“Green Book” stars Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Dimeter Marinov, Mike Hatton, and P.J. Byrne. Released on November 16, 2018, the film follows the relationship between a New York bouncer and a famous black pianist. The film is directed by Peter Farrelly, who also directed “Dumb and Dumber”. After spending half of Thanksgiving weekend reviewing highly-anticipated sequels, it’s finally time for me to head back into awards territory. This is another award-potential film that I’ve been looking forward to ever since I first saw its trailer. Not only does it have the makings of a heartwarming friendship movie with an important subject matter, but it also marks a somewhat change of pace for Peter Farrelly, who is known for directing comedies with his brother, Bobby Farrelly. So far, that change is working quite well for critics and audiences since its release last weekend, but does it work well for me? Let’s find out. The film is based on a true story that involves Don Shirley’s (Ali) tour of the Deep South in the 1960s and his friendship with Tony Vallelonga (Mortensen), a bouncer who served as Shirley’s driver and security. The film is named after Victor Hugo Green’s The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook for African-American roadtrippers who were looking for a place that welcomes people of color. The only way I can describe it is that it’s a road trip movie that deals with racism in the 60s. Films that involve road trips usually have the tendency to get characters into some crazy situations during their quest to get from point A to point B. While this film’s somehow the case, it instead focuses on the friendship between two different people, and the result is unsurprisingly an irresistible crowd-pleaser that’s full of heart and humor. One of the best things about this film is that Peter Farrelly respects the importance of friendship, regardless of color, and that he maintains his focus on the film’s plot without taking any unnecessary detours. The film’s portrayal of the 1960s can get into some safer territory due to its PG-13 rating, but for those who are uncomfortable with the adult-rated portrayal of racism, it’s probably for the best. Viggo Mortensen delivered another worthy performance as Tony Vallelonga and Mahershala Ali was once again brilliant as Don Shirley. Shirley is best described as a restrained and wise gentleman who knows that maintaining his dignity is the best way to deal with people who treat him differently, which is something that everyone should learn whenever they come across a problem like this themselves. Ali was a perfect fit for this character, and I hope he gets some recognition for his performance. The chemistry between these two characters was absolutely flawless in terms of the humor and the drama. There was never a dull moment that made me want to jump out of the car and call for a taxi. It was actually quite surprising to see Peter Farrelly handle the dramatic elements just as well as the comedy aspect. Overall, “Green Book” is the type of road trip that I wouldn’t mind taking over and over again. Lead by the talented main leads, the film offers a healthy mixture of comedy and drama along with its respectable take on racism in the 60s. It also proves that Peter Farrelly has grown more comfortably outside of his comfort zone, which is his taste in comedies. If it’s playing at a theater near you, be sure to check it out if you get the chance. B+
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“Creed II” stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Wood Harris, and Brigitte Nielsen. Released on November 21, 2018, the film has Adonis Creed fighting the son of Ivan Drago, a Russian boxer who’s responsible for killing his father. The film is directed by Steven Caple Jr., who is known for directing the 2016 drama, “The Land”. It is a sequel to the 2015 film, “Creed”, and it is the eighth installment in the “Rocky” film series. Before I begin this review, I would like to take a couple of minutes to say I hope that everyone had a wonderful time spending Thanksgiving with their friends and loved ones…and had enough food in their bellies to last a couple of days. Now that that’s taken care of, let’s talk about another highly-anticipated sequel that just came out. 1985 saw the release of the fourth “Rocky” film, which featured the title character winning a match against a steroid-induced Soviet boxer known as Ivan Drago, who killed his closest friend and former Heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. 33 years later, Drago is back to reclaim his honor through his son, but the only obstacle that stands between him and his goal is Apollo Creed’s son. For those who grew up watching the “Rocky” films, this latest installment in the long-running series is a pretty big deal because of how it ties into “Rocky IV” in terms of the plot. So, I guess you can say that it’s as close to being a “Rocky IV” reunion as it can get. I was looking forward to this film for quite some time because I really enjoyed the first “Creed” film for its cast and its story. Plus, I couldn’t skip out on two of my favorite actors, Jordan and Stallone. Now that I finally got a chance to see it, was it able to punch its way to victory? One of the things you should know about the film is that Ryan Coogler, the writer/director of “Creed”, did not return to direct the sequel due to him working on “Black Panther”. He did serve as one of the executive producers for “Creed II”, so it wasn’t a total loss. Instead, the directing reigns go to Steven Caple Jr. This is the first film I’ve seen from the young filmmaker, and based on what I saw, I thought he did a great job at maintaining the heart and soul that its predecessor was known for. This is another sequel that focuses on both character development and storytelling, even though the latter tends to deliver some familiar elements that we’ve seen before in other sports films. I can understand the fact that it didn’t offer anything new to the formula, but it never lost sight of the emotion that got me into these films in the first place. Everything about this film is not only riveting, but also meaningful. The main cast once again delivered some amazing performances, most notably Jordan and Stallone as Creed and Rocky, respectively. What more can I say about them? They’re extremely talented and the chemistry between them is nothing but pure magic. Michael B. Jordan has been one of my favorite actors working in Hollywood today, and his performance in this film is one of the reasons why my statement still stands. Dolph Lundgren also reprises his role as Ivan Drago, the former Russian boxer from “Rocky IV”, and wow. He did not disappoint. This is probably his best performance I’ve seen from Lundgren since, well, his performance in “Rocky IV”. What also impressed me is that the film showcased Drago as a human being instead of portraying him as a cliched revenge-seeking character. The boxing sequences were also nicely portrayed due to the film’s cinematography and the hard-hitting choreography, especially the Creed vs Drago matches. I’m not sure if I could compare them to the sequences from “Creed” since I haven't watched that in a while, so all I could say is that they’re exciting to watch. Overall, despite its familiar tropes, “Creed II” packs a punch. Thanks to its talented cast, Steven Caple Jr.’s respectable direction, and its character-driven narrative, this is another well-deserved sequel that shouldn’t go unnoticed. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re going to continue this series the same way they did for “Rocky”. I guess time will tell. If you’re a fan of the “Rocky” series and enjoyed the first “Creed” film, this one won’t disappoint you. B+“Ralph Breaks the Internet” stars John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and Taraji P. Henson. Released on November 21, 2018, the film has Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz exploring the Internet to find a replacement piece for Sugar Rush. The film is directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, who are known for their works on “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Zootopia”. It is a sequel to the 2012 film, “Wreck-It Ralph”, and it is the 57th film in the Walt Disney Animation Studios library. For decades, the Walt Disney Animation Studios team has crafted dozens of stories that are either loosely based on source materials or completely original. However, there were a few times where they develop a follow-up to one of their films, with the examples being “The Rescuers Down Under” and “Fantasia 2000”. This year, they’re jumping aboard the sequel train once again to continue the adventures of everyone’s favorite video game baddie. “Wreck-It Ralph” was released six years ago and won over both critics and audiences with its convincing story and its clever uses of humor and cameos from the classic video games. The film’s success was worthy enough to earn “franchise potential” from the Disney team and thus, we have ourselves a “Wreck-It Ralph” sequel, but is it the sequel that we wanted? More importantly, is it fun enough to achieve a high score? If you’ve been following Disney for who knows how long, you may have noticed that they have their share of hits and misses with their sequels and spin-offs back in the day, mostly the low-quality direct-to-DVD ones. Now, in the recent years, the Disney team is being a bit more cautious with their franchise building by choosing a story that they think is worth telling on the big screen to people of all ages and maintaining the qualities that made audiences fell in love with their characters in the first place. Something that the other animation studios are still working on. The first thing I would like to talk about is the film’s concept. While the plot once again involves a world inside the arcade, it didn’t take the opportunity to explore more of the realms that were introduced in its predecessor or create any new ones. Rather, it took the characters that we know and love from the first film and placed them into a fresh new environment, which is, of course, the Internet. It helps to prevent the film from heading into familiar territory, but the only thing that matters to me was its execution and how much fun it was to explore that environment. Luckily, the film was able to provide both of these qualities without losing connection. In addition to bringing the fascinating and relatable world of the Internet to life, the film also delivered a heartwarming and intelligent story about one of the most important aspects of friendship. This is another sequel that further develops its characters while also expanding the universe they live in. What’s also impressive was that the filmmakers weren’t afraid to show off both the pros and the cons of exploring the Internet in a way that both kids and adults could understand, with the prime example being social media. This is a great way to teach young kids about the Internet, and I’m very happy that Disney decided to go down that route. There were a couple of scenes that slowed the film down a bit, but it was able to boot itself up quickly before it lost interest in itself. Not only did the main cast from the first film make a return for the sequel, including Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph and Silverman as Vanellope, the film also included a new batch of characters that were just as likable as the old ones, such as Shank (voiced by Gadot) from Slaughter Race and Yesss (Henson), an algorithm who’s in charge of a video sharing site known as Buzztube. The entire voice cast worked wonders in displaying these characters with heart and soul, especially Reilly. My only flaw with the characters was the amount of screen time for Fix-It Felix Jr. (McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun (Lynch). It felt like these characters are just there because they were in the first movie. It would be nice if the filmmakers let them join Ralph and Vanellope on the adventure without losing focus on the film's agenda, but that’s just me. Similar to the first film, the animation style in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" was creative, investing, and extremely detailed. Not just for the character designs, but for the Internet. I mean, wow! They absolutely made the World Wide Web into a massive utopia and it was simply amazing. Another thing that I enjoyed very much was its humor. Since the film takes place inside the Internet, there’s bound to be plenty of jokes and easter eggs that reflect on the world itself, and they happened to be well-balanced with its storytelling. One of my personal highlights of the film’s humor would have to be the Disney princesses. Oh my goodness, I was expecting these princesses to bring out the laughs and they did not disappoint. This was such a nice way for Disney to make fun of itself every once in a while. Hopefully everyone else should do the same. Overall, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” may have a couple of bugs here and there, but its connection was strong enough to deliver a charming and fun follow-up. With its well-developed characters, impressive animation, and a bold narrative, this animated sequel wrecks hard and plays hard in all the right ways. It also shows that Disney might be capable enough to tell these types of stories in their sequels, not just their original products. Now we wait and see if “Frozen 2” can copy this type of success when it comes out next year. Also, be sure to stay during the credits for two extra scenes, especially the one at the very end. Let’s just say that it’ll cheer you up when you’re having a bad day. A-“Instant Family” stars Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Gustavo Quiroz, Julianna Gamiz, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Tig Notaro, and Octavia Spencer. Released on November 16, 2018, the film is about a couple who decided to start a family with three adoptive siblings. The film is directed by Sean Anders, who also directed films such as “Never Been Thawed”, “Sex Drive”, and “Daddy’s Home”. There are many ways to define the meaning of “family”. This film depicts one of them. I’m always a sucker for films that deal with family, especially the Fast and Furious franchise. They always show that family is not just about people who share the same blood. It’s also about the people who love and support one another even though they’re not related to one another. This latest comedy from director Sean Anders hopes to continue this heart-warming trend by having a husband and wife duo deal with foster-care adoption. The film also marks the third collaboration between Anders and Wahlberg, following “Daddy’s Home” and its sequel, which tells me that this one could go in either direction. From the looks of the film’s marketing, it sounds like they’re going in the right direction in terms of the humor and the story, but does that make it a definitive recommendation for everyone? Well, yes. If you’ve been following Anders’ filmography for quite some time, you might have noticed that his comedies, either as a director or a writer, haven’t exactly hit their marks with their humor and storytelling. Whether they’re funny to their audiences or not, they always tend to be either mediocre or just plain forgettable. Then, this film came along and it’s surprisingly quite good. In terms of the comedy and the cast, I think this is Sean Anders’ best work in his career, both as a director and a writer. Another important reason why is the amount of passion that’s been put into this film’s concept. Not only does it display its heartfelt message about the importance of family, but it also displayed the normality of foster-care parenting with dignity and intelligence. It’s far from a perfect representation, but its heart was definitely in the right place. Mark Wahlberg delivered another solid performance as Pete Wagner, and Rose Byrne offered a few good moments as his wife, Ellie, but the real star of the movie is young Isabela Moner as one of the foster siblings. I know I might’ve said this before, but I believe she’s got a great future ahead of her as an actress. The film’s attempt at providing both humor and drama was also surprisingly effective. There was an equal amount of hilarity and heart that’ll get audiences laughing and crying all the way to the end credits. There were times where the film’s tone went from family drama to comedy and vice versa, but it knows how to maintain itself without going overboard with its jokes and its sappy scenes. The film also ran a bit longer than it should, clocking in at around two hours. While the pacing was suitable for this type of length, the running time can be a bit of a chore for those who aren’t into these types of films. Overall, Aside from its length and its flawed representation, “Instant Family” is a hilarious and heartwarming film that’ll resonate with almost everyone. Due to its likable cast, humor, and the amount of respect towards the concept, this is another “family-related” film that I wouldn’t mind watching over and over again. I would recommend it to those who enjoy watching feel-good films that display both humor and heart. B+“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp. Released on November 16, 2018, the film has Newt Scamander fighting to save the wizarding world from Grindelwald’s wrath. The film is directed by David Yates, who is known for directing some of the Harry Potter films. It is a sequel to the 2016 film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, which is also directed by Yates. “Fantastic Beasts” returned fans to the magical world of wizards and creatures when it was released two years ago. Although it wasn’t as beloved as the Harry Potter film series in terms of critical reception, its box office success proved that the Wizarding World is still as strong as ever. While I thought the first installment in the prequel series was “good enough”, it didn’t destroy my intrigue on where the franchise is going to go, especially since the sequel introduces Jude Law as the young Albus Dumbledore and the expanded role of Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. But will they be enough to continue the franchise with ease? The Harry Potter films are always known for their magical charm and the investing stories that made us grow attached to the characters throughout their years at Hogwarts. "Fantastic Beasts" managed to retain that charm, but its story and characters weren't able to have that same amount of appeal despite its visual effects. "The Crimes of Grindelward" showcases that the filmmakers didn't actually learn from their mistakes. Similar to recent sequels like "Pacific Rim Uprising", the film is designed to lead up to future installments if it makes any money. Now I would be OK with this strategy if it had a good story to tell, but from the looks of it, they still need plenty of work to do if they’re planning on expanding more of the Wizarding World. The film’s plot has plenty of enjoyable moments that’ll suit well for those who liked the first “Fantastic Beasts” film, but it still lacked the emotion and depth that introduced people to the franchise to begin with. Even the editing in a couple of sequences tends to mess up its narrative flow. On the plus side, however, it still has a few things that got me into the franchise in the first place. The main highlights of the cast were Redmayne, Law, and Depp as Newt Scamander, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald, respectively. Say what you want about Johnny Depp, but he knows how to bring his characters to life, and his role as the manipulative wizard is no exception. I also have to admit that Jude Law fits the role of Dumbledore almost perfectly, even though his screen time was a tad short. Another thing that I’m impressed with was its use of visual effects, mostly the creature designs. I saw the film in 3D and, to my surprise, it was a great way to experience the film’s visual work. Unless you’re not a fan of 3D, it’s worth the extra money. It’s too bad that the story wasn’t able to match the film’s eye candy and 3D effects. Overall, “The Crimes of Grindelwald” is visually gorgeous, but from a storytelling perspective, its strong sense of magic is severely lacking. It has some of the things that I enjoyed, such as the cast and the visuals. However, in terms of the plot, it still has lots to learn in order to regain the elements that truly brought the Wizarding World to life. It should take them at least a couple of years to figure it out. It’s not an immediate must-see for fans of the film series, but it’s worth watching for the 3D effects. C+ |
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