated by fans of the series but also easily digestible for newer, younger audiences.  Having re-introduced them earlier, this film is able to expand on the relationships and interplay among the turtles to just the right degree.  And the turtles, assisted by some colorful supporting roles, bring a tone that is primarily light hearted, with frequent doses of appropriately juvenile humor.  The film has "serious" parts as well, but crucially never takes itself too seriously.  There are several fun action sequences in the film, particularly as the turtles attempt a prison break by Shredder, and overall they are slightly less ridiculous than the 2014 film's.  Unfortunately the main villain is quite strange yet not particularly interesting, with a disappointing climax; the fun is in the set up, not the hastily executed finale.

***

TMNT: Out of the Shadows gets a B-, just like the 2014 film: the sequel doesn't reach the action adrenaline highs of the first, but it does a better job with the turtle characters and humor.  To enjoy either of the films, though, requires that you understand the intended tone and audience, which the critics have completely ignored.  Yes, these films are produced by the dreaded Michael Bay, but unlike the over-the-top, dumb Tranformers movies, they understand that they're silly and all of their components, from the acting to the script, fit together well.  Within that framework improvements can still be made, but these are perfectly entertaining films - for the right audience.  Those most likely to enjoy them include nostalgia-prone adults who still enjoy a fun if silly action romp (*raises hand*), and pretty much any boy under 15.



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49463105

X-Men: Apocalypse

Score:  ** out of ***** (D+)

Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, et. al.
Running time: 144 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  The X-Men franchise releases its ninth film overall in Apocalypse, or the third in a rebooted series featuring McAvoy, Fassbender and Lawrence as the leads.  Despite the strength of its predecessors, Apocalypse falls flat on its face in nearly every aspect - primarily due to simply being stuffed ludicrously full of supporting characters and plots.  Not recommended for general audiences, and even franchise fans should stay home.


Ten years after the public, near-catastrophic discovery of a population of mutants, many of them strange and powerful, society still struggles to adapt.  The mutants are everywhere, from a high school where young Scott Summers alarms himself and his peers when beams of energy suddenly shoot from his open eyes, to an underground fight club in Berlin where mutants like "Angel" (who has wings and can fly) and "Devil" (who can teleport and has blue skin) are persecuted by the masses.  The entire world soon feels the return of another mutant (Isaac).  Causing tremors around the globe as he rises from an ancient Egyptian tomb, this mysterious being finds a world far different from the one he knew, and assembles a group of mutant followers including Angel and Magneto (Fassbender), whose attempt to create a quiet, anonymous life was tragically destroyed, to "correct" the human-mutant balance.

When Xavier (McAvoy) tries to locate his friend Erik, or Magneto, using his telepathic powers, the ancient mutant knows it and realizes the potential of this power.  Kidnapping Xavier, the mutant and his followers have nearly all they need to put their plan into effect.  Only a small group of Xavier's young mutant students, led by his childhood friend Raven (Lawrence), stand in their way.

X-Men: Apocalypse is led by returning stars from the previous few films, and they are joined by a slew of new faces as well.  James McAvoy as Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Erik, and Jennifer Lawrence as Raven return for their third film as the leads.  Each is still a fantastic fit for his or her role, but the nuances of their characters are swallowed up in making room for an enormous supporting cast and a web of plots.  Fassbender (the most talented) gets the most space to work in a brief part about his family, while Lawrence is almost strictly relegated to plot device and, somewhat understandably, phones it in.  Oscar Isaac, one of the best emerging actors in Hollywood, is completely wasted as the bland villain who spouts little but evil cliches; with his face and voice totally altered, this role could have been done by just about anyone.  There is a laundry list of both new and returning supporting characters, none of whom are great contributors.  I would note, though, that Peter aka Quicksilver gets a significant role here but unfortunately gets turned into a more standard role; long-time villain Stryker returns in a completely worthless side plot; and Sophie Turner has a jarring, bizarre American accent.

Apocalypse is possibly the worst film in the exceptional X-Men film franchise, falling prey to just about every hazard that threatens blockbusters at large and this franchise in particular.  Despite being nearly two and a half hours long, the film tries to squeeze in way too many characters and plots and ends up failing just about all of them.  We know putting a lot of "things" into a comic book film can be done successfully (see: Avengers), but Apocalypse serves as a perfect example of the many things that can go wrong.  The film manages to take both new and old ideas that have proven potential - from introducing young new mutants, to Xavier and CIA agent Moira's relationship, to Erik's internal struggles - and suck the life out of them by dumbing them down and or speeding through them.  Even a good villain would have had a hard time rescuing Apocalypse, but the titular character has two huge problems, too:  he brings nothing to X-Men's interesting overall ideas, only generic and wholesale destruction/"rebirth"; and his powers are so great that it robs the action of any tension and makes it seem all the more arbitrary.  The X-Men films have had some great humor but while this one tries, it fails just as it does in so many other ways.  As a cherry on top of the **** sundae, not even an encore slo-mo scene from Quicksilver delivers as well as it should have.

***

Up to this point, I had been impressed by the quality of films in 2016, with no disappointments (at least when taking RT scores into account).  But X-Men Apocalypse certainly qualifies as the first bad and/or disappointing film of the year; there's almost always one, and hopefully no more.  Coming from such a consistently excellent franchise, Apocalypse's complete failure is shocking to me.  Even the lackluster X-Men Origins: Wolverine was better (OK, I haven't seen it in years, admittedly).  Another critic wrote that Apocalypse feels like the franchise's attempt to match the epic scale of the Avengers, which seems possible - and if so, it likely doomed the film from the start.  The X-Men films have their own unique, fascinating strengths and if anything, future films should dig deeper into these, not try to reach into unsuitable styles and trends.  I sadly could not blame McAvoy, Lawrence and Fassbender if they decide to abandon the franchise now, having fulfilled their contracts.  But much potential remains here if the filmmakers would just pull way back and retool; not to mention, that trio is just phenomenal when given the opportunity.  In conclusion, if you're not already an X-Men fan don't even bother with this; if you are a fan, certainly wait for this to arrive on Netflix if at all.  And hope for better next time.



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47213874

The Nice Guys

Score:  ***1/2 out of ***** (B)

Directed by Shane Black
Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer
Running time:  116 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  The Nice Guys provides a nice little change of pace early in the summer movie season, an R-rated buddy-comedy-action-mystery with odd couple stars Crowe and Gosling.  It has its share of flaws, but it also has plenty going for it, too, from laughing with (but mostly at) its stars to a neatly done 70s atmosphere.  Recommended for many, keeping in mind the rating, but you could afford to wait for it on Netflix, too.


It's 1977 in Los Angeles, and two men, Healy (Crowe) and March (Gosling), fulfill the high demand for investigation - and intimidation - in society's shadows.  Not one to pass up an easy payday, March takes up an assignment from an elderly woman who insists that she's seen her apparently murdered niece out and about and is trying to find her.  Meanwhile, Healy makes his living by beating the crap out of creeps who bother regular - and some not-so-regular - civilians.  The two men's lines of work cross paths one day when March suspects that a missing girl is actually the murdered niece he's "looking" for - and the missing girl, Amelia, hires Healy to persuade March to drop the case.

After an unpleasant first meeting, Healy finds himself the target of another interested party looking for Amelia, and so he returns to March to try to find the girl first.  On the promise of a healthy reward, March accepts and the odd couple digs into the mystery together.  As the two wade their way through the seedier parts of 1970s LA, they find themselves at odds with other forces both powerful and very public.

The Nice Guys features a nice cast, led by an odd pair of stars in the lead.  Russell Crowe plays the grizzled old veteran enforcer known as Healy.  Looking stockier and more rumpled than usual, Crowe seems to have enjoyed the part, employing a familiar weary yet committed persona.  Ryan Gosling's character is rumpled as well as he struggles to make ends meet, but deploys his own typical traits in dealing with the job, including a smarmy cynicism.  Both Crowe and Gosling do well as they poke fun of and embrace their familiar character types and try to outdo the other.  But they don't quite click as a team, each working much better when the focus is just on him.  Just as good as these two stars is a young actress named Angourie Rice who plays Holly, March's daughter.  In a striking manner similar to Tomorrowland's Raffey Cassidy, Rice acts with both the skill of an adult and the energy of a child.  Rice easily pulls off the adult-level maturity of young Holly (more mature than her father, in fact) without coming off as pretentious as most child actors do.  There are other small roles, including Matt Bomer as a villain, but none are all that significant.

The Nice Guys is a darkly funny buddy cop adventure with impressive strengths and also its share of weaknesses.  If I was more familiar with the director's work (according to critics), I might have better understood the feel of this film which, while funny, takes its time in developing the core relationship here.  But while it's a little slow to develop, the film excels at introducing its main characters' roles and personalities, as well as the 1970s LA atmosphere complete with soundtrack, clothing, cars, and more funky period touches.  It's actually the second half, once Healy and March are together, that things bog down a bit - not just from the lack of chemistry between the two stars, but a meandering (sometimes bewildering) plot development.  Fortunately the stars, particularly Gosling, keep the humor coming throughout, though fair warning in that it ranges from harmless slapstick to pretty crude stuff.  The violence, which is often paired with humor, can also be intense (though not very gory).  Young Holly adds an odd dimension to the film; she plays an important part, providing more emotional depth for both of the main characters but also sometimes uncomfortably out of place in this often crude and bloody film.

***

The Nice Guys is a fun movie, worth seeing despite its flaws.  Many genre films struggle to standout among their peers, and this film's stars, along with the surprise from young Rice, allows it to do so.  They aren't ultimately among the best duos, but Crowe and Gosling each bring highly entertaining individual work to the film.  The atmosphere and tone are just right and it's pretty darn funny, even if the plot is tangled and it takes a few pace-killing diversions (the film is a little too long).  Its strengths are enough for me to recommend it to most, as some will probably like it considerably more than me even if others may like it less.  Your enjoyment, or lack thereof, of the R-rated elements will probably determine where you stand (love it, hate it, or, like me, somewhere in the middle).



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48735649

Captain America: Civil War

Score:  ****1/2 out of ***** (A)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, et. al.
Running time:  147 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Red vs. blue.  Irony vs. earnest.  The team of superheroes introduced in 2012's The Avengers has reached a breaking point in Captain America: Civil War as Chris Evans' Cap and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man part ways.  Practically a third Avengers movie as nearly the whole team is present (plus new faces beyond the familiar ones), Civil War is also something much different as it focuses on internal turmoil.  Superhero fan or not, the characters, story, action and humor here are top notch and I highly recommend it to all.


A year after the Avengers saved the world from the artificial intelligence Ultron, ordinary people are beginning to wonder whether these powerful heroes are saving them from danger - or just throwing them into more and more of it.  Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), or Iron Man, feels their skeptics may be right; after all, he created Ultron, and now tries to use his wealth on projects like educational grants to assuage his guilt.  Meanwhile, Steve Rogers (Evans), Captain America, leads a team of Avengers in a successful but costly mission in Lagos.  When they return home, the U.S. Secretary of State presents the team with the Sokovia Accords, a United Nations document placing the Avengers under the control of an international security panel.  Stark supports the accords, but Rogers refuses to sign on.

As the historic Accords go into effect, disaster strikes again; Rogers' old friend Bucky (Stan), on the run for the last two years, is spotted in the area and a manhunt begins.  Unable to give up on his friend, Rogers is forced to go directly at odds with Stark, who considers bringing Bucky to justice essential to restoring the world's trust in the Avengers.  The other Avengers must choose sides, and blows are dealt from which the team may not be able to recover.

Civil War has an enormous cast, with a few new faces complementing a host of familiar ones - it's a new Avengers movie except in name.  Leading the way, however, are Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/ Captain America, and Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  Poor Evans has much competition for screen time in his own movie, but despite his traditional "good guy" role, he once again turns in a deceptively strong performance.  While sporting an earnest demeanor, Rogers' idealistic outlook is pushed to its limits in Civil War, with Evans showing that struggle well.  Downey Jr. has been my favorite actor in Marvel's movies, and he is great here again.  A more overtly complex character, a hero who is also sarcastic and arrogant, Stark has reached his own breaking point from his accumulated losses and guilt.  Rogers and Stark are good friends, but their clashing philosophies were apparent from their first meeting back in 2012's Avengers.  Now the "bystanders", the world itself, force them to choose, and Stark's and Rogers' opposing decisions form the core of a busy but focused film.

There are many more characters, but to avoid writing a dissertation on them, I'll have to stick to the highlights.  Scarlett Johansson returns as Black Widow, a former spy who is torn between Stark's practicality and Rogers' optimism.  Sneakily the third most important character, Johansson makes the most of her limited screen time with her usual intensity; and when in action, her acrobatics.  Chadwick Boseman plays the most important new character, T'Challa aka Black Panther.  Not just a hero, T'Challa is also the king of a secretive fictional nation.  Boseman captures his character's noble presence, one that is quiet and seemingly serene yet just as intense as Black Widow.  All the rest do fine work as well; the actors chosen to be Avengers don't just suit their own characters well but also have developed good chemistry with each other as their filmography grows.

Captain America: Civil War may be like an Avengers film in its cast size, but it offers a new paradigm that gives a fresh and intriguing take on the superhero genre.  As mentioned, the Stark-Rogers showdown is the focus.  While there is a villain, the evil plot is much more subtle than the usual take over/destroy the world idea (and I won't say more about it here).  The titular Civil War is based on accountability: even though the Avengers intend to do good and usually defeat the bad guys, should they be allowed to engage what they see as threat, when, how and where they choose?  This theme makes a lot of sense not just in the context of an ongoing universe of thirteen films and counting, but also as a mirror to our own world in which Americans in particular struggle with how to deal with malevolent forces like ISIS.  Each supporting character gets his/her say, too, whether it's directly tied to this struggle or not.  Therefore as the sides form up, it's not an arbitrary mix.

Beyond all that seriousness, though, is still great fun in terms of action and humor that we've come to expect from Marvel's films.  There are at least four action sequences which not only push the story forward but also have distinct styles.  The first fight shows a "typical" Avengers mission, the chaos and grit; a chase scene later brings back an old character and introduces a new one, to go with some impressive stunts; the widely-touted Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man on an abandoned air field meets expectations; and a furious, intimate battle concludes the film.  The final two in particular display far different yet perfectly appropriate tones.  And yes, there is good humor spread throughout the film, even with the team splitting up.  Downey Jr.'s Stark alone is enough to bring the laughs, but just about everyone gets a chance.  Paul Rudd's return as Ant-Man is particularly welcome in this regard.

***

Captain America: Civil War challenges the first Avengers film as Marvel's best film yet.  I'm not at all surprised:  bring back the filmmakers from the bravura CA: Winter Soldier, add in the rest of the super team (esp. Downey Jr.), and cap it all off with a fresh approach that results in a lasting change to the whole franchise, and what do you expect?  It almost gets lost in talk of all the different characters and themes and action, but the basic stuff - you know, writing, pacing, filming and so on - all ranges from rock solid to superb, too.  It's worth mentioning the comparison to the other big superhero showdown film this year from DC.  Civil War is the better movie, certainly, but I'll repeat that I think Batman v Superman has been unfairly maligned by critics.  Beyond the similarity in basic premise, the two films are vastly different, each with unique strengths and viewing pleasures (as a reminder, check out Man of Steel first to enhance your enjoyment of BvS).  Back to Civil War, though:  this is an outstanding film, and I recommend it for all audiences.  Of course, if you've been following the Marvel films, this is flat out essential viewing.  Enjoy!



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48646207

Keanu

Score:  ***1/2 out of ***** (B)

Directed by Peter Atencio
Starring Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele
Running time:  98 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  The popular comedy duo Key and Peele have released their first feature film, following on the success of their hit sketch TV show.  Keanu is essentially an extended Key and Peele sketch, built around a conventional normal guys thrown in with a bad crowd story (and a key role for a cute kitten for good measure).  Key and Peele are very talented and funny, and even if you haven't seen them before - actually, especially if you haven't seen them before - I recommend this film.


Cousins Rell (Peele) and Clarence (Key) are good friends but lead opposite lives: laid back Rell mourns the end of his marriage, while Clarence has a happy family yet suppresses his full personality.  One day Rell gets a surprise new companion when he finds a kitten at his door.  Little does he know that the kitten has recently escaped the scene of a bloody gang fight.  When Clarence's wife and children leave for a weekend trip, he and Rell go to a Liam Neeson film to return and find Rell's house ransacked - and his kitten, Keanu, missing.  Rell's next door neighbor (Forte) suggests that the dreaded 17th St. Blips, a local gang, may have been the culprits.  Desperate to find Keanu, Rell drags Clarence along on a mission to infiltrate the gang.

Newly renamed Tectonic and Shark Tank, Rell and Clarence are forced to prove their allegiance by joining the gang in distributing its new drug, Holy Shit.  Danger lurks around every corner as the cousins try to blend in and survive.  Even if they can make it in the 17th St. Blips, they aren't the only ones looking for little Keanu...

Keanu's cast is good, led by co-star comedians Key and Peele.  Possibly the two most talented comedians working today (and among the funniest), the duo is obviously the main attraction in this film.  Fans (like me) of their recently-ended sketch show Key and Peele will recognize the same kind of humor from them here.  One of the great things about the pair is that they have distinct personalities which complement each other and fit into the same style perfectly.  Their roles here - Key as the ostensibly "straight man" who breaks out of his shell, and Peele as the relaxed semi-troublemaker who shows a nicer side - are their bread-and-butter (though they're certainly talented enough to swap those roles or do entirely different ones).  Excellent work, as expected.  Most of the supporting work here is fine if unremarkable; one to note is Will Forte playing Rell's neighbor in just a few scenes, but he's very funny as usual.

Keanu is a pretty typical genre comedy film overall, with Key and Peele themselves as the main focus; it's solid in most ways, but also has few true fireworks.  Again, those familiar with Key and Peele will recognize not only the actors' humor and style, but also the overall set up:  it feels like an extended sketch, one that is similar to certain film conventions (no accident here, since many of their sketches were designed that way).  Keanu is even directed by the same guy who did their show.  This familiarity is not at all a bad thing, though the film does lean heavily on the force of Key and Peele's talent and personalities to carry it.  If you aren't familiar with their show, you'll still get the basic story structure with no trouble; you might simply miss a handful of references to their show ("Liam Neesons", etc.) but the vast majority of the humor is broad enough for any audience.  You can also expect humor that ranges from common slapstick to more subtle, clever societal commentary.  While the story is conventional with a few quirks - namely the title kitten - the film does its best to keep from bogging down with too much "keep the story moving" content.  Oh, and the kitten?  Yes, it's very cute.

***

Keanu is a solid comedy and if anything, my familiarity with and expectations coming from the Key and Peele sketch show leads me to a lower grade than others might give it.  I am a huge fan of these two comedians, no question; but I was left a bit disappointed by, more than anything else, how relatively safe and conventional they keep their first feature film.  While I found this movie funny, it is confining, almost like they were wearing straitjackets around their comedic potential.  They are so talented, they can break just about any movie "rule" that they want and not just be effective but better than just about anything else out there.  Since they can play so many characters, I'd love to see them play all or most of the characters in a movie, for example.  I know that's not new, but they could do it so much better than other attempts that it would seem like a new idea.  This is good, quality comedy filmmaking - it is funny and even the conventional structure works alright (esp. with the kitten) - so I'd recommend it for most people.  Do keep in mind, this is rated R, despite the kitten and Key and Peele's tendency to come off as "gentler" comedians to the uninitiated.  With that in mind, if you're looking for some laughs, this is a good choice!



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49182158