Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning-Part One

 

Score:  A

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Esai Morales

Running time: 164 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Tom Cruise returns to his spy agent role Ethan Hunt for a seventh time in Dead Reckoning - Part One, and he - and the movie - are as good as ever.  It's long, but packed with both great action and intriguing personal battles more intense than before.  Whether the stunts are actually bigger than ever is debatable but they are at least as entertaining, and the direction and writing maximizes its impact with good variety and pacing.  This is a must-see summer blockbuster for all.

Ethan (Cruise) is faced with perhaps his least-possible mission yet: battling not just crafty human foes, but also a menacing AI program gone rogue.  Developed by the Russians, "the Entity" quickly grew beyond the bounds, and control, of its creator, leading to an international race among the world's powers to try to seize control of the dangerous software.  Realizing the Entity is too dangerous to be allowed to survive as a pawn in the intelligence wars, Ethan decides to destroy it, but to do so he'll need to recover the literal key to the program.  Teaming up with old friends Luther (Rhames) and Benji (Pegg), as well as new allies, Ethan must find the key before it slips out of his - and everyone else's - grasp forever.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (Part One) is another exemplary installment of the nearly thirty-year-old franchise, as Cruise & Co. somehow continue to push the boundaries of practical action stunt work but also ground it in rock-solid storytelling and characters.  I have to begin with the action, since it's the main draw, even though it's not the only good thing going.  The variety, creativity, and sheer intensity are brilliant, and director and writer McQuarrie does a great job of building it up gradually throughout the film to a fantastic finale.  It actually starts rather slowly - no big, pre-credits set piece like in Bond movies.  Instead, we get a pretty direct picture of the stakes of this new mission and the ominous AI, or "Entity".  It's not too subtle, but you'll be grateful for that later.  The first great action scene is more like MI's classic stealth and deception setup, as Ethan attempts to make a quick switch with an unsuspecting target at an airport while also evading agents who are after him.  It mixes in so much yet seamlessly, from humor, to "plan B, C, & D" improvising, to dark hints of the Entity's power.  Next up is a car chase through Rome that vaguely recalls the one from MI-Fallout, yet it is both just as good as and utterly distinct from that one.  I particularly appreciated that, for all Ethan's talents, the chase is also filled with goof-ups (from both good and bad guys); and his pairing with a skilled thief - but a newbie to multi-party, full throttle urban chases - provides humor and grounding.  The final act on a train is much slower and longer, but does not feel drawn out at all, thanks to its split into multiple, distinct sub-scenes.  This is where we get the big stunt of the film, Ethan's jump off a cliff on a motorcycle which you've probably seen part of in previews - it's another great moment for MI.  A desperate scramble for survival at the very end might even top that cliff jump, but I won't spoil it here.

MI-Dead Reckoning Part One is, just like its title, quite long, at two hours and forty five minutes.  A good portion of this is the action described above, but there is plenty else going on that, as with any similar franchise worth watching, is also engaging.  Although the movie starts in fairly un-MI-like style with its overt description of the Entity and its capability, the rest of the movie slides easily back into the series' penchant for duplicity and work in the shadows, both seen and implied.  And the characters playing this all out are equal to the task, thanks in no small part to the film's continuation of previous stories and themes.  Tom Cruise as lead IMF agent Ethan Hunt is still on top of his game - certainly in the action scenes, where he is utterly believable and still runs like a man on, well, a mission - but also in the quieter in-between scenes; Ethan has both softened, showing increased affection for his friends, but also deeply troubled by his foe here.  Atwell (new) and Ferguson (returning) are tremendous as well, every bit Cruise/Hunt's equal in the field but utilizing very different styles to do so.  They are strong, independent characters yet their complex relationships with Hunt help shed new light on him, too.  Morales is a chilly and effective presence as main baddy Gabriel - cool, competent and fearless.  But there are also plenty of sheer fun roles, starting with Hunt's loyal partners Luther (Rhames) and Benji (Pegg), as good as ever.  Returning Alanna (Kirby) is still snarky fun and Pom Klementieff (Guardians' Mantis) is a riot as a psycho terminator.  All these vivid characters give the plot and action much more meaning; the AI "takeover the world" might feel a bit distant, but the battle to control or destroy it brings out very personal and ruthless stakes.  Some of Hunt and Co.'s old tricks are breaking down in this new digital era, whether because AI co-opts or disrupts them, or they simply stop working.  One thing's for sure, though: this Mission Impossible works at least as well if not better than ever.

***

Mission Impossible was one of the films I was counting on this summer, similar to my expectations for any new Pixar film - and just like Elemental last month, it came through brilliantly.  To provide another comparison, even though this is a part one-of-two movie, there is no feeling of letdown at the end, only excitement for what's next, like in Avengers Infinity War.  Let's keep it going: Mission Impossible is absolutely one of the great action movie franchises of all time, right there with James Bond.  Two other recent, "mini-franchises" are also great, in Matt Damon's Bourne movies and Keanu Reeves's John Wick (I saw the fourth movie this spring - I haven't written my review yet but I will!).  I find it more and more difficult to enjoy other action movies now, as they almost always pale in comparison to these fantastic series.  Next up is quite a change of pace - Oppenheimer - and after that, I really have no idea.  Until next time!

* By Deadline, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73287380

The Flash

Score:  B

Directed by Andy Muschietti

Starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle

Running time: 144 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  The Flash gives the spotlight to a lesser-known member of the Justice League, and the result is a solid, entertaining film that rises above many others by simply not trying to do too much.  The action truly is a draw here, entertaining and not simply an obligatory spectacle.  The multiverse pops up yet again here, as does time travel, but there are enough fun characters to get through it easily enough.  No prior superhero knowledge required: recommended for any looking for a nice action blockbuster.

Barry Allen, aka The Flash, is a member of the Justice League of superheroes, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.  Like several of his companions, Barry has suffered a tragedy: his mother was murdered when he was a teenager, and his innocent father was framed for the crime.  Using his powers of incredible speed, Barry one day discovers that he can literally run backward in time, giving him a temptation too good to resist.  However, Barry soon finds, as all time travelers do, that interfering with the past can have both subtle and major consequences - and far beyond that of his own family.

The Flash is a fun superhero movie, better than it probably even should have been considering the circumstances.  The circumstances are these: it is one of the last DC superhero films in the studio's years-long, elaborate (and decidedly mixed-results) plan that already feels stale; and its plot heavily involves the very well-worn themes of the multiverse and time travel.  Those factors certainly weigh on the film to some degree, but it also overcomes them surprisingly well.  The multiverse aspect here at least feels (relatively) contained, and allows for neat alternate superheroes (more later).  Time travel tropes are present as well, but it allows the film to explore Barry's character in a more interesting way than most DC films.  One of the best parts of the film - and, frankly, why most people would want to see it in the first place - is the action.  For a nearly two-and-a-half hour superhero film, it's kept to a modest three main set pieces; and crucially, they each feel more intimate and less numbing than much superhero action has become (even from Marvel).  The first showcases the Flash's extraordinary speed, but for the purpose of rescue, and humor, rather than battle (plus cool cameos from his Justice League partners).  The second and third are darker, more brutal scenes, but not overly so; they allow for more vulnerability in the heroes than usual and so feel more tense and intriguing.

The characters in The Flash are middling: not Marvel-level quality, but more interesting than those from many DC movies.  Ezra Miller's Barry leads the way, and in fact, we get a double dose via a younger version who shadows the "present day" version for most of the film.  Nothing too deep here, but at least you get a better feel for Barry as a human being and not just the hero.  Batman and Supergirl get little background but are still fun.  Having Keaton back in the cape and cowl just brings a fond smile, and Calle brings a mood of foreboding to Supergirl that fits Krypton's fate (and the likely fate of her alternate-Earth).  Although in smaller parts, we also get a number of people from Barry's normal life including his parents, of course; a brief romantic interest; and even roommates.  Along those lines, The Flash also benefits from a pretty solid script, mostly shying away from the ponderous and more toward humor (actually funny humor, mostly, and not nakedly poor attempts at it).  Like the action, the story feels contained - so despite being another link in a multi-year chain of Justice League superhero movies, it doesn't bring the sense of a necessary or even inevitable sequel.  There are other limitations, such as the little we have to go on the alternate superheroes, and an eyebrow-raising side plot to transfer the Flash's powers.  But there are no truly fatal flaws: this is an easily enjoyable superhero film.

***

The Flash was better than I expected and, believe it or not, is so far my favorite superhero movie of the year, besting Marvel's two offerings.  I was already a bit more familiar with this comic book character than usual, though, since I watched the first five seasons or so of The CW show about him.  That familiarity ended up being both a pro and a con, I think, so probably a wash in the end.  I did like the show quite a bit, so I'd recommend checking it out on Netflix if you're interested.  There are two more movies I'm eagerly anticipating this summer - Mission: Impossible #?? and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer - but hopefully there will be some other good ones to come along.  Although I've mostly enjoyed a summer full of familiar brands (e.g., Pixar) and sequels, I'm looking forward to something fresh.  Until next time!

* By Warner Bros. Entertainment - http://www.impawards.com/2023/flash_ver6.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72998005

Elemental

 

Score:  A

Directed by Peter Sohn

Starring Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Catherine O'Hara

Running time: 109 minutes

Rated PG

Long Story Short:  Pixar is back in theaters at long last* with Elemental, and it feels just like the good old days.  The premise is among Pixar's cleverest and most effective, using a city of element-people to bring to life both a heart-bursting rom-com as well as a poignant immigrant story.  The animation is as astounding as ever and the humor and emotions will send you soaring just like you remember.  Highly recommended for, like all Pixar films, any audience, from young families to cinephiles.

(*last year's Lightyear was technically Pixar's return to theaters, but I didn't see it and it didn't really seem like a true Pixar film, you know?)

Element City is a special place, one that, over the years, has adopted - but not yet fully integrated -  a colorful set of people in the form of elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.  Ember (Lewis) lives with her parents in the Fire section of the city where they run the neighborhood bodega.  Ember is set to inherit the shop one day, but, appropriate to her element, must first overcome a quick and powerful temper.  Another obstacle to her taking over the Fireplace soon arrives when a dreaded water leak develops in the basement.  There is only so much that Ember can do by herself, so she is forced to trust in the other elements in the city around her for help.  It's a test of compatibility in a city long kept separated out of fear and ignorance.

Elemental is a great animated film with all of Pixar's typically great visual design, cleverness, and emotional impact, and its story is particularly well-suited to the animation format.  As you've likely glimpsed from trailers, Pixar's latest provides a nice, bright, poppy color palette for its summer release.  What I only truly appreciated in the theater, though, was the extraordinary texture effects of the elements, particularly Fire and Water (the two main elements in the film).  Pixar has again made the seemingly impossible appear effortless with the natural blurriness and flicker of flames and the smooth but erratic-seeming flow of drips of water.  The idea of elements as people (a bit like Inside Out's emotions) also leads to much of the humor, which is very well done.  Most of it happens naturally, within the flow of "normal" element-city life: water's tendency to cry and the unique products of the Fireplace were some of my favorites.  It's not all happy, bright colors and jokes, though: Pixar makes Element City parallel to real cities in its incorporation of "immigrant" communities (exemplified here by Fire).  The differences among the elements naturally lead to this comparison - and to the implicit segregation - and the effect is moving but not unduly heavy.

Helping to balance out the immigrant themes - some of Pixar's most serious yet - is the rom-com aspect of the story.  You'll find many of the usual genre beats: the awkward first meeting, the jaunt around town together, the traumatic split before the final act, etc.  And just as the use of elements is a good illustration of immigration, the very format of animation turns out to be a great one for romantic comedy.  The characters in Elemental are as expressive as live-action humans, thanks to Pixar's artists, but we're still watching clearly non-human beings.  That allows you to more easily project your own mental images into the story, as rom-coms are so good at inviting us to do.  With a screen packed full of imagination, audiences might therefore have even more going on in their heads than during the usual Pixar adventure.  Speaking of characters, it was nice to see Pixar turn to a cast of (relative) unknowns for the voice acting.  Of course, it's great to give new talent a chance to shine (or rather, to be heard) but it also doubles down on the audience's impressions of the characters or story not being colored by familiar personas - via sight or sound.  Finally, Elemental's animation also allows the action to more closely match the intensity and wonder of the relationship's emotions, from a spectacular underwater date to a perilous and tearful (but ultimately happy!) finale.

***

It was so great to see a Pixar movie in the theater again!  The last time I saw one was 2019's Toy Story 4, which feels like forever ago.  While the premise, or the part of it I got from the trailer, didn't grab my interest at first, I knew immediately that I had to go see it - and, just like most Pixar films, it exceeded my expectations.  Part of my enthusiasm could be the excitement of the theatrical experience but looking back, even when it occasionally seems that a part of the story fell flat or wasn't going anywhere, the movie either quickly got back on track or turned the weakness into a key development later on.  Also: Pixar continues to include a short story before the main film, this time about Up's Carl and dog, Dug.  It's one of the best yet!  So be sure to see this one in a theater while you can.  Amid a sea of summer sequels - even the good ones - it's so refreshing to see another Pixar hit.

* By Pixar - http://www.impawards.com/2023/elemental_ver10.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73800022

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

 

Score:  B+

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson

Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Oscar Isaac, et. al.

Running time: 140 minutes

Rated PG

Long Story Short:  Spider-Man leaps back into the fray, this time in animated form, in a sequel to 2018's Into the Spider-Verse.  Like that film, this one focuses on a theme of multiverses, where there's not just one Spider-Man but many.  We get to focus on Miles and Gwen, here, mostly, and their personal stories are well done.  While there's good action, too, the plot is just OK.  Put all that aside, though: the visuals alone are worth the price of admission, with dazzling color and thoughtful detail and styles.

More than a year after Into the Spider-Verse introduced the Spider-People of multiple universes, Miles (Moore) and Gwen (Steinfeld) find themselves alone again in their own universes.  The multiverse will not let them go so easily, however.  Gwen meets a new team of multiverse Spiders while battling a villain, and Miles confronts a different villain who can open portals at will himself.  The two good friends are joyful when they finally reunite, but circumstances are much different than when they last met.  Both are dealing with difficult personal problems at home as a result of their superhero activities, and both have urgent Spider-missions, ones that are not necessarily aligned with each other.  They must learn more about the wild multiverse they've become a part of, soon, though, and rely on both new and old friends to avert disaster.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a solid, very entertaining sequel to the 2018 animated original film.  By far the best part of it is the astonishing visuals, though it is weighed down a bit by a too-familiar plot.  Although the style is much different, Across the Spider-Verse is just as jaw-dropping as the best Pixar animation.  While it mostly has a fairly realistic physical sense, the colors in particular are quite malleable and serve as the most interesting part of most of the film, whether through sheer beauty or emphasis of the emotional tone/mood of a scene.  It has a distinctive style throughout, but it also retains plenty of flexibility, too.  Just remarkable, and begging to be seen on the big screen.  There is plenty of action, of course, being a superhero movie, and the animation is both particularly appropriate for Spider-Man (with all his web-based "flying", "lassoing" and other acrobatics) and helps suspend your disbelief.  The action can go on a bit too long, and one particularly wild chase is a little overboard, but that's mostly quibbling - it's a lot of fun.  Speaking of too long, the film overall is also too long, even if for the noble intention of trying to pay as much attention to the personal parts as the action.

The characters and plot of Across the Spider-Verse are well-developed, although the results are somewhat mixed.  To start with, the whole multiverse concept is getting a bit tiring.  The current series of live-action Marvel films uses it as its main connecting theme; last year's Oscar winner Everything Everywhere... was built on it, and, of course, the 2018 animated original used it, too.  There was always going to be some element of the multiverse involved (Miles and Gwen had to get back together somehow!), but the film leans into it even harder this time.  Even the switch of focus away from the villain and onto the team of Spider-People - who ostensibly should be good but hide a more dubious goal - feels overly familiar.  This is made up for in good measure by a solid family story and structure for both Miles and Gwen - and in part, it's because we don't get the way-too-familiar Aunt May/Uncle Ben dynamic.  Miles, in particular, feels very well-rounded here.  An adult Peter Parker, voiced by funnyman Jake Johnson, is a bright spot again, basically just serving as comic relief (and now with baby in tow).  On the other hand, Steinfeld's Gwen and Isaac's Miguel grated on me a bit.  I think it's because they've both recently starred in live-action Marvel series, too, and their usual personas are on display.  Even though it's only their voices, I still felt like I was watching recycled roles.

***

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vaults to the top of my superhero list for the year, thanks to Marvel producing - unprecedentedly - back-to-back disappointments (Ant-Man 3 and Guardians 3 - maybe it's curse of the 3s this year?).  It was a very fun time at the theater, even if I don't feel gushing about it.  That may in part be because my attention wandered a bit more than usual; and I haven't seen the 2018 original since it was in theaters five years ago.  Still, I highly recommend it (family-friendly, too!).  DC will have the next few cracks at the superhero genre, starting with The Flash.  I'll also be seeing another animated movie again, Elemental, quite soon - my first new Pixar in theaters since Toy Story 4 in 2019.  Hopefully the summer will bring more movie goodness!

* By https://twitter.com/SpiderVerse/status/1651254816025313281/photo/1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72536149

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

 

Score:  B-

Directed by James Gunn

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper

Running time: 150 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  The third Guardians movie sees the team of lovable losers continue to try to protect the vast (and always wild) frontier in space.  Unfortunately, Vol. 3 is closer in most ways to the disappointing Vol. 2 than to the incredibly creative and successful original movie.  There are some interesting ideas and character developments, moreso at least than its predecessor.  But while the action is impressive at times, it is simply too bloated, squeezing out or minimizing everything else.  Worth a theater trip if you're a Marvel fan or need big blockbuster action; otherwise, wait for streaming.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have established a home on the strange celestial artifact, Knowhere - but the past will not let them go.  Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, can't get past his "double" loss of Gamora (Saldana), killed by Thanos but then "returning" via a parallel universe.  This new Gamora, however, neither knows nor likes Quill.  Rocket is still haunted by the grotesque experiments performed upon him years ago.  And Nebula still searches for her place on the team after having been Thanos's loyal servant.  A sudden attack, however, puts Rocket's life in danger, and so the Guardians return to space to find a way to save him.  Along the way, they encounter both old friends as well as a new adversary who hopes to rid the galaxy of its "imperfections" - misfits like the Guardians themselves.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an entertaining blockbuster start to the summer, but like Vol. 2 before it, it does not live up to the original due to trading too much of its cleverness and character chemistry for the spectacle.  I'll start with the good.  There is an overabundance of action, yes, but admittedly it is pretty impressive for the most part.  There are still a few neat ideas (like an organic space station), and the special effects are high-quality.  The first action scene, with the god-like Warlock attacking the Guardians in Knowhere, is jarring for its suddenness and intensity (not to mention its consequences).  The movie is also brimming with interesting ideas, and its underlying theme contrasting the villain's goal of creating a perfect sentient organism with the Guardians' core quality of being the "cast-off" heroes is appropriate.  I liked that they continued Avengers: Endgame's Quill-Gamora dynamic, as he fights to win her back in vain.  And most of all, I liked the backstory given to Rocket.  We already knew the broad strokes of how he became a super-intelligent raccoon, but his character deserved this deeper dive into how it psychologically shaped him.  Rocket befriended with several other similarly-victimized creatures during his captivity, all of them adorable despite their mutilations; it helps that they have super cute voices (especially Cardellini, sounding heavenly).  Their introduction, as they console and embrace Rocket, the new guy, is the most touching of the movie.

Despite the not-insignificant bright spots, Guardians Vol. 3 ultimately wastes more potential than it fulfills due to its sprawling emphasis on the action.  There are at least three large-scale set pieces, and each of them is unnecessarily drawn out, each more so than the next and representing weaknesses carried over from Vol. 2.  The first, on the organic station, had good potential and a few nice quips - but also forces the humor just as much, and feigns high stakes and danger before wiping it all away in a flash.  The second battle is on an "artificial" Earth (think the suburbs with anthropomorphized critters as neighbors).  Mass, breathtaking damage and casualties ensue, which feels wrong for the Guardians tone and the toll is barely acknowledged (reminding me of Vol. 2's mass-murdering arrow).  And the third, finale action scene is the longest of them all, between two gigantic space vessels and the dozens of characters within them.  It is often incomprehensible - even for a Marvel movie nut like me - and moments of deus ex machina just pile up.  Each of these three mega battle scenes have some good to offer - but they all simply go overboard and the weaknesses, at times just from shoddy writing, are too glaring.  With so much time spent on these battles, there is also just not enough to devote to the intriguing themes and characters I previously described - despite the moving being 2.5 hours long.  Especially with this being the likely end of the Guardians as we've known them, I'm disappointed that they decided to go out with more literal bangs than narrative/character ones. (I also didn't like the needle-drop soundtrack on this one nearly as much as the first two movies - but opinions on that will differ!) 

***

Guardians Vol. 3 was a stuttering - though not awful - start to the summer movie season.  It also is a startling second-straight disappointment from Marvel this year, following Ant-Man 3.  I'm a bit nervous that, in trying to top the movies that culminated in Endgame, Marvel is going the conventional blockbuster direction of simply amping up the action and the special effects.  I would much prefer less of that and more character and narrative development (which some recent Marvel movies have indeed done well).  Two new Disney+ streaming series are coming soon, and I think November's The Marvels will be a big test for the franchise to see what direction - in tone and style - it wants to go.  I also want to say that, following Guardians Vols. 2 and 3 and The Suicide Squad, I'm increasingly skeptical of James Gunn's talent.  But he will now be the (or one of the main) driving forces behind DC's superhero films starting soon - good luck with that!  Well, that's a lot of superhero talk, but there are plenty of fun-looking movies in other genres coming out in the next couple months.  Stay tuned!

* By http://www.impawards.com/2023/guardians_of_the_galaxy_vol_three_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72394795

Renfield

 

Score:  B+

Directed by Chris McKay

Starring Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina

Running time: 93 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  The monster genre receives a needed dose of humor with Renfield, focusing on the famed Dracula's servant familiar.  Hoult and cult-status star Cage (both Nicholases!) do great work, and even better is the interesting contrast of a classic "toxic" relationship with the modern world's determination to end those predicaments.  Ultimately it's an action-comedy, but you'll be surprised by its level of quality.  Highly recommended (if you can take the blood and guts).

Renfield (Hoult) is tired of his life of evil.  For over a hundred years, he has been Count Dracula's (Cage) familiar - or servant - given a supernaturally-extended life in exchange for providing his master with fresh human meals.  From their current hideout in New Orleans, Renfield seeks help in a community mutual aid group where victims of bad relationships and situations console and support each other.  In branching out, Renfield discovers the modern world's more conventional evil through the mob, and meets one of the few police officers willing to take it head on.  There is a lot going against Renfield and his new friend, but together they are determined to make the world a better place.

Renfield is a surprisingly good action-comedy movie, thanks especially to some really fun performances and a clever, well-executed premise.  Despite being a Dracula movie, this is not a horror movie (and I would know, not being a fan of the genre).  Instead, it's more like tongue-in-cheek modern actioners like Cage's own Kick-Ass (which I'd also highly recommend).  Renfield also has that movie's body count and blood and gore, so be warned!  Beyond the stylishness, though, Renfield is more notable for its clever combination of the classic - i.e., old-fashioned - monster genre with modern social-psychological themes like co-dependency and support groups.  This odd mashup actually works well, and provides the basis for the movie's plentiful humor by contrasting the ridiculousness of Renfield's supernatural "relationship" to Dracula with his dully modern methods of dealing with it.  I should note that while other movies have interesting premises, too, Renfield truly makes good on it, scene by scene, thanks to a strong script.  There are also more generic old world-new world funny comparisons, of course, (from language to wardrobe) but the movie wisely doesn't focus on them.  There are a few moments when the theme feels a little overdone, but Renfield's well-edited, compact 90-minute running time makes these fleeting.  There is also a side yet parallel theme of our modern world's own monsters (e.g., the mob) and their enablers (corrupt cops) - but this is still an action-comedy, so it doesn't try to dig too deep.

For more visceral entertainment, Renfield also has plenty of fun acting and exciting action scenes.  Nicholas Hoult is the titular lead and he continues to show that he is among his generation's finest actors (be sure to stream last year's The Menu for a much different performance).  Despite technically being the lackey, Hoult makes Renfield a strong, compelling lead as a man turned monster, trying to become a man once again.  And Nicolas Cage is perfectly cast as Dracula - though just as appropriately, his screen time is somewhat limited to let the effect really "sink in".  Crazy he may be, but Cage channels a creepy and intense, yet often quite funny, vibe - he sucks in the camera and your attention and won't let go.  A pair of quality comedians co-star, in Awkwafina's good cop Rebecca and Ben Schwartz's entitled Mob heir.  Awkwafina's "cut the crap" attitude is well-suited here and Schwartz basically reprises his Parks & Rec character (also a perfect fit).  There are other side players, too, my favorite of which are the members of Renfield's support group.  Those scenes, plus the odd couple of Renfield and Rebecca, are highlights, but the action is fun, too.  Best of all - to me - is that it strikes the right balance of keeping the movie lively but not being so frequent or extended as to become numbing or dull.  Slightly over-the-top audible crunches and rips accompany the mayhem, making you cringe as limbs are torn apart.  The first one, involving some low-level drug dealers who you quickly come to pity, is particularly well done. Finally, the production work is really well done, too, with great makeup and costuming.  CGI is kept to a relative minimum (though nicely done to insert Cage as Dracula into classic scenes).

***

After a slow start to the year, the spring has provided some really good theater experiences.  Renfield is the kind of movie I usually skip, but I was drawn to it by my admiration for Hoult and curiosity in Cage - its being presented as a comedy helped, too. That all panned out even better than I expected, to go with the well-conceived psychological themes.  In many ways, this is exactly the kind of movie I want to see more of from Hollywood.  It's not completely original, of course, but it puts the familiar (Dracula, etc.) into a fun new context, and this is the focus.  It's also very well made, from performances to production to script, while also not trying to be more than it really is.  Hopefully there is more to come along those lines, especially as we get ready to enter the summer movie season!  In the meantime, if you do want something literally more like Renfield - in other words, funny vampire stuff - check out the Leslie Nielsen-Mel Brooks collaboration Dracula: Dead and Loving It and the TV show What We Do in the Shadows.

* By Universal Pictures - https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/renfield, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72674354

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

Score:  A-

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley

Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis

Running time: 134 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Nerd-favorite Dungeons & Dragons returns to the big screen, and unlike most game adaptations, this one notches a high score.  It's very much a fantasy in its magical worldbuilding, but it does so in clever, cheeky, and often hilarious ways.  The cast, led by a game Chris Pine, is very solid and makes you feel like you're on a true adventure with them and not simply in a race to an inevitable, boring climactic battle.  Highly recommended for all, not just fantasy fans.

Forced to labor away in a prison mine in a fantastical land, Edgin (Pine) has seen his once noble life as a heroic knight, husband, and father crumble around him.  Longing for redemption and his family, Edgin breaks free along with his loyal partner Holga (Rodriguez).  The outside world has changed drastically since he last saw it, however, and Edgin finds he can no longer count on old allies or customs.  So Edgin, facing danger beyond any he has known before, must draw from both his courage and his shadier side; and depend on not just faithful Holga but also unusual and unexpected new friends.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of the most entertaining fantasy movies in years, a bit of a throwback in its avoidance of the genre's dreary pitfalls while also providing exceptional humor.  I don't really know much about D&D, other than a passing familiarity with how the game works - wisely, the film doesn't expect you to know anything.  It hits a nice, irreverent sweet spot, with a light tone but not one that tumbles into eye-rolling parody.  The plot is nothing special, but I appreciate two things about it: one, it's not yet another end-of-the-world epic, and two, it is solid enough to hold up yet makes way for other elements to shine.  One of those elements is the action, which is great in both its quantity and quality.  There is not too much in the way of standard fighting, as none of the characters can simply punch their way to victory; instead, they rely on cleverness.  And there are also few big CGI scenes; the ones that impress most are those with the best design, such as a shapeshifter frantically changing between animal forms while trying to escape, and a moving-caravan heist in which magical portals make you lose track of up and down.

D&D doesn't feature any all-time classic characters, but it still has a fun roster that easily carries the film with its charisma and chemistry.  Pine brings the great mischievousness that he showed as Captain Kirk, though with only a small dose of that icon's heroism.  But he isn't an anti-hero, either; just a guy with a lot of flaws that you still root for.  If anything, Rodriguez's Holga is the more traditional hero type, or at least action star, as she shows in a handful of scenes kicking soldiers' butts.  The dynamic between Edgin and Holga feels fresh, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways, disrupting the typical gender balance.  Yendar, played by Bridgerton hunk Rege-Jean Page, is what you'd expect in the lead role, but he only gets a few minutes and gets poked fun at for most of that time.  Hugh Grant's Forge steals many scenes, which leads to the movie's strength: its sense of humor.  From the first scene through the last (stay for the credits!), laughs abound.  Most of it is slapstick, but very well-written and performed at that, and not just the human characters but also an obese beast and an animatronic avian.  Even with all the good humor, though, D&D is lent some weight by Edgin's quest for his daughter - not just for her safety but also for her forgiveness.

***

I didn't think I would see D&D in the theater, but after some positive word-of-mouth, I gave it a try and I'm glad that I did.  Part of my reluctance was due to the poor track record of movie adaptations of games (video, board, or otherwise) and part was due to a general weariness toward fantasy.  But D&D overcame both of those concerns easily.  Only a few brief moments reminded me that it was based on a game, and it distinguished itself clearly from its genre peers in its high quality, creativity, and sheer, genuine fun.  I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of a sequel... but I would definitely like to see more movies - in all genres - with its thoughtfulness, cohesion, and good spirit.  Check this one out in theaters!

* By Paramount Pictures - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2906216/mediaviewer/rm2360753153/?ref_=tt_ov_i, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72830741