“Playing with Fire” stars John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand, Tyler Mane, Judy Greer, and Dennis Haysbert. Released on November 8, 2019, the film has a group of firefighters taking care of three troublesome siblings. The film is directed by Andy Fickman, who also directed films such as “She’s the Man”, “The Game Plan”, “You Again”, and “Parental Guidance”. Some people think that taking care of a bunch of kids would be a piece of cake. Others think otherwise, and by “others”, I mean a group of firefighters. This should be interesting. This latest family comedy comes from Andy Fickman, who’s no stranger to films that involve a famous actor dealing with kids in ridiculous situations. While these types of films usually don’t fare too well with critics, they provide plenty of heart and sometimes hilarity to entertain kids and their parents, and this film looks like it might join that list. Question is, is it good enough for me to warrant a recommendation? The story follows a team of rugged smokejumpers, consisting of Jake Carson (Cena), Mark (Key), Rodrigo (Leguizamo), and Axe (Mane). They do what they always do best, which is saving lives. Their latest mission, however, has them testing their patience and their sanity as they are tasked to watch over three children that they rescued from a fire. Let me start this off by saying if you’ve seen the likes of “The Pacifier” and “The Game Plan”, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into in “Playing with Fire”. In fact, this is pretty much John Cena’s answer to Dwayne Johnson’s “The Game Plan”. You know, since these two were professional wrestlers and they both star alongside child actors. Still holding my breath for them to make a movie together. It’s a lowbrow, kid-friendly comedy that has a bunch of grown-ups being constantly outsmarted by young children, and surprisingly, it’s not as fun as I thought it would be. One of the main reasons is the story. Despite a few charming moments that made me smile, particularly Cena, Hildebrand, and the child actors (Christian Convery as Will and Finley Rose Slater as Zoey), the film’s plot didn’t take full advantage of its concept and relied heavily on its simplicity, cliches, and plenty of slapstick jokes that resemble every live-action sitcom from the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. There’s plenty of plot elements that they could’ve explored more to make the story a bit more interesting, such as Cena’s character’s team and the smokejumper missions. Maybe have the team try to prove themselves that they’re not the worst smokejumpers in the world or something like that? Sure, it’s another formulaic plot element, but I think it would’ve been more entertaining than just have the adult characters make a fool out of themselves in almost every scene. There were also some parts that felt rushed, mostly due to the editing that’s as fitting as the editing from a television movie. Another reason is the film’s humor, which consists of poop jokes, slapstick, and plenty of yelling. You know, stuff that you would usually find in kid-friendly cartoons. It had a few humorous moments that got me chuckling, but other than that, it’s filled to the brim with repetitiveness, blandness, and embarrassment. It’s more focused on making the kids laugh than coming up with jokes that were smartly written for people outside of its target audience, which is the most common flaw that plagued the other below-average family films from the past. Overall, “Playing with Fire” is the type of fire that’s far too massive to contain. It meant well in delivering the charm to its cast and its messages, but its effort kept getting overshadowed by its irritating flames of stupidity. With its formulaic story, bland characters, and dumbed-down humor, the film is more suited as a television film for Nickelodeon rather than a theatrical film from Nickelodeon Movies. This is another comedy that didn’t work well for me, but I think young kids and their parents will most likely enjoy it for its humor because everyone has different tastes in humor, especially children. As for those who aren’t fans of these types of comedies, they’re better off watching some of the award-worthy films that are out this year. D+
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“Ford v Ferrari” stars Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, and Ray McKinnon. Released on November 15, 2019, the film follows the rivalry between two motor companies. The film is directed by James Mangold, who also directed films such as “Cop Land”, “Kate & Leopold”, “Walk the Line”, and “Logan”. The race for the gold in this year’s awards season is now starting to heat up this month, and it looks like we have another contender heading towards the starting line. With the combination of racing and filmmaking, it’s no wonder that I was excited to see a film that involves building race cars. These types of films always have me at the edge of my seat with the sound of the cars speeding down the tracks and their uncontrollable sense of intensity that makes me wonder which racer will cross the finish line first (my money’s on the protagonists). This latest fact-based drama is no exception based on the marketing. I’m not that big into engineering and car designing, but that didn’t stop me from seeing this story in action, especially since it had director James Mangold in the driver’s seat and a talented cast as his trusty pit crew. Will they be enough to finish first? Let’s find out. Based on actual events, the film’s story focuses on the relationship between automotive visionary Carroll Shelby (Damon) and professional racer Ken Miles (Bale). They are tasked by the Vice President of Ford Lee Iacocca (Bernthal) and the CEO of Ford Henry Ford II (Letts) to create a car that will help the company beat the Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Before I went into this film, I did some research on the 24 Hours of Le Mans event so that I had a clear idea on what I was getting myself into. It turns out that not only has it been around for 96 years, but it is also a race that tests the cars’ endurance and efficiency. In other words, the drivers drive around the track for 24 hours and the one with the greatest distance wins. It does sound crazy at first, but from what I read, it’s actually a bit more exciting compared to a traditional race for first place. Exhausting, but exciting. The film explores the characters that are responsible for creating and testing out the Ford GT40 as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans event that pits Ford Motor Company against the dominant Ferrari. It’s almost hard for me to believe that a film like this would make its simplistic story compelling with such a beefy runtime (2 hours and 32 minutes). Luckily for the filmmakers, it was able to prove me wrong. This is another biopic that knows how to make its fact-based concept fun and exciting while honoring the real-life characters who accomplished this daring feat thanks to some well-directed drama elements. It’s as long as “Doctor Sleep”, but it didn’t feel that long to me. Every scene in the film in terms of drama and racing cruised right along without making an unnecessary pit stop. James Mangold was able to offer a clear balance that made the characters just as important as the race sequences. He completely understood the fact that one aspect can’t work well without the other. Despite a couple of scenes that felt a bit iffy, I was highly engaged with its story and its well-developed characters. Matt Damon and Christian Bale were excellent together as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles respectively, especially Bale, who delivered one of his best performances of his career so far. He did wonders in portraying someone who’s a bit of a hot head, but has a good heart. Not only that, but he provided some highly entertaining moments that I thought were pretty hilarious. Yes, the film had a good sense of humor, which meant that it did its part in making the drama elements fun. The racing sequences were the main draw of “Ford v Ferrari”, and unsurprisingly, they didn’t disappoint. This is one of the films that deserve to be seen with the best sound system. When it comes to the cinematography, the editing, Mangold’s direction, and the sound mixing, the race scenes made me feel like I was inside the action. They’re fast, heart-pounding, and downright riveting. Overall, “Ford v Ferrari” is a gripping and entertaining matchup that’ll make racing fans cheer alongside the non-racing enthusiasts. Its runtime may come off as a bit of an issue for some people, and there were a couple of dramatic moments that were close to being perfect, but everything else was a blast to watch due to its cast, its fun characters, an engaging story, and some fantastic racing sequences. If there’s one film that you should definitely watch on the big screen with the best sound, make sure that it’s “Ford v Ferrari”. You won’t regret it. A-“Jojo Rabbit” stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johansson. Released on October 18, 2019, the film is about a German boy who discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. The film is directed by Taika Waititi, who also directed films such as “Eagle vs Shark”, “What We Do in the Shadows”, “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”, and “Thor: Ragnarok”. It is based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. There are plenty of people in this world that are selfish and cruel, but none of them are comparable to the lowest of the low, the meanest of the mean, the kings of dread themselves: the Nazis. Lead by the notorious Adolf Hitler during World War II, the Nazis would stop at nothing to dominate our entire planet. Luckily for us, their plan failed and Hitler killed himself to avoid capture. It’s always fun for us to hate on the Nazis for their disgusting deeds, but do you know what’s more fun than hating on them? Making fun of them, of course. After successfully adding some comedic flavor to the “Thor” franchise with “Thor: Ragnarok”, Taika Waititi is returning to his usual low-budget oddball comedy routine with a new film that offers a unique and light-hearted perspective on the Nazis. With a concept like this, there’s no telling how it will turn out. It could turn out to be either oddly entertaining or painfully offensive. Based on the reviews it’s been getting since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, it fell somewhere down the middle, with some critics enjoying how it handled the satirical portrayal of the Nazis, while others think otherwise. This was another film that I was looking forward to since it was released last month, mostly because of Waititi’s involvement and its unusual concept. Now that I finally saw it for myself, does it live up to its hype? Described as an “anti-hate satire”, the film takes place in Nazi Germany during World War II, where a young boy named Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Davis) is attending a Hitler Youth training camp. He is supported by his idiotic imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Waititi), his single mother Rosie (Johansson), and his best friend Yorki (Archie Yates). However, he begins to question his belief in the Nazi way when he finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa (McKenzie) in the attic. A plot like this could’ve gone in either direction based on how it was handled. I mean, who wants to see a light-hearted film about the Nazis? Fortunately for me, Waititi was able to make this concept work. By combining the film’s use of dark comedy with its familiar, yet inspiring, themes, it offered a distinctive and heartwarming satire that showcases the power of love over hate. The best way to describe Waititi’s style is that it provided a series of moments that were odd, upbeat, and charming. When he’s not in front of the camera dressing up as the childish Nazi leader, he displayed his own talent behind the scenes by envisioning an unusual fantasy that’s more engaging and delightful than the realistic, cold-hearted nature of the time period. Sure, it’s not as accurate as the history books, but for the sake of maintaining its tone, it hardly needs to. The entire cast was undeniably stunning in their roles, especially Roman Griffin Davis in his feature film debut as Jojo and Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa. Taika Waititi put on a really good show as Adolf Hitler, making him my personal highlight of the film. His satirical portrayal of the infamous Nazi leader was exactly what I wanted it to be: hilarious and somehow relatable. It’s almost as if Waititi read our minds as to what we really thought of Hitler. The humor in the film was well-balanced with a story that’s thoughtful and endearing, although I can clearly understand why it’s not for everyone. It’s full of jokes that poke fun of the Nazis’ personalities and their beliefs, which can be both cleverly funny for those who enjoy well-written black comedies and a bit offensive for those who are sensitive to this type of topic. There were some humorous parts that I thought were hysterical, but there were also some parts that didn’t hit their marks as well as others. Overall, “Jojo Rabbit” has the right amount of oddities and charm to make fun of the Nazis in the most amusing way possible. It often falls into familiar territory and its portrayal of the Nazis can be a bit insulting for the sensitive ones when it comes to the jokes. Nonetheless, it’s a well-written and humorous satire that once again displays Waititi’s unique filmmaking talent. The cast was wonderful in their roles and the film’s mixture of comedy and heart was nicely executed in terms of Waititi’s direction and script. It’s far from perfect, but it has enough entertaining moments to make its strange concept fun for me. If you’re a fan of Waititi’s other works, you won’t be disappointed with his latest film. B+“Midway” stars Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, and Woody Harrelson. Released on November 8, 2019, the film follows the US Navy sailors and aviators during the Battle of Midway. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich, who also directed films such as “Universal Soldier”, “Stargate”, “Independence Day”, and “White House Down”. Back in the day, war was best described as an absolute hellhole. It’s filled with misery and savagery as people from different countries fought and attempted to kill each other instead of working things out like mature adults. However, the history of war had its share of some good moments to go along with the bad moments. There were plenty of people who accomplished many daring tasks during the events of World War II and are proclaimed as heroes because of that. The best example for this case is the Battle of Midway, a naval battle between the United States and the Japanese that took place six months after the latter attacked Pearl Harbor. This decisive battle, which involved the United States Navy and the aviators defeating the Imperial Japanese fleet, was considered to be the turning point of the war. Now that’s the power of America. With a battle this epic, it’s no surprise that Hollywood wanted to portray it on the big screen, and what better director that is capable enough to bring this vision to life other than Mr. “Independence Day” himself, Roland Emmerich? They could’ve gone with Michael Bay for this one since he directed a film based on the attack of Pearl Harbor, but clearly no one wants another three-hour war film that’s filled with bland romance and cheesy dialogue. With this weekend being Veteran’s Day weekend, I decided to review this film in honor of the brave veterans who saved countless lives while serving in the line of duty. Does it do the historical event justice? Let’s travel back to World War II and find out. The story depicts the events that pit the Americans against the Japanese during World War II, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway. These events were told from the perspectives of the characters who were involved in the epic fight that turned the tide of the war. Audiences who read about those events or lived through them will immediately know how the film's going to turn out at the end, which is pretty common for war films that are based on real-life events. However, people who haven't will be interested in seeing how it all went down. The film had what it takes to be an entertaining war film that honors the brave people who fought their way to victory, but it failed to take advantage of this strategy and wound up crashing into the ocean during takeoff. The film's story felt more like a simplistic collection of events that happened during this time period than a thoughtful narrative about the power of hope and determination. While it works as some sort of tribute to the people who made these daring accomplishments, it fell way short of obtaining the same quality as the other war films like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Hacksaw Ridge”. This is mostly due to how the story and the characters were handled. Aside from the accomplishments that the characters made and a decent all-star cast that portrayed them, there’s honestly little to no reason as to why I should care about them. Everything about them felt completely empty and dull to me, and the plot didn’t help much either as it struggled to shoot past its by-the-numbers narrative and its anticlimactic sequences in order to provide some much-needed depth in its quality. Even when these characters are fighting in the war, I didn’t care that much about them. There’s absolutely no sense of urgency and emotion to these characters when they’re about to meet their demise. They did make an effort in making the scenarios inspirational during a few scenes, but those efforts often came out as forced or cheesy in terms of the dialogue. The plot and the characters are the most important ingredients that are needed to make a war film thought-provoking and intense, and sadly, “Midway” fails to remember those ingredients. It’s like as if it only cares about showcasing the war itself instead of balancing it with an engaging storyline. These flaws alone made the film’s runtime (which is close of two hours and 20 minutes) completely unbearable and unnecessarily stretched out. If I had to point out one thing from the film that I actually enjoyed, it would have to be the battle sequences. Whether it’s the Pearl Harbor invasion or the planes dive-bombing towards their targets, every action scene that is portrayed onscreen was intense and nicely directed from start to finish. The visuals that were used for these sequences were nothing too special, but they work well in bringing these battles to life, even though some of them looked a tad ugly. Overall, “Midway” is a bland and uninspired experience that only relied on the battles themselves to carry itself out of the war zone. The action and the visuals made it worth watching on the biggest screen possible. Unfortunately, you have to get past its unrewarding by-the-numbers plot and empty characters in order to watch them. Roland Emmerich did wonders in providing some entertaining action sequences, but based on what I saw from him, his storytelling still needs some adjustments. I honestly didn’t think I would be that disappointed in a war film like this, but you know what they say, life is full of surprises. I still honor the heroes for their bravery during their fight for victory, but honestly, they deserve better than this. D“Doctor Sleep” stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, and Cliff Curtis. Released on November 8, 2019, the film is about a man who discovers that he’s not the only one with psychic powers. The film is directed by Mike Flanagan, who also directed films such as “Oculus”, “Hush”, “Before I Wake”, and “Gerald’s Game”. It is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Stephen King, which is a sequel to King’s 1977 novel The Shining. Looks like the spirit of Halloween is still lurking because we got ourselves another spine-tingling film to check out. Less than 40 years ago, acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick released the film adapation of Stephen King’s terrifying novel known as “The Shining”, which tells the tale of a husband who goes mad due to the influences of the ghosts and tries to kill his family. Despite receiving some mixed reviews during its first few days of release and the fact that King was not pleased with how it turned out, “The Shining” went on to become one of the most influential and scariest horror films of all time. Many studies were made for the film by plenty of movie buffs that analyze its symbolisms, themes, and theories, and I do mean “many”. That’s how popular this movie is. In 2013, Stephen King wrote a sequel novel to “The Shining” titled “Doctor Sleep”, which chronicles Danny Torrance, the boy who has psychic abilities, as an adult. Six years later, it was adapted into a movie by the creator of “The Haunting of Hill House”, Mike Flanagan. Not only does it serve as a film adaptation of the novel, but also as a sequel to the 1980 film adaptation of “The Shining”. This type of combination sounds like a win-win for both fans of the novel and fans of the horror classic on paper, but does it work well on the screen? Taking place decades after the events of “The Shining”, the film follows a grown-up Danny Torrance (McGregor), a man who possesses psychic abilities known as…well, “The Shining”. He is constantly haunted by his experiences at the Overlook Hotel, and he has suppressed his abilities by becoming an alcoholic. Like father, like son. He then encounters a young girl named Abra Stone (Curran), who also has the Shining. When she becomes a target for the True Knot, a group of mysterious people that feeds on the Shining, Danny will have to overcome his trauma in order to protect her. The film is more along the lines of a dark modern fantasy compared to the psychological horror nature from “The Shining”, but it still contains the elements that fans of its predecessor are familiar with. If there’s one thing I learned from watching the recent “It” films from Andy Muschietti, it’s that with the right people behind the camera and the script, the film adaptations of certain novels from Stephen King will succeed in honoring the author’s visions. I’m pleased to say that “Doctor Sleep” is another Stephen King adaptation done right. Similar to the “It” movies, the film has a steady balance that focuses on representing both its poignant themes and its disturbing imagery that will make everyone’s spines tingle with fright. Most modern horror films have done the opposite by putting their themes in the back seat and let the cheap horror cliches do the driving. I’m talking about you, “Countdown”. Under the command of writer/director Mike Flanagan, “Doctor Sleep” allows the horror elements to cooperate with his storytelling and its themes of childhood trauma to provide an easy-going road trip for its audience. The film’s representations can come off as either underwhelming or slow at times, especially for those who prefer horror films that are fast-paced and exciting, but it had enough juice in its horror tank to keep me intrigued in this world and the characters. The film is over two and a half hours long and due to its pacing, you might feel its length by the second act. However, because of its interesting story, it didn’t come off as a chore for me, so bonus points for that. Ewan McGregor was great in his role as Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson was a thrill to watch as Rose the Hat, the leader of the True Knot. Kyliegh Curran also did really well in her feature film debut as Abra Stone. Stop me if you heard this before, but I can’t wait to see what she will do next in the future. If you’re wondering whether the film is downright scary or not, well, wonder no more. From my personal perspective, I wouldn’t consider it to be a “scary” movie. It’s a film that relies on its atmosphere and supernatural elements rather than jump scares and horror cliches to provide an unsettling sense of dread. Mike Flanagan had a pretty interesting way of presenting that type of film when it comes to his directorial style and the cinematography, with the third act being a superb example. Without spoilers, the third act is like revisiting an old friend, and the way this reunion was handled was unsurprisingly effective. The musical score by The Newton Brothers was not only haunting, but it was also nostalgic for those who grew up watching “The Shining”. Overall, “Doctor Sleep” is a creepy and well-acted continuation of the “Shining” story arc, even though it doesn’t shine as bright as its predecessor. Its overlong running time and the underwhelming representations of its themes and scares might make this one a tough sell for modern horror fans. However, it still has the right tools to provide an effective and atmospheric horror experience, such as the cast, Flanagan’s direction, and a solid story. It’s not as impactful or thoughtful as “It”, but I appreciate the effort that was put into this film. If you’re familiar with “The Shining” or if you’re in a mood for a watchable horror film, this one’s worth checking out. B |
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