'In the Tall Grass' Movie Review

 

This had been sitting on my Netflix list for some time now.  I figured it was time to start cleaning house and finally knock it out.  I read the original novella back when it was originally published in Esquire, but that was some time ago.  I did write about it, but those articles were lost when Examiner shut down.  I do remember not being particularly blown away by it.  That was probably one of the reasons why I kept this one on the backburner for as long as I did.

To the movie's credit, it actually is a stronger work than the source material.  Where the story felt pretty thin, the movie has time to flesh out certain elements and give the characters more time to shine.  While the characters are still daft for never thinking to use their car horns as a way try to help get others out, they do act more intelligently here than they did in the story.  One character attempts to leave himself a trail by tying some of the grass stems in knots and he later uses a child as a sort of periscope to try to keep them oriented while they try to make their way back to the main road.  Neither effort works, but still, credit for clever thinking.  Surprisingly, nobody tries to set the field ablaze.  We see one character smoking early on, I thought for sure that it was going to be a "Chekhov's Gun" situation, but nope.  Even when they're convinced that they're not getting out, nobody suggests taking the field with them.

Speaking of, the field itself gets more to do.  The disorientation and relocation are still present, but we see that the field can even distort time itself.  It adds to the eerie, alien element of the field and gives the movie some interesting "timey wimey ball" elements that end up playing a pretty critical role in the plot.  The rock also gets more detail and focus brought to it.  We're never told what it is exactly, but we get a lot more detail as to how it works and what its attempting to accomplish.

That being said, despite the movie being well under 2 hours (an hour, 40) it still drags quite a bit.  The director does get a little over-indulgent at certain points, especially as the movie gets closer to the climax.  It also gets tough to care when you see characters die repeatedly only to pop back in later.  It makes sense, as it's shown that the characters have gone through several loops and they're all intersecting at various points, but it does undercut the tension quite a bit.

The cast all do a good job.  Patrick Wilson is probably the stand out, as he gets to play both friendly and menacing, sometimes at the same time.

As far as King adaptations go, this one's solid.  It's faithful enough, but it also goes in its own direction.  It does have problems, so I don't know if I'd call it a must watch, but there's enough good stuff here to say that it doesn't warrant a hard pass either.

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'It: Chapter Two' Movie Review

It's been a while since I watched the first part of this adaptation of Stephen King's book, but with it coming off of Hulu pretty soon, I figured it was about time to finally check out how this concludes.

I was a little surprised by the runtime at first.  The movie comes in at just under three hours.  Most of the meat of the story occurs in the childhood portion and it seemed like that was covered in the first film.  This one actually takes a more balanced approach, going back and forth between seeing the characters as children and as adults.  The script actually manages to justify it pretty well, as they are remembering things about what happened that they had forgotten.  It allows them to flashback, but not rehash scenes that were already seen in the first entry.

As was the case before, the movie is well cast.  Everybody does a solid job, though Bill Hader as Richie was pretty inspired.  His is probably the most memorable performance.  He does a good job with the wisecracks, but the movie actually gives him more to work with, so you get some solid emotional scenes from him as well.

On a similar note, Skarsgard gets more to do as Pennywise.  I was a little whelmed in his first outing, but he did a much better job here.  His depiction here still fits with what we'd seen before, but it feels more like the Pennywise from both the book and the original mini-series.  He taunts the characters a lot and the scene where he lures a girl under the bleachers is well done.

It's strange, as much as the movie hammers in the idea that the losers have to work as a group, a majority of the movie is spent showing the characters on their own individual fetch quests to retrieve personal items to be used in the film's version of the ritual of Chud and to reminisce (leading to the aforementioned flashbacks.)  You'd think that it would make the movie feel padded or repetitive, but they actually managed to avoid that.  The fact is even more surprising given how things play out later in the movie, but that's spoiler territory and while the movie is a couple of years old, I don't want to give everything away.

Sadly, no real mention of the turtle.  We see a shot of a turtle statuette, but that's it.  I guess it's not surprising that it was cut, but it would've been cool to see that element brought in this time around.  The movie does provide a unique mechanism for us to see Pennywise's arrival on Earth, though.

Then again, given some of the special effects on display here, that's probably for the best.  The CGI here was a little on the lackluster side.  There's one scene where it's actually used to somewhat comedic effect, but there were quite a few misses.  This movie did a better job in terms of horror, as it wasn't entirely reliant on jump scares, but the special effects did somewhat undercut the tension.  The good news is that the giant spider is much more impressive.  I'd guess that the final confrontation was the focus for the effects team and it did at least pay off on that front.

Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit.  It actually improved on things from the first one and gave elements from the book that didn't make it to the original mini-series to get adapted.  

 

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'Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero' Movie Review

 

I missed out on seeing the first two "Dragon Ball Z" movies in theaters due to financial woes; still haven't seen them now that I mention it.  When "Broly" hit, things were better on the fiscal front, but the release was limited and wasn't showing at my local theater.  Thus, I had to wait for it to arrive on DVD to be able to watch it. Finally, comes "Super Hero" the latest entry in the "Dragon Ball Super" franchise.  With a stronger fiscal position, a wider release, and an appropriate work schedule, I resolved to see this one in theaters.

I'm glad I did, as I enjoyed the film a lot. It manages to bring a healthy dose of lighthearted humor, character growth, and big action to the table.  There are times where Dragon Ball has gone too far into "gag" humor territory and it ended up being detrimental, but the humor here is more character and dialogue driven.  It's more effective and allows the humor to exist without undercutting the imposing threat.

I know that one of the big concerns was the new animation style.  This one went almost fully CG and the initial response wasn't positive.  There are a few jarring bits here and there, but honestly, you don't even notice it after a while.  The opening credits sequence where we're following Magenta's car as he goes to approach Dr. Hedo, as well as the appearances of Goku and Vegeta, are really the only bits where the animation takes you out of the movie.

Speaking of Magenta and Dr. Hedo, they act as the antagonists of the film.  Magenta, being the son of an adversary that Goku faced in his youth, has rebuilt an empire in secret and is intent on enacting a plan to get revenge and take over the world.  As such, he recruits Dr. Hedo, who is also the descendant of a prior Goku enemy.  

The two actually form a unique dynamic.  Magenta carries himself like a crime boss and his negotiation with Hedo is an early highlight for the film.  Both parties plan on exploiting the other for their own purposes, both know that the other is trying to use them, and an alliance of sorts still manages to be formed anyway.

Of course, "villain" doesn't exactly apply to Dr. Hedo.  He's not good, but he does have a genuine love for superheroes and when Magenta tasks him with building super-bots capable of taking on our heroes, he naturally creates them with hero personas.  This may seem paradoxical, but Hedo (and thus, the androids, called "Gammas") are under the impression that Goku and the gang are enemies of Earth.

There was some amusing propaganda at play, and Magenta does use Goku's extra-terrestrial origins to his advantage.  It was a little surprising to see Hedo react with shock at the idea of aliens.  Wasn't Vegeta and Nappa's "invasion" public knowledge?  I guess he's just out of the loop.

In any event, the Gammas themselves are quite memorable.  I would have liked to see more of them in all honesty.  While they are the "enemy" for the first portion of the film, you can tell that they are heroes.  They're aghast at the idea of harming a child and don't hesitate to come to the Z-fighters' aid when the "final boss" of the film is released.  

This film really allowed the secondary characters to shine.  Not only does Piccolo take center stage (and do a great job of it) but characters who had been sidelined for years actually get to jump into the fray.  Even Krillin contributes in meaningful ways.  I'm a big fan of Goku and Vegeta but having them step into the background for a bit actually worked wonders.  

As is expected of "Dragon Ball" the final fight is something to behold.  In a lot of ways, I think it was better than the Broly fight.  Not in terms of animation, in that regard, Broly wins, but this upped the ante by having multiple fighters working in unison.  It also avoided the burnout that the Broly showdown caused by injecting bits of humor and character progression to keep things from getting one note. 

The film is chock full of call backs. They're a lot more subtle than some of the ones we saw in the main anime, which was welcome.  If you're a longtime fan, there are all kinds of nods and allusions to earlier material.  Oddly enough, no mention of Gohan's stint as the great Saiyaman.  You'd think that when Gamma 1 alluded to himself as a genuine superhero that Gohan would have at least invoked that as a way to clear things up.

Even so, both Gohan and Piccolo do a good job of attempting to diplomatically deal with the Gammas as the fight progresses.

The soundtrack is OK.  The main theme fits the "hero" thing, and it works in the scenes where it is used but compared to some of the tracks we heard in both "Broly" and the main anime, it can feel a little lackluster.  

The movie did leave me wanting more.  You could see that as a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.  As I said, would have liked to see more of the Gammas, or more of the two antagonists scheming against each other.  Having Tien, Yamcha, and 17 also show up for the final fight would have been cool, but I guess that's more actors and more animation.  Bulma did say that she got everyone on Earth, does that mean that they're in space?  Is that the next movie?  I guess the implication is that she only had so much time or couldn't track down everybody, but I kind of like my idea better.

All in all, though, I really had a lot of fun with this.  I recommend it.  Oh, and stay through the credits, there is a stinger that is worth watching as well.

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'Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe' Movie Review

 

This is what we needed; a little levity to break up all the "grimdark" that is permeating society.  Is it intellectual?  Of course not, it's Beavis and Butt-head, but it can still be quite uplifting.

I only saw the trailer for this a month ago.  Having grown up watching the show, I was quite pleased to see it making a return.  Admittedly, revivals might not necessarily work, but this did, quite well in fact. The fact that this is something of a backdoor (heh) pilot just made the news that much better. 

The jokes and humor (lowbrow as they are) all worked. The resulting misunderstandings and disconnected conversations add another layer to what would have been very one-dimensional jokes.  Oddly enough, you have to give credit to the writers.  Certain things had to be phrased a certain way for it to work, and they managed to do it.  Heh, do it.

While the advertisements play up the "go to space" angle, that's really only more of a prologue.  It's funny, and the subsequent time travel is kind of a factor throughout the movie, but really the two don't care so much about any of that and are only looking to score.  There's some "fish out of water" elements, but really, the two settle into the new time period surprisingly well.  Even the looming threat to the universe is comically shoved to the background because the boys are dead set on hooking up with a girl.  

While Beavis and Butt-head aren't the most layered characters, the movie actually does play with the idea of character development.  Beavis starts to open up to what he perceives to be a love interest and build a genuine bond.  At the very least, it gives him a channel to open up and feel heard.  It was surprisingly heartwarming.

Of course, the movie subverts it just as much.  The movie does toy with the idea of the two learning more about their parents, but it's comically negated in each instance.  The viewers themselves do get a few tidbits of information, though, so there is at least some progress from a meta-perspective.

While the movie does only have a ninety-minute run time, it does feel like there's some pacing issues.  Considering the two are wandering around a lot, which isn't unusual for them, it does feel a little aimless at times.  The humor helps carry it through, but it still felt like there was a good amount of padding.

All in all, though, I had a lot of fun with this.  I'm looking forward to the relaunch.  If you're looking for some good, dumb comedy, this will deliver that in spades.

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Moro Vs. Cooler: Who Should be the Villain in the Next 'Dragon Ball Super' Movie?

 You've probably heard that there is another 'Dragon Ball Super' movie in the works, set to come out some time next year.  Being a fan of the franchise, I am naturally excited and intrigued. There hasn't been any official word on what the plot would be, or who the heroes will confront, but there are two major contenders for the role of film antagonist, at least based on what musings I've come across.

The first is Moro, the ram-like sorcerer who acted as the main foe in the first major post-Tournament of Power arc in the manga.  I don't read the manga, but I it's been well received.  Moro himself is a distinct villain who operates differently from most dragon ball villains.  The arc also gives Vegeta quite a lot of development and even gives the human Z-fighters a chance to shine in the final battle.  

Whether it's in film or a relaunched series, I am looking forward to seeing this arc get brought to the animated medium.  

While this is a convenient way to go, as the story's already been written, there are some among the fandom who would rather the arc wait for a full series.  It is a big arc and a movie might not do it justice.

On the other hand, remember how 'Super' started.  We had the two "canon" Dragon Ball Z movies (Battle of Gods and Resurrection F), then when the Super started, it kicked off by retelling and embellishing on those two plot points. It's possible that viewers can have their cake and eat it too.  The movie gives us a glimpse of what the arc would look like, then when (or if) the show returns we can see the more elaborate and fully fleshed out take on the story line (as well as Broly's).

Speaking of Broly, that brings us to the other lead suspect: Frieza's brother, Cooler.  I'm not entirely sold on this idea, to be honest.

For one thing, you just did Broly, so going back to the old movie well for another villain seems kind of...lazy.

On top of that, if they wanted to canonize Cooler, they had a perfect opportunity in the flashbacks of the Broly movie.  It wouldn't have taken much, either a quick cameo or even just a line alluding to his existence would have been enough. That way, if he did appear, it would have been more organic.  

Now that I think about it, they could have thrown in a Turles appearance too, really brought the movie rogues into the main storyline (Garlic Jr. is already canon, remember.)

Another option would be just to wait a bit.  Bringing Cooler in might go over better if there is some space between him and Broly.  It would be interesting to see more of the movie villains become part of the main story, but doing them all in rapid succession takes away some of the appeal.  

Seeing Janemba or Hildegarn get brought in later on down the line would be cool, but I wouldn't want to see them right after Broly and Cooler.  Mix it up a bit.

So, my vote goes to Moro, but I know that Cooler has his fans.  Of course, the movie could throw a curve ball and do something completely different.  If Moro is too big for a movie, just do something smaller scale that gives the team something to do and possibly give the (maybe) returning anime some story fodder going forward. 

As of now, it's too soon to tell, and it's all just speculation.  In either case, I am looking forward to seeing 'Dragon Ball Super' make its return.  It has been far too long since we got our fix in.

'Pet Sematary' (2019) Movie Review

While the original film adaptation of "Pet Sematary" wasn't without its merit and charm, there was certainly some room for improvement.  As such, this is one of the more forgivable remakes in recent memory.  So, the question becomes, how did this one do?

As was the case with its predecessor, this one is a mixed bag.  There's certainly things to like.  John Lithgow is great as Jud.  He doesn't have that iconic drawl, but he turns in a strong performance that stands as one of the film's more memorable strengths.  The nod to his role as Winston Churchill was also an amusing nod.

Similarly, Jete Laurence works really well as Ellie.  Her increased screen time does telegraph the "big twist" that she's the one who ends up dying, but she really comes off as a nice, sweet kid.  You grow to like her a lot and it makes her death scene one of the film's more powerful moments (and rightly so.)

Sadly, like Gage before her, her turn as villain ends up falling a bit flat.  That first scene after she comes back is when she is at her creepiest.  Her cold, lack of emotion stands in stark contrast to her previous persona and it is awesomely eerie.  She also gets some great dialogue as Louis tries to put her to bed.

However, as she gets increasingly angry and violent, her performance falls more flat.  I wouldn't say it's "bad" exactly, but it doesn't have any kick to it.

Similarly, the film's horror is heavily reliant on jump scares as well as various visions and hallucinations to try to drum up some tension and atmosphere.  Some of them work but it was overdone in my opinion.  You could argue that it was the Wendigo engaging in some psychological warfare (which the revenants here do, not to mention that it was quite the chessmaster in the original novel) but a lot of times it just seems forced in for the sake of some spookiness.

I thought that the thing with the kids wearing the masks was going to fall into that category, but it is put to better use in the climax.  Similarly, the movie is quite successful at building that tension and dread at several other points throughout the movie, so it is hardly a total bust on that front.

Jason Clarke is more emotionally versatile than his predecessor, but unfortunately, we don't see as much of a benefit.  As Lilja's Library noted in its own review of the film, we don't see a whole lot of that anguish that would come from the sudden loss of a child.  It's only a matter of minutes in terms of screen time before Louis is digging up his daughter's corpse to bring her back.  Yeah, you as the viewer can put two and two together, and we do see them sad, but it still feels a bit rushed.

I'm not sure how you dwell on that without it feeling like padding, but seeing him trying to come to terms with it and failing probably would have helped things a little.

On a completely random note, I read on TvTropes that, just like with "Cujo", the crew had a hard time trying to get the animals to act mean or vicious.  They were just too friendly and wanted to nuzzle and cuddle the cast instead.  It's both funny and adorable.  I love it.

Overall, I'd say this is worth checking out.  It has its problems, but the strong cast and capable production make up for it.  It is also much closer to the book, bringing in a lot of the mythos that was absent from the first adaptation.  There were changes too, no doubt, but I think fans of the book will appreciate the greater devotion to the source material.

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'Children of the Corn: Runaway' Movie Review

Like many other horror movie franchises, the line of 'Children of the Corn' movies just doesn't know when to stop.

To this film's credit, it does at least try to do something different and tell a unique story.  Here, we follow Ruth, a woman who was a part of the He Who Walks Behind the Rows worshipers, but turned her back on it after losing her family, friends, and boyfriend.  Now, with a child of her own, she has spent her life fleeing.

It's a pretty good character and plot hook.  The movie puts a good deal of emphasis on the trauma that haunts Ruth.  Some of it works, such as scenes where kids will be standing around and she'll immediately associate it with the psychos she knew.  Other times...not so much.  The flashbacks are supposed to act as a form of character development, but mostly they just come off as filler and a pretense to add some gore and violence to remind you that, yes, this is a horror flick.

Even when people do start dying.  The movie does so many fake-outs and "visions" that it can become hard to tell what's actually happened.

The characters themselves are also rather flat.  A part of this is due to casting, but I think the script shares some blame as well.  The romance between Ruth and her boss comes out of nowhere and the ensuing drama from the botch isn't all that compelling.  Plot elements that could have been fleshed out (such as the rivalry between Ruth and the school principal) are also underdeveloped due to a lack of time.

Also, why on Earth would Ruth settle into a small, rural, midwestern town?  You'd think she'd want to avoid those like the plague; go to a big city.  Sure, it wouldn't stop the freaking demon that's chasing her down, but it still seems like it would make sense to stay as far away from corn and big, empty fields as humanly possible. 

It isn't until the tail end of the movie that Marci Miller is actually given something to work with.  You can see much more emotion there than you did in the first two thirds of the movie. It does make you appreciate it, but it would have been nice to see more of that throughout.  It's frustrating as there is potential, the movie just doesn't seem to want to tap into it as much as it could have.

The movie does a decent job of creating some tension and atmosphere.  Sara Moore has no lines, but still has a creepy air about her.  The movie doesn't have her do anything that other "creepy kid" characters haven't done, but she still pulled it off.

The movie's theme, a soft music box style leitmotif also lends a lot of weight to things.  It's simple and haunting...but also kind of sad?  I thought it worked really well.

Other horror aspects fell flat.  As noted, the reliance on flashbacks to provide some obligatory violence didn't work too well.  The film's direction also had some odd decisions.  The camera would cut away randomly for no apparent reason.  There were also some aerial panning shots that served no purpose whatsoever and seemed shoved in there for the sake of having them.

The film really shines in its final act.  Despite a lackluster start, the movie actually does kick into something resembling high gear and it feels like there are real stakes and some solid plot twists.  I also have to give the movie credit for giving He Who Walks Behind the Rows some of his cred back.  After so many movies, viewers likely wouldn't have been impressed.  I won't spoil anything, but this gives him a good deal of his menace back.   

The movie had potential to be better than it was.  It definitely has its upsides.  In some ways, though, that just makes the flaws and structural problems that much more vexing.  Still, credit where it's due; it did try something different and it wasn't a total disaster like some of the movies that had come before it.

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'Cell' (2016) Movie Review

John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson reunite to partake in another adaptation of a Stephen King novel.  Sadly, the results aren't nearly as impressive as the first outing.

The plot is fairly simple and straight forward.  A mysterious cell phone signal triggers what basically amounts to a zombie outbreak.  We follow an artist named Clay (Cusack) who makes it his mission to find his family amid the ensuing chaos.

There are moments here and there, but the movie largely falls flat.  There isn't nearly as much tension as it seems like there should be.  One major problem is with the phoners themselves.  They don't come off as particularly menacing due to the fact that the extras playing them make them come off as more ridiculous.  Given that their extras, one might forgive their lack of talent, but the camera spends a lot of time on close ups of them, making it a more noticeable flaw.

Things do get better when they start to coordinate and become more than just the typical rage zombies, but it isn't enough to make a lasting impression.

The human cast fares slightly better, though they don't have a whole lot to work with.  Samuel L. Jackson brings some of his trademark gravitas to the table and his character does have a lot of the best lines, but you can see better from him in other films.

Stacy Keach also could have used more screen time.  He's great in the portion of the film he's in, but he's pretty much a one-scene wonder.

Isabelle Furhman stands out as the only one who seems to be making a genuine effort.  She's the only one who shows signs of shock, grief, and horror at what's going down.   She's probably the one you connect to the most.

As a result, even the film's attempts to be more emotional don't work as well as they should.  When Clay goes on what amounts to a suicide mission, the big goodbye should be a powerful and moving moment, but it's just kind of there.

The movie also has structural problems.  The group just kind of wanders from place to place.  I honestly forgot what their end goal was at one point, which is odd given that it's pretty simple.  There needed to be more of an impetus behind the characters' actions.

Even when Raggedy shows up, not much is done with him.  He's just there because he was there in the book.  Granted, he wasn't the most impressive King villain in the source material, but at least he did stuff.  There's no development or exploration of what he is or what his end goal is. He just stands there.

Pacing is also a problem.  Like in the book, the pulse hits very early allowing for the action to start almost immediately.  However, with only a 98 minute run time, the film's plot feels both underdeveloped and unnecessarily padded out.  A part of me wishes that the movie had more time to explore certain aspects, but it didn't really use the time it had very well.

The Pulse itself is never really explored.  Even the speculation scene amounts to one line from Jackson's character.  It's pretty much just a plot device.

Overall, this was a lackluster outing.  It had potential and there are sparks here and there, but it is another film that isn't really worth going out of your way to see.

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'The Dark Tower' (2017) Movie Review

After years of languishing in development hell, a cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series finally got released.  The results are.....eeh?  It's telling that the blurb on the DVD cover states "it delivers Idris Elba as an action star". 

Even putting aside the fact that the series is lengthy and deep, this outing had several things working against it. With only a 95 minute run time, a lot feels glossed over.  There's a lot more telling than showing and Roland's big arc feels rushed.

The latter part is also due to the fact that Jake is made the main character.  I get it, he's from our world, so he can be the audience identifier.  On the other hand, when you're coming in to see Idris Elba, Tom Taylor doesn't really cut it.  He does OK for the most part, but that wasn't what we were sold.  This problem does fix itself once Jake makes it to Mid-world and partners up with Roland, but it does lead to a first act that feels slow and is generally unwelcome.

There is also a noticeable lack of tension at several points.  The action sequences are largely well done and have their fair share of highlights, but it still feels hollow.

What really props this take up is the two leads.  Granted, Elba doesn't have a whole lot to do, but when he has material to work with, he brings what he can.  While he does well showing off Roland's badassery, I think the fish out of water scenes in New York will leave a more lasting impression on viewers.

McConaughey, on the other hand, works really well as Walter aka The Man in Black.  He's clearly having fun with it, but he's also able to bring a good amount of menace to his performance.  He is also able to use Kilgrave's skill set much more effectively.  Yeah, that's right, he came off much creepier and unnerving than Tennant.

As this is an attempt to streamline the narrative, there are lots of little homages to specific aspects of the books.  Fittingly, the movie also makes nods to other King works.  Jake is a psychic now, with it specifically being referred to as "the shine".  Roland also uses a spider as an example when talking about the dark forces that exist beyond the barrier of the multiverse.  Heck, even the main plot itself of using psychic kids to power a big machine is taken straight from "Black House".  The people behind this were clearly familiar with the material, they just didn't have the time to bring it all together as effectively as one might hope.

One thing that Dark Tower fans were quick to note was that Roland still had the horn.  This was meant to indicate that this wasn't so much an adaptation of the books, but a sort of sequel.  It was a clever way to explain the differences and give the producers some leeway, but I'm afraid even that only goes so far.  I mean, even the nature of the tower itself is different.  I don't know if you can handwave that with "time loop".  Not much is made of the horn or the time loop, though Walter does have one line where he compares Roland's quest (as well as their overall conflict) to a dog playing fetch.  I thought it was an amusing wink to the fans.

This is hardly the worst King adaptation out there.  It's not awful, there are things to like, but it is an underwhelming undertaking.  I think a longer run time would have really helped get us invested in this world.  As it is, it's just blah.  I know the intent was to turn this into a multi-movie franchise, but I'm not sure how that would work.  Walter's dead (though they could write that off as some sort of trick.)  The movie does allude to the Crimson King, but would he just do the same thing?  Would some other dark force be enlisted that would force Roland to go to the tower?  I have no idea, but it's a moot point as the movie didn't do so hot at the box office and a sequel seems unlikely.  I've heard rumors that they are trying to do a TV series based on the books.  The way the story is structured they could "reboot" it by just making that another loop and still keeping it all canon.  We'll see if that ever comes to fruition, though.  In the meantime, this one doesn't hurt, but there's no real reason to go out of your way to see it.  It's worth a rental at best, but there are better options out there.

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'Doctor Sleep' Trailer Reaction

There have been quite a few Stephen King adaptations in the pipeline as of late.  One was for one of his recent novels, "Doctor Sleep", which is a sequel to his classic, "The Shining".  A trailer for the film adaptation just landed yesterday, as such, let's have a look and see what we're in for.







This is an interesting contrast to the recent, "It: Chapter Two" trailer. I think that this creates a stronger atmosphere and definitely comes off feeling creepier as a result. 

Like the aforementioned trailer, the second half includes a musical score that seems a little odd.  I think "It" did the better job on that front.  Granted, that one was out of place, but it still made an impact. This tune just left me feeling "eh".  Closing out with that creepy opening theme from the Kubrick film did work wonders though, brilliant touch there.

Speaking of, it seems like this is acting as a sort of loose follow up to said film.  It makes sense. You couldn't really say that it was a film sequel to the book, as that would turn potential viewers away.  I guess you could've used that TV mini-series that wasn't very well received.  Really, using the Kubrick take is the best way to go, given that it is a well regarded classic that a vast majority of people have seen.  The trailer itself strikes the right balance, acknowledging what came before and paying homage, but also showing that this story is going to go in its own direction.

Overall, this one looks solid.  Ewan McGregor looks like he's going to be a good fit for the older Danny.  I think it's going to be a good watch.  We'll find out if that turns out to be the case in November.















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'IT: Chapter Two' Trailer Reaction

It seems like it's been a good while since we've done a trailer reaction post.  With a trailer for the upcoming 'IT: Chapter Two' (you can read my thoughts on the first film here) having just hit the internet yesterday, it seems like as good a time as any to do one.  Before we can react to it, though, here's the video itself.







That...wasn't what one might expect from a horror movie trailer.

The "slow burn" approach works somewhat well with the first half, though it comes off less creepy and more generally awkward.  I do wonder if the woman is supposed to be one of IT's offspring.  It could just be Pennywise screwing with her, but having IT's children play a role would be an interesting way to change things up a bit.  IT being "pregnant" was a fairly prominent plot point in the book, so it wouldn't come completely out of left field and this could be a way to expand on that, though I might just be reading too much into it.

Also, sorry, but that "charge" scene came off more ridiculous than anything else.

The music choice for the second half was interesting.  It was more on the bombastic side, the sort of thing you'd expect to play in a superhero movie.  It's out of place (the Loser's Club isn't the Avengers, guys), but I kind of dug it? It definitely makes it feel more epic, which could be a hint towards the more cosmic elements that are supposed to come into play. Adding that chuckle was also pretty effective and gave the trailer it's own flavor.

Having Pennywise only pop out of the dark at the end to say hello was also a strong way to end it.

When I first saw this, I was a bit on the underwhelmed side.  The fact that it goes against what you expect is, in some ways, a good thing, but I do also feel like it was a detriment.  Looking back, there were a lot of elements that worked well.  I think the trailer benefits from second and third viewings.  I was likely going to go see this anyway, but this does offer some degree of intrigue to the proceedings.














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'It' (2017 Movie)

By and large, people are weary of remakes.  It's hard to build up hype for something that's already been done.  This is even more true when re-adapting something like, say, a book.  We saw what happened when Hollywood tried to bring Carrie to the big screen for like the third time.  Yet, when it was announced that another take on "It" was in the works, people were generally excited.  The 90's TV mini-series has its charm, but fans of the book can't be faulted for being excited at the prospect of another go around, especially when it has a much bigger budget to work with.

The results are...mixed.  This is definitely a much darker presentation than what came before.  As a result, it feels closer in tone to the source material.  We also have a Pennywise who comes off as much more monstrous.  Curry's Pennywise was creepy, but had a bit of a silly flair.  I remember watching "It" the first time and wondering why the kids were so scared.  Here, you see why.  He is legitimately terrorizing the kids something fierce. 

That being said, I think I still lean more in favor of Curry's take.  Maybe it's nostalgia goggles, but this take on Pennywise really didn't do it for me as much as one would hope.  It just seemed like he was trying too hard to be creepy.  He's so blatantly and obviously evil that it feels a bit one note.  He has his moments, but I largely came away with a feeling of "eh".  This isn't helped by the fact that the movie is heavily reliant on jump scares.  It works sometimes, but it does start to feel repetitive as the movie progresses. 

The movie makes up for it with the Losers themselves.  The new kids take a little getting used to, but once they come together, you totally buy the bond that's formed and its extent.  It gives the movie the heart it needs and ends up being one of the film's strongest factors.   Oddly enough, there are times when it seems like the horror elements are getting in the way.  This isn't the first film to do this.  I recall similar things being said about "Batman Begins" with its superhero elements and the recent "Power Rangers" film.  It's still a strange thing to see.

I remember back when the movie was in production, a lot was made about the time jump. The argument was that the 50's made more sense given Derry's idyllic illusion and that the 80's didn't really have that.  It makes sense on some level.  Watching the movie, though, the move to the 80's really didn't make that much of a difference.  There are some references to things, you see movie titles on marquees and Richie compares Bev to Molly Ringwald at one point, but the narrative plays out pretty much the same.  Ultimately, that wasn't a thing with which the fans needed to concern themselves.  It really didn't change things that drastically.

I'm torn on the ending.  The slingshot is removed, probably due to not being as prevalent in the 80's, and so too is the silver vulnerability.  As a result, the kids win the day by just beating the monster down with chains and a bat.  Considering one scene had Bev impale the monster through the head with a steel rod to no effect, the fact that this is ultimately what brings the creature down seems out of left field.  I know, the implication is supposed to be that It is weakening as a result of the kids no longer being afraid, but it still feels a bit lackluster.  OK, lackluster may not be the right word.  The climax is more action heavy, so it's satisfying to watch on some level, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. 

I am kind of curious to see how the sequel plays out.  For one thing, the kids overcoming their fear now seems like it would undercut the horror of confronting It again.  Most of the movie shows this ordeal as being traumatic in spades, but given the nature of their win, it does change things.

The story also remains somewhat grounded here.  There are a couple of nods to turtles, which make for some nice Easter eggs for fans, but no hint of the sort of cosmic force that comes into play in the book.  This entry is a pretty straight forward monster movie.  From what I hear, the larger elements are going to be brought in for the second chapter.  I have a feeling it's going to make for a jarring watch, especially when people decide to watch the two parts back to back or if/when they do the "director's cut" that combines the two into one cohesive narrative.   

Overall, this was OK.  I was underwhelmed by Pennywise, which is sad considering he's one of my favorite King villains, but the cast and script made up for it in other areas.  It has its shortcomings, but if you're a fan of the book, this is worth checking out at least once.

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'Children of the Corn: Runaway' Trailer Reaction

They went ahead and made another "Children of the Corn" movie.  I guess people were clamoring for another, so Hollywood delivered.  While it's going to be direct to video, we did get a trailer that dropped about a day or so ago.  As such, I figured we should take a glance at it and see what we're in for.









Well, that sure was a thing.

I'm sorry, this did nothing for me.  It is desperately trying to create a spooky atmosphere, but it all just fell flat.

The dialogue is...stilted, to say the least.  I know it's a weird thing to harp on in a trailer, but it really stands out in how utterly banal it all sounds. 

Judging by what we see, it looks like the cast is doing a decent job of it.  They're at least making an effort.  The kids didn't really blow me away, but their scenes might be creepier in context.  As it is, we just see kids doing what creepy kids normally do.  It's probably one of the reasons that this trailer felt so ho-hum to me. 

We'll see how the final product fares when it hits DVD in March.  I'd like it to be good, but so far, I'm not feeling too optimistic.  I'm open to being surprised, however.









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'Gerald's Game' Movie Review

While I still haven't managed to catch "It" or "The Dark Tower", I did finally get a chance to sit down and watch Netflix's cinematic adaptation of "Gerald's Game". 

For a long time this was cited to be one of King's "unfilmable" books (though I think "Rose Madder" trumps it in that regard) but somebody finally adapted it.  This was a perfect fit for Netflix.  The simple premise keeps the budget low and the more risque subject matter might have been a gamble had they tried to go for a theatrical release.

The film plays into the more psychological aspects and it works well.  Even though Jessie spends a majority of the movie chained to a bed, you're never bored.  There's tension that is effectively executed and keeps you engaged in what's happening. 

The cast all do a great job.  Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood carry the brunt of the weight, but they show that they're up to the task.  Both get to play multiple iterations of their respective characters.  It gives them plenty to chew on.

The movie itself is very faithful to the source material...not that there was really much room for deviation.  Still, even little details are consistent with the novel.  It was nice to see.  Really, the biggest change that I noticed was a glossing over of the aftermath and Jessie's fear of the mysterious figure who she saw in her room.  It's touched on, and she does confront him in court to get closure, but we don't see her trying to convince others of what happened the way she did in the book.

Being such a faithful adaptation, I suppose it's fitting that the strengths and weaknesses from the book come right to the film.  Is Jessie still a strong central protagonist who proves to be resourceful, clever, and have a clear arc of evolution? Yes.  Is the book's social commentary wonky and eyebrow raising? Yep, you bet. 

Still, though, the movie does pull back from the book in some respects.  I thought Gerald came off a lot better here than he does in the source material.  The guy still has issues, but he felt more layered here.  What Jessie endures as a child is also watered down.  It's still squicky as hell, but it might undercut the dramatic weight a little.

As always, I got a kick out of the nods to other King works.  You wouldn't think that writers would find a way to reference "The Dark Tower" in a more grounded book like this, but they found a way.  I was amused.   

The run time was under 2 hours, which I think works to the film's favor.  It keeps things moving and it also makes it more viewer friendly as they'll have an easier time carving out a block of time to sit and watch it.

All in all, this was solid.  I recommend giving it a watch.  Even with all of the King adaptations, I think that this one will go down as one of the stronger ones overall.  It's well acted, well shot, well written...for the most part.  The script does get a little hamfisted at points, but all in all, I thought it worked.  I'd still say it's worth checking out.     

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'Thor: The Dark World' Movie Review

You can read my review of the film here.

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'Man of Steel' Movie Review

You can read my review of the film here.

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'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Movie Review

You can read my review of the film here.

Pros


- While grimmer than most "Star Wars" entries, this one manages to make good with the entertainment, providing impressive action and a healthy dose of humor throughout.

- K2SO

- The movie gives us more shades of grey as the rebellion isn't quite the idealistic movement that it is in the succeeding movies.



Cons


- Having grown up playing the "Dark Forces" games, I was hoping to see Kyle Katarn either make an appearance or at least get name dropped.  Neither happens.


- Needed more Forest Whitaker

- Jyn's turn from uninterested cynic to idealistic champion is a bit too quick.



Overall


This wasn't a story that needed to be told, but the telling still makes for solid entertainment.  It manages to be self contained, but provide just enough fan service via established character cameos to satisfy fans and cement this movie's role in the overall narrative.  Even the fact that a lot of it was a foregone conclusion doesn't become the detriment that you'd think it would.

Given the amount of hype behind this one, there might be some degree of disappointment, but all in all, I thought it was a very good movie that's worth a purchase.


















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'IT' (2017 Movie) Third Trailer Reaction

A new trailer for the upcoming "IT" movie hit the internet a couple of days ago.  Between the labeling of it as the first official trailer and some of the opening bits, I thought this might just be one of the ones I've already talked about.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case as the trailer does establish its own identity as it progresses forward.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I sat down and watched the previous trailers, but it seemed like this one did the best job of establishing the creepy atmosphere that you look for.  Even the repetition of "you'll float too" was much better executed here than it was in the earlier trailer.

We actually do hear some lines from Pennywise this time.  I think it helps, though I still don't think we've seen enough to really judge how good he's going to be.  I want to be blown away, but so far it hasn't really left much of an impression.  I know Tim Curry's performance is a high bar to jump, but I'd like to think that he'll pull it off.  We do get a few creepy shots of him here and there, so that instills some hope....which is pretty ironic if you think about it.

I'm glad the trailer doesn't just walk you through the plot.  Still, it alludes to quite a few plot points.  That's not an easy balance to pull off, so well done on that front.

This comes out September 8th.  That's coming up quick.  Here's hoping it works out.



You can read my first trailer reaction here.

You can read my second trailer reaction here.























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'Yoga Hosers' movie review

You can read my review of the film here.

Pros


- The movie does hearken back to Kevin Smith's earlier work in many respects.

- Harley-Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp play off each other well.  It makes for a great comedy dynamic, but also sells the idea that the two are close friends.


Cons


- Exaggerated Canadian accents and repeated use of the "social media profile introduction" become grating after a while.

- The silly tone undercuts any sense of tension.  Fine for comedy, but a detriment to the "horror" aspect of a film billed as a "horror comedy"


Overall


This movie is silly and stupid.  That said, I still found it entertaining.  The jokes rely on goofiness and puns, but it worked for me.  The movie knows what it is and never tries to pretend otherwise.  This isn't a movie for everybody, but there is a niche viewership who will likely get a kick out of this.















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'Doctor Strange' (2016 Movie) Review

You can read my review here.

Pro

- Strong cast

- Great balance of action, drama, and humor

- Does a great job of expanding the scope of the marvel cinematic universe

-Great visual effects



Cons


- While well done, it does fall into a lot of the "origin story" traps

- Does further cut the wind from Thanos' sails by establishing even bigger threats


Overall


After so many superhero movies, it's not surprising that they start to feel somewhat similar.  This is especially true when it comes to origin stories.  Still, this movie provides a solid foundation by giving us well developed characters who all have their own individual motivations and story arcs.  There are similarities to "Iron Man" but it does enough to stand on its own.







                                  

















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